You will grow through different reed strengths and mouthpieces as your lips (embouchure) mature.
Its a matter of time, playing too much at the beginning can make lips sore and put you back a little. Thinner reeds (1. 1.5) give a brassier tone, as reeds get thicker they get harder to blow but give a warmer tone. Many players start with a thin reed as it gets you going.
There are three types of mouthpieces, plastic, ebonite, and metal. Plastic is more or less student, it will work, but the other two are favoured. Ebonite gives a warmer more old school tone metal is a larger type of sound.
The lay - that is the curve of the mouthpiece is also important. If there is little room between the reed and the curvature (when resting) then the read can clam up and its difficult to play, on the other hand if the lay is too great it takes a lot of lip muscle (unecessarily) to get the sound.
At present just getting a sound out of the instrument is an acheivement, but once your lips have muscletone - perhaps a year, or even more, then reviewing mouthpiece choice is wise.
Another factor is the condition of the reed. How wet it is. Some people put their reeds in a glass of water - I dont bother these days. There are 'good' reeds, and 'bad' reeds, but you can get too religious about this. Same with mouthpieces, I have met some way to fussy players. Some people pay very silly money, for a lot of hype (IMO).

Last edited by ZeroZero; 09/21/13 12:15 PM.
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