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On a saxophone, the chamber is the part of the mouthpiece on the outside of the bore. It is found at the entrance of the cylindrical portion that sinks on the saxophone's cork. It is a geometrical parameter and has a significant influence on the timbre. This means that the chamber's size determines the surface the airflow created by the musician moves into the rest of the instrument.

The chamber's diameter will influence several parameters. One of the most noticeable effects is the total brightness of the timbre. If you have kept all of the other parameters equal, increasing the diameter of your chamber will cause an amplification of the lower frequencies of this spectrum and produce a darker sound.

On the other hand, if you reduce the chamber's diameter, it increases brightness. It's also important to note that larger chambers require much more breath effort to create the desired sound.

When it comes to acoustics, the chamber acts as a filter. If the chamber is larger, it will create a low-pass filter and amplify the lower frequencies, often to the highs' detriment. However, a smaller chamber will serve as a high-pass filter and reduce the low frequencies, which favors the treble, instead. The chamber will also play on the overall ease of emission of this mouthpiece, the width of the sound, and based on homogeneity.

Some saxophone players have precise needs when it comes to their mouthpiece. For example, they may claim they can only play with mouthpieces that have very big chambers. There are some brands of mouthpieces that select a single chamber size and then create all their mouthpieces with the same size. There are other brands, such as Vandoren, that provide plyers with varied sizes for the chamber.

According to some experiments done with various chamber sizes, it was concluded that the size of the chamber being used isn't always that obvious. It is often difficult to support the claim that if a larger chamber is used, a dark and warm mouthpiece is present. This is because other aspects of the mouthpiece, such as the baffle, must be considered.

While this is true, there are some combinations of different geometries that produce instabilities. This means that for some types of baffles, smaller chambers won't work at all, while for other baffles, the larger chamber is going to be an inappropriate option. As a result, each player must understand these preconceived ideas and find something that works for their specific playing style and needs.

Finding the right mouthpiece for your saxophone is dependent on several factors. One of these is the chamber. If you have questions or need more information about selecting the right mouthpiece, reach out to the professionals who can help. They can provide an array of options for you to find the mouthpiece and chamber that matches your playing needs and your playing style.