Basic Saxophone Care and Maintenance Getting a new saxophone is one of the most exciting things I can ever imagine. Okay, so I'm a bit partial, but it really is a great thing to happen to a young saxophonist. When you get a new saxophone, look at it and remember how everything looks. Go over it with a fine toothed comb and observe how everything is made. This will be your mental bookmark to go back to whenever something feels wrong with your horn later on. So, the first thing we want to do is get a list of necessary accessories to help care for our new baby! Here's a list which I think is important... Pad Saver Swab or Sax Diaper Soft, flannel cloth for wiping Reed Guard or Carrying Case Neck swab for Alto, Tenor, Bari Cork Grease When you start your day of saxophone playing, make sure that you examine the horn briefly to make sure everything still looks intact. Assemble your horn gently. Do not force the neck into its receiver socket! Make sure and loosen the neck tenon screw before insertion. Then, insert the neck and tighten only until it becomes difficult to tighten it more. Don't force the screw to tighten more as this can cause many problems with the neck. If your cork is dry make sure to grease it up well with some fresh cork grease. This prolongs the life of the cork and makes it much easier to slide the mouthpiece on. Never force the mouthpiece onto the neck further than it wants to go. Doing so may cause the mouthpiece to crack and split making it impossible for a good seal and forcing you to buy a new mouthpiece. If it has been more than a month or two since you have oiled the key hinges, you might want to go ahead and put a drop or two of key oil at all of the pivot points on the instrument. This will not only reduce wear on the rods and screws, but it also helps keep the keys working more smoothly. Definitely do this at least once every two or three months. Whenever you have finished playing your saxophone, store your reeds in their proper guards or carrying cases. Then, drain excess moisture from inside the horn by tipping the bell forward and upside down, making sure to not let any pooled moisture run back up into the body of the horn. Make sure you do this in an area that wouldn't be adversely affected by excess moisture. After returning the horn to its upright position, then take your pad swab or sax diaper and swab the horn out while holding the keys closed. This helps remove all the moisture from the pads so that it doesn't have the opportunity to soak in and cause swelling, which leads to cracked or split pads and extra repair fees! Also, don't ever leave your sax swab inside the horn after swabbing. This holds the moisture inside the horn (which is exactly where we don't want it to be) and can, again, cause pad problems. If you have an alto, tenor, or bari make sure and swab the neck out as well. And don't eat right before playing (at least without rinsing your mouth out or brushing your teeth) because food particles can become lodged inside the saxophone and plug vent holes preventing notes from speaking correctly and may even cause bacterial growth inside your horn. If you find you need to clean your mouthpiece (and at sometime we will all need to) use only warm water and soap. Water that it too hot to touch is too hot for the mouthpiece and may crack the mouthpiece. Now, take your soft flannel cloth (one especially made for lacquered or plated instruments) and wipe down all contact points of the instrument - in other words, anywhere that has been touched by human hands. The oil on human skin will not only eat into the lacquer after time, it will also allow particles of dust and dirt to be trapped and form an abrasive goo which will scrape at the lacquer when you try to remove it later. So, it's important to get the instrument cleaned while the contact is still fresh. Remember to never use any abrasive cleaner on a lacquered or plated instrument. This removes the finish and can induce hazing or rust. And just because a trumpet player may be able to drop his horn into the bathtub and wash it out doesn't mean that a saxophonist can. Again, remember those pads! Now, put your instrument away in its protective case, making sure to leave it in a spot without too much moisture or too much heat or sunlight. Also, make sure that your instrument is in a safe place so that it doesn't get knocked over, knocked down, or kicked around. Even inside of its protective case a saxophone can be severely damaged by drops or kicks. And, speaking of the case, don't put too many extra things inside of the case. Some saxophone cases have accessory pockets inside with no protective cover. When the case is shaken many of the items in that accessory pocket can move around in the case and may get lodged inside your instrument or cause some form of damage otherwise. Keep those reeds wet and happy saxophoning! article copyright © 2004 Michael R. Myers If you are having problems viewing our website or are experiencing other difficulties, please contact the webmaster. Website and all materials Copyright © 2004 - Lenoir Saxophone Ensemble, Inc. all rights reserved Composers/Arrangers - click for info