Handling the Saxophone

The saxophone is an intricate instrument that needs to be handled carefully and maintained regularly. The best way to pick up a saxophone is by the bell, or with at least one hand holding the bell. You should never pick up the saxophone by grabbing an area with keys. The weight of the saxophone in your hand can easily bend or warp the keys, knocking it out of adjustment.

Saxophone Maintenance

A trained instrument-repair person should regularly check the horn for leaks around the pads, check corks, check springs, check key heights, and perform other minor adjustments. If you have a professional quality horn, adjustments should be made by a repairman who regularly adjusts professional (not just student) quality horns. Ask other top musicians who they use. I like to have my horns adjusted every six months, at least  for horns I play often. In addition, the pads will eventually develop tears or wear out. When this occurs, an entire pad job is needed, which usually runs anywhere between $300 and $700 depending upon the pads used and what other work might be required.

A saxophone should regularly wipe off and clean the saxophone. On a daily basis after practicing, the student should run a wipe (see photo) through the horn to remove any saliva from the main part of the horn.

In addition, the neck should be swapped with either a wipe or a soft rag with a cord. I prefer to remove the mouthpiece after each practice (to keep the cork fresh), but some saxophone players leave the mouthpiece on the neck for extended periods.

The outside lacquer of the horn should be carefully wiped with a little dab of rubbing alcohol on a soft cotton rag. If desired, a little dab of Old English can be used after the alcohol wipe to give the lacquer a little glean. For newer horns, check with your manufacturer to find out what they recommend.

About every few months, the keys should be oiled and the pads gently cleaned. To oil the keys, drop a miniscule drop of key oil into every place where there are moving parts. Keep this oil off of the pads, cork, felt, and lacquer.

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