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Tutorial: Taking Care of Your Saxophone
For an instrument, especially for the saxophone, regular maintenance is necessary to keep its mechanical and sonic properties intact. Today, we'll teach you how to take care of your sax!
A) Before playing
For all saxophones (Soprano, Alto, Tenor, etc.), maintenance starts even before playing! Indeed, to easily fit the mouthpiece onto the neck, you should first grease the cork tenon with grease designed for this purpose. Often in stick form, you should apply a light layer of grease to the cork. To evenly spread the grease, you can finish spreading it with your fingers.
Once the grease is applied, simply assemble the various parts of the saxophone by removing the protective cap and inserting the neck. Be careful not to tighten the screw too much; the tenon just needs to be held in place, not completely locked.
Next, wet your reed, mount it onto the mouthpiece using the ligature, and insert the mouthpiece by making a left-right rotating motion to facilitate fitting. It's not necessary to completely cover the cork of the neck with the mouthpiece.
B) After Playing
After playing, it is absolutely necessary to absorb the residual moisture in the instrument. Indeed, the condensation of saliva, as it dries, can damage the pads and hinder the proper sealing of the instrument. Additionally, fungi can form, triggering a "Saxophone Lung," a form of pneumopathy linked to poor instrument maintenance.
Before any manipulation, it is important to drain the instrument and remove all residual saliva. We recommend using a weighted swab which, when passed through the instrument, will absorb all remaining moisture. Always pass the swab from the bell towards the mouthpiece to avoid blocking it in the tube.
To finish, a pad dryer can be used to complete the job!
