How to Care for a Saxophone

Every beginner should develop a good habit, that is, the maintenance of the instrument, so that it will be in the best working condition, the benefits of doing so are not only to prolong the service life of the saxophone, but also to save considerable costs.

Keep Your Saxophone Dry and the Tube Clean

As a wind instrument, there will always be some water left in the pipe after playing the alto saxophone. If it is not cleaned in time, it will corrode the pipe body. Keeping the instrument dry is especially important in humid and rainy areas. Therefore, after the saxophone is used, the neck should be removed, the water in the tube should be poured out first, and then the water at the bell mouth should be simply wiped with a soft absorbent cloth, and then placed in a ventilated place for 15-20 minutes to let it naturally dry.

Special attention: Do not put the used cleaning cloth directly with the instrument to prevent the secondary corrosion of the instrument caused by moisture retention. Secondly, the use of cloth strips and saliva rods should also be reduced or avoided, so as not to accelerate the oxidation of the pipe body.

Wipe the Outside

The soprano saxophone has a complex structure with dozens of sound holes and keys. If it is not cleaned regularly, it is easy to accumulate dust and dirt on the key shaft, key lever and spring, which will seriously affect the mechanical performance of the instrument and make it difficult for performance. Therefore, after playing the instrument, use a cleaning cloth to wipe the fingerprints and sweat on the surface of the tube body to avoid the erosion of the tube body by alkaline substances; if you use the saxophone for a long time, you can make use of a small brush of about 0.5 inches to gently clean it or a sanitary swab to clean up the floating and sinking between the key posts and under the key rod, once every 1-2 weeks.

Remove and Clean the Reed and Mouthpiece

After the saxophone is played, the saxophone reed should be removed after use, wiped off the moisture, and put into the reed holder for safekeeping. When taking a short break, be sure to put on the mouthpiece cap; rinse the metal saxophone mouthpiece with water after each play, and then dry it with a soft cloth, or wipe it directly.

Maintenance of Key Pads

If the key pad is wet after playing, it will harden the key pad and shorten its service life. In this case, use absorbent paper sandwiched between the key pad and the sound hole. Press the key by hand to absorb the moisture and keep all parts dry. Be sure not to leave paper scraps on the sound port to avoid air leakage.

Keep the Keys Flexible

The change of the saxophone tone mainly depends on the change of the key and the sound hole, so especially the key should have a high degree of flexibility. Therefore, special key oil should be dripped regularly to enhance its flexibility and prevent rust. Every 2 months, it is necessary to inject saxophone lubricating oil at each key connecting rod of the saxophone. Be careful not to inject too much oil to prevent the key oil from flowing to the pipe body, which will cause the paint surface to oxidize in advance. After dripping the oil, move the keys a few times to make the oil has fully penetrated, and then wipe off the excess oil on the surface with a soft cloth.

If your saxophone just isn't playing the way it used to, don't hesitate to bring it into an instrument repair shop. Saxophones are complex in construction, so even the smallest spring, screw, or pad that is out of place can impact how the instrument plays. Trying to fix it yourself could just result in more issues. Of course, if you have any questions, you can also consult Aileen Music at any time, we will do our best to provide you with the best service and assistance.