Brush your teeth before you play: This is particularly important if you’ve been taking in sugary food and drink. Sugar plus saliva makes for a nasty solution that accumulates on your pads and can cause them to stick, which is no fun when you’re rattling off inadvertent wrong notes.
Never lift your saxophone from the keys or neck.
Always swab your horn from the bell to the top.
Don’t place your saxophone in a closed case after playing, as there will still be a little bit of moisture lingering in the horn.
Always keep your mouthpiece in a bag; never place your mouthpiece directly in the accessory compartment of your case.
Oil the Keys ( Key oilcan be purchased at music stores).
Always swab your horn from the bell to the top.
Don’t use your padsaver as a swab: After a playing session, when the top of the horn is still wet and icky, pushing a pad saver down the body of the horn does nothing but spread that wet and ickiness throughout the sax – which is no good for your tone holes, and really just about any part of the horn. The pad saver is there to use only after the bulk of the moisture has been removed by a large cleaning swab.
Take your instrument to Desaxdoctor once a year for a tune-up; if you play less often, this might not be necessary. Speak with your music teacher about setting up a tune-up schedule that works for you.
