Saxophonists, If You're NOT Doing THIS... Please Start!
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- Опубліковано 5 жов 2024
- Jay Metcalf shows how to properly swab out a saxophone to keep it clean and dry for better performance and less trips to the repair shop #saxophone #bettersax #saxophonelessons
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Not only do I swab the mouthpiece, neck, and body after I play, I brush my teeth before I play.
That’s too much to do if you have a concert to play but I think that’s a good idea
@bwahzehdezooner Amen, brother! Not only do I brush my teeth before I play, especially a show, I make sure to brush them again if I consume anything with calories before the show is over. Drink water only.
I’m guilty of having a beer before I play a gig. But I can at least rinse my mouth out with water before playing. And I never eat on a gig until after done playing. And at home I typically brush/floss before practicing since it’s a lot more convenient then.
Same!
That's especially good after just having eaten something. If I dont have my toothbrush with me when I'm outside, I'll make sure i can get a gd rinse before i play.
This is not the first time you addressed this topic. I'm so glad I took heed of your video when I started out on sax 3 years ago. Always swab out my sax (it has become routine), use keyleaves (while not a plug, it a ...plug), and put it on the stand. The horn only goes into case when it needs to travel. Case looks and feels brand new (on the inside). In emergency situations I have some cigarette paper to clean out sticky toneholes.
I got to play a Conn shooting star from the early seventies a few weeks back that hadn't been played for a long time. Just opening the case wasn't an entirely a positive experience. (The sax played fine, though. A bit clunky, needed some maintenance.)
Jay, thanks for teaching this emphatically. I learned it from you when I first started playing and I never skip this step. If rushed to clear out of a place after a jam or gig, I suggest dumping the condensation, putting it in the case, and then SWAB IT AT HOME. Even after an hour's drive, it's still very damp! I also suggest leaving the case open at home if your sax sits safely on a desk or table.
Great to hear.
Bang on jay good advise been doing it for 25 years keeps the pads in good condition its a must do after every use..
I've had my saxophone for 15 years and did this every time I played it and it still looks brand new
Makes a huge difference.
i wash my reeds under cold running water...dry em with a soft towl and leave em on a flat surface,,,the enzimes in your spit break down the cane....
Swabbing from the top of the horn is a risky move. Ever only did it once and the one time I did it when I was starting out on sax, the swab was stuck and I had to bring it to the tech to remove a number of keys before the swab could be dislodged.. Lesson learned the hard way~
I never swab out my mouthpiece if i'm at home or have access to a nearby restroom. I wash the mpc immediately with mild soap and running water before drying it out thoroughly. The only time i swab the mouthpiece is when i cant wash it immediately. The neck and body ALWAYS gets swabbed after use regardless.
I attached a cord to opposite corners of the micro-fiber rag. That allows me to pull it back and forth a few times each time I use it. I added a weight to one of the cords that I covered with a SUGRU wad to protect the interior of the horn and valve seats. A smaller cloth attached to a tie wrap long enough to reach through the neck makes insertion easy. I also find that passing a cloth wrapped on an old reed or some other skinny bit helps keep the valve pads dry. When I miss that part, I frequently find that some of the "normally closed" valves are reluctant to open. G# for instance. Mine is an old, very old horn and it shows a lot of wear and staining around the bell and the bow, probably from poor cleaning and maintenance.
Good advice Jay. Keep it coming.
I have loved your advice for some time now and you got me to start drying my horn regularly. One thing that helped me as I started my routine was to leave the saxophone around my neck while I swabbed it out. It was like giving me an extra hand. (I also will leave the case open at least overnight to help dry it out.)
I always swab my saxophone and mouthpiece after use, before storing it in the case or setting it up with the gapcap and key props by Key Leaves.
And I wash my mouthpiece in cold soapy water, white vinegar, oil to remove the glue from the mouthpiece cushion, before cold soapy water again, rinsing and drying, once a week..
My sax gets welllness after each playing. I even dry the most wet pads with cigarette paper at the end. Using cork grease is a must....💄👍
Would you consider doing a video about taking the sax keys off and cleaning the body safely? For advanced players only of course
I swab and use key leaves on all of my horns each time I play.
@davesaxologist Before "key leaves" were invented, I have been using a folded business card to do the same thing. I just saved you 20 bucks.
@@MarkPeotter Amen to that. Unfortunately I learned about using dollar bills in the same way, just a few weeks after I purchased my first "and last" set of Key Leaves.
I recommend this swab kit. Great tool.
I’ll definitely use this on my sax. You should review an cannonball sax sometime
Excellent video on routine maintenance after playing! To many, this is not common knowledge!
For mouthpiece, and reed, use 100% cotton Mens white handkerchief.
Another great thing to do is put silica packets that absorb moisture inside the case!
You can get silica pads that do not have the little beads that otherwise could make a mess of your case if they came apart!!!
Yes, easy and a must do. I do it every time and it has become sort of a practice winddown routine . But sadly I don’t have the easy motion that you have!
I am getting your Bettersax alto soon and will be buying the swab kit. I didn’t swab out my previous $200 Amazon sax. It was decent for the price and lasted me 2 years.
On a totally different note, why doesn’t your alto sax come with the classic bettersax mouthpiece like the tenor?
I love your videos, keep it up!
It will very soon, we are doing a minor update on that horn but the price will also be going up so I recommend you order before that happens to get the discount currently on offer at Sweetwater.
Thank you for the recommendation
Do you feel comfortable describing the update to the BetterSax alto and confirming that it will then be $900 released in 2025? I am trying to decide if I should push my parents to get it now or get the updated version for Christmas.
As a reformed non-swabber I thank you for this public service announcement. A use a stick swab which I like since I think it does a better overall job as you can stick them in and then spin them around so they swab the tone holes/ pads in a horizontal action not just vertical as the pull though swabs do. Found out that my tech guy uses these too and he’s fairly uptight on maintenance. Ha. Just be sure to have the correct size for your horn and DON’T leave it in the sax as some manufacturers mention.
It's such a habit now, I fret anytime I forget to swab out my horn. One little thing, I let my horn and swabs air dry, and don't put them in a case when I'm home. The horn goes back on the stand without the mouthpiece, and I thread the swab weights through a couple of the holes in the back of my music stand to let them hang.
Also, I keep several folded dollar bills to prop open all the normally-closed pads. Far cheaper than just one pair of horribly-overpriced Key Leaves (plus it insures I always have cash to tip the Servers :)
The reason for swabbing out the body from the bell to the top is to remove the most moisture. If you start at the top and go down, you are dragging the water down the length of the body leaving some behind.
I do it all...additionally before swabbing I m washing neck and mouthpiece from inside under running water...Then rinse them dry...
After cleaning my tenor, I use a hair dryer on the coolest setting, directing the air inside and on the pads. It takes me 15 minutes, but my sax is like new.
For me it’s the best way.
You just raised the bar for the rest of us!
@@MarkPeotterThank’s for your feedback…You should try, saxophones love to be pampered 😊
This is such a huge duh! And very few do this. Rehearsal or the gigs over and I'm always the last one putting my horn away. LOL
Yup! Even the drummer is packed up before me!
Around 6 years ago, I got an awful infection on my gums (they got swollen and purple). Due to the drop of a tooth filling some bacteria went throught the bore an attacked my gum. Doctor gave me antibiotics to sort it out. I can't probe the connection, but I remember that issue was the reason why I started to clean my mouthpiece and reed with soap and luckwarm water everytime I finish my practice. If I'm not wrong, there is even a pulmonary illness related with the lack of hygiene of wind instruments, isn't true? Maybe is a good topic for another podcast with a specialist.
I share the stage with a sax player who only cleans his neck, mouthpiece, and synthetic reed once a year. He seems like he is "getting over" a cold, all the time.
Use silk with the wand (way tighter clean), custom key leaves for palm and low keys, and keep silica packs in my case…
And…drink only water at gigs or rehearsal (hardest new habit)
I had a loaner sax while mine was getting repaired that I swabbed out like usual. Bad idea. The week break was kinda nice though.
When I meet fellow baritone players that don't swab, it always disgusts me. The last one I chatted with said something like "naaaa that's what the water key is for". My grey swab ended up green after going through his sax.
I wash out my mouthpiece with cold water before swabbing it. Everything else I do the same xx
Yes! Drying off the mouthpiece is not good enough. I use a drop of mild soap and running cool water - every single time.
How about a review of the Sax-a-boom??? Jack Black plays one
Aunque entre más apretado siempre meto el limpiador por arriba, nunca se me ha quedado atascado. En cambio, metiéndolo por la campana, se me ha quedado atascado 2 veces y casi le tengo que llevar al luthier para sacarle…
The first!
I love this channel
Great swab kits, Jay. Got a version for soprano?
Jay have you any suggestions on cleaning and maintaining a Bari Sax?
He made a video about it. I think if you search UA-cam for “Baritone Sax Swab” it should come up
Yes I made a video about this. Find it on my channel.
Any good recommendations for a good bari sax swab? All of my past efforts have been . . . unsatisfactory.
Yep. Good advice as always. Add a bari sax "snake", and I will buy it! I wash my mouthpiece with dish soap and a toothbrush.
And what do we do with the cleaning cookies, whether we also clean them or not.
as you say we clean cup, but with saop, it's not beacause your monthpiece is dry that she is clean, I clean it with soap and old teathbrush once a day.
Hi! I love your videos and it is awesome you have got your own swab kit out!
I am looking to avoid things like microfibre that shed microplastics, and use a set of silk swabs. If this is insufficient, do you (or anyone else in the comments) have a recommendation for swabs made of completely natural fibres? Many thanks from Canada!
Hodge is a brand that makes nice swabs made from silk. I used them for years with good results before switching to microfiber swabs made by BG. Good luck!
i'd be interested in a better sax soprano if it's any price range comparable to your alto for a double horn. any idea when that might be coming out?
Why not wash the swab afterwards too with your laundry?
I do that every few weeks. Problem is the pull cords like to get tangled up with my clothes!
@lashturner Yes. If you have a washing machine without a spindle in the center, good. Otherwise try using the dishwasher. Gather up the long string and make a knot so it does not end up in the moving parts of the machine.
Get a mesh laundry bag. They sell these for washing delicate items with straps.
@@judyjarnefeld8264 That's Perfect! My spouse would have known that, if I had bothered to ask her 🙄
And never, ever use a so-called 'padsaver'.
It is made of nylon! Completely non-absorbent, it will only hold the moisture in your instrument.
Your horn needs to breathe!
@andrea22213 Thank you! So Right.
Clean your mouthpiece! Just don't use hot water on hard rubber. It will turn it yellowish.
Listen to what Jay says because having your tech do this is VERY expensive and unnecessary!
What about spray some alcohol to swab ?
@gabrielbernardo5098 If you are suggesting cleaning the swab after using it, good idea. If you are suggesting pulling alcohol spray through the horn, or spraying the horn, bad idea. Alcohol will harden the pads, shortening their life span. Same problem with other solvents, like ammonia.
Are there any schools left that still have Instrument Repair & Fabrication programs? My daughter was interested in going into it. But I can’t find a degree program anywhere.
And apart from cleaning I do put small pieces of fine tissue paper under the keys to absorb the moisture and saliva
Can't find the ultimate swab kit for soprano sax.
If you have a detachable neck soprano, you can use the neck/mouthpiece swab from our alto or tenor kit to swab the body. You can also swab the neck but the swab won’t go all the way through just enough to dry it and pull it back out the same side. So if you have an alto or tenor, you can buy one kit and it takes care of soprano (detachable neck) too.
Try a padsaver
I need a swab for my soprano sax, any recommendations of which one to buy?
I use the neck/mouthpiece swab from the kit I mentioned in the video on my sopranos. If you have a one piece soprano, you need something else.
What about the bari?
Same routine for everything with pads - all saxes, all clarinets, all flutes.
Where does the Calcium come from?
Saliva
I store my reeds in whiskey 😅
Cheap vodka here...:)
day 6 of asking for a bari sax
☮️🎶🎵🎶🎷
Isn't having funk is what it's all about?
I don't have time for that. Who does that? I split my piccolo with a swab. I will never swab again. Never again.
Who does that? Everyone in these comments does. Sorry you broke your piccolo. My piccolo swab is like a wide shoelace wrapped around a skinny stick.