Ahh, nice! I think you are right. It is important not to close down on just saxophone. You can get some refreshing inspiriation from outside, by listening to trumpet players for example.
Is the movie worth to watch? I found the film “Bird” on the local library, and watched it monday. It was quite good, but I was missing a few things.
And, while I am at it, how often do you clean your saxophone, and how? Today, I was practicing on my alto, and was getting more and more annoyed
at my more and more metallic sound. I tried to clean everything, mpc, neck, body, and the finger pads (I couldn’t remember the english word, so I dont know if this is the correct word, im sorry), and it finally worked out. I was getting a fine tone again. I asked myself if I should clean it more often and which way would be the best.
I use the big fluffy thing to stick down in the body of sax when I am not using it. The same for the neck, just with a smaller one. Then, I sometimes clean the pads with powder and cleaning paper, which helps a lot. I do this around every three weeks, sometimes a little more often. Is there anything else i should do, change, or do more often?
Best Regards
David
Hey David,
Good to hear from you. The movie is definitely cool, I would try and
find it if I were you. I’ve watched it a couple times.
I clean my saxophone after I play it every time. I use a swab for the
body and a clarinet silk swab for the neck and mouthpiece.
Wouldn’t recommend the fluffy stick. The reason is that the fibers
gradually come off of the stick and they can get in your pads and
cause damage…. I used one for a while, but then stopped. It takes a
little longer to use a swab, but you should have less problems with
your pads in the long run.
-Neal
I’m brand new at playing and sax care but the owner and desigher of the sax and company I bought my sax from told me. To use scott towels to clean all the pads after every use. It doesn’t take very long to do. I hope this helps.
Hey Tim,
That’s an interesting idea, sounds very impractical though…..
Swabs (silk/cotton) and letting it dry out for a minute or a while if you can works for me.
A big consideration is to brush your teeth and only drink water, then the condensation in your saxophone won’t be as harmful.
-Neal
Hey guys, I have a sure-bet way to clean your pads (or at least keep them from sticking) that has been the tried and true for me for many years. Back in my college days, I played in the night Jazz Band which was open to anyone within the community, not just college students. So us younger “cats” had the invaluable opportunity to get with the older players to discuss everything Saxophone in casual conversation.
Sit next to a player in a Big Band setting who has 40+ years experience and you’re going to learn some things whether you want to or not.
Anyway, I sat next to one such player who told me to find the cleanest and newest dollar bill (or any US paper currency). Fold it in half and place it between the pad and the tone hole. Close down on it and pull it through.
There’s something about the waterproof coating on money that seems to do the trick for your pads. It works every single time and it only costs you a buck. (Always brand new preferably). Do this once for every key and maybe 2-3 times for your G# and low Eb as necessary and you’ll be good to go.
I personally don’t recommend using any kind of powder on your pads because powder of any kind mixed with condensation usually results in a paste. This cannot be good for any piece of leather coming in constant contact with anything metal.
Just thought I’d pass this on.
Happy playing, jb
Hey Johnny,
Yep, that’s a good method. Something about the fibers in the bills make them stronger than just paper. A teacher of mine used to say that the higher bills work better, really if one is newer/cleaner then it works better.
The key that I’ll use the trick on most is the A key under your left hand.
Neal,
Good point. The higher the denomination being the better quality of manufacture makes alot of sense. If you walk into a public restroom and see George staring up at you from the facility, you would be less likely to take him home with you than if you saw good-ole Ben.
But don’t introduce either one of them to your Baby in this fashion. So yes, the newer and cleaner, the better. Most definitely.
Please be aware however, that in ’95, when the new 100’s came out, the new fake ones hit distribution before the new real ones did, We all assumed that this was what they looked like and really didn’t know much about how to make a viable comparison between real and fake. The strip was cool and that was it. So be careful and make sure that you have the real deal. With today’s technology, any high-resolution printer can reproduce an “exact” copy of whatever you put into it. Bare this in mind as the improper fibers, incorrect water-proofing, and generic ink can really do a number on your new Pisoni’s.
jb
Hey Johnny,
Not sure if the quality of the bills is that different for the purpose of cleaning sax pads, I thought it was more that the higher ones pass between less hands and are in better condition. But they do have different ways of making the bills, esp. for higher denominations.
That’s interesting about the new bills and the fake ones….
-Neal