Setting down a saxophone improperly can damage it. Then it may not play well and you’ll probably need to pay for repairs.

Let’s look at the two sides of a saxophone and think about which is the better option if you need to set it down.

Hey, it’s Kristi.
I recently attended a band camp and was playing my saxophone.

An instructor for the marching portion had seen the way I had put my instrument on the turf- with all the keys facing up. He told me to turn it over so the keys would lay on the ground.

I had thought this would bend the keys and rods, but he told me it was fine, and easier to replace keys than a bell.

So I was wondering what the best way you thought would be?
-Kristi

I wanted to give a response that included pictures, hence the video above.

If I set my sax down, ideally you want to use a sax stand or the case. You can get stands that fold up and hold more than one saxophone as well.

But if no stand is available and it’s fairly inconvenient not to put it in the case, I’ll usually have the right side on the ground (keys down). And I’ll usually try to place it on something soft, like a jacket.

The reason is partially to do with the side of the bell that the pads and braces for those pads are on. On most modern saxophones they are on the right side. Some keys/pads are more protected than others if you set the sax down on one side or the other.

Setting the saxophone so that it places pressure on the table keys could damage them.

If you distribute the weight across more area of the saxophone, there is less pressure on any given part. Some parts of the saxophone can also deal with more pressure than other parts.

Sometimes, especially with older horns, the openings in the bell will be on the opposite side. And one may be on one side and one on the other side.

Let’s check out the two sides of the saxophone. On a Jupiter alto sax (modern horn).

The main things I’m concerned about are the palm keys and the table keys. You don’t want a lot of pressure on them. The braces on the bell are fairly sturdy.

Use a sax stand or the case if you can, if you cannot, then consider how your horn is built. Most horns should be placed with the right side facing downward and the palm keys/table keys facing up.

Leave a comment if you have any thoughts on this, thanks!