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To swab, or not to swab... (Part I)

© Chris Mindel

Caring for your instrument is almost as important as practicing. This was a lesson that I was late to learn. Without an instrument that is in good shape, you might as well be blowing into a bottle. Would you want a fireman to rescue you using her ladder with five missing rungs? Would you go sky diving with a parachute with holes? Of course not! It's the same thing with your instrument. You want it to be as ready as you are when it comes time to play. It is very easy to take care of your instrument; the most important thing you need to invest is time.

Let's go over a few things you will need to but to take care of your sax. Starting at the top, you will need a mouthpiece brush (a stiff, triangular brush) and something to hold your reeds. The brush is used when you wash the mouthpiece. Take care when you wash, using some sort of light cleaning liquid (I've always used dishwashing liquid), not to scratch the rails of the mouthpiece. Rails? Rails are the skinny flat parts on either side of the opening, under the reed. Rails help support the reed, and seal the mouthpiece. Small dents or scratches can affect your tone. As for the reed holder, this is an area I am not very adept in (read: write to me!) You need to take your reed off when you put your instrument away. And, you need to put it into a safe place. There are many, many different reed holders on the market. Some basic, some complex; some cheap, some expensive. Some have products inside to absorb any trapped moisture. What you have to make sure of is that the reed tip (the part in your mouth) is very protected, and can be stored flat against something. Otherwise your reed will warp, and become useless. [I will do a later article on reed selection and care, which will explain some of these things in more depth.]

Now, for an embarrassing story. During junior and senior high schools, I didn't take very good care of my instrument. Especially the reeds. I am ashamed of this, and thankful that my instrument survived! My reeds would sit on the mouth piece for months. If you took it off (which was difficult) you would see one to three black circular spots. What were these spots? Mold! Yes, my reeds, what went into my mouth every day, were supporting entire worlds of life. The odd thing was, during this time I rarely got sick. Perhaps, they were some sort of penicillin. Do I recommend reed-based microbiology for all saxophonists to prevent disease? NO!! It is a sign of an immature and irresponsible musician, and it's disgusting. Learn from my mistake; take care of your reeds!

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