A Parent's Guide to the Saxophone

The Anatomy of the Saxophone

Assembling the Saxophone

1. Start by assembling the mouthpiece and ligature, and attaching it to the neck.

a. Moisten reeds with water or saliva before attaching them to the mouthpiece. Ensure that the curve of the reed is aligned with the curve of the mouthpiece, and that the angled cut of the reed and mouthpiece line up.

b. The wide part of the ligature goes on first. The ligature should go farther than the curved part of the reed. On a metal ligature, the screws should be against the reed. Tighten just enough so the reed doesn't move when the mouthpiece is shaken. Don't over-tighten the ligature.

The ligature should sit below the crescent cut on the reed.

The ligature should sit below the crescent
cut on the back of the mouthpiece.

2. Attach the neck/mouthpiece unit to the instrument. Tighten the screw.

The loop of the octave key should go around the post on the
body of the instrument so the octave mechanism works.

3. When attaching the neck strap, make sure it will hold before letting go of the instrument.

4. Adjust the neck strap up and down until the mouthpiece is at a comfortable height. Your student shouldn't be reaching for the mouthpiece.

5. Let the neck strap do the work of holding the instrument.

Cleaning and Storage

1. Take the neck/mouthpiece unit off. Drop the weighted end of a pull-through swab into the bell end. Invert the instrument and pull the swab down through the instrument so that it doesn't catch on anything. Do this two or three times.

2. Swab the neck with a smaller swab after removing the mouthpiece.

3. Always take the reed off the mouthpiece and dry it off before storage. Store reeds in a flat case to keep from warping.

4. Practice good reed rotation. Use a different reed each day for four days, then start over with the first reed. This allows them to strengthen between uses.

5. If reeds show signs of mold, or have any cracks or chips, they are trash. Throw them away immediately so they don't get confused with good reeds.

6. Never store books on top of or under the saxophone in the case. This can result in damaged keys, which are costly to fix.

7. Always hold the instrument by the bell to take it in and out of the case to avoid damaging any keys.

Troubleshooting

PROBLEM: The swab got stuck.

SOLUTION: Stop pulling immediately to avoid damaging anything. Bring it in so we can extract the swab.

PROBLEM: The keys are bent/the bell looks off-center.

SOLUTION: This is normally the result of dropping the saxophone. Lots of damage can occur from a seemingly innocuous drop or knock, so be careful when setting it down or when taking it on and off the neck strap. It could also be from grabbing the instrument near the top instead of by the bell when taking it in and out of the case. Delicate keys can be easily bent from manhandling. If any keys are bent or the bell is out of alignment, bring it in so we can have it fixed and adjusted.

PROBLEM: Some notes won't play properly.

SOLUTION: This is most often caused by air leaks, which are usually attributed to bent keys, which are caused by dropping the instrument or gripping it in the wrong place during assembly or storage. Bring it in so we can have the keys regulated and adjusted.

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For questions or more information, please contact AMUSE at 310-377-7838.