Calling all Saxophonists:alto's, tenor's, baritone's, soprano's, all of them!!!!!!!

Question

i am 14 and have been playing alto sax for over a year now, but im really good. i played POLONAISE for a camp at speed 140(look it up!) anyway, i was wondering, when i dont press my octave key the latch is still up. i tried turning my sax so that it stays closed but i feel like my neck is about to fall off when i do it. can anyone tell me how to keep it down when im not pressing it?

also, my keys always stay stuck and i was wondering if anyone new something to keep them from not sticking. thanks in advance!

Answer 1

go to a repair shop and oil your valves to loosen the keys

Answer 2

As a short term fix, you can use valve oil or sewing machine oil on the pins and screws to help them move with less resistance.  

You can use cigarette paper to keep the pads from sticking (place the paper under your pad and press down a few times... don't rub it though because it can damage your pads!).  You can also use a dollar bill if it's 2 minutes til your concert and you don't have cigarette paper on you... but don't do this too much as it can leave a nasty residue on your pads.

In the long run though, you really need to take it into the shop and have them do some general maintenance... they will check for loose or damaged springs, and will be able to give it a "tune up" to make sure it's in proper playing condition.  

Just like with a car, it will last longer if you have regular maintenance on things like key adjustment, pad replacement, etc.  If you use your sax for marching band, realize that dirt and gunk can build up in strange places so it needs to be cleaned up a bit each season.

It should only take a couple of days in the shop, depending on what they need to do with it.  I wish I could give you an estimate on price- but I play bari, so everything is more expensive for me! LOL

Anyways, hope this was helpful... have fun! :)