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How to fix this problem:

There are two simple things that can be done. One have the saxophonist play the G or F-Sharp in the lower register. These notes are normally much closer to being in tune and will allow the young saxophonist to learn where to play the middle D, D-Sharp, E, F, F-Sharp and G on the alto. To play any of these notes in tune the embouchure must be slightly altered.

The second option is to have the alto saxophonist play a first finger B natural, hold it for a while and then play the middle G or F-Sharp. This will allow the saxophonist to make the necessary adjustments to the embouchure when they hear the interval from the first finger B to the middle note.

Ask any saxophonist of any level of playing to play a middle F-Sharp out of the air as their first note and it will likely not be as in tune as if they played the first finger B before playing the F-Sharp.

*It is important to remember that the saxophone is generally an out of tune instrument. It is by the nature of the design that the instrument is always a challenge to play in tune. When you change a reed... when the room is to hot or cold.... a pad leaks... All of these things change the intonation of the instrument.

*The best way to play any instrument in tune is of course to...... hear it in tune! Practice with your tuner... now they do not need to get crazy with the tuner and bring it with them everywhere... When I see a guy get a tuner out before anyone has played I am pretty sure he cannot trust his ears.... use the tuner at home or just to get the first note where you need it.... then put it away.....

You must first hear in tune to play in tune.....

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The Saxophone and Emergency Repair


What does anybody really need to know about the saxophone and emergency repair?

The answer is not so much. I see a lot of repairmen offering emergency repair kits... complicated things to work with and a lot of advice on the technical way to do the repair.

All repairs of the saxophone that can be made fast by the Band Director or knowledgeable Player at a concert, football game or rehearsal are simple. Most things on the saxophone can be fixed with a few things: Rubber Bands of many different sizes and strengths... buy a bag at the 99-cent store for a buck, Saran Wrap, thin double sided tape and or dental tape, a small screwdriver to tighten a pivot screw or rod and a spring hook incase a spring comes off. A small amount of pads might be good. However unless every saxophonist in your band is playing the same brand and model of saxophone the number of pads necessary could prove to be too large to carry everywhere.. It may be too hard and expensive to keep in stock. So I will talk about using the things you have at hand.

The word emergency itself tells you it only needs to work for a short while. To get you through that football game... then you can take it to the repairman...

So if a spring breaks: You can use one of the rubber bands and fine a way for it to connect to the instrument and lift the key up or hold it down. Choose a rubber band that is about the same tension as the keys on the instrument after it is hooked up.

If a pad is torn: And it will not seat cover it with Saran Wrap and use a rubber band to hold it on.... it might look funny, feel

different to the student when the key is pressed but it will work.

If a pad falls out: Put it back in with the thin double sided tape. Then Wrap it with Saran Wrap and Rubber Band to make sure it stays in the pad cup. Put the Saran Wrap over the face of the pad, pull it to the top of the pad cup, twist it and use the rubber band to hold it in place.

Eric Marienthal one of the great modern saxophonist pretty much always has Saran Wrap on his palm key pads. After seeing Eric’s saxophone I often thought that I would put Saran Wrap on my palm keys and maybe I would play better... I tried it... it just didn’t work for me like I wanted...

If a pad sticks: Put some baby power on it and work it up and down a few times...

Lose a pad:
If your saxophone player looses the pad then fold some paper in the pad cup until it looks about the same thickness as the other pads around it and wrap a few or a lot of layers of Saran Wrap around the pad cup, rubber band it and it will work for a while.

Lose a neck cork: Wrap the neck with Dental Tape until the mouthpiece fits and put the mouthpiece on... it will last for a while. The Dental Tape will also work for a Clarinet mouthpiece or any Tenon.

Remember emergency is just for a short while not a permanent fix. Saran Wrap and Rubber Bands can work on saxophones, flutes, clarinets, brass water keys and just about anything that can be fixed in an emergency. It will likely last through the gig.

Tool List:

Saran Wrap
Rubber Bands

Small amount of baby power..

Thin Double Sided Tape
Dental Tape

Small Screwdriver

Spring Hook (Optional)

These tools will all fit in a very small bag and be easy to keep with you....

If the problem cannot be corrected with these few things... then it is not an emergency repair. It is a shop repair, and must be taken to your local woodwinds repair shop.

These solutions may or may not work for everyone, but it is a solution offered by Rheuben Allen – formerly of the Sax Shop in Los Angeles.