Introduction Eh, sticky G# - shiny wonderful beasty - lots to Learn!

[pjmorris]

Hi all, I've enjoyed reading your posts and feel that there are many kindred spirits out there!! I'm 49 and have wanted to play an instrument for years. I'm in the RN and when I first joined I managed to play the cymbals, badly, (the most important lesson- if you're going to hit it, hit it loud!!). Since then I've had a friend who attended the Royal Academy and decided he was only good - so joined the Navy too! He taught me a lot about written music though most I've forgotten. Finally, I've plucked up the courage and got an Alto sax; as many of you have said - what a wonderful thing it is - gloriously golden and a masterpiece of intricate engineering.

I'm working in Bulgaria and my teacher is Bulgarian (what a surprise), we muddle along in a mixture of bulgarian and English (I think I'm learning almost as much Bulgarian). He was wonderful though and helped me choose the instrument (he'd already been to the shop and tested a few before I got there! and was already into the lunchtime beer!) (no he's not taken me for a ride!!) The horn is unusual as its by Arnolds & Sons and east german make that the Bulgarian Army band use.

I've signed up for this as I've read of some of the same problems as I already have - sticky keys (G#), whistling notes (dead cat sounds more like me at times!), and frankly different notes to the ones I am keying - how does that work!

However, its just wonderful to play and I enjoy every moment I have with it.

Hope we can chat and enjoy our learning experience together.

Best of luck to all newbies.

Peter

 

[Pete Thomas]

Hi Peter, welcome to the Breakfast Room. Lighter fluid on a pipecleaner should fix the sticky G#

 

[richard_mac]

Hello and welcome Peter.

Richard.

 

[therudest]

Hello there...playin' every day WILL fix ur sticky G# =DDDDD

 

[saxismyaxe]

Howdy Peter,
Welcome to the board.

 

[sharon]

Hi Peter and welcome. It's surprising how much you enjoy it even when you sound like a cat strangling a baby - all part of the fun!

Sharon

 

[greg_strange]

Welcome Peter - from the sunny South Pacific.
The sticky G# key is one of the quirks of playing the saxophone.
I do what Pete has suggested above - lighter fluid on a cotton bud. I also clean around the top of the tone hole and try to clean inside it as well. I do this procedure once a month. After playing the horn each time I put a pull-through chamois through the instrument three times and then insert a pad-saver. I also put cigarette papers under the pads of the G#, low C# and low Eb/D# tone cups/keys. This soaks up any moisture. Hopefully this helps.
I've had a sticky G# pad a week after a re-pad. Sometimes if I play a tune using the G# key, and then the next tune not using the key, the third tune when I go to use the G# key it sometimes sticks. I don't think there is any cure, but you can help prevent it. Maybe.

Regards,

Greg Strange.