moisture though B and A keys

[BoomBoomBoom]

Hi All

Just moved from alto to tenor. I notice that I seem to be getting a lot of moisture on the B and A keys when playing the tenor. Is this normal ? Or any hints what is happening ?

Many thanks

 

[MandyH]

Yes, very normal.
My tenor is the only one of my saxes that leaks all over me!

 

[rhysonsax]

I get that on one of my tenors (a Bauhaus M2S) and none of the others (Selmers, Buffet, Keilwerth etc). I think it is caused by the positioning of the top few tone holes and possibly the angle of the neck. I don't get it on alto, soprano or baritone.

The spit drops down over the fingers of the left hand. I find it a bit annoying but haven't discovered anything to stop it happening. Maybe you could change the angle at which you play the horn or maybe rotate the neck a bit.

@Stephen Howard or @griff136 may have some other suggestions.

Rhys

 

[jbtsax]

This is common. The angle of the saxophone when being played with the bell being pulled back causes the moisture to run down the front of the tube where the toneholes are located. Things that I have found helpful are to swallow the saliva before playing, draw the air backwards through the mouthpiece during rests, and to take the neck off and tap it on the top of my leg during longer rests. It helps to wear dark colored trousers for this last method.

 

[BoomBoomBoom]

Many thanks for the quick replys.

Cheers

 

[Tenor Viol]

I have a small dark-coloured 'guest towel' whch lies on my lap during concerts, which I can dry my fingers on and wipte the sax with.

 

[Lodger]

I managed to wrap a small ring of pipe cleaner just below the top palm key tone hole of my tenor, without touching any moving parts. It worked fine for a time, but the constant dampness eventually started to mark the lacquer. I took it off and now rely on the cloth and dark trousers techniques (sounds like an incontinence remedy, which I suppose it is, except that it's for the sax).

 

[MandyH]

I have a black towelling face flannel pinned to the left hand waist band of my trousers when I am performing - perfect for wiping wet or sweaty hands.
I also have a black bath towel that I drape over the right hand side of any chair that I sit on while performing on Bari, to protect the sax from the metal legs of the chair which usually protrude beyond the seat pad. This definitely looks as through I cave continence problems! But so far Bari is not too scarred!

 

[Alice]

Have the black towels embroidered with the words "I'm not incontinent really, it's a Sax Thing."

 

[saxyjt]

I never cared to share or ask, but I have the same issue with my tenors. Mostly Yamahas. I guess I need to get a dark towel to replace my immaculate (humm, not anymore) white one.

If only there was a cool dark (brown or pruple ) café saxophone towel!

 

[BoomBoomBoom]

The hidden secrets are now coming out. Perhaps a cafe saxophone towel a good idea.

 

[MellowD]

If only there was a cool dark (brown or pruple ) café saxophone towel!

I would buy a purple one for sure @Pete Thomas there's another merchandising opportunity here

 

[llamedos]

I came across some towels in Asda which are ideal for the dogs as they (the towels) are mud-coloured - as are the dogs after a beach/country park walk. My next car will possibly be of similar hue. Life is a dull beige! Perhaps someone stocks slobber coloured towels which could make for an interesting podium.
Dave

 

[saxyjt]

So the question is: Drack Borwn or Pruple?

 

[nigeld]

So the question is: Drack Borwn or Pruple?

I'm not sure which I think is the lesser of those two evils.

 

[Pete Thomas]

I would buy a purple one for sure @Pete Thomas there's another merchandising opportunity here

You may well be the only customer though.

 

[nigeld]

You may well be the only customer though.

But that means TTS can achieve 100% worldwide market share at product launch.
You can then utilise your first-mover advantage to double sales within months.
100% annual growth should be achievable for at least the first 4 years.

 

[MandyH]

I would buy a purple one for sure @Pete Thomas there's another merchandising opportunity here

Beautiful as Pruple is, it is very visible when wearing all black to play on stage in a performance.

 

[Colin the Bear]

What a load of whoooses. Just flick it at the brass section whydontcha?

 

[OldNotGrey]

As a tenor player I've always found there is a considerable amount of saliva around the instrument which can leak through the tone holes and also collect at the bottom of the bell. So during gigs there is a reasonable degree of sucking back the saliva on the mouthpiece (sounds gross when you put it into words doesn't it) and up-ending the sax to empty it. I use a hand sized super absorbent towel, available from sports or trekking stores, which works well but you've now got me thinking that a black one would be preferable to the red one I have.
At the end of the day, if we play hard we blow hard and it gets messy