Wet fingers...

[Linky Lee]

Didn't really know where to put this but does anyone else get condensation leaking from their tenor onto their left hand after playing for an hour or so? I don't like having to wipe my hand on my trousers half way through a gig and never seem to remember a flannel for the pocket.

If so any tips on minimising / avoiding this or ways of making the touch pieces a bit more grippy when wet?

 

[Nick Wyver]

It's what trousers are for.

I do it all the time.

Don't think you can avoid it. Just get used to it.

 

[Andrew Sanders]

Thick elephant corduroy was designed for this purpose. Just remember to roll them slightly when going to the gents.

 

[ArtyLady]

Yep - I just wipe it on my jeans

 

[jbtsax]

I have heard that the semi precious stones Cannonball uses for touch pieces on their pro saxes are not as slippery when wet as mother of pearl or plastic. I have not yet tested this theory, so I can't speak from first hand experience.

 

[Wade Cornell]

The "AH HA" moment... maybe that's why Chinese horns have the white gloves! (if you believe that you'll believe anything).

 

[Greg Strange]

Superglue sand paper to the key touchpieces - should be plenty of grip there...))

Greg S.

 

[old git]

Superglue sand paper to the key touchpieces - should be plenty of grip there...))

Greg S.

And gets rid of the fingerprints.

 

[TimboSax]

Yep - I just wipe it on my jeans

Yep - I just wipe it on the singer's jeans (he doesn't seem to mind)

 

[Jamesmac]

A small microfiber cloth. Available in those pound shops, Good for wiping down the sax also. They come in packs of 3
PS one for the fingers. One for the sax. & one to wipe the lipstick off from the adoring fans, before you go home to the wife.

 

[dooce]

I have heard that the semi precious stones Cannonball uses for touch pieces on their pro saxes are not as slippery when wet as mother of pearl or plastic. I have not yet tested this theory, so I can't speak from first hand experience.

As an ex-Cannonball owner, I would say that's probably true - I don't ever remember the jasper key-touches being slippery when wet. Another good reason to buy a Cannonball...... (my Raven tenor is still available in Howarths )

 

[Sue]

Yep another jeans/trousers wiper here Just remember to wash them every month or so whether they need it or not

 

[Taz]

I don't seem to have this problem @cos when I'm playing with my Rock 'n' Roll band I spend a fair bit of time playing on my back!




Anyone got any ways of adding flavor to condensation?

 

[Young Col]

Actually serious point Taz, that it usually happens to me when sitting down and leaning slightly forward on alto. Water comes out of the B tone hole and drops onto my C key, left second finger. Like the others, not much you can do apart from a surreptitious wipe off.

 

[Ivan]

Actually serious point Taz, that it usually happens to me when sitting down and leaning slightly forward on alto. Water comes out of the B tone hole and drops onto my C key, left second finger. Like the others, not much you can do apart from a surreptitious wipe off.

You can cure the problem if you don't breath out

 

[Taz]

Funny, I was really thinking about this today whilst I was busking as it's more noticeable for me when I'm out in the cold. My warm breath condenses on the cold brass far more than when I play indoors in the warm. So this got me thinking that if you could keep your sax warm whilst playing would condensation be less of an issue?

 

[jbtsax]

To answer Taz's question. Yes, there would be less condensation. I often have the same problem while playing tenor. Part of it has to do with the angle of the instrument. Since the bell of the sax is pulled back, the moisture runs down the tonehole side of the tube and comes out the first open tonehole. My solution that helps, but does not eliminate the problem, is to take off the neck during a rest and tap it several times on my knee. This knocks most of the water collecting on the walls of the neck out so it doesn't later run down the body of the horn. When more time is available, I run a clarinet "hanky" swab through the neck and mouthpiece with the reed off.

 

[rhysonsax]

Yes I get the water leaky effect, much more on tenor than alto, never on bari (well it wouldn't get that far).

But some tenors are worse for this problem than others. Not much of an issue on my Yamaha or Selmer but it happens a lot on my BW M2S. I guess that is to do with the configuration of the tone holes and where moisture tends to pool and then escape.

Rhys

 

[Linky Lee]

You can cure the problem if you don't breath out

I tried this out and also found it to be a cure for all my horrible squeeks, top tip!

 

[Ivan]

I tried this out and also found it to be a cure for all my horrible squeaks, top tip!

I also find it's a cheap alternative to the sax mute