Joined
·
17,082 Posts
If you pick it up by the bell, then do not jerk it. Until you have straightened a few bell/body alignments, to get the bottom 2 pads to line up with tone holes again, you have no idea just how easily the bow bends!
I see little harm in picking up a sax with the fingers almost anywhere, PROVIDING the pressure exerted by each finger involved, is not much more than the finger would normally use in operating the sax. Yes, some keys will close, some may open, some long ones may flex, but this is OK providing the forces are small. That is achieved by spreading the forces around many areas. (BTW I reckon I would do more handling during an overhaul/repad, than the average player does over several years, so I have a fair idea of what handling does what to a sax.)
What should be of more concern to some gorilla-gripping players, is that stack keys without off-centre pearls can easily be bent out of alignment with tone holes by pressing hard on those pearls during normal playing! (Perhaps I should say ABnormal)
I see little harm in picking up a sax with the fingers almost anywhere, PROVIDING the pressure exerted by each finger involved, is not much more than the finger would normally use in operating the sax. Yes, some keys will close, some may open, some long ones may flex, but this is OK providing the forces are small. That is achieved by spreading the forces around many areas. (BTW I reckon I would do more handling during an overhaul/repad, than the average player does over several years, so I have a fair idea of what handling does what to a sax.)
What should be of more concern to some gorilla-gripping players, is that stack keys without off-centre pearls can easily be bent out of alignment with tone holes by pressing hard on those pearls during normal playing! (Perhaps I should say ABnormal)
