[mikio]

Hi,

I am sorry for the stupid question.

When I am home, I always put my sax on the stand.
At that time, I usually keep the mouthpiece on the neck.
Is it okay to do so ?
Or should I put the mouthpiece off from the neck when I know that I do not play it for hours ?

Thank you very much in advance.

 

[Agent27]

It's probably best that you take the mouthpiece off the neck just to give the cork an opportunity to decompress. Keeping the mouthpiece on the neck also probably keeps moisture on the cork longer which may cause it to wear out faster.

 

[magical pig]

What he said.

 

[Pete Thomas]

True, but if keeping it on encourages you to play it more, then leave it on and expect to have more maintenance to do. I always keep the mouthpieces on the horns on the stands ready to play. I know it's naughty, but it does mean I sometimes practise when I might otherwise not be bothered. Nobody's perfect.

 

[Dr G]

OP - If you leave the mouthpiece on the horn, do you periodically clean it? Do you take the reed off?

Things to consider...

Horns left assembled with filthy mouthpieces full of accumulating mung tend to smell...

Hmmm, I forgot to mention the moldy warped reed.

 

[mikio]

Thank you very much for replies.

I will keep it off from the neck and will take the reed off, too.

 

[Jeff Foster]

My horns go in their cases when I'm not playing them. The only exception is when I'm on stage. Even then, it gives me the willies to leave them on stands. Not too long ago they got knocked over. The alto landed on top of my prized YTS-62 and did all kinds of damage. Thankfully, the damage was repairable but it took 2 trips to the shop to get it just right. Better safe than sorry, IMO.

 

[dubrosa22]

The time it takes to pop the mpc on the neck is generally the right amount of time for the reed to soak in your mouth (or glass of water or whatever) and then if your ligature isn't too fiddly it should take only another 30 seconds to have the reed on the mpc and the horn ready to play.

If you play everyday or so this ritual becomes as automatic and easy as the final ritual you should be performing after play - a pull-through body and neck swab.

Keep the moisture away from your horn! :bluewink:

 

[mikio]

Jeff and dubrosa22,
Thank you very much for suggestions.

Jeff's episode reminded me of the very big earthquake occurred about 6 months ago in my country. I am sorry for it.
Fortunately, I lived far away from the area damaged by it and tsunami. But I ran to the sax and TV and hold them by both hands when it occurred. Yes, it gave me the willies, too.

Considering that experience, maybe I should better put my horns in their cases when I do not play them.

 

[jrvinson45]

mikio, you've made the right choice. I used to keep my horn on a stand with the moutpiece on, only to find that when it came time to take the mouthpiece off it ripped the neck cork which dried out and stuck to the mouthpiece. I still keep a horn on the stand, but take the mouthpiece off when I'm not going to play for a while.

 

[bkobog]

off the neck will be my practice and preference.

 

[Dr G]

That compresses the cork and may result in the mouthpiece sticking to the cork. G'luck with that.

 

[maddenma]

So, Art Pepper's arguably best recording session (Art Pepper Meets the Rythm Section) was made immediately after he ripped the cork off the neck after putting away in the case with the mouthpiece still on. Carefully re-installed the cork/mouthpiece combo back on the neck and used tape to keep if from leaking.

Perhaps Martin Alto is on to something there?

 

[davinci]

Hi, any disadvantage of leaving the saxophone on stand and not in case? (exposure to humidity etc)
At least without mouthpiece on?

 

[Enviroguy]

To the chagrin of my tech, I leave my mouthpieces on the necks. On tenor, soprano and alto, I have them in optimum position and any tuning from there that I need to do can be done by ear. Neck/mouthpieces combos go into neck bags in the case. It just the way I like it.

And of course, about once a year , or when I need to change mouthpiece several times, I have to make a trip to the tech and have the necks recorked. Other then that, it's a good system. :bluewink:

PS: I believe that in many instances, it's better for the sax to leave it on a stand. And most importantly, if it's on a stand at home, it's more likely to get played.

 

[WernerLohe]

Great discussion here of the fine points! In 40 years, I have never put a cap over my mouthpiece. Would I be a better player if I had? I'm sure of it--laziness trumps craft. When I started lessons 40 years ago, I asked my teacher, "How ofter should I swab out my tenor?" He said, "I don't think I've ever cleaned mine...." (...sorry to be off topic.....)

 

[HeyJoe]

Great discussion here of the fine points! In 40 years, I have never put a cap over my mouthpiece. Would I be a better player if I had? I'm sure of it--laziness trumps craft. When I started lessons 40 years ago, I asked my teacher, "How ofter should I swab out my tenor?" He said, "I don't think I've ever cleaned mine...." (...sorry to be off topic.....)

And this Ladies and Gentlemen...is what's called, "Bad Habit's".

 

[10mfan]

I always keep my saxophone out because I want to play it all the time. I never put it in the case at home. The mouthpiece is always on the cork and I just take it off to clean the mouthpiece and reed.

 

[click]

I was taught to take the horn apart, swab and dry it, and put it away, mpc and reed ditto.
After a year or two of playing I got sick of that and stopped.
Then, one day, when I put the mpc up to my face to play, the funk bout knocked me down.
It was hard to get the reed off, and inside the mpc was gunk and sludge worthy of sewerage description.
In addition, my pads started to stick.
I have had better luck going back to treating my horn the way I was taught to originally.
When I leave the horn on the stand to play again later the same day, I loosen the neck, the mpc and the reed, on the (perhaps mistaken) theory that it would help the horn dry out, prevent cork compression, reduce mpc odor, and lengthen the life of the reed.