Tag: woodwind repair and maintenance

Should I tighten the screws on my woodwind instrument?

Jun 11, 2020

—

in Musicianship

for Bassoon, Clarinet, Flute, Oboe, Saxophone

For many household items, screws should be tightened if they seem loose. But for woodwind instruments it’s a little more complicated. Woodwind instruments (flutes, oboes, clarinets, bassoons, and saxophones) have many screws on them. They are usually the slotted type, for which you would use a standard (“flat-head”) screwdriver. And some of them need to …
Keep reading →
Woodwind doubling and oboe problems

Jun 9, 2019

—

in Woodwind playing and pedagogy

for Oboe, Woodwind doubling

There’s an increasing expectation that woodwind doublers be competent and confident oboists. It can be a challenging double, but a worthwhile one. Many of my doubling gigs have come to me because of my ability and/or willingness to play the oboe. And even though it’s not my strongest instrument, there are considerable spans of my …
Keep reading →
Woodwind instrument “care kits” are bad news

Jun 17, 2016

—

in Woodwind playing and pedagogy

Congratulations on your new student-level flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, or saxophone! Your music store’s friendly sales associate is probably insisting that you purchase a “care kit” as well. I recommend that you do not buy it, because it is, at best, a waste of your money, and, at worst, a hazard to the instrument’s wellbeing.
Keep reading →
Repair or buy new?

Mar 10, 2016

—

in Woodwind playing and pedagogy

Should you have your old (woodwind) instrument repaired, or put the money toward a new one? Here are a few things to consider. First, you should understand the difference between having “playing condition” repairs done and having a full overhaul done. The overhaul is an expensive service, often costing a significant percentage of what you would spend …
Keep reading →
A toolkit for simple woodwind repairs

Jan 19, 2012

—

in Woodwind playing and pedagogy

I think it’s really valuable to be able to do a few small repairs on woodwind instruments. As a doubler, I’ve found it to be a financial necessity—I can’t afford to run to the repair shop every time some little thing needs tweaking on one of my instruments—and it’s a great way to get to …
Keep reading →
Do it yourself: replace a tenon cork

Oct 2, 2011

—

in Woodwind playing and pedagogy

for Clarinet, Oboe

One of the most common woodwind repair needs is replacement of a clarinet or oboe tenon cork (or bassoon, if you have cork joints, or wooden piccolo, or recorder…). It’s an easy job, and doesn’t require much more than a piece of cork and a few minutes. Let’s do it. A few weeks ago, I …
Keep reading →
Do it yourself: replace saxophone palm key pads

Aug 7, 2011

—

in Woodwind playing and pedagogy

for Saxophone

If you’re interested in learning to do some pad replacements on your instrument(s), saxophone left-hand palm keys are a good place to start. Here’s why: The palm keys don’t have any dependencies—they don’t move any other keys and aren’t moved by any other keys. So replacing a palm key pad won’t set off a chain …
Keep reading →
Take your instruments apart

Nov 16, 2008

—

in Woodwind playing and pedagogy

I highly recommend taking your instruments apart. Here’s why: There’s no better way to understand the workings of a mechanical device like a woodwind instrument than to take it apart and put it back together again. They’re your tools. You should understand how they work. Take ownership of your instrument’s maintenance. Discover problems that need …
Keep reading →