Use care by not bending keys when assembling instrument parts. Typical problem areas are clarinet bridge keys, flute foot joint keys, and saxophone neck octave keys.
Avoid eating or drinking sugary beverages before or during playing. Sugar accumulates inside the instrument bore, causing sticky pads and dirty tone holes.
Avoid over-oiling keys. Too much oil applied to keys will migrate to key corks and felts, causing them to fall off due to glue failure. A periodic single drop of oil is all that is required to keep keys moving easily.
Flute head joints or foot tenons do not require cork grease or oil. Tenons fit best when they are clean and free of dirt. If sticky dirt or residue does build up on the tenon, a small amount of oil can be used to loosen the dirt. The tenon should then be wiped dry with a clean cloth (inside and outside) before playing.
Instrument bores should be swabbed out after playing to remove excess moisture. When finished playing, mouthpieces should be removed from necks and clarinet barrels to avoid permanent cork damage.
Please avoid using PAD-SAVER (SHOVE-IT) style swabs on saxophones and flutes. They trap moisture inside the instrument and promote bacteria growth. Traditional "PULL TROUGH" style swabs are recommended to remove moisture after playing.
To avoid a spread of germs, please do not leave swabs, "shove-its", rags and any personal items in the instrument case.
