Saxophone Lesson: How to Unstick a G-sharp Key

Lesson on How to Unstick a G-sharp Key on a Saxophone

G# is a chronic problem for all saxophone players. Anyone who has ever played the saxophone has encountered this common problem. Over the last 45 years I’ve tried all of the powders that actually end up compounding the problem and also sliding a dollar bill through as you put a little pressure to clean the 2 surfaces is only a temporary fix at best.

The best fix which I learned from my repairman in LA, Ivan Lukyanets is to use Lemon Pledge. It is totally clean, no harmful chemicals and leaves no residue.

Procedure: Use a Q-Tip and put a little of the Pledge on it and rub it on both the cup and really get it into the pad groove, and you’ll see the Q-tip get dirty as you clean thoroughly. You may need to use a couple of Q-tips. Finally just take a new Q-tip and do a final cleaning to get all of the residue of the Pledge off.
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Easy as that, and keeps it clean usually for a couple of months. If you’re drinking any kind of drink other than water while playing the saxophone you’re likely to get a lot more stickiness problems from other keys as well like the low C# and Eb key, so cutting that out will also relieve the problem a bit. You could also have your repairman strengthen the spring slightly in case it’s too light.

If you're interested in taking lessons on Zoom or In Person in Burbank, Glendale or North Hollywood, please contact us at (818)902-1233 or on our website at https://www.losangelesmusicteachers.com/online-saxophone-lessons-in-burbank-ca.html​

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