How to Swab or Clean Out Your Bari Sax
- By Jay Metcalf
- BetterSax How To's, Saxophone Repair and Maintenance
Lots of viewers have asked me how to swab and clean out their baritone saxophone so I did it for the first time myself to find out. The crook of the baritone sax is not easy to swab out. I had to add a long piece of string to an alto sax swab in order to make this work.
I usually clean out the neck and the mouthpiece, so the rest of the horn has never been cleaned out.
Have you ever cleaned out a bari sax? Comment below and let us know how it went for you!
**WARNING** This May be very gross.
I took an extra alto sax swab that’s been lying around, tied a long piece of string to it, and then tied to weight to the other end of the string. We need it to be extra long to get through the entire body of the saxophone.
Put the swab through the bell, rotate the instrument so that the weight can fall through the rest and come out the other end.
You’re going to have to shake the instrument to help guide the weight around the bari. It might take a few minutes to work its way through.
Make sure that when you add the extra string to the swab that you’ve tied it very tight and secure. The last thing you want is something to break and get the swab stuck in your bari.
After playing the horn again, I can feel some more clarity that I didn’t feel 5 minutes ago before cleaning it out. I especially feel it in the upper register of the instrument!
So that’s how you clean out your bari saxophone. Definitely very gross if you’ve never done it before, and I highly recommend taking a stab at cleaning out your monster of a horn. I definitely felt a bit of a difference while playing my horn.
Interested in more cleaning how-to’s? Check out “Time to Clean Your Saxophone?” and also be sure to check out the BetterSax Ultimate Sax Swab Kit for alto and tenor here.
Also be sure to follow BetterSax on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube to stay up to date with us for news, giveaways, and other saxophone tips and tricks.
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Jay Metcalf
As the founder of BetterSax.com Jay’s mission is to help developing saxophone players break away from traditional music learning methods and discover a more efficient, practical and fun way to become a Better Sax player.
The BetterSax YouTube channel’s videos have been watched by millions and thousands of students have made meaningful progress on their instrument thanks to BetterSax courses.
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7 Comments
They do sell a silk covered foam snake that will clean this top area from the top down. It will only clean the upper but that is where all the gunk is.
I got a longer one of those silk tubing swabs and it gets a LOT of moisture out of that first bend, so I use it every time I play. I recommend these swabs, plus there’s less chance of a strong breaking while you’re pulling it through.
I swab my tenor every time I play and it’s always gross LOL
I tried cleaning it with a swab. The first time it came through with a bit of force. I figured the next times would be smoother, but it got stuck. So I pulled a little harder and I ripped the cord off the cloth. Had to take it to my repair man.
I have an old Buesher True Tone Bari. I could buy the same swab, it looked sturdy. But then I’ll have to cut a bit off. Anyone else have a good tip for a vintage bari?
Was the swab you used specific for baritone sax? If not that could be the problem. Each horn has a different diameter bore at certain spots.
Please can you let us know what mouthpiece/ligature you are using on Bari Sax? I just tried a Bari sax for the first time, and it was rather dull sounding.
I have used a specialised Bari swab, twisting it through in the way you suggest. However, recently the weight has been getting stuck in one of the toneholes, and I have to take keys off to remove it. I’m giving up on it!