Back to School Essentials for Woodwind Players
It’s that back to school time so make sure you check out our Woodwind must haves for the new academic year below. Care and Maintenance. This aspect of playing is not to be underrated. Especially, after a busy Summer Holiday where your instrument may not have got the love it deserves. At Normans we have all you may need to care for everything from the Piccolo to the Bassoon. pull throughPull Throughs are a must have for virtually any wind instrument. They remove the excess liquid keeping the innards of your instrument spick and span as well as preventing any more permanent problems that can occur from neglect. pad saverA Pad Saver does a pretty similar job, except it remains in the instrument while it is not being played to soak up any excess moisture. Another benefit is that its size makes it somewhat more difficult to misplace. (Not a bad trait in the chaos of School.) And of course let us not forget the ever essential cork grease. This nifty piece of kit allows the joints to be free moving and helps prevent any damage to the keywork thorough forcing the instrument together. selmer cork g rocket cork g bach cork g If everything care based has gone AWOL during the holidays then it may be worth taking a look at our care kit that includes all your basics in one place. (Clarinet, Flute, Saxophone.) Useful Care and Maintenance Links: Clarinet Flute Alto Sax Baggage. flute gigAnother consideration for making back to school a little easier for all of you wind players is investing in a Gig Bag. A Gig Bag or soft case is usually considerably lighter than the more traditional hard cases and comes with handy carrying options such as back pack or shoulder straps. Lyres and Slings. Depending on your instrument slings may or may not be necessary. The general rule of thumb is the bigger your instrument the more you need this handy extra. Lyres are handy for the musician on the move. Check out our blog to find out what would work best for you.