Identify Leaking Pads on Your Woodwind Instrument

Over time, saxophone, clarinet, and flute pads may begin to leak air, causing some notes to become difficult to play. This is usually due to moisture from your breath deteriorating the pad material, so it doesn't sit properly against the tone hole. If these leaks aren't identified and corrected, your instrument's performance will be affected. Finding a leaky pad can be a challenge, but there are actually a few methods that can get the job done.

Steps

Playing Your Instrument

1. Play a chromatic scale. You can sometimes tell if your instrument has a leaky pad from the sound quality of the notes that you play on it. Playing a chromatic scale can help determine if there is a problem because they contain 12 pitches that are each a semitone apart. That provides plenty of opportunity to listen for abnormalities with the notes.
2. Listen for fuzziness. While you’re playing the scale, pay careful attention to the sound of each note. On a woodwind without leaking pads, they’ll sound clear and crisp. However, if there is a leak, the notes will have a fuzzy, almost blurred sound even with very little finger pressure.
   • Not all leaky pads will lead to fuzzy-sounding notes, so it’s a good idea to check your instrument using an additional method to ensure that your instrument is in proper working order.
3. Notice if there’s extra resistance. In addition to changing the sound of your instrument, leaky pads may make it feel differently when you’re playing it. You may suddenly notice that your instrument seems to play with greater resistance, which means that you need to blow harder into it to generate enough air pressure.
   • Greater resistance in your woodwind instrument can also be indicative of other issues, so you should check the pads using another method to ensure that they’re the problem.

Using a Leak Light

1. Get a flexible LED flashlight. You need a light that will travel down inside your instrument, so a tube flashlight that you can easily bend works best. Look at your local hardware or home improvement store, or search online at sites such as Amazon to find one that will work. Streamlight offers a variety of models that make good leak lights.
   • A length of rope lighting, which is typically used for decorative purposes, can also make an effective leak light.
   • Using a leak light is an especially effective method for finding leaky pads in woodwinds that don’t break down into separate joints, such as the flute and saxophone, because it allows you to examine all the way down into the body of the instrument.
2. Place the light inside the instrument. Make sure that you’ve turned your leak light on, and gently being threading it down into the instrument. You can either allow it to move all the way to the bottom keys and carefully pull it up as you go to examine each pad, or set it near the top keys and slowly move it down into the instrument as you go.
3. Press down on each key. To test each pad, you’ll need to close each key and form a tight seal with the pad. Your leak light should be directly behind the pad that you’re testing. Once you’ve pressed down on the key, look around it to see if you observe any light shining through. Light indicates a leak.
   • It’s usually easier to see if there’s light around a pad if you do the test in a dark or dimly lit room.
   • While this method can be very effective in identifying significant leaks, it may not alert you to smaller issues. It also won’t help you determine if the pad is seated evenly around the tone hole.
   • Using a leak light won’t work if your woodwind instrument has translucent pads because the light will be visible even if there isn’t a leak.

Using Feeler Paper

1. Cut a strip of thin paper. You want to use paper that’s as thin as possible, so tobacco rolling paper works well. When you’re cutting the paper, the strip should be very narrow, approximately ¼-inch wide. It’s a good idea to taper the strip, though, so you’ll have a thicker portion that’s easier to grip with your fingers. You don’t need to make it too long -- 3 to 4 inches is sufficient.
   • If you don’t have tobacco paper on hand, tissue paper, cellophane wrappers from food or other products, or store receipts are effective alternatives.
   • If you want to make it even easier to grab the paper, attach a thin stick, such as a chopstick, to the end of the paper to create a handle.
2. Place the paper under the pad. Make sure that you set the thinner end of the strip over the tone hole, and gently close the pad over it. The paper should be sandwiched between the pad and tone hole, but the wide edge should hang over the edge so you can grip it with your fingers.
3. Pull on the paper. Grasp the wide end of the strip, and carefully tug on it. As you pull, pay attention to the amount of drag or resistance that you feel. If you can pull the paper out easily, you’ve identified the leak.
   • You should repeat this process at four different spots around the pad to check for a leak all the way around.

Using the Suction Method

1. Separate the joints of the clarinet. You’ll need to check each one separately to test for leaks. Because it requires separating the pieces, this method obviously won’t work for saxophones or flutes. Take the upper joint first, and close all of the keys.
2. Seal bottom. You need to make the joint airtight, so seal the far end with your free hand. Remove the air that’s already in the joint by sucking it out through the near end. Try to get as much air out as possible, so you create a suction effect inside the joint.
3. Release your hand. When you let go of the bottom of the joint, you’ll hear a crisp popping sound if the pads are leak-free. If you don’t hear a pop or you need to apply extra pressure to achieve the sound, then there is a leak in the joint.
   • You should repeat the process on the lower joint to check it for leaks.
   • Because this process doesn’t identify the specific pad that’s leaking, you’ll want to follow up by using a leak light or feeler paper to find it.

Tips

• Try to rinse your mouth out before playing, never eat or drink anything other than water, and never chew gum while playing. Saliva deteriorates pads enough without additional sugar.
• Try to dry your pads after playing by blotting them with thin paper after swabbing out your instrument. Tobacco paper works work, and is also good for cleaning sticky pads.
• Always dry your woodwind after any amount of playing. Use a cotton or silk swab and pad savers to absorb moisture. They’re usually meant for saxes, but there are specially made ones for clarinets and flutes.
• If you are in marching band use a lesser quality instrument. Chances are you'll march in humid, rainy, or snowy weather, which can affect the instrument’s pads.

Warnings

• Avoid using excessive force when working on or adjusting your instrument. It's too easy to turn a minor adjustment into a major repair job or even a ruined instrument.
• If you do not know how to fix your instrument or you're not sure what is wrong simply take your instrument to a repair shop. Most music stores have a specialist, and those that do not will usually send your instrument out.
• Before assuming that the instrument is in need of repair or service if it doesn't play well, try playing a similar instrument that you know is in good adjustment. Sometimes, it's just the musician and not the horn.

Related Articles

• Play the Flute
• Clean and Maintain Your Flute
• Play the Clarinet
• Clean and Maintain a Clarinet

References

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