Wind Repair Training Academy’s Saxophone Courses
Embark on a transformative journey with our Saxophone Repair Training courses at Wind Repair Training Academy. Learn the intricate art of saxophone maintenance and repair, honing your skills under the guidance of experienced master technicians.
Discover the importance of proper assembly, disassembly techniques, key adjustments, Clean oil adjust servicing, Overhauling Saxophones, Key fitting and more, as you elevate your craft to new heights. Unleash your potential and unlock exciting career opportunities in the world of music repair. Join us today and start building your music career with confidence and expertise.
Interested in Learning to Repair Saxophones
Register your interest below – we’ll reach out to guide you toward the course that’s right for you.
Saxophone Repair Introduction Course:
Two weeks, but can take up to four weeks to complete.
1x Private 1:1 Lesson
Saxophone Repair Introduction Course
Repair tools and supplies for the entire course: $275
Repair Level 1:
3-Month Course with 4 Live Classes, 4 Private Lessons and 4 Work Alongs
Designed for private lesson teachers, musicians who want to learn more about the care and maintenance of their instruments, and for those exploring if becoming a master repair technician is a career option. All our classes include 3 components typically: Live class time, private lessons and work-alongs so students can work alongside a tech online. Sign up times for all classes, private lessons, and your work along for Level 1 can be selected once you enroll, allowing you to find the best time for you to participate based on teacher’s availability. Level 1 is a 3-month course; however we allow you up to 6 months to complete it. It is expected that you will submit assignments via video and image assignments. It is extremely difficult to find dedicated master repair technicians willing to teach others everything they know and it is expected you will honor the opportunity with an appropriate level of effort to ensure you receive a lifetime of benefit for your investment.
Level 1 Topics:
- Clean, Oil Adjust Servicing
- Parts of the Saxophone and related terminology
- Tools needed and their use in saxophone maintenance
- Care and maintenance of the saxophone
- Proper assembly/disassembly
- Disassembly & reassembly of the upper and lower stacks, octave key, palm keys, and bell keys
- Cleaning body and keys
- Adjusting flat springs, needle springs, and posts
- Replacing neck cork
- Replacing key corks and working with related materials
- Cork thicknesses
- Evaluation methods
- Visual inspection
- Testing rods and screws for
movement/addressing stuck screws and rods - Play-testing
- Using a leak light
- Replacing pads
- Pad removal/cleaning pad cups
- Closed vs Open keys
- Octave key adjustment
- Connections with/without adjustment screws
- Bell keys
- Adjusting pads when not replacing a pad
Learning Outcomes:
Following successful completion of Level 1 Saxophone Repair, participants will be able to:
- Full clean, oil, adjust servicing of saxophones in a timely manner
- Describe the basic construction and terminology of the saxophone
- Select and use appropriate tools and materials for repairing saxophones
- Diagnose and troubleshoot repair needs of saxophones using evaluation practices
- Disassemble and reassemble saxophone keywork
- Clean saxophone body, keys & pads
- Replace & level saxophone pads with a light touch
- Replace a neck cork
- Replace adjustment materials
- Make & adjust key connections without adjustment screws
- Gain awareness of common problems in saxophones, and troubleshoot repairs
- Know what tools & supplies are required for quality work
- Introduction to instrument repair suppliers for best quality tools and supplies
- Best practices for business & communication practices for working with customers and appropriate pricing for work
Saxophone Repair Level 1
$1650
Price includes repair starter tool kit and supplies for the entire course
Repair Level 2:
6-Month Course with 8 Live Classes, 4 Private Lessons and 4 Work Alongs
Pre-requisite: Level 1
Our Level 2 Repair course is designed for those who seek to refine their skills from level 1 to build speed and earn income from repair.
Level 2 is a six-month course, which you can take up to 9 months to complete.
Level 2 Topics:
- Repair Identification Techniques
- Neck
- Body
- Joint fittings (neck-body, mouthpiece-neck)
- Saxophone Overhaul process
- Pad replacements
-
Key corks & Adjustment materials
-
Mechanism/key action
-
Tone hole leveling
- Body work
- Soldering techniques
- Key Fitting techniques
-
Final play test
- Time allotment
- Building speed
- Working on Tenor, Bari & Sopranos
- Business Topics
- Pricing Your work
- Overhauls
- COA servicing
- Minor Repair
Learning Outcomes:
Following successful completion of Level 2 Saxophone Repair, participants will be able to:
- Differentiate between overhaul, COA servicing, and minor repair
- Fully overhaul a Alto Saxophone and perform a COA on a tenor, bari or soprano saxophone
- Build speed while delivering clean work
- Price your work fairly, while considering materials and labor
- Replacing & leveling all pads – with a light touch – pads levelled individually
- Straighten Bent Keys & Rods
- Expert knowledge on what materials to use where and why
- Buffing of silver & nickel plated keys
- Levelling tone holes with both lifting method and round files
- Basic soldering techniques
- Correcting corrosion on body and keys
- Replacing springs
- Swedging, lapping, countersinking & other key fitting techniques
- Dry fitting techniques
- Key heights and intonation and how to adjust
- Knowledge of fitting a neck tenon with basic tools
- Knowledge of differences with baritone & soprano saxophones
Saxophone Repair Level 2
$2800
Price includes training and supplemental tool list will be supplied
3 Day Intensive In-Person Training:
Pre-requisites: Completion of Level 1 or Preferably Level 2
Becoming a master technician requires developing your hand-eye coordination as quickly as possible both for the benefit of learning and to build speed. An immersive in person experience will take you 50-70% of the way the being able to learn online at a more rapid rate, while also building speed.
If you are serious about making rapid progress as a master technician in training, in-person training will help tremendously. While in-person training is not required to complete Level 2, completing our 3-Day Intensive in Person Training is a pre-requisite for continuing your skills in the Master Level 3 & 4 Repair Technician course. Before our 3-day immersive, we will set up a consultation to determine personalized learning objectives, which are based on your prior successes and challenges in the course. Our 3 Day In-Person Intensive is presently offered in a variety of different locations with different instructors and partners. To inquire about becoming a partner reach out to hello@windrepairtrainingacademy.com
3 Day In-Person Saxophone Repair Training
$1750
Plus the costs of travel, food and lodging
Repair Levels 3 and 4:
Each course is a four-month class: 16 weekly 45-minute one-on-one sessions
At this stage in your development as a master clarinet repair technician, you need to continue to increase your speed and begin to routinely be paid for completed work. Our goal in both Level 3 and Level 4, is to place you with an existing master repair technician, close to where you live, if possible, who can spot check your work while you continue to learn from us. In order to accomplish this you may need to pay a bench fee to be able to work inside their shop, which could be as much as an additional $100-500 USD per month. The entire problem with learning mastery level repair skills is that those technicians who are proficient are too busy doing paid work to spend the time necessary to help you perfect your craft. However, we have found if a busy master tech knows he or she is not responsible for all your development as a technician, but instead can just comment on your work or suggest where you need to improve, they are far more willing to participate and engage with you.
This is why we advocate for students paying for a bench in a shop to review/observe their work but not be responsible for teaching you. We have found many eventually will hire you under this arrangement or recommend you eventually. When combined with our one-on-one sessions and monthly group learning, you will continue to advance rapidly as a master technician.
After the completion of Level 3 and 4, as an independent repair technician you will be able to charge between $60-80+ per hour ( in the US), perhaps less outside of the US, for your work because of the advanced techniques you will learn. If you work for a shop as an employee, you are more likely to earn $30-35 per hour in the US, and it could be less outside of the US.
