Can Smokers Play Saxophone?
As a lover of the saxophone, I would love nothing more than for the saxophone to be accessible to as many people as possible. If you are a smoker, you may have understandable concerns about your ability to play an instrument that requires you to blow a lot of air. I took some time to look into the published research on the subject, so hopefully I will be able to give you the answer you are looking for.
In most cases, smokers can play the saxophone. The saxophone exhausts one’s breath less quickly than other instruments, so it is possible to play well even if you don’t have strong lungs. However, playing the saxophone incurs a small risk of lung disease which may interact with the risks of smoking.
As a disclaimer: I am not a doctor and nothing on this site is medical advice. In fact, I am nothing more than a fanatic for woodwind instruments. Medical claims in this article are based on some research I looked into which I’ll discuss below, whereas claims about the saxophone and woodwind instruments in general come from my own experience.
Playing saxophone and smoking – is it physically possible?
While it is true that woodwind instruments are played best with strong air support, they don’t require so much air as to be anywhere close to outside of what most people’s lungs are capable of. Your lungs would have to be quite weakened (perhaps to the point that you struggle to breath) in order for you to lack the necessary air capacity to play the saxophone.
Quite simply, it’s possible for smokers to play the saxophone because smoking by itself often isn’t enough to weaken a person’s lungs to the point where they can no longer blow a steady stream of air. In fact, one study [1] concluded that smokers who play wind instruments don’t appear to strain their lungs significantly more than non-smokers.
This isn’t to say that smoking is harmless to the lungs. According to the CDC, smoking causes both lung cancer and COPD [2], which restricts airflow to the lungs. However, many smokers have neither of these – at least for the time being. Provided that you can still breathe normally, it really doesn’t take much effort to get a sound out of the saxophone. While your sound might not be as well-supported if you have weaker lungs, in most cases you should still be able to play.
Many famous saxophonists were also smokers. This is especially true for many of the original jazz greats. While they presumably would have been better off without smoking, they still managed to be outstanding players. Clearly, then, it is physically possible for a person to both smoke and play saxophone well.
Is it healthy for a smoker to play saxophone?
Even if it is physically possible for a smoker to play saxophone, there remains the question of whether it is a good idea to do so.
Some studies have shown that playing saxophone increases the risk for some lung issues, meaning that it is not necessarily healthy to combine it with smoking. However, this risk can be reduced somewhat through proper instrument care.
On one hand, playing wind instruments such as the saxophone does appear to increase lung capacity [3]. At first glance, then, it appears that playing the saxophone would be beneficial to anyone worried about the strength of their lungs.
Contrary to what one might expect, however, playing a wind instrument such as the saxophone does not always appear to lead to objectively better lung health. This study [4] concluded that wind musicians may have a slightly higher risk for lung cancer, and that this risk likely combines with the risk from smoking.
The reason for this is that playing the saxophone will open up your lungs, but this also means that they will be more open to things that are toxic [4]. You’ll get stronger lungs from playing saxophone, but in order to keep them healthy you need to be extra careful about exposing them to toxic substances.
As such, playing saxophone can be considered a double-edged sword as far as lung health goes. It is worthwhile to have stronger lungs, but only if you are consuming clean air.
‘Saxophone Lung’
Playing saxophones that are dirty can also cause lung problems [5]. It is well-known enough that it’s been given the label ‘Saxophone Lung’, though it can happen to anyone who plays an extremely dirty wind instrument. Its actual name is hypersensitivity pneumonitis.
Essentially, fungus begins to grow in saxophones that have not been cleaned. As you play, you can wind up with some of that fungus in your lungs. Though this often goes away in the short term, continuous exposure could lead to permanent lung damage [6]. If you are already a smoker, having Saxophone Lung on top of that could be a problem.
Fortunately, the simplest solution is probably to just make sure that you clean your saxophone. You can still play; you likely only need to make sure you are more diligent about your cleaning than most others. We have a separate article on how often you should clean your saxophone and how to go about it.
Effects of smoking on the saxophone
Not only are the chemicals in cigarettes harmful to the human body, but they are also harmful to the saxophone as well.
The saxophone contains lots of felt pads which allow keys to form an airtight seal against the saxophone when pressed down. However, these pads are highly prone to damage. If the pads become damaged, they can lose their ability to seal and result in a leak. Leaks severely hinder the functionality of a saxophone.
From what I understand (anecdotally; I don’t know of any studies on the subject), the particles from cigarette smoke will harm the pads if you blow them into your saxophone. This can lead to leaks and expensive repairs.
Again, this can perhaps be mitigated through some simple measures. If you thoroughly brush your teeth before each time you play (which you should do anyway), you may be able to partially prevent the damage. Nonetheless, it is worth keeping in mind that you will be taking the risk of harming your saxophone if you begin playing as a smoker.
Conclusion
Yes, smokers can play saxophone. While there appear to be some risks to doing so, there isn’t anything physically stopping you.
The best option, of course, would be to start playing the saxophone and stop smoking. Realistically, I realize that this is much easier said than done, and in any case that is well out of the scope of this article. Various health organizations discuss the topic in greater detail – I’ll refer you to this Mayo Clinic article [7] for more information on quitting.
If you aren’t ready to quit, then hopefully the information in this article will help you come to an educated decision about whether to pick up the saxophone as a smoker.
References
[1] Bouros, E., Protogerou, V., Castana, O., & Vasilopoulos, G. (2018). Respiratory Function in Wind Instrument Players. Materia Socio Medica, 30(2), 204. https://doi.org/10.5455/msm.2018.30.204-208
[2] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2020, December 10). Health Effects of Cigarette Smoking. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/fact_sheets/health_effects/effects_cig_smoking/index.htm.
[3] Zuskin, Eugenija & Mustajbegović, Jadranka & Schachter, Edwin & Kern, Josipa & Vitale, Ksenija & Pucarin-Cvetković, Jasna & Chiarelli, A & Milosevic, Milan & Jelinic, Jagoda. (2009). Respiratory function in wind instrument players. La Medicina del lavoro. 100. 133-41.
[4] Ruano-Ravina, A. (2003). Musicians playing wind instruments and risk of lung cancer: is there an association? Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 60(2), 143–143. https://doi.org/10.1136/oem.60.2.143
[5] Metzger, F., Haccuria, A., Reboux, G., Nolard, N., Dalphin, J.-C., & De Vuyst, P. (2010). Hypersensitivity Pneumonitis Due to Molds in a Saxophone Player. Chest, 138(3), 724–726. https://doi.org/10.1378/chest.09-2991
[6] Venkateshiah, S. (2020). Hypersensitivity Pneumonitis. Home – CHEST Foundation. https://foundation.chestnet.org/lung-health-a-z/hypersensitivity-pneumonitis/.
[7] Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. (2020, May 5). 10 ways to resist tobacco cravings. Mayo Clinic. https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/quit-smoking/in-depth/nicotine-craving/art-20045454.
