Instruments can be very delicate, expensive, and complicated to repair if damaged. That is why it is important to know proper ways to maintain and care for your instrument to prevent damage and wear. Different instruments require different care and accessories to stay in good shape.
If you believe your instrument is damaged or you have any questions, please contact us. Below you will find information for each instrument and the best ways to maintain and care for them:
A flute should be swabbed after each time it is played. Swabbing removes moisture from inside of the flute, protecting the pads from damage. When putting the flute down, keep the keys of the flute facing up so that spit inside the instrument doesn't collect inside the keys. Never put a flute on a music stand or standing on the floor without a flute floor stand. Always check where the flute is being left so it doesn't get hit by another person.
At the end of the headjoint is a screw cap that holds the "crown." This crown needs to be set properly, so make sure to never unscrew or adjust this crown. You can check the position of the crown with a swab stick. On the stick of the swab there are lines. Gently insert the swab into the headjoint until it touches the end and check if the lines on the swab are centered in the tone hole. If the line isn't centered, take your flute to a band director to have it adjusted.
When assembling the flute don't put pressure on the metal rods. These rods easily bend and can push the pads out of alignment. Always hold and move the flute by holding the body of the flute and not on any keys or rods. Once a year it is a good idea to take your flute to a repair shop and have it cleaned and adjusted. It is not mandatory to have the flute worked on unless there is damage, but it is good to have it adjusted to keep the instrument clean and working properly. Over time the flute will have minor things out of adjustment through regular use that can impact the flute in the long run.
A Clarinet player should have 4 reeds at all times. Rotating which reed is used every day extends the lifespan of the reeds. Reeds are made of wood, and weather and age can change the reeds. 4 reeds help ensure you always have a reed that sounds best. Reeds need to be kept in a reed guard. If reeds are improperly stored, they will mold. Reed guards allow the reeds to fully dry while being stored. If a moldy reed is inside a reed guard, throw out all the reeds and sanitize the reed guard in bleach water.
Clarinet is most often made of wood and has cork and felt pads on the instrument that can be damaged due to moisture. It is important to swab through the instrument every time you are done playing to remove moisture from the inside of the instrument. Always use a SILK swab. Other types tend to get stuck inside the instrument. Wooden clarinets could crack due to temperature so never leave a clarinet in a hot or cold environment like a parked car. If the clarinet is super cold, wait for it warm up before playing it. All keys and metal rods are easily bent and can cause the instrument to not play. Do not attempt to repair bent keys.
Over time, the mouthpiece will collect calcium from your saliva. This can be seen as the white on a mouthpiece. This doesn't damage the mouthpiece but can change the way it sounds. To remove this, soak the mouthpiece in water with something acidic like lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, or non-alcoholic mouthwash. Do not use alcohol or bleach on a mouthpiece. Keep the water temperature lukewarm to prevent the mouthpiece from cracking or warping due to temperature.
Make sure you always have cork grease in case the cork between the parts gets dry. Never force the clarinet together. You would need to put pressure on parts of the clarinet that could easily break. Apply cork grease and twist the clarinet together.
A Saxophone player should have 4 reeds at all times. Rotating which reed is used every day extends the lifespan of the reeds. Reeds are made of wood, and weather and age change the reeds. 4 reeds help ensure you always have a reed that sounds best. Reeds need to be kept in a reed guard. If reeds are improperly stored, they will mold. Reed guards allow the reeds to fully dry while being stored. If a moldy reed is inside a reed guard, throw out all the reeds and sanitize the reed guard in bleach water.
Saxophone is made of brass, but still has cork and felt pads on the instrument that can be damaged due to moisture. It is important to swab through the instrument every time you are done playing to remove moisture from the inside of the instrument. Always use a neckstrap and be careful with where you are holding the saxophone. All keys and metal rods are easily bent and can cause the instrument to not play. Do not attempt to repair bent keys.
Over time, the mouthpiece will collect calcium from your saliva. This can be seen as the white on a mouthpiece. This doesn't damage the mouthpiece but can change the way it sounds. To remove this, soak the mouthpiece in water with something acidic like lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, or non-alcoholic mouthwash. Do not use alcohol or bleach on a mouthpiece. Keep the water temperature lukewarm to prevent the mouthpiece from cracking or warping due to temperature.
Make sure to always have cork grease. Don't force the mouthpiece on. This could tear the cork or damage the mouthpiece. Screws, like the one on the ligature or neck, don't need to be tight, only tight enough to prevent the reed or neck from moving.
The trumpet and Euphonium use valves to change the note being played. These valves are made of metal and move within a metal valve casing. To prevent the valves from sticking or seizing within the instrument, it is essential to oil the valves. ONLY use a specific type of oil designed for instrument valves. This can be found online or in a music store and is called valve oil. There is also a slide grease needed for all brass instruments. There are 4 slides on the trumpet and 5 on the euphonium that need to be able to move. Only use a small amount of grease to prevent excess grease on the instrument. ONLY OIL VALVES IF IT HAS BEEN TAUGHT IN CLASS. It isn't difficult to oil valves or grease slides, but it is easy to damage the instrument. If the valves have been oiled and still do not move freely, it could be caused by other damage that needs to be checked out by a band director and possibly repaired.
If there is no sound coming out when a valve is pressed down, check to make sure the valve guide is aligned. The valve guide is a plastic piece on the valve held up by a spring. Take the valve out and check that the notch on the valve guide lines up and slides into the notch in the valve casing. Any time a valve is being removed, make sure it goes back into the correct spot. All valves look similar but have different openings. There is a number both on the valve and on the valve casing in case they get mismatched.
The french horn uses valves to change the note being played. These valves are metal circles that move inside a metal casing. To prevent the valves from sticking or seizing inside the french horn, it is essential to oil the valves. ONLY use a specific type of oil designed for rotor valves. This oil is called rotor oil. As well as valves, the french horn also has many slides that should all be able to move. Slide grease is used to keep the slides from sticking. The Rotor oil and slide grease can be found online or at a music store. Only a small amount is needed as long as everything is still moving. ONLY OIL VALVES IF IT HAS BEEN TAUGHT IN CLASS. If the valves have been oiled and still do not move freely, it could be caused by other damage that needs to be checked out by a band director and possibly repaired.
The french horn has two main spots to oil the valves. unscrew the valve cap on top of each circle valve. There is a raised center part that rotates when the key is pressed. Apply a drop of oil to the center part and screw the valve cap back on. On the other side or bottom of the valve, put a drop of oil inside the gap of the valve. To oil the slides, take the slide out and put a small amount of oil on the slide, and put it back in.
Always hold the slide to prevent it from falling. There is a slide lock by the mouthpiece, but it isn't always on. It is good not to rely on the slide lock but to only use it as extra protection.
The trombone changes notes by moving a slide in and out. It is important that this slide is able to move fast and freely. Trombone uses slide oil or slide cream and a spray bottle of water. ONLY OIL YOUR SLIDE IF IT HAS BEEN TAUGHT IN CLASS. Take the slide off and wipe everything off the inner slide. Apply slide cream to the inner slide and spray with water. Move the slide back and forth to spread the oil and water. Water is what actually makes the slide move. Water needs to be applied often, while oil and cream only need to be applied once a week.
The trombone also has a main tuning slide. This slide uses slide grease, different from the oil and cream used on the other slide. Slide grease is what other brass instruments use on their tuning slides.
Different tubas use different ways of changing notes. If the buttons on the tuba are coming out of a long cylinder and move up and down, it is a piston tuba. If the tuba has a key connected to a circle that rotates, it is a rotor tuba. If you have a piston tuba, check the care instructions for Trumpet & Euphonium. If you have a rotor tuba, check the care instructions for Horn. If you are uncertain about which tuba you have, ask a director, and we will help you know which oils to use
Since all instruments are school owned and stay at school, there is no individual maintenance that needs to be done! Never place any objects on an instrument as the frames and heads are not designed to take weight. Always make sure instrument stands are opened and set properly to prevent and damage to the instruments.
Students, please be checking and reporting any damage to instruments that you might see. If a frame is wobbly, a drum head is damaged, mallet keys are loose, or school owned mallets are torn, please let a director know so we can repair any equipment.
Always make sure that you have sticks and mallets that are in good condition and purchase new sticks if they are lost or worn.