Daily Care Prevents Costly Fixes
With the proper care and regular maintenance of an instrument, the instrument
will maintain its value for years to come. Instruments should be serviced
regularly (at least every 18 months) to keep them in playing condition and
prevent small problems from snowballing into large, expensive repairs. It is
recommended that the instruments be serviced at the end of every school year.
Instrument Maintenance Checklist
- Assess your instrument each time you play for changes in its appearance. It
may indicate a repair that needs to be done.
- Avoid extremes in temperature and humidity. In climates where this is
unavoidable, allow the instrument to warm up to room temperature before you
play it.
- Have small repairs done often. Neglected repairs become large, expensive
repairs.
- Wash mouthpieces once a week at minimum and always wipe fingerprints from the
instrument surface to avoid tarnishing the finish.
- Loosen bows after playing to avoid warping. Be sure to lubricate the
instruments with cork grease, oil, cream and rosin where appropriate.
Woodwinds
The small mechanisms and features of woodwinds can make them temperamental at
times and sensitive to aggressive hands. Students should avoid touching the
keys while putting the instrument together and taking it apart, where possible.
Use ample cork grease of a decent quality and the corks will last for years. A
small paintbrush will help you get around the small keys to dust, and a soft
lint-free cloth is recommended to remove fingerprints that tarnish the keys
over time.
Pads and bent keys are responsible for the bulk of all repairs. Ensure proper
set-up and swabbing of the instruments to reduce the maintenance costs. The
best way to avoid bent keys is to break down the instrument without putting
pressure on the keys. The small mechanisms are not meant to bear the pressure
of aggressive hands, which may twist the keys or simple knock them out of
alignment. A lacquer cloth should be used to eliminate fingerprints after use.
Over time, these fingerprints can tarnish the keys and in extreme cases erode
the keys. Hand cream is a big culprit in this situation and should be avoided
before one plays.
Each time after playing, the instruments should be swabbed thoroughly to keep
the pads in good condition and prolong their life. The pads should fit snugly
against the tone holes and be thick and puffy in their appearance. Cork grease
should be applied liberally on the saxophone gooseneck as this prevents the
cork from ripping and needing a crucial repair. It is worth the extra money to
buy good quality cork grease.
Occasionally, keys will get stuck from the saliva sugars solidifying in the
body of the instrument. Do not force the key open; gently lift the key from the
tone hole and use either tissue paper or a dollar bill to clean the underside
of the key. This is done y placing the paper under the key between the tone
hole and the pad, closing the key and applying very slight pressure to the top
of the key while dragging the paper across the underside of the key.
Reeds
Good-quality reeds are necessary for all single and double reed instruments.
The reeds should be symmetrical in their cut, beige in color with little to no
discoloration and free of chips and cracks. Always protect reeds with a reed
holder that can be purchased at your local music store or even made at home
with two pieces of Plexiglas and an elastic band. These holders will keep the
reeds flat and chip-free while not in use. It is advisable to have more than
one reed working at a time and in a rotation; this way no one reed becomes a
favorite. Reeds should be soaked from tip to butt for two to three minutes
before they are played. (Some reeds may require additional time.) To soak them,
you can use an empty spice bottle or similar small container (absolutely no
film canisters or medicine bottles as the product leaches into the plastic.)
Working reeds require care and planning to ensure they are in good physical
shape for playing at any time.
Brass
Maintaining brass instruments will prolong the use of the instruments and their
quality for years to come. The brass should be flushed once a month with warm
water, rinsed with clean cold water and then dried thoroughly. The proper
brushes particularly a flexible brush and a valve brush will help you get to
the hard-to-reach places. Use the flexible brush to clean the tubing and
slides. The valve casings will be cleaned using a valve brush. Remove the
valves one by one and replace them after a lint-free cloth has dried them and
moisture is no longer present.
It is worth the extra investment to buy good-quality oil for lubrication. Three
drops in the casing should keep valves moving, as they should. Players should
loosen the valve caps a half-turn once they are done playing to allow the
moisture to dissipate. Trombones should get a "bath" every month by filling the
slide with warm, soapy water and moving it up and down. It should be rinsed
clean and cold water and repeated as necessary. Disassemble the instrument and
clean inside and out with a flexible cleaner. Spray the stocking with water and
applying tuning slide grease before reassembling the instrument.
All mouthpieces should be cleaned a minimum of once a week with warm water and
a mild soap. A soft cloth can always be used to clean up fingerprints and avoid
tarnishing over time. It is advisable to keep instruments out of direct
sunlight and to avoid extremes in temperature and humidity. By flushing the
instruments monthly and lubricating them with good-quality oil, the instruments
should be in working order for the year.
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