Continuing our theme of instrument care and maintenance, this week we’re going to take a look at some general tips for the brass section. A diverse group of instruments, the brass section is characterized by instruments made from, what else, brass. More susceptible to bangs and dings than some other sections of the orchestra, taking good care of your brass instrument will provide you with many years of good performances, and will help preserve its resale value (not that you would ever consider selling such a prized possession).

These instruments generally falls into two distinct families: valved and slide. The first of these two groups, valved, encompasses nearly every modern brass instrument, including the trumpet, French horn, tuba, sousaphone. All of these instruments are played by pressing valves that redirect airflow through different lengths of tubing to create different notes and tones. The other group, slide, only includes a single modern brass instrument: the trombone. This unique brass instrument utilizes a simple slide to alter the length of the tubing to change the sound produced.

Following a format we’ve used in the past, this week we’ll start with some general care for the entire section, followed by a few more specific tips and tricks for maintaining valves, and the trombone slide.

General Care

Cleanliness

The two major things you need to be concerned with when it comes to your brass instrument’s overall health is cleanliness and lubrication: a clean instrument will always sound better, and lubricated metal slides much more freely.

Cleaning you instrument is imperative, but there are a few things you can do to make that chore a little less difficult. The most important effort your can make to keep it clean it to keep food and drink away from it. Rinse out your mouth, or even brush your teeth if you have just eaten and are preparing to play. Nothing clogs up an instrument quite as effectively as food particles. Do yourself a favour and limit food buildup as much as possible.

Cleaning your brass instrument can be a bit of a chore, and certain aspects require a little more attention to detail than others, which we’ll get into later, but there are a few things all brass instruments need when they get a bath. First, you should probably be washing your instrument at least once a month, more if you play more often. Flush the instrument with a nice, mild soapy solution and warm water (be careful of the temperature, as hot water can damage the lacquer). Follow this flushing with a cold water rinse, and allow the instrument to fully dry. Pay special attention to the leadpipe where you insert your mouthpiece, because this particular location can affect the sound of your instrument the most when it isn’t clean.

You should also pay special attention to your instrument’s mouthpiece itself. Always clean it thoroughly with warm water and a mouthpiece brush. Just like the leadpipe, if you mouthpiece isn’t properly cleaned, it can affect your tone quality very easily.

Mouthpieces also suffer from one other danger: becoming stuck. This little nuisance can be a big problem if not handled properly. If you find yourself with a stuck mouthpiece, never, ever, ever use pliers to force it out. You will damage the instrument, possibly permanently. There are a few solution, none of which you should try by yourself, but the best method is to use a mouthpiece puller, a tool specifically designed for this job. If your instructor doesn’t have one, your local music repair shop should. You can avoid this problem altogether with just a little care: always give the mouthpiece a slight clockwise twist when inserting it, and a counterclockwise twist when removing it. And always remove it when putting your instrument away.

It is also important to remove and clean your instrument’s tuning slides on a regular basis. Failing to clean the tuning slides can cause them to seize, rendering them essentially useless. Use a flexible cleaning brush to get the inside of your slides. Pay attention to what you’re doing though, because these brushes have a tendency to break, and can cause damage with pulled out haphazardly. Once you’ve cleaned it out, apply a small amount of high quality slide grease before reassembling your instrument.

Ridged Cases

Before we move on to specifics, there is one last bit of general care that goes for all brass instruments, and that is the use of a ridged case. Hard cases protect your fragile brass instrument from falls, bumps, and dings, all things that can lead to costly repairs. Be sure you place your instrument in the case properly, so nothing rattles or is pinched by the closed lid. And always be sure to close every latch each and every time you put it away; anyone, including yourself, could pick it up, and if is not latched properly, cause a fall.

Valves

Valved brass instruments fall into two further categories: piston and rotary. Piston valved instruments include the trumpet, baritone, and tuba, while rotary valved instruments include the French horn and rotary tubas.

Pistons Valves

Your pistons valves should be oiled at least once a week to keep them working well. Gently unscrew the top valve cap (just like the mouthpiece, never use pliers. Get help if you need it.), and pull the valve halfway out. Now apply just a few drop of valve oil to the side of the exposed valve. Try to avoid getting any oil into the valve’s holes; this wont damage anything, but it doesn’t help anything, and it’s a waste of oil. Spread the oil around by rotating the valve, and lift it in and out of its casing. Once you’re done, allow it to slide back into its casing without forcing it. Guide it back into its slot, carefully screw the cap on, and move to the next valve.

In addition to this oil maintenance, your instrument will also need a sort of “oil chance” about once a month. To do this, pull all the valves completely out, and be sure not to lose the spring. Wipe each of them down with a soft cloth, replace them halfway, and proceed with how you would usually oil them.

Rotary Valves

These valves can be a little trickier, especially for young players. Luckily, they don’t need as much maintenance as piston valves! Basically, if anything goes wrong, your best course of action is to simply bring it to your instructor or trusted repair location, and let them deal with it. Playing with the valves when you don’t really know what you’re doing can snap the mechanisms inside that make it all work.

Trombone

Cleaning your trombone requires a little more than the rest of the brass section. Similarly to the general care for washing a brass instrument, you’ll want to flush your trombone with a warm water and mild soap mixture. Fill the assembled slide with your soapy mix, and operate it a few times, getting its full range of motion. Then drain the warm, soapy water, and rinse with cold water. Repeat this step if needed. Once the slide has been rinsed it should be completely disassembled and cleaned using a flexible cleaning brush designed for this job. Make sure you reach the bottom bow of the outer slide for full cleanliness. If you don’t get all the way down the bow, it will not only affect your sound quality, but it could eventually lead to the instrument rotting from the inside.

Again, like with the tuning slide, a small amount of slide grease should be applied to the inner slide before you reassemble your instrument.