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Caring For Your Musical Instrument

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Caring for your Brass Instrument
Taking Proper Care of your Brass instrument is a must in order to ensure years of enjoyable play. Here are a few easy steps to keep your instrument in its best playing condition at all times.

Keep your Instrument Safe:
  • Cases keep instruments safe from drops and other accidental damage.
  • Instrument stands allow for a safe resting place during practice time.
  • Do not keep excess items in your case. Any items stored in your case need to be secured in an interior compartment. Loose items can rattle around in the case causing damage your instrument
  • Never store books in your case. The case is designed to securely hold your instrument alone. Books placed on top of your instrument and closed in the case can cause an array of problems due to excess stress on the instrument.
  • Avoid extreme temperatures: Very hot or cold temperatures can affect the functionality of your instrument.

Keep your Instrument Dry:
  • Condensation gathers inside of your instrument as you play. Be sure to expel any condensation remaining inside your instrument both during practice and before returning it to the case.
  • If the exterior of the instrument gets wet be sure to dry it off with a towel. DO NOT close it in the case until you are sure it is dry. Wet environments allow for the growth of mold and mildew.

Keep your Instrument Clean:
  • Remove finger prints and dirt from your instrument regularly. Use a soft polishing cloth to remove fingerprints and dirt from the exterior of your instrument. Be sure to use a polishing cloth for the specific finish of your instrument, lacquer and silver are the most common.
  • Use a cleaning rod or cleaning snake periodically to remove build up from the interior of your instrument. Build up left in your instrument over time can lead to structural problems.
  • Have your instrument professionally cleaned annually. Professional cleaning services are available at our repair shop. The use of professional cleaning equipment allows us to easily and safely remove build-up from the interior of your instrument.

Keep your Instrument Properly Lubricated:
  • Grease your tuning slides at least once a month. Tuning slide grease keeps corrosion and dirt from building up on your tuning slides. Failure to grease your tuning slides can cause them to stick. If you do encounter a stuck slide, DO NOT force it, this can cause serious damage. Stuck slides can be easily pulled and lubricated by our repair shop.
  • Piston Valve Instruments: Oil valves before each use. It only takes a few drops of valve oil on each valve to keep them functioning properly. Though most valves are numbered, oil one valve at a time to avoid mixing them up.
  • Trombone: Apply a small amount of Trombone slide lubricant to your inner hand slide tubes before each use, to help improve your hand slide action. Before returning your Trombone to the case wipe off any slide lubricant you have remaining on the hand slide. When possible swab out your outer hand slide to remove excess lubricant.

Know When to Have your Instrument Serviced:
  • It is recommend to have your instrument serviced twice a year. Keeping a set maintenance routine can help avoid larger more costly repairs.
  • If your instrument experiences any trauma. Bumps and drops can cause serious harm to your instrument, even if it is not visibly evident.
  • If your instrument is not operating properly, such as: slides or valves stick or become sluggish, your instrument sounds or feels “stuffy”, parts become damaged or are missing.
Caring for your Woodwind Instrument
Taking Proper Care of your Woodwind instrument is a must in order to ensure years of enjoyable play. Here are a few easy steps to keep your instrument in its best playing condition at all times.

Keep your Instrument Safe:
  • Cases keep instruments safe from drops and other accidental damage.
  • Instrument stands allow for a safe resting place during practice time
  • Do not keep excess items in your case. Any items stored in your case need to be secured in an interior compartment. Loose items can rattle around in the case causing damage your instrument.
  • Never store books in your case. The case is designed to securely hold your instrument alone. Books placed on top of your instrument and closed in the case can cause an array of problems due to excess stress on the instrument.
  • Avoid extreme temperatures: Very hot or cold temperatures can affect the functionality of your instrument.

Keep your Instrument Dry:
  • Use a swab after you play to remove moisture that has built up inside of your instrument. Moisture left in your instrument can cause corrosion. Also damp pads can swell causing leaks in your instrument. Do not keep swabs or anything else that retains moisture inside of your instrument.
  • If the exterior of the instrument gets wet be sure to dry it off with a towel. DO NOT close it in the case until you are sure it is dry. Wet environments allow for the growth of mold and mildew.

Keep your Instrument Clean:
  • Remove finger prints and dirt from your instrument regularly. Use a soft polishing cloth to remove fingerprints and dirt from the exterior of your instrument. Be sure to use a polishing cloth for the specific finish of your instrument, lacquer, silver and nickel are the most common.
  • Have your instrument professionally cleaned annually. Professional cleaning services are available at our repair shop. The use of professional cleaning equipment allows us to easily and safely remove build-up from the interior of your instrument.

Properly Assemble and Disassemble your Instrument:
  • Use a small amount of cork grease on any cork tenons (Clarinet) and neck corks (Saxophone) to help parts easily slide together.
  • Avoid twisting keys while you are assembling or disassembling your instrument. Bent keys cause leaks and will affect how your instrument plays.
  • DO NOT force your instrument together. Forcing your instrument together can cause damage to your instrument and/or cause tenons to become stuck. If your instrument can not easily be put together have the repair shop properly check your tenons to ensure proper fit.

Know When to Have your Instrument Serviced:
  • It is recommend to have your instrument serviced twice a year. Keeping a set maintenance routine can help avoid larger more costly repairs.
  • If your instrument experiences any trauma. Bumps and drops can cause serious harm to your instrument, even if it is not visibly evident.
  • If your instrument is not operating properly, such as: if pads become sticky or torn, if corks become torn or missing, if tenons fit too tightly or loosely, your instrument sounds or feels “stuffy”, parts become damaged or are missing.
Caring for your Orchestral Stringed Instrument
Wooden stringed instruments are fragile. Taking proper care of your instrument is a must in order to ensure years of enjoyable play. Here are a few easy steps to keep your instrument in its best playing condition at all times.

Always Keep your Instrument in its Case or on an Instrument Stand:
  • Cases keep instruments safe from accidents and environmental changes.
  • Avoid extreme and rapid temperature changes.
  • During the winter months, be sure to use a humidifier and store the instrument in its case to maintain a safe humidity level.
  • An easy rule-of-thumb: Keep your instrument in the same temperature and humidity level you would be comfortable in (between 70 ̊ and 80 ̊ F and 45% to 55% relative humidity is ideal).

Always Remember to Wipe Down your Instrument After Playing:
  • Use a soft, cotton cloth to remove excess rosin from the strings and instrument.
  • Use a quality rosin to prevent excess buildup and damage to your bow or instrument.

Take Proper Care of your Bow:
  • The bow is very delicate, so be careful not to drop or bang it against anything.
  • Keep the bow away from extreme temperatures.
  • Always loosen the hair when you are not using the bow, otherwise the bow can warp and the hair will overstretch.
  • Do not touch the bow hair itself.

Keep an Eye on the Bridge:
  • As you tune the instrument, the strings tend to pull the top of the bridge toward the fingerboard.
  • The bridge should be seated firmly to the top of the instrument and the feet (bottom of the bridge) should touch the top uniformly.
  • If the bridge falls or breaks, or if the soundpost falls, be sure to loosen the strings and have the bridge or soundpost reset or replaced by our repair shop.

Keep an Eye on the Tuning Pegs:
  • The pegs at the top are pressure-fit into the holes of the peg box.
  • The function of the pegs can be affected by wear and seasonal changes.
  • If the pegs are not holding or are difficult to turn, have the pegs adjusted or replaced by our repair shop.

Know When to Change your Strings:
  • If your strings start to fray, unwind, or become difficult to keep in tune, it is time to replace your strings.