Here are some general guidelines for instrument care. Further below are some more specific points relating to individual instruments.
- Protect your instrument! Be sure to be careful handling it and make sure that it has a sturdy case to protect from any accidents when out and about.
- Avoid playing outdoors if it’s raining or particularly hot or cold. Instruments don’t like extremes!
- Radiators. Never store an instrument next to one! Wood can warp, plastic can bend and metal can expand and get stuck; none of these are good things. Direct sunlight is also to be avoided.
- Make sure your instrument is serviced by a repair technician about once a year to keep in tip-top playing order. You might not notice it, but general wear and tear can build up over time. When you get your instrument back, you’ll be amazed how well it plays!
- Make sure your instrument is covered either by your home contents insurance, or by specific instrument insurance. This will be a helpful buffer should the worst come to the worst.
- Always ensure that your instrument is secured and out of sight when it’s in your car, or when you’re out and about. Opportunists might take a shine to it and take it away with them.
- Never share an instrument without cleansing it first using antibacterial wipes or steri-spray
- Be mindful of things like rings and belt buckles when you pick your instrument up; is there a risk of scratching?
- Don’t try to fix anything by yourself; you can end up doing more damage to the instrument and risk voiding the warranty.
- Don’t eat or drink anything but water just before or during a practice. As well as getting disgusting wads of food stuck in the instruments and greasy fingerprints all over them, you can clog up trumpet valves and cause woodwind keys to stick as a result of the sugars from your breath. This is why chewing gum is also a massive no!
Clarinets
Saxophones
Flutes
Trumpets
Ukuleles
Recorders
Clarinets
A pullthrough swab is the clarinettists best friend. A clarinet should be cleaned of excess moisture by using a pullthrough on each individual part when disassembled. This prevents build-ups of dirt and grime and protects the inside of wooden clarinets from moisture damage.
Cork grease should be used to lubricate the cork on the joints of the instrument. The joints should go together smoothly with a single push-and-twist action. Excess force can bend the keys and really start to mess things up! Remove any excess grease so that it doesn’t start to gather elsewhere on the joint.
When putting the upper and lower joints together, be sure to press down the ring key on that covers the second hole. You’ll see that this causes the bridge key at the bottom of the joint to move upwards, so that it doesn’t clash with its counterpart on the lower joint as they go together.
A mouthpiece patch should be employed on the mouthpiece. As well as dampening any excess vibration from the reed which might otherwise cause your teeth to buzz unpleasantly, this can protect the top of the mouthpiece from bite marks where the embouchure is too tight. This is only a minor form of prevention and any biting should be addressed in the lessons as it is bad technique!
Never clean rubber/plastic mouthpieces in warm water- this can reverse the vulcanising process that’s used in the manufacture of hard rubber mouthpieces result in it turning a nasty green colour. Old mouthpieces that are a green/yellowish colour should be discarded as the sulphur released with the discolouration can pose a health hazard.
Reeds should be removed from the mouthpiece and stored in a reed case when not being use. Wipe them on the back of your hand to remove any excess moisture which might cause warping. Only handle the reed from the thicker part at the bottom (the bark) or the sides; the tip is too fragile
Sticky keys can be cleaned by inserting a cigarette paper under the offending pad and then closing it and drawing the paper out to wipe away any stickiness and grime. Yamaha do some more specialised powdered papers which are even more effective!
Wooden clarinets need to be oiled once every few months. This can be done easily by pouring a few drops of a vegetable-based oil onto an old pullthrough and pulling it through each part slowly. Be careful not to get oil on the pads as this can damage them!
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Saxophones
Whilst the saxophone doesn’t quite need the same level of care as a clarinet, there’s still a lot we can do to keep it in great condition:
A pullthrough should be used after each time you play the instrument to avoid excess moisture spoiling the pads. When the instrument is in its case, you should use to pad saver to absorb any remaining moisture. Give it a wipe down with a soft cloth every now and again to keep it shiny!
Use cork grease on the cork part of the crook so that it’s easy to slide your mouthpiece on and off without it sticking. DO NOT use the same grease on the part of the crook that joins the main body of the instrument. This should be kept clean with a soft cloth to prevent any sticking. If this joint gets stuck, give it a chance to settle down and if it still won’t come off then take it to a repair technician.
A mouthpiece patch should be employed on the mouthpiece. As well as dampening any excess vibration from the reed which might otherwise cause your teeth to buzz unpleasantly, this can protect the top of the mouthpiece from bite marks where the embouchure is too tight. This is only a minor form of prevention and any biting should be addressed in the lessons as it is bad technique!
Reeds should be removed from the mouthpiece and stored in a reed case when not being use. Wipe them on the back of your hand to remove any excess moisture which might cause warping. Only handle the reed from the thicker part at the bottom (the bark) or the sides; the tip is too fragile.
Sticky keys can be cleaned by inserting a cigarette paper under the offending pad and then closing it and drawing the paper out to wipe away any stickiness and grime. Yamaha do some more specialised powdered papers which are even more effective!
Never clean rubber/plastic mouthpieces in warm water- this can reverse the vulcanising process that’s used in the manufacture of hard rubber mouthpieces result in it turning a nasty green colour. Old mouthpieces that are a green/yellowish colour should be discarded as the sulphur released with the discolouration can pose a health hazard.
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Flutes
Flutes are provided with a cleaning rod which you should use with a piece of soft piece of absorbent fabric to remove excess moisture from the instrument after playing. If you’re feeling funky, you might want to consider getting one of these. Fluffy pad savers should be used to absorb any remaining moisture when you put the instrument back in its case.
Flute joints should go together in one gentle push and twist motion, without excessive force. Always try to avoid gripping the keywork where possible, so as not to bend it. If the joints are sticking, clean them with a soft, clean cloth. DO NOT use any kind of grease on these joints as it can attract more dust and dirt and cause it to stick further.
NEVER use liquid silver polish on a flute as it can play havoc with both the pads and the keywork. If its seriously dirty, take it to a repair technician; they’ll have just the right thing for the job!
Sticky keys can be cleaned by inserting a cigarette paper under the offending pad and then closing it and drawing the paper out to wipe away any stickiness and grime. Yamaha do some more specialised powdered papers which are even more effective!
To prevent nickel or silver tarnish, the instrument should be polished regularly with a soft cloth (silver polish-impregnated for silver plated instruments). Anti-tarnish strips should be deployed to protect any silver-plated instruments; just leave them in the case and they’ll do their stuff.
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Trumpets
Trumpets should be properly drained after every time they are played using the water keys on their underside. This prevents limescale and grime from building up inside the instrument. Every so often, they can be thoroughly cleaned by giving them a bath (I kid you not). Mouthpieces should be cleaned in warm soapy water more frequently as they bear the brunt of the dirt.
Valves should be oiled now and again to prevent sticking. Be careful when replacing the valves that they are the right way around (valve number on the side closest to the mouthpiece) or no sound will come out at all! Slides should also be greased periodically to stop them from getting stuck.
Finally, if your mouthpiece gets stuck in your instrument, DO NOT use brute force to remove it. Leave it to cool and settle for a while and then try again. If this still doesn’t work then it needs a special tool (unsurprisingly called a mouthpiece extractor) to get it free. Any DIY solutions risk damage to the instruments; take it to a repair technician or ask your teacher if they have one.
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Ukuleles
Ukuleles aren’t too hard to look after; most often they just need a string change if the strings are starting to sound a bit dull or look a bit ragged. If you change the strings you might also want to oil the fretboard whilst they’re off. Ukuleles with a gloss finish can also benefit from a bit of a polish and all ukuleles can do with a dust now and again. Apart from that, just watch for signs of cosmetic damage- enthusiastic strummers/shredders might do well to stick a guard underneath the soundhole to prevent scratching. Also, beware of belt buckles/buttons etc. that might cause damage whilst playing.
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Recorders
Recorders are marvellously easy to look after; they’re the cacti of the musical world. Plastic recorders should be swabbed after playing to remove any excess moisture, and joints should be greased using recorder cream that is usually provided with the instrument so that they don’t stick, but that’s about it! Parents of younger players should just be warned that children who play between their teeth instead of resting it on their lips might end up with bite marks.
Wooden recorders should be cleaned thoroughly after playing and should be oiled sporadically to keep the wood in peak condition.
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