Best Way to Clean Your Trumpet

How to clean your Trumpet

Cleaning your trumpet is a fundamental part of any trumpeter. If you want your Trumpet to sound its best and last, you need to clean it occasionally. I  generally recommend that my students clean their horns out once every 7-10 weeks. You should plan to spend around a half hour or so the first few times you clean your trumpet. As you get used to the routine, it will take you less time. I can usually do the job in about 15 minutes including set-up and clean-up.

Although I don’t give instructions for it here, you should also clean your mouthpiece out with a SuperSlick BMB Brass Mouthpiece Brush. You should do this more often than cleaning out your entire horn. Once a week is a good general rule.

• Sink or tub filled with moderately warm water — not hot, not too cold to be uncomfortable (I normally use a kitchen sink, but a bathtub or laundry tub works too…you need a area large enough to fit your trumpet and mostly submerge it. I Add a small amount of dish soap, dish-washing soap, not dishwasher detergent, which can damage the plating)
• Snake, for cleaning slides and lead-pipe tubing.
• Valve casing brush, for cleaning the valve casings (I prefer the H.W. Brass Saver Trumpet Cleaning Brushes for this)
• Lubricants (slide grease, valve oil).

Shown here from left to right: HW Brass Saver valve casing brush and snake, regular snake, and regular valve casing brush.

Once you’ve got everything in place, Begin disassembling your trumpet. Start by removing the valves and setting them aside in a safe place.

Next, remove all the slides. In the picture below you can see my trumpet with the valves and slides removed. You can see the first, second and third valve slides, as well as the main tuning slide. If your trumpet is a Bach Stradavarius Bb, the 3rd valve slide can be separated into two additional parts

BE CAREFUL WHEN REMOVING SLIDES If they’re stuck, don’t force them out, or use pliers or other tools. It’s really easy to pull the tubing apart in places you didn’t intend to (ie: at the solder joints) and spoil an otherwise good day. If you can’t pull the slide out with medium level effort, finish cleaning your trumpet and take it to a professional repair person to have the slides pulled.

Watch out for small parts that are easy to lose while you’re taking your  trumpet apart, and set them aside in a safe place. These parts can include third valve slide stopper nuts and screws, bottom valve caps, clip-on pencil holders, etc.

Now that your trumpet is in pieces, it’s time to start cleaning. I like to start with the slides first, soaking them in the water for a minute, then pulling the snake or brass saver brush through the tubing:

After brushing out each of the slides, carefully rinse them with fresh water to remove all soap residue, then dry and set them on the towel.

Next, place the main body of your trumpet into the water. Make sure the tubing fills with water and let it soak for a couple minutes. Then, clean out the various tubes. I like to use the snake on the leadpipe, an the thin end of the Brass Saver valve casing brush on the smaller tubes that enter the valve casings. Finally, I use the big end of the valve casing brush on the valve casings.

After you finish cleaning all the tubing, you can empty the water from your sink and carefully rinse your trumpet body. I find your spray nozzle on my kitchen sink works great for this, but be carefull not to splash water all over the room!

Dry your trumpet and set it on a towel along with the slides. It can be helpful at this point to arrange the slides near the spots where they belong, especially if you’re new to your trumpet and aren’t totally sure where they go.

Before reinserting your slides, you’ll need to put some slide grease on them. I typically use two types of slide grease on my horns: For your main tuning slide I use Hetman Tuning Slide Gel, and for the first and third valve slides I use Hetman light side Lube#4. When you finish re-assembling your trumpet, it’s time to clean your valves. I like to use just a little dish soap and warm running water for this. It’s very important that you NOT get the top part of the valve wet! This is the part with your felt pads on it. If those felt pads get wet, they can compress and cause your valves to become misaligned. The only part of your valve that needs to be cleaned is the bottom section with the ports (those are the holes that line up with the various slides on your trumpet).

Be sure you rinse of all soapy water from your valves. DO NOT DRY YOUR VALVES! Drying your valves will leave lint or dirt on the surface of your valve which can make them stick later on. Put a few drops of oil on each valve and carefully place them in their proper place (for more information on this, see the article Brass Trumpets for sale.

At this time your trumpet should pratically look like new, put it together and she should sound like new.
What do you guys think? Drop a comment below about the first time you cleaned your trumpet. Did you figure it out on your own? Did you have some help? Maybe you made a mistake? Check out my new website for everything trumpet related! 

JOIN US TONIGHT 6PM EST. TO FIND OUT HOW TO PICK THE PERFECT BEGINNER TRUMPET!

Good Starter Trumpet

1. Decide on a budget.
   

   • New beginner trumpets (sometimes also called student trumpets) can retail for $700 or more. If you are on a tight budget, consider purchasing a used horn. Many music stores offer used trumpets and can assist you in choosing the right fit for your or your child. Trumpets are often available through private sellers, but when you buy a used horn from a music store, all the repairs to the trumpet's valves, pads and slides will usually have been done before the horn that was put up for sale.
2. 
   2
   Understand what to look for when picking out the beginner trumpet.
   

   • There is a big difference between beginner, intermediate and professional trumpets. While beginner trumpets play well, they are of lesser craftsmanship and have fewer features than intermediate or professional horns. Many student trumpets have a two-piece rather than a one-piece bell, which does affect sound quality. Be sure to specify that you want a beginner trumpet.
3. 
   3
   Check the slides and valves.
   

   • The valves and slides on a beginner trumpet should have a looser tolerance than intermediate and pro models. Be sure the parts of the beginner trumpet you are considering move freely. Push the valves down quickly and be sure they spring back up quickly and easily.
4. 
   4
   Get a feel for the trumpet.
   

   • Although it may be convenient and sometimes even less expensive to buy your trumpet online, it is best to go to a shop where you can actually look at and handle the horns. Different brands of trumpets have slightly different weights, so they will each feel different in your hands. Try out several before you make your decision.
5. 
   
   
   5
   Ask about a warranty on the trumpets you are considering.
   

   • Whether the trumpet you decide to buy is new or used, inquire about a warranty. Make sure the terms are spelled out clearly. It should include a time frame for returns or exchanges. It should also outline exactly what repairs will be made to the trumpet and for what period of time before charges would be incurred.
6. 
   6
   Check for leaks, dents or corrosion.
   

   • If there are pink or red spots on the horn, this is a sign of internal corrosion. New horns should not have any dents or scratches; dents or dings can affect not only the operation of the horn, but also the sound. Feel the felts on the valves and the corks on the water keys to make sure they are present, that they look to be in good condition and do not need to be replaced.
7. 
   7
   Choose a mouthpiece.
   

   • A C-cup mouthpiece, which has a small rim, is the typical choice for a beginner. As you or your child become more skilled, you may consider moving up to a 5C or 1C mouthpiece.
8. 
   8
   Check the horn's compression.
   

   • Be sure all the trumpet's valves and slides are in place, then push down and release all the valves. Then pull out the slides one at a time and listen for a pronounced pop. If you don't hear one, the horn has an air leak and thus shouldn't be the one you buy.

   Check out our Trumpet enthusiast page on Facebook!

Trumpet Braces Guard

Playing Trumpet with braces?

No problem!

         

Rick Sonntag invented the following invention for himself when he was 11 years old, and his son is now successfully using the product.

        
        Somewhat time consuming to make at first glace, the device can be re-used for weeks before needing to repeat the process. Buy a mouth guard (the kind that you dip in boiling water  and then make an impression of your teeth).  Firstly you need to use sharp scissors to cut a strip of plastic from the front area of the mouth-guard.  Use the scissors to Cut the strip long enough to cover the area near the front four teeth, and wide enough to cover from the tips of your teeth to your gums. 

       

       The instructions that come with the mouth guard: drop the plastic strip in hot  water to soften the plastic.  If you bought a mouth-guard without any color, you'll notice it will almost become clear when it begins to heat up. Get the plastic strip using a spoon or tongs, and blow some cool air on it for a few seconds to cool the surface.  Then place the strip on top of the braces on the front teeth Quickly, and hold down to mold the inside part of the of the strip to the shape of the braces.

BE CAREFUL NOT TO BURN YOURSELF!!!

         

 Be sure to blow on the plastic strip before pressing on the braces,to avoid burns.You can repeat this process until the mold is accurate.Repeat on bottom if needed. You want the impression to be just deep enough for the braces to hold down the strip in place. If the plastic strip is too “thick” and makes an overbite, you can heat up the strip and stretch it to make it thinner. 

• Childrens teeth are always moving so you may need to re-mold every so many weeks.
• I hope anyone with braces is not afraid of trying out something new
• Leave Comments and check out Instagram and facebook Below

Be sure to check out my new website currently selling beginner,Intermediate and professional Trumpets

• Facebook
• Instagram