Some Tips on Taking Care of Your Trumpet

 You finally have your shiny new (or used) horn. You got a great deal. It's all you ever dreamed of. That's great! Here are a few key points to ensure your little treasure makes it all the way with you to your first Carnegie Hall concert!

1)  Use only a gentle twist to insert and seat the mouthpiece. DO NOT bang it home with the open palm of your hand. If you get the mouthpiece stuck, DO NOT try to force it out. DO NOT let Dad take it to his workshop, put it in his vice and fire up the propane torch. DO NOT use pliers! DO NOT use WD40 or any other type of liquid wrench gunk. Take it back to your local music store. They have a device called a mouthpiece puller. They can generally do this for you while you wait, at no charge. If they are kind enough to do this for you, remember to thank them profusely while groveling at their feet. Thank them further by purchasing something... anything! Even that really gaudy trumpet bowtie that's been in their display case for 23 months!

2)  Have you just had a bag of popcorn, some chocolate cake, a big honkin' chunk of peanut brittle and washed it all down with a grape soda? Sounds like the perfect breakfast to me, but before you play your horn, brush your teeth, or at the very least rinse your mouth out with water. Food particles and sugar are bad, no wait, make that EVIL, for your horn.

3)  DO keep your trumpet in your hands or, when not being used, in it's case. If you use a trumpet stand then put the horn in it's case on breaks, etc. Don't leave your trumpet on a table, chair, or on the floor under your seat. It's just a matter of time before it gets knocked over by some silly wood eater in the clarinet section ! 

4)  DO NOT jam note books, music, mutes, gym shorts, your lunch, your pine cone collection, or anything else other than your trumpet inside the case. Mutes are OK to put in your case IF there is a separate compartment for them, otherwise, get a separate carry bag. Make sure the mouthpiece is not rattling around loose inside the case.

5)  DO get in the habit of wiping down your trumpet with a soft cloth, emptying all the spit valves, and oiling the valves before and after each playing session. Keep your mouthpiece clean. Click here for an article on how to clean your trumpet. I recommend you read the article all the way through before starting. One other note about cleaning... some say to clean your horn once a month (which I do). Most students should be just fine with once every six months due to the fact they don't generally play as much as a pro, so the crud doesn't build up as fast. Just be careful... brass instruments are much more delicate than people realize! If you really don't feel comfortable tackling this chore then at least once a year take your horn into your local repair shop. For a few bucks they can clean and adjust it for you.

6) DO record the serial # and model of your horn just in case it's ever stolen. Often, stolen instruments end up at pawn shops. You'll need to be able to I.D. your horn to get it back. 

7) Remember that trumpets are actually quite fragile. It is relatively easy to bend, dent, or stress the brass in your trumpet. Keep your instrument dent free and clean so it will play as well as it can.

I hope you have found this information useful!

Terry.