Caring for your Instrument – It's All a Part of the Instrument Playing Process

Articles on Musical Instruments | Topics: instruments, instrument

by Quinn Harris

Your instrument is a specifically made item. If looked after carefully it will give you years of problem free playing. Follow these easy guidelines for looking after your instrument.

When not in use, keep the instrument in its case. The case is the safest place for it. Most mishaps occur when the instrument is left unattended out of its case. A hard case is a lot better than a soft case. If an instrument falls in a soft case, the result can be disastrous. The soft bag is not rigid, and offers only minimal protection.

Allow your instrument to adapt to the change in temperature if you are coming in out of the cold. Blowing warm air into a cold instrument may damage it.

When you put together your instrument try to hold it, where there are no or few keys. This will stop the fragile mechanisms from being damaged. Extra care should be taken with clarinets and oboes as they have association keys, which link the middle joints and are bent without difficulty. The saxophone octave device is affected in the same way. If joints feel too loose or too tight, take your instrument to the music store and have a specialist look at it.

Cork joins together with the mouthpiece joint on a saxophone and needs regular greasing. A new joint will most likely require greasing on after every use the first few times you use it. After this period, it is suggested to apply grease at least twice a month. If you apply too much, wipe off the excess with a clean cloth and try not to get grease on the pads. Never grease metal joints on flutes and saxophones.

Never eat prior to playing. You can blow food into your instrument, it will begin to smell after a while, and it can wear away the inside of your instrument. In addition, sweets and soft drinks will make the pads sticky. Do not attempt to clean the sticky pads by yourself. You can take your instrument to the music store and have their professional take care of the cleaning.

After playing, you should dry the inside of your instrument. A pull-through cloth is a good method for most instruments. This method cannot damage the inside of your instrument. If you leave, the instrument damp inside it will cause the pads to decay. They will start leaking and will need to be replaced. If your instrument is wooden, moisture may also cause the wood to crack and the instrument will become damaged. Do not put damp cloths in the case with the instrument; the moisture from the cloth will be transferred back to the instrument and cause damage. If a pull through cloth is stuck, take the instrument to a repairer, who has tools and techniques safely to remove the cloth without damaging your instrument.

Historical Quote

Both instruments are processors of information. Both appeared when nothing quite like them had existed before, and both began to make their effects felt immediately (a situation that isn’t invariable with new technology)The worth of a State, in the long run, is the worth of the individuals composing it ... a State which dwarfs its men, in order that they may be more docile instruments in its hands even for beneficial purposes—will find that with small men no great thing can really be accomplished.

—John Stuart Mill (1806–1873)

Do not place music and other items in the case with your instrument. If you case has a special compartment for extra items make sure that is what you use.

If you use a rubber thumb rest on your clarinet or oboe, remember to remove it before you place the instrument back into the case. The majority of cases are not intended for the extra bulk and you risk bending key work when you close the lid.

Use a clean, soft cloth to remove fingerprints from you instrument. Silver plated instruments and keys can be polished with a silver cloth.

Do not use liquid silver/brass cleaner. These types of cleaners are too abrasive and will enter the mechanisms in the instrument and cause wear or sticking keys and get under the key and pads, where it is not removed easily. Avoid rubbing the front edges of the pads, when you clean your instrument, this is one of the prime causes of pad wear.

Do not to leave your instrument, even in its case, exposed to the elements on a hot day. The pads are held in with material that will melt in extreme temperatures, and the pads may fall out.

The mechanisms need maintenance and lubrication. It is suggested that the instrument be referred to a trained repairer once a year for maintenance to keep the instrument in good playing condition.

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Please note: All personal opinions expressed in the "Caring for your Instrument – It's All a Part of the Instrument Playing Process" article belong to the contributing author and are not necessarily shared by MusicInstrumentsCds.com.

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