INSTRUMENT CARE
FLUTES
Flutes require little maintenance other than wiping out
the excess moisture with a cloth on the cleaning rod, and wiping the body of the flute with a soft, lint free cloth to remove
fingerprints. Silver flutes may be polished with a jeweler's polishing cloth that is meant for use on silver.
Do not use liquid or paste type polish. Do not use water
on any part of the flute except the head joint (mouthpiece section), and do not use any type of oil or grease. Do not attempt
to adjust any of the adjustment screws. If the flute will not go together easily, try cleaning the head and foot joints where
they go into the body with a piece of clean, white paper (note book or typing paper) If this does not help, the joint is probably
bent and should be repaired by a qualified repairman. Do not put anything in the case that will press against the flute when
the case is closed! Many flutes are damaged when students put a folded polishing cloth over the flute before closing the case.
Always leave the flute in the case, with the latches secured, when the flute is to be left unattended. Music stands are not
for holding flutes!
CLARINETS AND SAXOPHONES
Water is the enemy of woodwind instruments. Use the swab
to remove moisture from the bore after playing. Keep the mouthpiece clean by using mild soap, warm (not hot) water, and a
proper mouthpiece brush, at least once a week. Always remove the reed from the mouthpiece when you are finished playing, and
keep the reed in a proper reed keeper. All corks should be greased with cork grease when they are new. You may need to grease
them several times when they are new. Never use key oil! If your keys stick, take the instrument to the repair shop. Wooden
clarinets should have the bore (inside) of the instrument oiled occasionally with a few drops of bore oil on a cloth swab.
Do not put books or heavy cloths in the case that will put pressure on the keys when the case is closed. Do not leave wooden
clarinets where they will suffer extremes of temperature. Extreme heat or cold can cause the wood to crack.
BRASS INSTRUMENTS
Brass instruments should be kept clean by flushing them
with mild liquid detergent and water at least once a month. After flushing, all slides should be pulled and greased
with 30W motor oil or tuning slide grease. The valves on trumpets, baritones, and tubas should be removed, wiped with a paper
towel, oiled with valve oil (I use kerosene lamp oil, the kind sold for small kerosene lamps), and replaced. F-Horns have
rotary valves, which should never be removed except by a repairman. Valve oil can be used by pulling a valve slide and putting
a few drops of oil down the valve slides. The bearings of F-Horn valves should be oiled with a light oil, such as 3 in 1.
To do this, you must unscrew the valve caps and place a drop of oil on each of the bearings. On the side of the valves with
the strings, you will need to use a screwdriver to remove the screw in the center of the valve, place a drop of oil in the
hole where the screw goes, and replace the screw. Keeping the valve bearings of a French Horn oiled will prevent broken valve
strings, a common repair problem. Move all tuning slides and valve caps often, and clean and grease them if they start to
get tough to move. Stuck slides on school instruments are the most common repair problem! Trombones slides should be wiped
with a soft, lint free cloth or paper towel, and re-oiled. If slide cream is used, apply a very thin coat, spray the slide
with water, and work the slide several times. Cleaning snakes are available for the different instruments. They should be
used to clean out all of the slides while you are flushing the instrument. Please be careful when handling brass instruments.
Brass is a soft metal that dents easily. Dents are very expensive to remove! If your mouthpiece gets stuck, do not attempt
to remove it yourself. Bring the instrument to the Band Director or repair shop to have it removed.
