Caring for Brass Instruments
Brass instruments should be flushed out once a month to clean out any accumulation of dirt and to prevent corrosion. A good place to do this is in a bathtub. Fill the tub with lukewarm water and a mild soap (not detergent). Remove all tuning slides. Unscrew top and bottom valve caps, removing the valves at the same time. Any felts on valves should be removed so they don’t get wet.
Place instrument in water and flush interior with water and soap. Use a snake brush to clean tubes of tuning slides and bore of instrument. The snake brush can also be used on trombone slides, inside and outside.
Once all tubing has been cleaned, remove the instrument and dry with a soft cotton cloth. Place any felts on values and reassemble using a high quality vlave oil. Reassemble tuning slides using a lanolin based slide grease9 Never Vaseline!). A good practice to get into is to always push the tuning slides closed when you’re finished playing (primarily because this prevents the air from drying out the grease, and also, you’ll have to re-tune anyway.)
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Brass instruments are generally easily dismantled. However, if a certain cork is tight do not force the screws of the cork to open. Always opt for some professional help.
- These instruments once dismantled can be washed with some warm water to remove dust particles inside the instrument. Use a soft cloth to dry the instrument. You may dry the instrument thoroughly in a cool dry place without direct exposure to sunlight.
- You can wash the mouthpiece with warm, soapy water, making sure you dry the inside thoroughly. The mouthpiece should not have any dents in the end of the shank. If the mouthpiece gets stuck, do not attempt to remove it.
- Take care to grease all valves of the instrument with a special valve oil before reassembling the instrument.
- Wipe down the exterior of all brass instruments with a non-treated cloth to remove fingerprints and residue. Pitch is affected by temperature. Be sure to warm up your instrument before playing by blowing air through it.
- Broken solder joints should not be ignored. Have a qualified repair technician check out your instruments a soon as possible.
- Avoid usage of chemicals such as brasso to shine your instrument as these chemicals tend to leave a sticky feel on the instrument’s surface.
- Never set anything on top of your brass instrument, whether inside or outside of the case; this includes sheet music. Damage occurs easily when items are placed on the instrument and the case is closed. Make sure your case is secure and all hinges, latches, and handles are securely fastened to the case.
- Never leave a brass instrument in a hot car or in your trunk. Extreme temperatures can damage your horn!
- It is recommended that all brass instruments be taken to a professional repair technician at least once a year for general maintenance and professional cleaning. Doing so may prevent costly repairs in the future. Regular maintenance and professional chemical cleaning will also help prevent and retard “red rot”, a form of corrosion that eats through brass.
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Brass Instruments Buying Guide
As a general rule of thumb, used brass instruments will cost between one-half and two-thirds of the new retail price, depending on its age and condition. Stick to a well-known brand when buying used brass instruments. They’ll likely have a higher level of quality and higher resale price. Additionally, brand-name brass instruments tend to produce a better tone and are less prone to mechanical failures.
You’ll find a wide variety of new and used brass instruments on eBay. New brass instruments allow you to break in your instrument as you grow as a musician. Second-hand or used brass instruments often offer great quality and great value.
For Example: Couesnon, once a famous and well admired producer of brass instruments, was in business for over 170 years. They had one particular horn, the flugelhorn that in the 1950’s because popular with American jazz trumpet artists. To the shock and dismay of brass and jazz enthusiasts, this cornerstone of brass horn culture stopped importing to the US in the late 1970’s and can now only be purchased through vintage instrument brokers.
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Brass Instruments Described
Brass instruments are defined by the bore, or size, of their tubing. They are also defined by how high or low they sound when played. They are made of brass and are sounded by the buzzing of the player’s lips into a mouthpiece.
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Bugle*- A brass instrument used by the military for signaling. It has no valves.
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Cornet*- A soprano brass instrument very similar to the trumpet but having a
slightly more conical bore. It sounds more mellow than a trumpet. -
Trumpet- A soprano brass instrument with 41/2 feet in tube length. The bore of the
instrument is mostly cylindrical and expands just before the bell. It has three valves. -
French Horn- A circular brass instrument about 14 inches in diameter. It has a
mouthpiece and valve levers at the top and a widely flared end or bell at the bottom. -
Flugelhorn*- Similar to a bugle but with a larger bore and three valves.
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Tenor Trombone- A long narrow brass instrument. It has a U shaped slide
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Bass Trombone- Shaped like a trombone but with a slightly larger bore and more tubing. It also has a valve lever.
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Tuba- The largest and lowest of the brass instruments. It has a long tube
(18ft) that expands widely at the bell. -
Euphonium*- A brass instrument that sounds an octave lower than the cornet or
trumpet. It has about 9 feet of tubing and four valves. It is shaped
like a tuba but smaller in size. -
Alto Horn*- A brass instrument with valves and about 7 feet of tubing. It is
shaped like a tuba and is smaller than the euphonium. It is used in
concert and marching bands. -
Mutes- Brass instruments use mutes to change the sound and tone color of
the instrument. Types of mutes include: plunger, Harmon or
wow-wow, cup, straight and hat.
*These instruments are not commonly found in orchestras. It is recommended that all brass instruments be taken to a professional repair technician at least once a year for general maintenance and professional cleaning. Doing so may prevent costly repairs in the future. Regular maintenance and professional chemical cleaning will also help prevent and retard “red rot”, a form of corrosion that eats through brass.
