Personal & Instrument Maintenance

Instrument_Buying_Guide.pdf

Braces & Playing Wind instruments

Braces_ What Every Band Parent Should Know _ National Association of Music Parents (AMP).pdf

Real Wood or Composite Wood Instruments:

  • With any instruments made from wood users need to keep in mind weather and humidity when storing, playing, and cleaning. Any sudden changes or extremes can permanently damage the instrument.

    • One option for controlling and monitoring humidity is a product called "dampit." Although not all instruments are specifically listed they can be used in other instruments.

Reeds

As a general rule, one individual reed will last about 6 hours of playing time, as long as it is not chipped, cracked, or ruined with soda or juice, etc. That means a student who has band for 1 hour a day, 5 days a week, would go through about one reed a week if they only played during band class. However, students should be practicing, at minimum, in 15 minute sessions, 3 different days, every week - MINIMUM.

Brass Instruments

Mouthpieces:

This video shows the process for fixing dents in a tuba - please prevent the school from needing to have this done by taking care of your instruments!