Yearly Maintenence Reminders

Yearly Instrument Maintenance Reminders

Consider taking your instrument into Ward Brodt or Heid over the summer and getting a “check-up.” (If you rent, maintenance is included for free on your instrument!) Maintenance on an instrument is a lot like that of a car—if you don’t get your oil changes, you can be in for some expensive repairs in the future! Remember, you can always have them call you with an estimate of the cost before they do any work on it, but think of the work done to it like maintenance on a car. You can also request a loaner instrument to use while it is getting repaired IF it is a Heid rent-to-own instrument.

Know that during the year, you can also do this (as they come to school every Wednesday to pick up and drop off items), but if you do it during the summer, your instrument will be in good working condition for you during the year. If you do this over the summer, you are responsible for dropping it off and picking it up yourself. Use the reminders below to see if your instrument could also benefit from some work done on it.

Please check out the “Instrument Care/Cleaning” tab of our band website for YouTube videos on instrument-specific maintenance and how-to for various summer cleaning tips you can do on your own.

This is your friendly neighborhood Spiderman reminder to check the following:

Flute:

If you have been properly cleaning out your instrument with your swab, your pads should last for a long time. Pad replacements will need to be done over time (especially if you had a used instrument to start with). If taken care of well, pads can last up to 10 years. Look under your keys: If they look a little “frayed,” discolored, or coming apart, I HIGHLY recommend it. This would be something I would highly recommend having a Heid technician take a look at over the summer just in case, as sometimes the pads will leak and cause your notes not to play correctly or as clear as they could. They can also get rid of tarnish under your keys (flutes get a tarnish bath), make your springs tighter so your keys move easier, and oil your keys so they move better.

Oboe:

See flute information minus getting tarnish cleaned. Also, keep an eye on your corks where you put your instrument together. If it gets really easy to put your oboe together and it almost seems like it could slip apart, you may be in need of getting your corks replaced and it will need to go into Heid.

If you have a wooden oboe, keep an eye out for cracking in the wood, as this will need to be filled by a repair technician. It will cause your instrument to leak and not play properly. Also if you have a wooden oboe, you will need to oil (not household normal oil—it is special) the wood to prevent cracking yearly. Ask Mrs. Stevens or you can have Heid do it for you.

Clarinet:

See flute information minus getting tarnish cleaned. Also, keep an eye on your corks where you put your instrument together. If it gets really easy to put your clarinet together and almost seems like it could slip apart, you may need to get your corks replaced and it will need to go into Heid.

When was the last time you cleaned out your mouthpiece with warm (NOT hot) dishsoapy water? Use that mouthpiece brush you got in your care kit and scrub off your dried spit.

If you have a wooden clarinet, keep an eye out for cracking wood, as this will need to be filled by a repair technician. It will cause your instrument to leak and not play properly. Also if you have a wooden clarinet, you will need to oil the wood (not household normal oil—it is special) to prevent cracking yearly. Ask Mrs. Stevens or you can have Heid do it for you.

Alto Saxophone:

See flute information minus getting tarnish cleaned. If your pads make a sticky sound when you push them down, you need to be doing a better job of swabbing out, or you will need to get your pads replaced sooner than normal.

Check the cork on your neck (where your mouthpiece goes). Is it really easy to slip your mouthpiece on almost to the point where it could fall off? Does it look like it is coming apart? It will need to go into Heid to get replaced but it is very quick and easy.

Are your keys hard to push down (especially pinky keys)? They may need to get adjusted with a repair technician as these tend to get bent very easily.

When was the last time you cleaned out your mouthpiece with warm (NOT hot) dishsoapy water? Use that mouthpiece brush you got in your care kit and scrub off your dried spit.

Trumpet/Trombone:

Check your spit valve pad(s). Does it leak spit/look frayed? If so, this is a VERY easy fix and will help you sound a lot better, as air can escape out of this gap and makes you sound less clear (or can cause some notes to not even work!). When was the last time you gave your instrument a bath? Please follow the instructions how to do this VERY CAREFULLY on our band website under Instrument Care/Cleaning. This should be done at least once a year but more possibly if you have a severe illness so it doesn’t stay in your instrument.

Do all of your tuning slides work? Trumpets, does your 3^rd valve ring tuning slide move easily or is it stuck/missing a ring? You need to get this fixed because you need to use this tuning slide ANYTIME you play a “D” or a “C#.” Trombones, does your tuning slide move at the top of your instrument (where the logo is)? If not, you need to get this fixed. This is very important for this to be able to move in order to help your instrument be in tune.

Do you have severe dents in your instrument (especially on the narrow tubing)? If so, this really affects how clear your sound is. Get an estimate from Heid to get the dents taken out so you can sound your best. Are your valves difficult to push down (trumpets) or main slide hard to move(trombone)? Trumpets, you may need to get valve guides replaced (these are inside your valves and get dinged up over time/use). Trombones, your slide should make very little noise when moved, so if you hear a lot of noise, it is probably bent and needs a slight adjustment.

Lastly, is the metal on your instrument corroding and turning red? Search “Red Rot” online and see if this matches the description of your instrument. This means your instrument has started to corrode and the metal is deteriorating. “Red Rot” is a sign that your instrument is too old and needs to be retired and you need a newer instrument. There is no way to stop this from happening but if you empty your spit valves every time you are done playing, this helps slow down the corrosion over time and your instrument should last many years (multiple decades).

Bassoon/Horn/Baritone/Tuba: We take care of this maintenance at school for you. Brass players, you are always responsible for emptying your spit valve as soon as you are done playing to prevent “Red Rot” (see Trumpet/Trombone section), oiling your valves etc.

Percussion:

Look at the yarn on your mallets. Rubber ones should be cleaned with Lysol wipes and handles only of yarn mallets as well. If the yarn is starting to get frayed, you may need to purchase a new set of mallets (as this affects the sound). If you take care of them (not shoving them in your bag, only putting your hands on the wooden part and not the yarn), they should last years. It is possible to restring yarn mallets, but sometimes it is better to just purchase a higher quality set next time and being extra careful with them.

If you have a snare drum/drum set at home, check the head of your drum(s). If it looks very battered (a lot of stick marks/dents or possible holes), you might want to put a new drum head on it. Ask Mrs. Stevens about which kind to get and how to put it on (it is very easy once you know how). Did you know you have to tune your drums? Search how to do this online or ask Mrs. S.