Skip to main content

How to Grease a Stuck Trumpet Slide

Trumpets that aren't adequately maintained develop stuck slides that become very difficult to remove. In order to grease the slide, remove it from the trumpet. You can use several techniques without harming the instrument. In some extreme cases, you may have to take the trumpet to a professional to have the slide removed. Once you remove the slide, regularly applying slide grease ensures the slide doesn't stick.

Remove the valves, caps and springs from the instrument and lay them on a soft cloth. Failure to remove the valves causes a buildup of pressure within the instrument, creating a popping sound when the slides are removed.

Remove the slide by holding the instrument and pulling on the slide. If the slide doesn't come out easily, soak the trumpet in 6 gallons of warm but not hot water for 15 minutes. Add 2 tbsp. liquid soap to the water and remove any slides that can be removed before placing the trumpet in the water.

Pull the slide out if you can. If you can't, use a trumpet snake to clean out the inside of the trumpet and remove any dirt and debris that may cause a blockage. Push the snake through an opening in the stuck slide.

Wiggle the stuck slide gently back and forth to slowly remove the slide from the tubing. Don't pull; use a slow, twisting vibration to free the slide from the trumpet. Corrosion has likely set in on the slide, requiring a thorough cleaning.

Use the trumpet snake and a valve brush to scrub the inside tubing of the slide you just removed.

Rinse the trumpet with cool water and dry the entire instrument.

Apply slide grease directly to all of the slides and spread it using your fingers. Insert the slide into the correct portion of tubing. Remove the slide and apply additional grease. Place the slide back into place, push it all the way in, and use a cloth to remove excess grease.

Put the trumpet back together and oil the valves after wiping them down with a dry cloth. Do not get the valves wet. They can easily rust or corrode.

Tips


If the slide doesn't come out after following these steps, take your instrument to a music store. The fees for removing a stuck slide are usually minimal. Some stores even do it for free if you buy supplies there.

References


"Instrument Repair for the Music Teacher "; Burton Stanley; 1978
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Sunday Stories: The Power of Audiation in Music Composition

Happy Sunday! Today, let’s explore the transformative power of audiation in music composition and share an inspiring story about a composer who mastered this skill. Audiation, the ability to hear and understand music in your mind, is a crucial tool for composers, enabling them to bring their musical ideas to life with greater detail and precision. What is Audiation? Audiation is the process of hearing and comprehending music in your mind without any external sound. It is similar to thinking in a language, where you can understand and manipulate words and sentences internally.  For composers, audiation is an essential skill that allows them to imagine, develop, and refine their musical ideas before they are played or written down 1 . The Benefits of Audiation for Composers 1. Enhanced Musical Understanding Audiation helps composers develop a deeper understanding of music. By hearing and analyzing music internally, they can grasp the relationships between different musical elements, ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Similarities of Classical and Baroque Music

Music has evolved through the centuries and undergone drastic changes. One of the most significant transitions was from the Baroque to the Classical period of music. In this paragraph, I will compare and contrast some of the main features of these two styles, such as ensembles, instrumentation, and counterpoint study. The Baroque and Classical periods of music have many similarities. While the style of music changed drastically, certain key elements remained the same between the two styles. Composers in the Classical period sought to simplify music and create clearly audible musical lines. In contrast, composers from the Baroque period were interested in creating complex and highly ornamented musical lines. The Baroque period occurs from approximately 1600 to 1750, and the Classical period extends from 1750 to 1820. Ensembles Ensembles are groups of musicians that perform together. Both the Baroque and the Classical period had similar types of ensembles, such as operas, orchestras, str...
Post a Comment
Read more

List of Musical Techniques and Their Meanings

Musical techniques are the building blocks of any basic music training. These techniques allow performers to improve their coordination and develop accuracy through repetitive daily exercises. Musical techniques progressively build upon previously learned techniques. Scales Scales form the basis for other musical techniques. Student may study major and minor scales as well as modern scales, such as the whole-tone and octatonic scales. A scale consists of patterns of half steps and whole steps. These whole steps and half-step arrangements will be different for each scale. Scales are musical techniques that can help a performer to play faster and more accurately, and make learning new pieces easier. Chords Chords require knowledge of major and minor scales. Chords come in several different forms that affect the sound. Triads consist of three notes spaced a third apart and classified as major, minor, augmented and diminished chords. Seventh chords build on triads and have an additional no...
Post a Comment
Read more