Skip to main content

How to Oil a Trumpet

here are three methods of oiling a trumpet depending on how much time you have available -- oil without removing the valves, a partial removal and a complete removal of the valves. Without proper oiling, valves will stick and affect the ability to play the instrument. The oil lubricates the valves and casing to ensure that each valve slides easily through the shaft.

Quick Method 


Step 1 Turn the trumpet upside down to oil the valves through the openings in the bottom of the valve casing.

Step 2 Tilt the trumpet 45 degrees so that the oil will drain down the side of the valves.

Step 3 Turn the trumpet in a circle to let the oil disperse evenly on the casing.

Step 4 Quickly move the valve up and down with the trumpet upside down to spread the oil throughout the valve.

Partial Method


Step 1 Hold the trumpet in your lap with the valves facing upwards.

Step 2 Turn the valve cap counter-clockwise to unscrew it from the casing.

Step 3 Pull the valve out about 3 inches and apply oil on the entire exposed part of the valve.

Step 4 Push the valve down and pull the valve up to distribute the oil evenly throughout the casing.

Step 5 Screw the valve cap back on to the casing. Be very careful that you screw it on properly. If the valve cap doesn't turn easily, re-align the cap to ensure that you do not strip the threads in the cap.

Complete Removal


Step 1 Remove all three valve caps and bottoms by turning the screws counter-clockwise.

Step 2 Place the valves and their corresponding springs on a cloth to prevent damage, in the same order you removed them.

Step 3 Brush the inside of each casing with a valve brush to remove any build-up.

Step 4 Apply oil to the inside of the valve casing and valve.

Step 5 Replace the bottom valve cap, spring and valve in that order. The spring should be centered in the middle of the casing before the valve is replaced.

Step 6 Screw the valve back on to the casing and press the valve up and down quickly to distribute the oil.

Step 7 Follow Steps 4 through 6 for the remaining valves.

Use a high-quality synthetic valve oil. Synthetic oils provide better performance and protect the insides of the valve casings. Cheaper oils require more oil and often become gunky inside the valves. The valves contain numbers on the valve stem. You may have to push the round pads up to see the number. These numbers help identify the valve they belong to.

Never use water or any liquid other than valve oil. Water may work for a few minutes, but your valves will stick worse and you may even have trouble removing them from the casing. Oil stains fabric, so be careful to keep it off your clothing and furniture.

Comments

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, ...

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...

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...