Trombone Care and Maintenance: Tips to Keep Your Horn in Top Playing Condition
I began playing the trombone over twenty years ago, and it has been a major part of my life ever since. Playing in local groups and teaching music lessons keep my skills honed. I have noticed that beginning players are often unsure how to care for their new musical instrument. Here are some tips that should help.
What you will need: To keep your trombone in top playing condition, you will need several items. A quality slide cream or oil is an absolute must! Stick with those that have a liquid or light cream base; those that have more of a Vaseline-like consistency are too thick and can build up on the trombone’s slide causing limited movement. Some good formulas that I have tried include Trombotine, Slide O Mix, and SuperSlick. Other needed items include tuning slide grease, a soft cloth for cleaning and polishing (a cloth baby diaper is perfect), a small spray bottle, a small cleaning snake, and for those who have a trombone with a valve or F attachment, rotary valve oil. All of these items should be available at any music store that sells band instruments.
Oiling the slide: The most vital part of keeping your trombone in good condition is having smooth slide action. A player cannot be his best without having a well-moving slide. To begin, remove the outer part of your trombone’s slide. Lay the inner slide on a soft surface, taking great care not to bump or bend it. The parts of the slide are very delicate, and the slightest dent can cause problems with its movement. Slowly pour warm (not hot) water into the outer slide. Shake carefully, then empty the water. Run your cleaning snake through both sides of the outer slide, wiping off any “gunk” that comes out. Take care not to get the snake hung up on the spit valve. Carefully set the outer slide aside and repeat the water and snake process on both sides of the inner slide. Wipe carefully with your soft cloth to make sure it is free of dust and debris. Near the bottom of the inner slide, the last three or four inches, the metal tubes are slightly larger. This part is called the stocking. Rub a small amount of slide grease (or drip a small amount of slide oil) along the stocking. It doesn’t take very much! Pick up the outer slide and replace it over the inner slide. Move the slide in and out a few times to distribute your slide oil or grease over its entirety. Finally, use your small spray bottle to spray a fine mist of water on the inner slide. Pump the slide a few more times to distribute evenly, and you are ready to play! Depending on how often you play your instrument, you will not need to repeat this entire process more often than once every week or two. Keep your spray bottle of water handy and spray your inner slide each time prior to playing.
Tuning slides: Remove your trombone’s tuning slides, being careful not to bend or dent them. Wipe with your soft cloth to remove all dust, debris, and other buildup. Take a small amount of tuning slide grease and rub all over the part of the tuning slide that will be inside the horn. Also wipe the interior area with your soft cloth, or use your cleaning snake if the tubes are particularly dirty. Re-insert the tuning slides and pump them a few times to distribute the grease evenly. Pushing the tuning slides all the way into the horn before you put it in its case after playing will help keep lint and dirt from sticking to them.
Valves: If your trombone has one or more rotary valves, maintaining them can be one of the horn’s biggest challenges. Remove the cap covering the main part of the valve and drip a drop or two of rotary valve oil into the mechanism. If your valve has metal joints, using a bit of woodwind key oil on them will help to keep them lubricated.
General cleaning: The bell portion of your trombone can be rinsed inside with mild soap and warm water. Remove the tuning slides and slowly pour soap diluted with water through the interior, swishing to make sure it hits all parts of the horn. Rinse thoroughly with clear water, and re-grease your tuning slides before reinserting them. The exterior of your horn can be kept shiny and free of fingerprints and other marks just by wiping as needed with your soft cloth. Brasso and other metal-polishing substances can sometimes damage the finish of brass instruments, so use them very sparingly if at all.
