F.A.Q and Troubleshooting Brass Family

Q. The valves on my instrument are very sluggish, and sometimes stick down completely.
A. Unlike other instruments, brass instruments need regular maintenance and servicing by the player. Valves are a very tight fit in their casing with only millimetres of clearance around the valve. You may already be oiling the valves so that they are lubricated, but what you are not usually told is, that before putting new oil on the valve the old oil needs to be removed from the valve and its casing. To do this, you can use a clarinet swap (hanky on string) to both wipe down the valve and pull through the casing. If old and new oil mix, they create a thick paste which can seize up valve movement. Cleaning the valve casing can also remove grit and particles of dried oil which can cause resistance and stop valve movement.

Q. I have cleaned my instrument valves and they are still sticking.
A. This may be an invisible problem. If a trumpet for example gets knocked, the tube and valve block can all move a matter of millimetres out of line. When this happens the valves are no longer moving in a completely straight line inside their casing which can cause it to touch the side of the casing making it stick. Unfortunately this can only be repaired by your local brass instrument repairer.

Q. I have just finished practicing and cannot remove the mouthpiece.
A. If the mouthpiece is well and truly stuck, STOP!!! Please do not attempt to move this yourself. People have often tried to solve this with their toolbox, but this only makes the situation worse, the instrument gets bent, scratched and often becomes unsoldered. Q. Why has it become stuck? There are two main causes, the most common cause is when placing the mouthpiece into the instrument, and learners often tap it on the end with the palm of their hands. This creates a vacuum of air inside the instrument’s tubing; this means the mouthpiece is not actually stuck in the instrument, but is being sucked in from inside the instrument. This can also happen if it gets dropped or knocked. A more simple reason is that mouthpieces need to be washed through and cleaned with a small bottle brush after each time it has been used. This prevents a build up of dirt and grime which can cause it to stick. We at Advance Music have a small machine to remove the mouthpiece for a small charge.