A Parent's Guide to the Trumpet

The Anatomy of the Trumpet

Assembling the Trumpet

1. Insert the mouthpiece, being careful not to jam it in. A light twist will suffice.

Cleaning and Storage

1. Grease tuning slides weekly. Simply pull the slides out, rub some slide grease on them, and reinsert.

2. Oil valves daily, ideally at night after the day's practice is finished.

3. To oil the valves, set the trumpet on a table for stability. Oil one valve at a time. Take the valve out, noting the direction the number etched into the piston is facing. Put oil on all sides of the piston, reinsert it about 90% of the way and spin it around once or twice to get oil distributed on the interior of the valve chamber. Take the valve out again, put oil on it a second time, and reinsert it into the valve chamber fully, making sure that the number is facing in the same direction as when you removed it. Tighten the valve cap and listen for the click that tells you it's locked in.

Most trumpet valves will have a number etched
into the side to distinguish which valve they are for. 

4. Give the trumpet a bath every three months in warm soapy water to clean it thoroughly.

5. Always set the trumpet down so that the second valve slide is facing up.

The second valve slide is the loop that sticks out
semi-perpendicular to the instrument.

Troubleshooting

PROBLEM: The mouthpiece got stuck.

SOLUTION: Bring it in so we can extract it.

PROBLEM: The valves/slides are sticky (i.e. they don't spring up after you push them, but they're not outright stuck).

SOLUTION: This is normally the result of a lack of regular maintenance (lack of oil). Spit and oil can build up and calcify in the valves, making it hard for the piston to travel along the chamber. Remove all slides and valves and give the trumpet a soapy warm water bath, then grease all slides and oil the valves properly. This should resolve the issue. If it doesn't, or if you can't get the valves or slides out on your own, bring it in.

PROBLEM: The valves/slides are stuck.

SOLUTION: This is most often caused by dropping the instrument or knocking it against something. Dented valves can make it difficult or impossible for the piston to travel along the chamber, and a dented slide can make it difficult or impossible to remove the slide. On the second slide valve especially, a dent can cause a waterfall of problems throughout the instrument. If you have been cleaning the instrument regularly, check the slides and valves for any dents, which are a tell-tale sign that the instrument has been dropped or knocked against something. Bring the instrument in so we can have the dents removed and the instrument returned to playing condition.

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For more information about trumpet maintenance, watch our maintenance videos below or call AMUSE at 310-377-7838.

Trumpet Maintenance

Trumpet Wash