Knowing how to look after your instrument is an important skill to learn for any musician. Today’s article focuses on looking after your trumpet. To start we recommend checking out this video which will take you through the step by step, having a visual reference is a great way to get used to the process. 

Along the way here are some tips and tricks we would recommend:

• When the buttons are becoming a little stiff and hard to press this means they need some valve oil.
• If you want to do a complete clean please follow the instructions in the video. You will need to unscrew the valves and pull them out and lay them in order as they must be put back in the same order to work.
• Most trumpets have a number on the valves (unless worn/rubbed off) so you know where they go. Don't worry if you get them muddled as you should be able to work it out by the numbers. If there's no number on the barrel it may be on the little column part under the button. If you can't blow the trumpet once they've been replaced then you know they are in the wrong spot. If you want to avoid this problem altogether we suggest taking them out and replacing them one at a time instead to avoid  confusion about which valve goes where. You don't need to take them all out at once unless you are doing a complete deep clean which involves running water through the trumpet.
• If you want to clean the whole trumpet under running water as in the video, be careful not to wet the felt rings that sit under the buttons. The rest of the trumpet is ok to get wet.
• When you replace the valves after putting some oil on them be sure to only rotate clockwise to avoid unscrewing the actual button from the valve body as this can be tricky to put back together.
• If anyone has problems or questions please feel free to drop us a line at the studio and we’ll get you some expert help.