5 Tips to Help Keep Your Trombone In Good Condition

Intro

Trombones are large instruments, and they are also delicate instruments. The slide on a trombone is one of the easiest things to damage and can be one of the hardest things to fix. If you are a trombone player or a parent of a trombone player these tips could be helpful to prevent damages.

1. The slide needs to be lubricated so it can move freely.

Apply a small amount of slide cream on the bottom of the inside slide. It will be distributed up the side as you raise the outer slide. Make sure the outer side doesn’t slip off while you are putting on the slide cream.

2. All your tuning slides should move freely.

If it is needed, lubricate them with a small amount of slide grease.

3. Mouthpieces can occasionally get stuck in the horn. (Do Not Try to Pull It out very hard)

This is caused by tapping the mouthpiece to put in on the instrument (sometimes younger students do it because it makes an interesting noise). Always twist the mouthpiece gently in and out of the instrument. If the mouthpiece gets stuck, don’t try to force it out – this can cause damage to the instrument. Repair shops have special tools to remove the mouthpiece. This is a free service in our shop.

4. When you are finished playing, be sure to remove water from the inside of the horn

Do this by opening the water keys and blowing gently through the instrument. Also, be sure to wipe off the outside of the horn to get oils from your hands off. The acids in your saliva and hands can damage the brass. It is important to keep both the inside and the outside clean on your trombone.