Two Silver Bullets of Horn Maintenance

  If you play a wind instrument, you know how it is.   Get wailing for any length of time and pretty soon you’ve got that little drip going from the end of your horn.

    Here’s the good news: it’s not as gross as it might be.  Most of the liquid that drains from your instrument is condensation.  Condensation is pure water much like distilled water.

    The bad news is, moisture is one of the three main problems wind instruments face.  It’s especially hard on the pads of woodwind instruments.  Moisture promotes rot.  It also provides an ideal breeding ground for mold and other unwelcome organisms.

    Your horn’s other two worst enemies are dirt and lime, both present in the small amount of actual saliva you blow into your instrument while you play.

    Our mouths have to be alkali at all times to protect our teeth, so our bodies secrete lime (an alkaline mineral) as an ingredient of saliva.  When all the fluid evaporates the lime is left behind.  Over time, lime leaves a green crust coating the inside of the instrument, causing valves and slides to stick, and metal to rot.

    In addition to lime, trace quantities of food can collect in your instrument, especially if you have band after lunch.  So the first most important concept to remember in horn maintenance is to brush your teeth after eating and before playing your instrument!  If this is absolutely not possible at least get to a drinking fountain and rinse your mouth out thoroughly.

    The second most important thing to keep in mind is to remove the moisture before it evaporates.  Swab your horn right away after playing, and you’ll sweep away the dissolved lime and dirt (food particles) right along with the water. 

In quick review: