|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Fri Apr 02, 2010 9:32 am
Ever since last Sunday I believe, my first valve slide on my Yamaha Bb trumpet has gotten difficult to move back and forth. Before that Sunday, the slide worked just fine. I had asked my private teacher about it, and he said that it was a metal burr and to use a hard-bristled toothbrush and tooth paste on the slide to get the burr off. My dad, who is a machinist and handles metal all the time when he is at work, has claimed to have experience with removing metal burrs and insisted that a toothbrush and tooth paste wouldn't work. I recently washed my entire trumpet as well as I could (I tried to clean the problem slide very well), but the slide still hasn't gotten any better. What could I possibly do to get it to move better?
I know that the first valve slide is used to get the notes E and A in tune. I use the slide for those notes whenever they appear. While I can't use the slide, would lowering my tongue while I'm playing those notes have the same effect as pulling the slide out? If lowering my tongue wouldn't work, are there any other alternatives to using the slide?
In 6th grade (about 4 years ago), when I first got my trumpet (I have had the same trumpet ever since 6th grade when I first started band), I got a package of maintenance supplies which included: valve oil, slide grease (Valve oil and slide grease of the Yamaha brand), a polishing cloth, and the 3 different cleaning brushes that a trumpet requires. The slide grease is yellow and is in a container similar to what you would find chap stick in. When I reached 7th grade, I was told by a friend that slide grease doesn't help your slides a lot. The friend who told me that had said that the band director told him when I asked where he heard that from. What works best to make slides move better? I have recently found out about slide oil (not grease), would that be of any use to me to use on my trumpet slides?
Any and all help is much appreciated.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Apr 02, 2010 12:42 pm
well i can guarantee that if you're not using slide grease, you're going to damage the metal in your slide. saying "slide grease doesn't help much" is like saying "oil doesn't do anything for your car". it's a lubricant to protect the delicate moving parts as well as to make it easier to use. why would you even listen to someone who tells you a maintenance item is useless :l?
also, if your trumpet teacher told you that a toothbrush and toothpaste will work, it will work. you must remember that your dad works with much heavier duty metal than i'm sure you would find in your trumpet.instruments aren't made out of super thick metal, and the metal they're made with is relatively thin and easy to dent/scratch/damage in any way. (this also means that they can be buffered easier..like with a toothbrush instead of something more heavy duty).
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Apr 15, 2010 4:40 pm
If that doesn't work, take it to a local repair shop, they can unstick in a couple of minutes, and it probably won't cost very much, if anything.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Reply
