Basic Care and Maintenance for Trumpets By Maral Cavner

Introduction• Over the past several years, sociology graduate Maral

Cavner has been preparing for a career in international relations through such positions as intern with the International Campaign for Tibet and senior peer mentor for the Emory University Department of Sociology. Outside of her educational and professional advancement, Maral Cavner enjoys a variety of hobbies including playing the trumpet, which she has been doing for more than a decade.

Keeping trumpets in good use require routine care and maintenance. Fortunately, caring for a trumpet is relatively easy compared to some other instruments.

Trumpet Care• Trumpets are made up of slides, valves, and the body,

and the only assembly required for the instrument is attaching the mouthpiece. Oiling the valves is one of the more important aspects of trumpet care because it keeps the valves moving smoothly. When trumpets are new, the valves and valve casings typically need to be oiled and cleaned every day for a couple weeks; however, after that they can be oiled every two to four weeks. If valves get sticky faster than that, then they may require more frequent oiling.

The slides are also important for the trumpet’s basic function.

Conclusion• Trumpets have four slides that correspond to

each of the instrument’s valves, and they must be regularly greased to allow them to move smoothly. Most players can grease the slides once a month to prevent them from becoming too loose or too sticky. While most slides can be greased with the same oil, the third valve slide needs a bit more freedom to move so a lighter oil may be necessary. Finally, the mouthpiece needs to be cleaned in the inside every once in a while to prevent any buildup that may block air from getting through the trumpet.