Yesterday afternoon, I picked up my trumpet (y'all didn't know I had one did you? ;] ), inserted the mouthpiece, lifted it to my lips, and decided I'd had enough. The moldly flavor had gotten worse and I needed to do something about it STAT, so I put the instrument down, plopped down in front of my computer and I looked up "how to clean a trumpet".
I've had this thing for over six years at this point (if I remember correctly which birthday I got it) and between year one and now, I never really learned how to play it (it sat abandoned in a closet for probably four years without being touched), much less take care of it (we'll make health excuses part of things). Anyway, I guess in my idiotic, not-knowing anything about brass instruments state (I grew up surrounded by strings, remember?), the idea that it might need to be cleaned never entered my head. (Seriously though, all that spit that gets flung down-tube? Of course it's going to need to be cleaned!)
Now that I'm actually *trying* again to learn how to play it, I just couldn't get past that moldly taste yesterday...so this happened:
I've had this thing for over six years at this point (if I remember correctly which birthday I got it) and between year one and now, I never really learned how to play it (it sat abandoned in a closet for probably four years without being touched), much less take care of it (we'll make health excuses part of things). Anyway, I guess in my idiotic, not-knowing anything about brass instruments state (I grew up surrounded by strings, remember?), the idea that it might need to be cleaned never entered my head. (Seriously though, all that spit that gets flung down-tube? Of course it's going to need to be cleaned!)
Now that I'm actually *trying* again to learn how to play it, I just couldn't get past that moldly taste yesterday...so this happened:
This was *after* the soap bubbles dissipated and I'd already cleaned the slides. (I also ended up getting some tea-tree oil in there to help kill the mold that I am positive was growing in the tubes.)
Air-drying time...
I didn't get around to putting it back together until this morning, when Katherine kindly took the re-assembly pictures (good thing too, because I ended up with slide and valve oil all over my hands).
It's amazing how *smooth* the valves are after oiling. I had oiled them not very long ago, upon the suggestion of a young friend of mine who plays...I'd never thought of it and it really, really helped. Of course, after washing, they needed re-oiling.
I can't imagine a brass-playing profile without a double chin...so here goes. It may just be me, but tone might have sounded better? Flavor is, irregardless. :D
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