If there is one piece of the brass instrument that gets no respect, but deserves much, it is the water key. Yes, the water key is not called the spit valve. That slang name for it demeans what it does and also how the brass player plays their instrument.
The water key is a relatively simple mechanism, usually similar to the closed pads on a woodwind instrument. The air passes over the hole, but with the spring holding the "pad" closed, it passes by with little disturbance. If it is open (leaking) some of the air will divert out through this opening instead of the bell, making the tone and ease of playing the instrument greatly diminished. This happens because the pad is not covering the hole, or the spring no longer has the tension to keep the pad closed.
Often the pad material is cork or some sort of synthetic rubber, and both work about the same. The cork ones deteriorate quicker, being a natural material, but the synthetic will deform more permanently, making a seal somewhat harder to get until it settles.
The purpose of the water key is to vent the water that collects inside the bore of the instrument. WATER, not spit. The liquid that collects is water. It comes from the humidity inside the breath meeting the colder surface of the metal. It's the same thing as the drops of water on the outside of a cold beverage. When it collects in sufficient quantities, it starts to interrupt the airflow through the instrument. Due to the nature of water, it creates a gurgling affect to the sound, sometimes even a popping noise. Water keys need to be emptied regularly, the frequency is dependent on how "wet a blower" the player is. It is also dependent on how cold the room is the player is in.
In the past decade or so, there have been a few innovations to how water keys work. One of these is a different style called an "Amado" water key, named after the company that started them. They are somewhat harder to explain, as they are a sideways piston that closes the with the side of a piston. I recommend looking them up to see how they sit on the horn. They have no cork or rubber, and are fairly durable. Their primary reason for creation was the idea that the area under the pad is a soldered on piece called a nipple. It acts like the tone hole of a woodwind to give the cork or rubber pad a flat surface to seal. The hole under the nipple is usually smaller than the hole the cork covers, and the theory is that it causes air flow turbulence in this gap, which distorts the sound. While this may be true, the amount of difference these water keys make compared to the traditional water keys is so minimal, if at all, that you would need a spectrum analyzer to truly find a difference. I personally feel that the amount of solder used to hold the bell braces to the bell will have a greater affect on the tone, as that actually will change how well the bell vibrates.
There are other types of water keys, and many others that existed for a short time that didn't work out. Overall, the reason to use one type over another is personal preference. It comes down to which helps you to do the water key's primary job the best. This question is simply, "How well does it help me drain the water from my horn?" If it works for you, it works fine. Any other questions about it are side notes, and if they don't need to change, it won't necessarily help you if you do.
That being said, if you do decide to put on a different type of water key, my only advice is to do it well before any performances. We all have muscle memory about how our instruments work, and if you reach for your water key during a few rest measures at a gig, you need to make sure you have the way your water keys work pre-programed into your hands so you can do it without fumbling. This way you can empty and get back to playing with as little stress or difficulty as possible.
Sunday, December 10, 2017
Sunday, December 3, 2017
Woodwind Tip #6: The Mystery of the Pad, Part 1 (Saxophone)
This one came from a request by a woodwind player, wondering just what makes up pads. I'm going to split this into at least 2 sections, as there's way too much to cover based on different woodwinds to cover in just one post. I'll start with saxophone pads, as they are easier to cover.
Pads became essential for woodwinds once the size of the holes increased beyond the players ability to cover them up with their fingers. This happened for intonation of the notes, as chromatic fingerings weren't really true to pitch without manipulating the air flow in some way to center it, or because the bore size of the instrument meant that the holes were too big and/or too far apart for fingers to work on their own anymore. The pad was born out of necessity, and has evolved to the pads we know now
Despite the variations, there are only two types of pads: Natural or "skin" pads and synthetics. The anatomy of any pad is pretty much the same. There's the backing surface that glues into the key cup, some sort of compressible middle section, and a top surface that meets the tone hole to seal it, which wraps around and glues to the backing surface. In the middle of the top surface, there is usually a hard material to reflect the sound out called a resonator.
For skin pads, the typical line up is a cardboard backing, felt filling, and leather for the surface. For simplicity, I'll refer to the different sections with these general terms. Note the word "typical," There are always exceptions to this formation. Usually the biggest variation for these pads is the surface. Leather, soft feel leather, extra thick leather kangaroo leather (yes, that's right), sheep skin leather, etc. The list goes on and on. The main thing about this surface is that it must seal the tone hole off from leaks when the pad is closed. For the beginner, how the pad "feels" under the fingers when the pad meets the tone hole isn't important, as they don't know what they're feeling for. As they progress, they'll start to notice how spongy or firm they prefer their pads. Yes, there is some credence to the idea that how soft a pad is will affect the tone, as the pad surface is hit by the sound waves and has to go around the pads to get away from the instrument, absorbing some of the sound before it travels away from the saxophone. However, this is dealt with greatly by the resonator, so the affect of this is usually only noticeable through scientific measuring (meaning the difference at that point is beyond the average human ear's ability to hear it).
The felt layer is usually made of some sort of wool felt, either woven or pressed. The difference between them goes into the subject above about firmness of pad. generally woven felt is firmer. Another upside of firmness here is that the pads themselves wear out slower, as the firmer materials are more resilient. However, the less firm the felt, the easier it is to keep a seal, as the felt will accommodate changes in humidity and temperature more easily with minimal affect on the playability. It's the trade off players have to make.
One of there areas with least variation is the backing. It's almost always cardboard. It offeres a nice textured surface for the glue to adhere to, helping hold the pad into the key cup. It's other function is to give the leather a surface to glue onto as well, so there are not ragged edges of leather to come up and cause problems. There isn't a huge problem with cardboard, and I've seen some pads offered with metal on the back. I was even taught how to cut away the cardboard and soak the glue into the felt directly. This firms up the felt, increasing it's firmness. For 99% of players, this part of the pad doesn't matter that much, and it really shouldn't.
Synthetic pads are just that. The materials are all machine made, usually made from plastics and metals. While they are an option, their main advantage is they are unaffected by weather changes. They will wear out like other pads, dependent on use. They are an option for anyone, but are usually a bit more expensive than their natural counter parts.
The resonator is it's own special thing. Like stated above, it's job is to help reflect the tone away from the pad once the key is open. Otherwise the air is pointing directly at the pad, and some of the sound will be absorbed directly into the pad itself. However, there are as many resonator styles as there are pad styles, maybe even more. Plus, each type of resonator can be put on any type of skin pad. Plastic dome, plastic flatt, metal dome, star shaped metal, accordion star shaped, it goes on and on. They do affect the sound, but no one can agree how. In blind tests, they could tell there were different resonators, but no one could agree how they changed the sound.
So, what does all this mean to you, the player or the parent of the young player. If you or yours is a beginner, there's not much point in going high end. Your technician will know this most likely from the level your saxophone and/or player is at. If they have a student model sax, they don't have a reason to put on high end pads. Also, if it's a high end saxophone, but the player is a beginner (yes, I've seen it happen) they still won't put high end pads on it unless requested to for special circumstances. As the store has to buy the pads first, they probably won't recommend high end for anyone that doesn't need them.
If you are at the intermediate level, Talk with the technician about what they recommend. They'll have questions for you about what you play (jazz, chamber, solo, group, etc), what kind of sound you currently have and also what you want to change it to. There are many other questions, but these will start them figuring out what to try. Note I said "try". Every player is different, so the tone they get from the exact same setup as someone else will be different. It will take some experimentation, and the best thing you can do is record yourself and listen back to it to see how it sounds from the front. What the player hears and what the audience hears are wildly different.
In the next woodwind post, I'll get into the other members of the woodwind family, as the pads for these are wildly different.
Pads became essential for woodwinds once the size of the holes increased beyond the players ability to cover them up with their fingers. This happened for intonation of the notes, as chromatic fingerings weren't really true to pitch without manipulating the air flow in some way to center it, or because the bore size of the instrument meant that the holes were too big and/or too far apart for fingers to work on their own anymore. The pad was born out of necessity, and has evolved to the pads we know now
Despite the variations, there are only two types of pads: Natural or "skin" pads and synthetics. The anatomy of any pad is pretty much the same. There's the backing surface that glues into the key cup, some sort of compressible middle section, and a top surface that meets the tone hole to seal it, which wraps around and glues to the backing surface. In the middle of the top surface, there is usually a hard material to reflect the sound out called a resonator.
For skin pads, the typical line up is a cardboard backing, felt filling, and leather for the surface. For simplicity, I'll refer to the different sections with these general terms. Note the word "typical," There are always exceptions to this formation. Usually the biggest variation for these pads is the surface. Leather, soft feel leather, extra thick leather kangaroo leather (yes, that's right), sheep skin leather, etc. The list goes on and on. The main thing about this surface is that it must seal the tone hole off from leaks when the pad is closed. For the beginner, how the pad "feels" under the fingers when the pad meets the tone hole isn't important, as they don't know what they're feeling for. As they progress, they'll start to notice how spongy or firm they prefer their pads. Yes, there is some credence to the idea that how soft a pad is will affect the tone, as the pad surface is hit by the sound waves and has to go around the pads to get away from the instrument, absorbing some of the sound before it travels away from the saxophone. However, this is dealt with greatly by the resonator, so the affect of this is usually only noticeable through scientific measuring (meaning the difference at that point is beyond the average human ear's ability to hear it).
The felt layer is usually made of some sort of wool felt, either woven or pressed. The difference between them goes into the subject above about firmness of pad. generally woven felt is firmer. Another upside of firmness here is that the pads themselves wear out slower, as the firmer materials are more resilient. However, the less firm the felt, the easier it is to keep a seal, as the felt will accommodate changes in humidity and temperature more easily with minimal affect on the playability. It's the trade off players have to make.
One of there areas with least variation is the backing. It's almost always cardboard. It offeres a nice textured surface for the glue to adhere to, helping hold the pad into the key cup. It's other function is to give the leather a surface to glue onto as well, so there are not ragged edges of leather to come up and cause problems. There isn't a huge problem with cardboard, and I've seen some pads offered with metal on the back. I was even taught how to cut away the cardboard and soak the glue into the felt directly. This firms up the felt, increasing it's firmness. For 99% of players, this part of the pad doesn't matter that much, and it really shouldn't.
Synthetic pads are just that. The materials are all machine made, usually made from plastics and metals. While they are an option, their main advantage is they are unaffected by weather changes. They will wear out like other pads, dependent on use. They are an option for anyone, but are usually a bit more expensive than their natural counter parts.
The resonator is it's own special thing. Like stated above, it's job is to help reflect the tone away from the pad once the key is open. Otherwise the air is pointing directly at the pad, and some of the sound will be absorbed directly into the pad itself. However, there are as many resonator styles as there are pad styles, maybe even more. Plus, each type of resonator can be put on any type of skin pad. Plastic dome, plastic flatt, metal dome, star shaped metal, accordion star shaped, it goes on and on. They do affect the sound, but no one can agree how. In blind tests, they could tell there were different resonators, but no one could agree how they changed the sound.
So, what does all this mean to you, the player or the parent of the young player. If you or yours is a beginner, there's not much point in going high end. Your technician will know this most likely from the level your saxophone and/or player is at. If they have a student model sax, they don't have a reason to put on high end pads. Also, if it's a high end saxophone, but the player is a beginner (yes, I've seen it happen) they still won't put high end pads on it unless requested to for special circumstances. As the store has to buy the pads first, they probably won't recommend high end for anyone that doesn't need them.
If you are at the intermediate level, Talk with the technician about what they recommend. They'll have questions for you about what you play (jazz, chamber, solo, group, etc), what kind of sound you currently have and also what you want to change it to. There are many other questions, but these will start them figuring out what to try. Note I said "try". Every player is different, so the tone they get from the exact same setup as someone else will be different. It will take some experimentation, and the best thing you can do is record yourself and listen back to it to see how it sounds from the front. What the player hears and what the audience hears are wildly different.
In the next woodwind post, I'll get into the other members of the woodwind family, as the pads for these are wildly different.
Monday, October 16, 2017
Tales from the bench #5: The CLO (clarinet-like object)
Not all of my stories happened years ago. This one is less than a week old, and touches a point that is important.
Like anyone, I appreciate a good deal. I see the same thing at a cheaper price, and I figure that even with a lower quality, it's a good way to get started. However, in the instrument world, this can lead to more problems than solutions. It is definitely a world where, overall, you get what you pay for.
About a week ago, a new customer contacted me to talk about his clarinet (I'm using this term because it's what it was called by the people who made it). The cork on the top joint had come loose and needed replacing, but more than that, he wasn't even sure it was a clarinet worth the cost of a new joint cork. Fact is, he had purchased it off someone for $25, and was unable to figure out anything about the "brand name" on it. He told it to me, and my search capabilities came up with less than glowing recommendations
Truth is, I was unable to find anything about the company other than they were being sold through some very low cost sites, and the only info about the manufacture was the blurbs about the instruments themselves. This is something that always makes me nervous to work on. There are many knock offs of good instruments, but then there are knock off of knock off of........ until it's an instrument in appearance only.
Still hopeful I could help him some, we scheduled an appointment, and he brought the "instrument in question" over for a diagnosis. Once I opened the case, I immediately congratulated him on purchasing a $25 case that came with a toy clarinet in it. Nothing about this instrument spoke well. The very cheap plastic the clarinet was made of was very light in weight and felt way too delicate. Beginner clarinets are often made of plastic, but the composition of the plastic usually makes the instrument heavy enough to mean it's got high durability (a plus when the beginner is a child)
The keys on this were bright and shiny, but there were many things about them that were unsettling. They seemed out of proportion to the instrument, and the shiny coating felt more like a think chrome than the more durable nickle finish.
At this point, I put it together and tried to play it. the joints were all loose but not so much that it would fall apart. With the cork grease on, I could slide everything around way too easily. Where I live, the high humidity usually means the corks are tight and need to be adjusted thinner. This was the other way around. The sound that came out of this was somewhere between a clarinet tone and a dying yak. It was harsh and unfocused. I had to fight for every note, and could feel the cheap keys bending under my fingers as I tried to put more pressure than I should need.
Then came the funny moment. I told him how I could get it to play, but the harsh tone would always be there. I also told him that it would cost more to fix than it was worth. He agreed, with no reluctance, and I started to disassemble it to put the instrument back in the case. As I started to take the bell off, the plastic tore apart in my hands, and the top most portion of the bell, including the metal ring, stayed on the bottom joint tenon.
I want to stress that, at that point, I was not trying to break anything. I was telling him that it would make a good lamp, and was trying to simply take things apart. When it broke, he looked at the pieces in my hand and even chuckled a bit. "Lamp it is" was what I recall hearing at that moment. He then asked if I had any clarinets for sale, and I sold him a Selmer Bundy student model. Still black plastic, but a make of repute. I've been in contact with him since then, and he's already off and running, learning and enjoying the clarinet he now has.
Moral of the story: Just because it's cheap doesn't mean it's any good. If it's cheap and a brand that has a history of quality, jump on it. But, if it's cheap but you can't verify it's worth anything, then you are getting exactly what you pay for, or could even be overpaying
Like anyone, I appreciate a good deal. I see the same thing at a cheaper price, and I figure that even with a lower quality, it's a good way to get started. However, in the instrument world, this can lead to more problems than solutions. It is definitely a world where, overall, you get what you pay for.
About a week ago, a new customer contacted me to talk about his clarinet (I'm using this term because it's what it was called by the people who made it). The cork on the top joint had come loose and needed replacing, but more than that, he wasn't even sure it was a clarinet worth the cost of a new joint cork. Fact is, he had purchased it off someone for $25, and was unable to figure out anything about the "brand name" on it. He told it to me, and my search capabilities came up with less than glowing recommendations
Truth is, I was unable to find anything about the company other than they were being sold through some very low cost sites, and the only info about the manufacture was the blurbs about the instruments themselves. This is something that always makes me nervous to work on. There are many knock offs of good instruments, but then there are knock off of knock off of........ until it's an instrument in appearance only.
Still hopeful I could help him some, we scheduled an appointment, and he brought the "instrument in question" over for a diagnosis. Once I opened the case, I immediately congratulated him on purchasing a $25 case that came with a toy clarinet in it. Nothing about this instrument spoke well. The very cheap plastic the clarinet was made of was very light in weight and felt way too delicate. Beginner clarinets are often made of plastic, but the composition of the plastic usually makes the instrument heavy enough to mean it's got high durability (a plus when the beginner is a child)
The keys on this were bright and shiny, but there were many things about them that were unsettling. They seemed out of proportion to the instrument, and the shiny coating felt more like a think chrome than the more durable nickle finish.
At this point, I put it together and tried to play it. the joints were all loose but not so much that it would fall apart. With the cork grease on, I could slide everything around way too easily. Where I live, the high humidity usually means the corks are tight and need to be adjusted thinner. This was the other way around. The sound that came out of this was somewhere between a clarinet tone and a dying yak. It was harsh and unfocused. I had to fight for every note, and could feel the cheap keys bending under my fingers as I tried to put more pressure than I should need.
Then came the funny moment. I told him how I could get it to play, but the harsh tone would always be there. I also told him that it would cost more to fix than it was worth. He agreed, with no reluctance, and I started to disassemble it to put the instrument back in the case. As I started to take the bell off, the plastic tore apart in my hands, and the top most portion of the bell, including the metal ring, stayed on the bottom joint tenon.
I want to stress that, at that point, I was not trying to break anything. I was telling him that it would make a good lamp, and was trying to simply take things apart. When it broke, he looked at the pieces in my hand and even chuckled a bit. "Lamp it is" was what I recall hearing at that moment. He then asked if I had any clarinets for sale, and I sold him a Selmer Bundy student model. Still black plastic, but a make of repute. I've been in contact with him since then, and he's already off and running, learning and enjoying the clarinet he now has.
Moral of the story: Just because it's cheap doesn't mean it's any good. If it's cheap and a brand that has a history of quality, jump on it. But, if it's cheap but you can't verify it's worth anything, then you are getting exactly what you pay for, or could even be overpaying
Friday, September 29, 2017
General Tips # 5: Ways to keep your tech happy
At some point, every instrument needs to come into the shop. Either for routine maintenance or a problem to be corrected, it's going to happen. When it does, you hand the instrument to the technician, they take it from you, and get to work. At this point, they will do their job to make sure it works as well as it can. They will be professional, but there are things you can do to help them stay motivated to work on your instrument.
For the record, this is not me griping about anything any particular customer has done, but rather a list of advice for any customer in interacting with a technician.
1) Wait your turn
When you walk in to get the instrument worked on, odds are the technician has a few instruments lined up in front of you. This is not to say he's lazy, but probably quite the opposite. If he's good, there's other people that got there first. Do those other people deserve the same level of service you desire? Yes, and they got there before you. Therefore, they come first.
I've heard techs joke that you can jump the line only if you're willing to pay 10x what the repair will cost. So far, no one is willing to take them up on it. Bottom line, you were taught not to cut in line in kindergarten, and it still applies.
2) Know what the instrument needs
I know I've posted about this in previous posts, but it still bears repeating. By having even a vague idea about what your instrument needs, you streamline the process and give the tech an area to zoom in on. They will still look for anything else, but it's triage. Just handing them the case and saying "it just doesn't work" may mean a simple fix, or it may mean a complete overhaul. Without some degree of what is wrong, nothing can be overlooked, and everything has to be double checked. This means a lot of time and energy looking at things that may be perfectly fine, which gets annoying after a while, and costs you more.
3) Don't Hover
This one should be somewhat self explanatory. Unless the tech asks you to come closer so that they can show you something, give them some space to work. No one likes the feeling of having someone breathing down their neck as they're trying to do delicate work. Trust me, it's all delicate work, even if it's just a cleaning. Unless you are another more able technician that is verifying something you are teaching them, you have nothing to add to what they are doing apart from upping the repair tech's blood pressure. Usually this goes with the first point of waiting your turn. Many times your instrument won't be fixed with you there. If you happen to catch a technician with an empty bench, then it's still a good idea to go for a walk while they work on it. Odds are, a few things you see might make you regret watching.
There are times I will tell a person I can do the repair while they are there. If your tech is willing to do this, take a seat and just chat with them.
4) Let them work till it's done
I have had people try to give me an instrument back part way through so that they could "check my progress." I have heard things like this come from many other technicians, and frankly, it does nothing but cause frustration. It's a lot like trying to test drive the brake job on your car right after they pulled the old brakes off. New ones aren't installed yet, so it won't work. The tech will tell you when it's done, and might even have you test it out to see if it needs any final tweaking to make it play how you like.
5) Trust the technician
You have a job, and are probably skilled at it. You do your job to the best of your ability, and don't like it when people tell you how to do it. Especially people that, while they may use your services, don't have the same knowledge and training on how to do your job that you do. So why would the person who fixes your instrument be any different? They have countless hours of training, and many times over that in hands on practical experience. Respect them that they know what their skills are. If something is outside their scope, they will warn you before they act. If it isn't perfect for you, their professionalism will mean they keep working till it's right.
6) Remember that they are a person too
At the end of the day, a technician is a person like everyone else. They work hard, and they won't always get it right without a mistake. They will own up to their mistakes, hopefully, and sometimes it means they can't do the job you need. Before anyone gets mad at them, remember that they aren't infallible. Yes, your instrument is dear to you, and you want it to work well. They want it to work well too. As much as you are upset the repair went wrong, they are equally upset they didn't get it right. They are just as human as you, and want to do a good job. That's why they got into this field in the first place. If something can't be repaired, maybe it's because it just can't be. No amount of being upset at them will change that.
Again, I don't list any of these to point fingers at any particular client I've had. Rather, these are things that will help keep a repair technician happy to help you, rather than "it's just my job, and the pay is worth it, I guess." Kinda something for anyone to remember about anyone else, come to think of it
For the record, this is not me griping about anything any particular customer has done, but rather a list of advice for any customer in interacting with a technician.
1) Wait your turn
When you walk in to get the instrument worked on, odds are the technician has a few instruments lined up in front of you. This is not to say he's lazy, but probably quite the opposite. If he's good, there's other people that got there first. Do those other people deserve the same level of service you desire? Yes, and they got there before you. Therefore, they come first.
I've heard techs joke that you can jump the line only if you're willing to pay 10x what the repair will cost. So far, no one is willing to take them up on it. Bottom line, you were taught not to cut in line in kindergarten, and it still applies.
2) Know what the instrument needs
I know I've posted about this in previous posts, but it still bears repeating. By having even a vague idea about what your instrument needs, you streamline the process and give the tech an area to zoom in on. They will still look for anything else, but it's triage. Just handing them the case and saying "it just doesn't work" may mean a simple fix, or it may mean a complete overhaul. Without some degree of what is wrong, nothing can be overlooked, and everything has to be double checked. This means a lot of time and energy looking at things that may be perfectly fine, which gets annoying after a while, and costs you more.
3) Don't Hover
This one should be somewhat self explanatory. Unless the tech asks you to come closer so that they can show you something, give them some space to work. No one likes the feeling of having someone breathing down their neck as they're trying to do delicate work. Trust me, it's all delicate work, even if it's just a cleaning. Unless you are another more able technician that is verifying something you are teaching them, you have nothing to add to what they are doing apart from upping the repair tech's blood pressure. Usually this goes with the first point of waiting your turn. Many times your instrument won't be fixed with you there. If you happen to catch a technician with an empty bench, then it's still a good idea to go for a walk while they work on it. Odds are, a few things you see might make you regret watching.
There are times I will tell a person I can do the repair while they are there. If your tech is willing to do this, take a seat and just chat with them.
4) Let them work till it's done
I have had people try to give me an instrument back part way through so that they could "check my progress." I have heard things like this come from many other technicians, and frankly, it does nothing but cause frustration. It's a lot like trying to test drive the brake job on your car right after they pulled the old brakes off. New ones aren't installed yet, so it won't work. The tech will tell you when it's done, and might even have you test it out to see if it needs any final tweaking to make it play how you like.
5) Trust the technician
You have a job, and are probably skilled at it. You do your job to the best of your ability, and don't like it when people tell you how to do it. Especially people that, while they may use your services, don't have the same knowledge and training on how to do your job that you do. So why would the person who fixes your instrument be any different? They have countless hours of training, and many times over that in hands on practical experience. Respect them that they know what their skills are. If something is outside their scope, they will warn you before they act. If it isn't perfect for you, their professionalism will mean they keep working till it's right.
6) Remember that they are a person too
At the end of the day, a technician is a person like everyone else. They work hard, and they won't always get it right without a mistake. They will own up to their mistakes, hopefully, and sometimes it means they can't do the job you need. Before anyone gets mad at them, remember that they aren't infallible. Yes, your instrument is dear to you, and you want it to work well. They want it to work well too. As much as you are upset the repair went wrong, they are equally upset they didn't get it right. They are just as human as you, and want to do a good job. That's why they got into this field in the first place. If something can't be repaired, maybe it's because it just can't be. No amount of being upset at them will change that.
Again, I don't list any of these to point fingers at any particular client I've had. Rather, these are things that will help keep a repair technician happy to help you, rather than "it's just my job, and the pay is worth it, I guess." Kinda something for anyone to remember about anyone else, come to think of it
Tuesday, August 8, 2017
Brass Tip #5: Valves - more than just shiny metal
Every brass player, at some point, has to take their instrument apart to clean it. When they do, they will notice the parts of the horn that aren't like the rest. The majority of the valve is made of a metal cylinder with holes through it, and a stem area of a smaller diameter. But, there are parts that go with the valve that matter just as much, and they serve very important purposes.
Along with the valve, there is a spring. It's a coiled spring, either inside or outside of the first smaller section of the valve. This is what makes the valve go back up when you take your finger off of the top. This part is pretty self explanatory, but there are a few things younger players need to keep in mind. First, the spring should be left alone. Second, THE SPRING SHOULD BE LEFT ALONE. Not fussing with it whatsoever will mean this spring will be the longest lasting part of the instrument, as far as things that would need replacing. Stretching it, pulling on it, even squishing it down apart from normal use will decrease it's lifespan. Removing it for cleaning should involve as little force as possible, and reinstall it as soon as things are clean. Period
Next, the valve guide. This is a a little piece of hard material used to keep the valve from spinning in the valve cylinder. Without it, the ports in the valve (the holes) won't line up with the slides anymore, and air won't go through the horn. When removing the springs, the valve guides will usually come out at the same time. The only hard part about that is making sure they go back in the same direction, so that the valve faces the right way, and the problem with the valve spinning doesn't show up.
There is a choice that some instruments can make here, and it pertains to what the guide is made of. There are really 2 choices at this point: Metal or Plastic. To some degree, it is a personal preference. The metal ones will last a lot longer, and the plastic tends to be quieter. Any other difference anyone tells you is subjective and a bit of placebo on their part.
Next, and very importantly, are the bumpers. The first set of these is on the skinny part of the valve stem, right under the top cap. The second set is either on a ring on top of the valve cap, or on the underside of the finger button, sometimes even both. It serves two purposes. The first is that acts as a silencer for when the valve travels up, being a soft cushion for the two surfaces to impact. Without it, the metal of the valve and the metal of the cap would hit, causing a clacking noise every time the valve moves up or down.
The second purpose, and possibly more important, is one of alignment. This bumper helps to ensure that the ports in the valves line up as perfectly as possible with the holes in the valve casing, meaning no air restriction from the valves to the slides. Air restrictions mean working harder, and with less of a good tone. I will say that this comes with a small disclaimer. There can be a small fudge factor in how well the alignment is before it starts to affect anything. Over time, they will compress, meaning that depending on how long it will be before I see the instrument again for maintenance (yes, I do ask new clients) I sometimes install slightly thicker bumpers than I need. That way, in a few months, the spacers will compress to where they need to be so they can stay there for years.
With bumpers, there are a few materials out there. From felt, to cork, to soft rubber, and probably a few others I don't know about yet. The firmer the material, the less it will move over time, but the more noise they may make. Bach has, for many years now, used a rubber ring in the valve caps for their bumpers, and the valves are known to be a little noisier than other horns for this reason. Most repair tech will carry a supply of any of them, and can accommodate you on anything you ask.
With any of these materials, however, the important thing is to leave them alone as much as possible. The more they are moved around, messed with, or affected in any way, the quicker they will deteriorate. Replacing these, regardless of how easy it seems, is better left to a professional. It saves you a trip to the repair tech to figure out why it doesn't play as well as it used to.
Along with the valve, there is a spring. It's a coiled spring, either inside or outside of the first smaller section of the valve. This is what makes the valve go back up when you take your finger off of the top. This part is pretty self explanatory, but there are a few things younger players need to keep in mind. First, the spring should be left alone. Second, THE SPRING SHOULD BE LEFT ALONE. Not fussing with it whatsoever will mean this spring will be the longest lasting part of the instrument, as far as things that would need replacing. Stretching it, pulling on it, even squishing it down apart from normal use will decrease it's lifespan. Removing it for cleaning should involve as little force as possible, and reinstall it as soon as things are clean. Period
Next, the valve guide. This is a a little piece of hard material used to keep the valve from spinning in the valve cylinder. Without it, the ports in the valve (the holes) won't line up with the slides anymore, and air won't go through the horn. When removing the springs, the valve guides will usually come out at the same time. The only hard part about that is making sure they go back in the same direction, so that the valve faces the right way, and the problem with the valve spinning doesn't show up.
There is a choice that some instruments can make here, and it pertains to what the guide is made of. There are really 2 choices at this point: Metal or Plastic. To some degree, it is a personal preference. The metal ones will last a lot longer, and the plastic tends to be quieter. Any other difference anyone tells you is subjective and a bit of placebo on their part.
Next, and very importantly, are the bumpers. The first set of these is on the skinny part of the valve stem, right under the top cap. The second set is either on a ring on top of the valve cap, or on the underside of the finger button, sometimes even both. It serves two purposes. The first is that acts as a silencer for when the valve travels up, being a soft cushion for the two surfaces to impact. Without it, the metal of the valve and the metal of the cap would hit, causing a clacking noise every time the valve moves up or down.
The second purpose, and possibly more important, is one of alignment. This bumper helps to ensure that the ports in the valves line up as perfectly as possible with the holes in the valve casing, meaning no air restriction from the valves to the slides. Air restrictions mean working harder, and with less of a good tone. I will say that this comes with a small disclaimer. There can be a small fudge factor in how well the alignment is before it starts to affect anything. Over time, they will compress, meaning that depending on how long it will be before I see the instrument again for maintenance (yes, I do ask new clients) I sometimes install slightly thicker bumpers than I need. That way, in a few months, the spacers will compress to where they need to be so they can stay there for years.
With bumpers, there are a few materials out there. From felt, to cork, to soft rubber, and probably a few others I don't know about yet. The firmer the material, the less it will move over time, but the more noise they may make. Bach has, for many years now, used a rubber ring in the valve caps for their bumpers, and the valves are known to be a little noisier than other horns for this reason. Most repair tech will carry a supply of any of them, and can accommodate you on anything you ask.
With any of these materials, however, the important thing is to leave them alone as much as possible. The more they are moved around, messed with, or affected in any way, the quicker they will deteriorate. Replacing these, regardless of how easy it seems, is better left to a professional. It saves you a trip to the repair tech to figure out why it doesn't play as well as it used to.
Tuesday, June 6, 2017
Woodwind tip #5: DIY? I don't think so
There are many woodwind players out there, after seeing the cost of maintenance and repairs, want to do their own repairs themselves. When told a re-pad will cost $XX or a cleaning will cost $YY, they think they can save themselves a lot of money and do such things for themselves. Few things will be as costly for your instrument, and could even be the ultimate cost of bringing it to irreparable harm.
One of the chief reasons for this is the fact that, on the surface, many repairs look simple. The pad popped out, just glue it back in, right? Spring got bent, just bend it back, okay? Wrong on both accounts. Yes, these are quick to fix, and a repair technician makes this look easy, but think about how many times the tech has done this repair. Think about all the times they practiced doing these repairs before they were allowed to do it on anything other than a junk instrument.
I went to a school to learn to fix instruments, and we learned pad repair on a cut off section of a clarinet, practicing several hours a day, several days a week before we were even able to show we had a base level competence before we were allowed to try it on a real instrument. In a shop that has apprentices, by the time the apprentice is allowed to install pads on real instruments they've been practicing for untold hours on instruments in the "bone yard" of parts, so they can't possibly screw up someone's personal possession. The students in my class that learned padding the fastest went through dozens and dozens of mistakes: burnt pads, too much glue, too little glue, burning the body of the instrument, burning the finish off the key, tearing the surface of the pad, etc etc etc. These were the ones that picked up the skill quickly, even with the instructors saying as much, and it was still practiced and practiced and messed up and frustration. Now, with that in mind, how easy is any repair? It isn't. Even cleaning had a class, meeting every morning for about an hour for weeks, to make sure it wasn't done incorrectly.
When taking your instrument to a professional technician, more than 99% of them are trying to do one thing and one thing only. They want to make the instrument work right. Yes, they are part of a business and making some money doing it, but that just reinforces what they are truly there for. In order to make a living, they want your instrument to work correctly for as long as possible. If they do a bad job, or gouge you for everything you have, they know you won't be coming back when things need more work. They aren't trying to go after your wallet, they aren't inventing problems like the cliche jokes about mechanics charging for "muffler bearings" or "headlight fluid." They want your instrument to work, and will work with you and explain why it isn't. If they find a problem, it is really there. If they alert you to a problem you didn't know about, it's so that you know about it, what it can do, and what needs to be done to fix it before it gets worse.
There have been many times, in my shop, people have asked me about doing a list of repairs and modifications to their instrument, and I've chopped their list in half when I showed them that the things their asking for were just a waste of their own money. I told them I would do it if they still wanted me to, but I wasn't going to just do something to their instrument that wouldn't result in a worthwhile improvement. Things like replacing with high end pads and springs on a student model instrument are completely unrealistic. To loosely quote a guitar maker, "You can't swap mics on Frank Sinatra to make him sound like Barbara Streisand"
Between the two instrument families I work on primarily, woodwinds take a greater degree of knowledge and consideration when doing any repair or maintenance. Brass has it's own challenges, but woodwinds have to deal with greater degree of variables that have to be eliminated for the instrument to function reliably. These variables are frequently unknown by the player, the parent, the audience member, and usually even the teacher or conductor.
Through their education and training, the technician has to make sure they know the consequences of every aspect of their repairs, and even the consequences of different techniques for that repair. Talk with them about what your instrument is doing wrong, and then trust them that the repair they are doing is what is right. Doing it yourself is a recipe for spending more money, as the tech will likely have to spend at least twice as long. First they have to undo what you did, then they will have to do it right. Not only will this double the labor cost, but they will have to charge your for the materials, and that's not including whatever you spent on your own to try it yourself.
Do yourself a favor and trust them when they quote you a price that they are being upfront with you. Don't try to do the repair yourself.
Unless you want to spend more for the same thing
One of the chief reasons for this is the fact that, on the surface, many repairs look simple. The pad popped out, just glue it back in, right? Spring got bent, just bend it back, okay? Wrong on both accounts. Yes, these are quick to fix, and a repair technician makes this look easy, but think about how many times the tech has done this repair. Think about all the times they practiced doing these repairs before they were allowed to do it on anything other than a junk instrument.
I went to a school to learn to fix instruments, and we learned pad repair on a cut off section of a clarinet, practicing several hours a day, several days a week before we were even able to show we had a base level competence before we were allowed to try it on a real instrument. In a shop that has apprentices, by the time the apprentice is allowed to install pads on real instruments they've been practicing for untold hours on instruments in the "bone yard" of parts, so they can't possibly screw up someone's personal possession. The students in my class that learned padding the fastest went through dozens and dozens of mistakes: burnt pads, too much glue, too little glue, burning the body of the instrument, burning the finish off the key, tearing the surface of the pad, etc etc etc. These were the ones that picked up the skill quickly, even with the instructors saying as much, and it was still practiced and practiced and messed up and frustration. Now, with that in mind, how easy is any repair? It isn't. Even cleaning had a class, meeting every morning for about an hour for weeks, to make sure it wasn't done incorrectly.
When taking your instrument to a professional technician, more than 99% of them are trying to do one thing and one thing only. They want to make the instrument work right. Yes, they are part of a business and making some money doing it, but that just reinforces what they are truly there for. In order to make a living, they want your instrument to work correctly for as long as possible. If they do a bad job, or gouge you for everything you have, they know you won't be coming back when things need more work. They aren't trying to go after your wallet, they aren't inventing problems like the cliche jokes about mechanics charging for "muffler bearings" or "headlight fluid." They want your instrument to work, and will work with you and explain why it isn't. If they find a problem, it is really there. If they alert you to a problem you didn't know about, it's so that you know about it, what it can do, and what needs to be done to fix it before it gets worse.
There have been many times, in my shop, people have asked me about doing a list of repairs and modifications to their instrument, and I've chopped their list in half when I showed them that the things their asking for were just a waste of their own money. I told them I would do it if they still wanted me to, but I wasn't going to just do something to their instrument that wouldn't result in a worthwhile improvement. Things like replacing with high end pads and springs on a student model instrument are completely unrealistic. To loosely quote a guitar maker, "You can't swap mics on Frank Sinatra to make him sound like Barbara Streisand"
Between the two instrument families I work on primarily, woodwinds take a greater degree of knowledge and consideration when doing any repair or maintenance. Brass has it's own challenges, but woodwinds have to deal with greater degree of variables that have to be eliminated for the instrument to function reliably. These variables are frequently unknown by the player, the parent, the audience member, and usually even the teacher or conductor.
Through their education and training, the technician has to make sure they know the consequences of every aspect of their repairs, and even the consequences of different techniques for that repair. Talk with them about what your instrument is doing wrong, and then trust them that the repair they are doing is what is right. Doing it yourself is a recipe for spending more money, as the tech will likely have to spend at least twice as long. First they have to undo what you did, then they will have to do it right. Not only will this double the labor cost, but they will have to charge your for the materials, and that's not including whatever you spent on your own to try it yourself.
Do yourself a favor and trust them when they quote you a price that they are being upfront with you. Don't try to do the repair yourself.
Unless you want to spend more for the same thing
Wednesday, May 17, 2017
Tales from the Bench #4: Teardrop Trumpet Bell
A couple of months ago, a local music teacher got in touch with me about repairing one of her school trumpets. A nice Bach student model in silver, the young player had tripped while walking with it, and the bell had received the brunt of the impact. When I met with the teacher, she opened the case, and both of us couldn't help but laugh at what we saw. As the trumpet is being held while playing, the 10 o'clock position had been pulled up and back, and from the other end the bell was shaped like a tear drop. Behind the "point" of the tear drop, the bell flare was crumpled like tin foil, almost folding back on itself several places. The padding of the case was having problems with the bell, as it wasn't built for this shape, and was having a hard time closing.
At that point, I took the trumpet, and went to work. When the metal has stretched to the point of a crease, it can easily crack and break when trying to pull it apart. I had to work carefully and slowly to "massage" the creases open.
The first thing needed to pull the creases open was to pull that new point of the tear drop down. Using a bell mandrel and a very worn in rawhide mallet, I started to push that back into the shape of a bell. Once that was more or less trumpet shape, I then had to spend the time to open and flatten out every crease, bend, dent and bump. That was the tedious part, taking 2 hours
Once the dents were about 90% of the way gone, I then started to smooth the metal. Using roling mandrels and burnishers, I basically ironed the metal back to the smooth surface it was supposed to be. When I was done, there were minimal scars on the bell. Once the metal stretches, scars are inevitable, as the stretched metal will always show it has moved.
The teacher got the trumpet back a few days later, and was amazed the bell could be salvaged. She had been accepting the idea that it could be easier and cheaper to simply buy a new bell and solder it on.
I love dent work, as it has an immediate feedback of what is happening and what needs to be adjusted for the right result
At that point, I took the trumpet, and went to work. When the metal has stretched to the point of a crease, it can easily crack and break when trying to pull it apart. I had to work carefully and slowly to "massage" the creases open.
The first thing needed to pull the creases open was to pull that new point of the tear drop down. Using a bell mandrel and a very worn in rawhide mallet, I started to push that back into the shape of a bell. Once that was more or less trumpet shape, I then had to spend the time to open and flatten out every crease, bend, dent and bump. That was the tedious part, taking 2 hours
Once the dents were about 90% of the way gone, I then started to smooth the metal. Using roling mandrels and burnishers, I basically ironed the metal back to the smooth surface it was supposed to be. When I was done, there were minimal scars on the bell. Once the metal stretches, scars are inevitable, as the stretched metal will always show it has moved.
The teacher got the trumpet back a few days later, and was amazed the bell could be salvaged. She had been accepting the idea that it could be easier and cheaper to simply buy a new bell and solder it on.
I love dent work, as it has an immediate feedback of what is happening and what needs to be adjusted for the right result
Tuesday, May 9, 2017
General Tip #4: Long term storage
There may come a time, in any musician's life, where they have to put their instrument down for an extended period. This could come from many different scenarios, even positive ones. A person could, say, have more than one instrument and only use one for a while. A second instrument as a backup is common enough.
Regardless, there are many things a player can do to help their instrument during long term down time. The biggest thing is, and I know I'm kinda beating a dead horse here, moisture. Moisture can affect any instrument when not played, and can even rot out a case around the instrument (see post about cases). By making sure the instrument is dry when put in the case, you increase the likelihood that the instrument will come out in a better condition. It won't be better than when you put it in, but at least it won't need to be overhauled.
Another thing to worry about is oils. Yes, oils are your friend, keeping parts wear and tear, but they don't do well when left alone for too long in the parts. Frequently, the oils will start to dry out and cause parts to stick. This happens to brass instruments frequently, due to the increased airflow to the oil coated pieces. The oil acts less like a lubricant and more like a very very light glue, causing things to stick. Before storage, wipe as much of the oil off as possible, but don't use soap and water. What is wanted is the micro-thin layer of oil left after wiping it down, to prevent tarnish, without the possibility for it to take up the space and cause sticking later.
Oils and such also affect woodwinds. The oils of playing and fingers can and will find their way to pad surfaces, causing them to not only become sticky, but to also degrade when the instrument sits. As the moisture leaves these oils and saliva, it becomes more concentrated, making any acidity affect pads quicker. This leads to pulling the instrument out of the case after a time away and noticing torn and cracked pads. Easiest way to fix this is to take a clean dollar bill and using the "dollar bill trick" to wipe the pad surfaces down. Wetting the dollar will help even more, as it can break up the compounds on the surface and pull them off. Just don't press too hard, or you risk tearing the surface of the pads through friction.
Where you store the instrument can also have a big effect. Regardless of how great your case is, a damp and dirty space will creep into the case and start to work on your instrument. Pick your place carefully to minimize any chance of things effecting the stashed horn, including the chance of not finding it for years. Many times I've been asked to work on an instrument that was left in a closet for many years because the person forgot they even had it, and time had not been kind.
These few things will help the condition ofyour instrument, be it brass or woodwind, from degrading faster than it has to. Nothing will stop it from degrading, as it will always be affected by time. With a few simple considerations, these effects can at least be minimized, and maybe even result in an instrument that comes out of mothballs after years, and still be playable.
Regardless, there are many things a player can do to help their instrument during long term down time. The biggest thing is, and I know I'm kinda beating a dead horse here, moisture. Moisture can affect any instrument when not played, and can even rot out a case around the instrument (see post about cases). By making sure the instrument is dry when put in the case, you increase the likelihood that the instrument will come out in a better condition. It won't be better than when you put it in, but at least it won't need to be overhauled.
Another thing to worry about is oils. Yes, oils are your friend, keeping parts wear and tear, but they don't do well when left alone for too long in the parts. Frequently, the oils will start to dry out and cause parts to stick. This happens to brass instruments frequently, due to the increased airflow to the oil coated pieces. The oil acts less like a lubricant and more like a very very light glue, causing things to stick. Before storage, wipe as much of the oil off as possible, but don't use soap and water. What is wanted is the micro-thin layer of oil left after wiping it down, to prevent tarnish, without the possibility for it to take up the space and cause sticking later.
Oils and such also affect woodwinds. The oils of playing and fingers can and will find their way to pad surfaces, causing them to not only become sticky, but to also degrade when the instrument sits. As the moisture leaves these oils and saliva, it becomes more concentrated, making any acidity affect pads quicker. This leads to pulling the instrument out of the case after a time away and noticing torn and cracked pads. Easiest way to fix this is to take a clean dollar bill and using the "dollar bill trick" to wipe the pad surfaces down. Wetting the dollar will help even more, as it can break up the compounds on the surface and pull them off. Just don't press too hard, or you risk tearing the surface of the pads through friction.
Where you store the instrument can also have a big effect. Regardless of how great your case is, a damp and dirty space will creep into the case and start to work on your instrument. Pick your place carefully to minimize any chance of things effecting the stashed horn, including the chance of not finding it for years. Many times I've been asked to work on an instrument that was left in a closet for many years because the person forgot they even had it, and time had not been kind.
These few things will help the condition ofyour instrument, be it brass or woodwind, from degrading faster than it has to. Nothing will stop it from degrading, as it will always be affected by time. With a few simple considerations, these effects can at least be minimized, and maybe even result in an instrument that comes out of mothballs after years, and still be playable.
Wednesday, April 26, 2017
Brass Tips#4: Mouthpiece tell all
Of all the parts of the brass instrument, one part that seems to get both the most and least respect is the mouthpiece. Most players have several, can rattle off numbers imprinted on the side of them, and yet their maintenance is probably the least done.
There are really only 5 parts to each mouthpiece, each having a different roll. We're not going to get into how variation in shape or size affect how they play, as that could be endlessly talked about and there are entire mouthpiece catalogues that detail that. Rather, let's break the mouthpiece down into these parts to understand them.
Firstly, there's the rim. basically, this is the part where lips meet instrument. Rounded or more flat, this is the part of the instrument that can most affect how an instrument feels. The human lips are so sensitive they can feel a roughness difference of microns. Yes, microns. This means that any scratches, dings, dents, or gouges that happen will affect how you play. They can be removed to varying degrees, but this will result in removing metal, and that will affect how it feels on your mouth. We've all heard the mouthpiece that falls on the floor right before a performance, and most brass players will cringe once they do. keep a handle on them, and life will just be less stressful for the rim.
The next 3 sections are easy to address together, as they make up the interior of the mouthpiece. The cup, the throat and the backbore are in sequence from the rim to the other end. the biggest thing about this section is to keep things clean. The cup also makes some contact with the mouth, so cleanliness there is important for hygiene reasons. Once the throat starts to get dirty, it can impact how easy the mouthpiece is to play. The backbore also needs to be clean, as build up there can start to also impact air flow, plus will also break away and stick to the leadpipe. For these sections, a mouthpiece brush is all that is needed to clean it, using warm soapy water. These are extremely cheap from most places that sell instruments. Only 5 minutes of cleaning once a month can not only help keep your instrument cleaner, but will also decrease the chance of any illness from the bacteria, germs and moisture. It is a also a good rule to clean the mouthpiece frequently if you are sick, so as to get rid of any germs and bacteria that could cause a recurrence.
Lastly, there is the shank. The shank is the part of the mouthpiece that connects it to the instrument. It has a taper that fits in the receiver, ensuring that the airtight seal transfers all the sound to the horn. The biggest cause for problems here is dirt or dents. Either one can lead to a stuck mouthpiece. Every player has had this problem. If this happens, don't panic, and never reach for pliers. More often than not, it will only rip the lead pipe off the instrument, mangle the lead pipe, or do some other damage that will lead to a costly repair, and still won't un-stick the mouthpiece. If the mouthpiece is stuck, most repair shops will remove the mouthpiece, and hardly every charge if it comes out in just a few minutes (your local shop may have a different policy about this, and that is their right). Even if the mouthpiece is stuck, the horn will most likely still be playable, which means this is no where near an emergency. If it happens before a gig, play the gig and get it fixed later. Better to wait for a professional to take 2 minutes to remove it (with 90 seconds being getting the tool out and setting it up) than to have to buy a new lead pipe and have it installed while straightening the bent tuning slides parts.
The biggest part of your mouthpiece maintenance comes down to consideration. Don't leave it in the instrument, don't force it into the receiver, clean it with some degree of regularity, and just make sure you're not being careless with it. If not cared for, the repairs and maintenance could be costly when something goes wrong.
There are really only 5 parts to each mouthpiece, each having a different roll. We're not going to get into how variation in shape or size affect how they play, as that could be endlessly talked about and there are entire mouthpiece catalogues that detail that. Rather, let's break the mouthpiece down into these parts to understand them.
Firstly, there's the rim. basically, this is the part where lips meet instrument. Rounded or more flat, this is the part of the instrument that can most affect how an instrument feels. The human lips are so sensitive they can feel a roughness difference of microns. Yes, microns. This means that any scratches, dings, dents, or gouges that happen will affect how you play. They can be removed to varying degrees, but this will result in removing metal, and that will affect how it feels on your mouth. We've all heard the mouthpiece that falls on the floor right before a performance, and most brass players will cringe once they do. keep a handle on them, and life will just be less stressful for the rim.
The next 3 sections are easy to address together, as they make up the interior of the mouthpiece. The cup, the throat and the backbore are in sequence from the rim to the other end. the biggest thing about this section is to keep things clean. The cup also makes some contact with the mouth, so cleanliness there is important for hygiene reasons. Once the throat starts to get dirty, it can impact how easy the mouthpiece is to play. The backbore also needs to be clean, as build up there can start to also impact air flow, plus will also break away and stick to the leadpipe. For these sections, a mouthpiece brush is all that is needed to clean it, using warm soapy water. These are extremely cheap from most places that sell instruments. Only 5 minutes of cleaning once a month can not only help keep your instrument cleaner, but will also decrease the chance of any illness from the bacteria, germs and moisture. It is a also a good rule to clean the mouthpiece frequently if you are sick, so as to get rid of any germs and bacteria that could cause a recurrence.
Lastly, there is the shank. The shank is the part of the mouthpiece that connects it to the instrument. It has a taper that fits in the receiver, ensuring that the airtight seal transfers all the sound to the horn. The biggest cause for problems here is dirt or dents. Either one can lead to a stuck mouthpiece. Every player has had this problem. If this happens, don't panic, and never reach for pliers. More often than not, it will only rip the lead pipe off the instrument, mangle the lead pipe, or do some other damage that will lead to a costly repair, and still won't un-stick the mouthpiece. If the mouthpiece is stuck, most repair shops will remove the mouthpiece, and hardly every charge if it comes out in just a few minutes (your local shop may have a different policy about this, and that is their right). Even if the mouthpiece is stuck, the horn will most likely still be playable, which means this is no where near an emergency. If it happens before a gig, play the gig and get it fixed later. Better to wait for a professional to take 2 minutes to remove it (with 90 seconds being getting the tool out and setting it up) than to have to buy a new lead pipe and have it installed while straightening the bent tuning slides parts.
The biggest part of your mouthpiece maintenance comes down to consideration. Don't leave it in the instrument, don't force it into the receiver, clean it with some degree of regularity, and just make sure you're not being careless with it. If not cared for, the repairs and maintenance could be costly when something goes wrong.
Sunday, April 2, 2017
Woodwind Tip #4: Welcome to County Cork
For woodwind players all around, cork is a very vital substance to the working of their instrument. From fitting parts together, keeping keys quiet and even making things move at the same time, it really is an unsung hero of the instrument. There is cork in many parts of the instrument you don't even realize, and this spongy light brown material is quite special.
Cork is actually tree bark. Yes tree bark. The cork oak, as it's commonly known, primarily grows in Portugal, with the major secondary source in Tasmania. Specifically, the inner part of the bark right next to the wood is the part we are all used to. The workers use hand axes to harvest the bark from the tree, with the butt of the handle shaped to pry the bark away from the tree. Special care has to be taken, both to get the bark in one piece, and also to not damage the wood at all. Far from damaging the tree by removing the bark, it's actually beneficial to the growth and health of the tree, as it keeps the bark from smothering the tree. Once removed, it's taken to be processed for the wine industry first. Instruments are low on the list for cork quality, as the bigger industries have a larger stake and lobby for the high grade materials
Being a natural material, cork will wear out over time. Once it does, it will typically be too small to work, like on tenons and such. It could start to peel off or crumble with age, and at that point, it needs to be replaced. Once that has been done, there are simple things to keep these corks in good shape. The easiest way is to use a small amount of cork grease. This product, typically made of a lanolin base, lubricates the cork to enable the joints to move together, while still providing friction to hold them together when well fitting. It also will act as a moisture barrier to prevent the cork from swelling.
Contrary to popular belief, cork grease does not need to be reapplied every time the instrument is assembled. It is an "as needed" product, and even then a little bit goes a long way. For a clarinet or saxophone joint, I recommend pulling some off the tube the size of a tic tac for one joint, and then use your finger to put that amount on the cork. if when you put the pieces together, a residue pulls up on the outer surface, it was too much. Something else to keep in mind is that cork grease only goes on joints where cork is a factor in the joint working. Flutes, that means no cork grease to help the head and foot joint move. It will actually gum up the joint and make things worse in the long run. The only place that there should be any cork grease on your instrument is when the technician put the head joint cork in your flute, and only he should be doing dealing with it then.
For other places, such as the cork on the key linkages, the best way to protect your cork is just to be careful. Clarinets, this means being careful when putting the upper and lower joint together. There is cork on both the top and bottom of the bridge key mechanism, and it's crucial for making sure the keys on the lower joint can help seal the pads on the upper joint for intonation and leak prevention. This also happens to be the most commonly replaced cork on a clarinet, as this cork is easy to damage.
A lot of the cork on an instrument is under the feet on keys for woodwinds. These corks are important for regulating how open a key is over the tone hole, which effects the playability of the instrument in interesting ways. Too open, and the note is hard to center on the pitch, whereas too low and the sound is muted and stuffy. Just like with the linkages, taking care of this cork means keeping an eye on it and being careful with it.
There are many synthetic corks out there, and depending on the application, they can be a good thing. On the feet for flute trill keys, for example, many manufacturers will have them. Some of the regulation areas benefit from the synthetic because it has a better ability to keep the keys silent when they move. However, I have yet to find a synthetic tenon cork alternative I like. They usually don't glue well to the tenon, or they are hard to thin down once on the tenon for a good snug.
Overall, the cork or cork alternative on your woodwind is more vital than you think. With some proper materials and keeping aware of how things are, they can last years and years.
Cork is actually tree bark. Yes tree bark. The cork oak, as it's commonly known, primarily grows in Portugal, with the major secondary source in Tasmania. Specifically, the inner part of the bark right next to the wood is the part we are all used to. The workers use hand axes to harvest the bark from the tree, with the butt of the handle shaped to pry the bark away from the tree. Special care has to be taken, both to get the bark in one piece, and also to not damage the wood at all. Far from damaging the tree by removing the bark, it's actually beneficial to the growth and health of the tree, as it keeps the bark from smothering the tree. Once removed, it's taken to be processed for the wine industry first. Instruments are low on the list for cork quality, as the bigger industries have a larger stake and lobby for the high grade materials
Being a natural material, cork will wear out over time. Once it does, it will typically be too small to work, like on tenons and such. It could start to peel off or crumble with age, and at that point, it needs to be replaced. Once that has been done, there are simple things to keep these corks in good shape. The easiest way is to use a small amount of cork grease. This product, typically made of a lanolin base, lubricates the cork to enable the joints to move together, while still providing friction to hold them together when well fitting. It also will act as a moisture barrier to prevent the cork from swelling.
Contrary to popular belief, cork grease does not need to be reapplied every time the instrument is assembled. It is an "as needed" product, and even then a little bit goes a long way. For a clarinet or saxophone joint, I recommend pulling some off the tube the size of a tic tac for one joint, and then use your finger to put that amount on the cork. if when you put the pieces together, a residue pulls up on the outer surface, it was too much. Something else to keep in mind is that cork grease only goes on joints where cork is a factor in the joint working. Flutes, that means no cork grease to help the head and foot joint move. It will actually gum up the joint and make things worse in the long run. The only place that there should be any cork grease on your instrument is when the technician put the head joint cork in your flute, and only he should be doing dealing with it then.
For other places, such as the cork on the key linkages, the best way to protect your cork is just to be careful. Clarinets, this means being careful when putting the upper and lower joint together. There is cork on both the top and bottom of the bridge key mechanism, and it's crucial for making sure the keys on the lower joint can help seal the pads on the upper joint for intonation and leak prevention. This also happens to be the most commonly replaced cork on a clarinet, as this cork is easy to damage.
A lot of the cork on an instrument is under the feet on keys for woodwinds. These corks are important for regulating how open a key is over the tone hole, which effects the playability of the instrument in interesting ways. Too open, and the note is hard to center on the pitch, whereas too low and the sound is muted and stuffy. Just like with the linkages, taking care of this cork means keeping an eye on it and being careful with it.
There are many synthetic corks out there, and depending on the application, they can be a good thing. On the feet for flute trill keys, for example, many manufacturers will have them. Some of the regulation areas benefit from the synthetic because it has a better ability to keep the keys silent when they move. However, I have yet to find a synthetic tenon cork alternative I like. They usually don't glue well to the tenon, or they are hard to thin down once on the tenon for a good snug.
Overall, the cork or cork alternative on your woodwind is more vital than you think. With some proper materials and keeping aware of how things are, they can last years and years.
Saturday, March 25, 2017
Tales from the Bench #3. What a gasp
So, everyone seems to think that instrument is some sort of mystical art. It's somewhat amusing to me how I'm seen as some sort of wizard/artist/scientist. I know that a large part of that is due to the fact the customer drops off an instrument with me, and for the most part, they don't see what I do to fix it. Many times, it just isn't working, and when they get it back from me, it's like there was never a problem in the first place. It's even more entertaining when people do in fact watch what I do to repair things, and learn just how non-magical a repair actually can be.
I got a call from a parent that their teen daughter's flute needed some work. Below a certain note, nothing would come out. When they brought it over, I could see that the key had been bent sideways. If the little arm on the back of the key is at twelve on the clock, then the nine was hanging open by several millimeters. She admitted the key got snagged on something and it hadn't worked since then.
I told her I could do the repair, pushing the key back down, and that it would take about 5 minutes to do. She said she wanted to watch, but I warned her that she probably didn't want to be there when I did it. She kept insisting that she wanted to see what I was going to do. At this point, my thought was "Ok, you asked for it"
I spent about 3 minutes explaining to her what I would do. I was going to put something under the pad on the side that was already touching. I was then going to take a little hammer, head made from canvas and resin, and tap the high side back down to level. I let her inspect the hammer, and went over this many times, so that she wasn't surprised by the process.
After double checking everyone was ready, I then went to work. I put the wedge in, and tapped the key with the hammer. Note, I tapped, not hit. No sooner had the little noise from the impact was heard, within a nanosecond, there was a gasp from the flutist. I looked over at her, hands over her mouth, eyes kind of wide, and she was breathing deep. I reminded her that this is what I said I would do to fix it, and she tried to compose herself.
On the second tap, she started to turn a bit white. I brought the flute closer to her, and pointed out that there was no damage on the flute the hammer was causing. I even let her know that, because the head of the hammer is canvas and resin, it will break before the metal if I hit too hard. I then got back to work on tapping the high side down, and by the last tap (it only really took about 8) she had left the shop to avoid seeing me work on it.
When she came back in a moment later, I was testing the pad with a mylar to check the pad was sealing around the tone hole. I then put the head and foot joints on, and had her play test it. She confirmed it was like there was never a problem. We talked for a moment, and she admitted that she still wasn't prepared for something impacting her flute at on velocity. I let her know that, at the factory, the flute saw far worse and more extreme handling than I am ever capable of doing in my shop, and that was to even turn it into a flute in the first place.
As they left, she told me that sometimes, people are better of not knowing what I do to fix their instruments. They have brought the flute back for subsequent maintenance, but now she opts to leave it with me, rather than watch
I got a call from a parent that their teen daughter's flute needed some work. Below a certain note, nothing would come out. When they brought it over, I could see that the key had been bent sideways. If the little arm on the back of the key is at twelve on the clock, then the nine was hanging open by several millimeters. She admitted the key got snagged on something and it hadn't worked since then.
I told her I could do the repair, pushing the key back down, and that it would take about 5 minutes to do. She said she wanted to watch, but I warned her that she probably didn't want to be there when I did it. She kept insisting that she wanted to see what I was going to do. At this point, my thought was "Ok, you asked for it"
I spent about 3 minutes explaining to her what I would do. I was going to put something under the pad on the side that was already touching. I was then going to take a little hammer, head made from canvas and resin, and tap the high side back down to level. I let her inspect the hammer, and went over this many times, so that she wasn't surprised by the process.
After double checking everyone was ready, I then went to work. I put the wedge in, and tapped the key with the hammer. Note, I tapped, not hit. No sooner had the little noise from the impact was heard, within a nanosecond, there was a gasp from the flutist. I looked over at her, hands over her mouth, eyes kind of wide, and she was breathing deep. I reminded her that this is what I said I would do to fix it, and she tried to compose herself.
On the second tap, she started to turn a bit white. I brought the flute closer to her, and pointed out that there was no damage on the flute the hammer was causing. I even let her know that, because the head of the hammer is canvas and resin, it will break before the metal if I hit too hard. I then got back to work on tapping the high side down, and by the last tap (it only really took about 8) she had left the shop to avoid seeing me work on it.
When she came back in a moment later, I was testing the pad with a mylar to check the pad was sealing around the tone hole. I then put the head and foot joints on, and had her play test it. She confirmed it was like there was never a problem. We talked for a moment, and she admitted that she still wasn't prepared for something impacting her flute at on velocity. I let her know that, at the factory, the flute saw far worse and more extreme handling than I am ever capable of doing in my shop, and that was to even turn it into a flute in the first place.
As they left, she told me that sometimes, people are better of not knowing what I do to fix their instruments. They have brought the flute back for subsequent maintenance, but now she opts to leave it with me, rather than watch
Wednesday, March 22, 2017
General Tip #3: Food is for you, not your instrument
How many of us have had band class right after lunch? Or between music classes, needed to get a snack? Or played at a gig where there was some food or drink involved during breaks or between tunes? All of these things happen regularly, and I can attest to how hard it is to find time to eat between groups. I've been at many gigs where I was given hot dogs and beer in between charts, and had to wolf them down because I was playing again in just a few minutes. I will not say that you shouldn't eat, but there are things about eating that you need to keep in mind.
First, you need to understand something about your saliva. Being mildly acidic, the saliva starts the chemical digestion process for your stomach, while aiding the mechanical process when you chew by lubricating the system. This means that your saliva is saturated with whatever you ate. Solid or liquid, it's all over your mouth, on every surface inside your mouth. Especially since your mouth will increase the amount of saliva when eating. When you start to play, some of that is going to go into your instrument.
Carbs break down into simple sugars, which means your putting sugar deposits on your instrument. Proteins take much longer to break down, but will still deposit on the instrument. This means you're adding to the surface of the pads, making them stick once the saliva dries off. It will also stick to the bore of the woodwinds, and will deposit on the wood or metal surface, even to the point of leaving visible deposits. If it's brass, it's coating your slides and valves, making them sluggish and sticky as well as coating the bore like on woodwinds.
There are some people lucky enough to have what they call their "food horn" or "beer horn," dependent on age and disposition. This is an instrument they keep around just for the situation that they have food or drink and no time to eat but still have to. It's usually a lower quality instrument than their nice horn, and they know it's going to get beat up and worn down from these types of situations. I know many people aren't fortunate enough to have this, but there are still ways to help your instrument from getting all that food in it.
There is a very simple trick for all of this, and your dentist will be happy when I say it. In your instrument case, put a tooth brush in a plastic bag. Even a cheap dollar store tooth brush will do the trick. The trick is to just brush the majority of the surface debris off your teeth. Brush for about 30-60 seconds, get a swig of water, swish it around, and swallow or spit it out. Don't use tooth paste unless it's really bad, and even then follow up with water, not mouth wash. The additives in tooth paste and mouth wash that would be left would then go down your instrument, and they will do just as much as the food for gumming up the instrument. You can floss if you've got the time, but even the simple brushing of your teeth will do wonders for reducing how much food ends up in your bores and such.
People tend, when they play and have nerves, to chew gum while they play. If someone is nervous and their mouth dries out because of this, the gum can help stimulate saliva, for the reasons mentioned above. I have no problem with this, as long as the player stays away from gums with intense flavors or artificial sweeteners. These always include some acids to the mix, like citric acid, and those will deposit like food or drink will.
Also, something to remember for concert time, if you're female, is to not wear lipstick when you play. I know we all want to look professional and presentable, but having to clean the lipstick off the interior of an instrument takes a while, as it's part wax. Even in flutes, I can tell if the person has worn lipstick, as some of it will come off and be blown down the bore of the instrument, let alone what is left as a print on the lip plate.
Bottom line is that it goes in your mouth, it shouldn't go in your instrument. A tooth brush will serve you well to keep the instrument from gunking up when you don't realize it. It'll still need to be cleaned, but at least your instrument won't be as petri dish.
First, you need to understand something about your saliva. Being mildly acidic, the saliva starts the chemical digestion process for your stomach, while aiding the mechanical process when you chew by lubricating the system. This means that your saliva is saturated with whatever you ate. Solid or liquid, it's all over your mouth, on every surface inside your mouth. Especially since your mouth will increase the amount of saliva when eating. When you start to play, some of that is going to go into your instrument.
Carbs break down into simple sugars, which means your putting sugar deposits on your instrument. Proteins take much longer to break down, but will still deposit on the instrument. This means you're adding to the surface of the pads, making them stick once the saliva dries off. It will also stick to the bore of the woodwinds, and will deposit on the wood or metal surface, even to the point of leaving visible deposits. If it's brass, it's coating your slides and valves, making them sluggish and sticky as well as coating the bore like on woodwinds.
There are some people lucky enough to have what they call their "food horn" or "beer horn," dependent on age and disposition. This is an instrument they keep around just for the situation that they have food or drink and no time to eat but still have to. It's usually a lower quality instrument than their nice horn, and they know it's going to get beat up and worn down from these types of situations. I know many people aren't fortunate enough to have this, but there are still ways to help your instrument from getting all that food in it.
There is a very simple trick for all of this, and your dentist will be happy when I say it. In your instrument case, put a tooth brush in a plastic bag. Even a cheap dollar store tooth brush will do the trick. The trick is to just brush the majority of the surface debris off your teeth. Brush for about 30-60 seconds, get a swig of water, swish it around, and swallow or spit it out. Don't use tooth paste unless it's really bad, and even then follow up with water, not mouth wash. The additives in tooth paste and mouth wash that would be left would then go down your instrument, and they will do just as much as the food for gumming up the instrument. You can floss if you've got the time, but even the simple brushing of your teeth will do wonders for reducing how much food ends up in your bores and such.
People tend, when they play and have nerves, to chew gum while they play. If someone is nervous and their mouth dries out because of this, the gum can help stimulate saliva, for the reasons mentioned above. I have no problem with this, as long as the player stays away from gums with intense flavors or artificial sweeteners. These always include some acids to the mix, like citric acid, and those will deposit like food or drink will.
Also, something to remember for concert time, if you're female, is to not wear lipstick when you play. I know we all want to look professional and presentable, but having to clean the lipstick off the interior of an instrument takes a while, as it's part wax. Even in flutes, I can tell if the person has worn lipstick, as some of it will come off and be blown down the bore of the instrument, let alone what is left as a print on the lip plate.
Bottom line is that it goes in your mouth, it shouldn't go in your instrument. A tooth brush will serve you well to keep the instrument from gunking up when you don't realize it. It'll still need to be cleaned, but at least your instrument won't be as petri dish.
Monday, March 13, 2017
Brass Tips #3: One is silver, and the other........
As brass players progress, they start to look at instruments as pieces of visual art along with musical. How much they care for it's visual aesthetic becomes as important, if not more so, than how it sounds. Admit it, brass players. The extra engraving on the bell, the silver or gold plating, the satin finish, the combination of all three on just the bell. It does start almost every player to drool. There's something about seeing a horn in your hands that looks so cool that makes you feel like it's better than others.
For the sake of argument, let's say you buy the instrument that is silver plated, or has very ornate engraving. Let's even say it's got a gold wash inside the bell. It looks amazing. It looks beautiful. It cost more than other instruments of the same make, but that extra features make it pop when you walk on stage. People gasp when you show up because of how pretty the horn is. You put the mouthpiece to your lips, and start to play.
The one thing we all have to remember is that, at this point in any performance, the audience should be able to shut their eyes to enjoy every bit of it as much as if they were open. Once they do, all that precious metal means nothing. All that engraving is lost, and from farther than 10 feet, they couldn't really see it anyway. The sound is the important part, and not the look. If it's being recorded, even more so, because the person listening may never even have seen the horn prior to the recording. All they know is the sound, not the look. This doesn't even take into account the fact that you, as the performer, may also close your eyes, meaning the visual is lost even on you during that time as well.
There are several things to keep in mind. First, there have been blind tests done to determine all, if any, tonal differences between instruments. Multiple trumpets were brought to bear. All were exactly the same make and model, using the same mouth piece, same valve oil, even the same materials for felts. Everything was done to make the only variable between them the type of surface finish. Silver plated, gold wash bell, satin silver finish, lacquer: All were tested the exact same way. Not only could the audience not see the instrument, but the person playing them was blindfolded, so they could not put any extra effort into a horn they preferred the look of
When these tests were done, the player and the audience could detect no noticeable difference in the tone quality of the different instruments. I repeat, NO NOTICEABLE DIFFERENCE. The difference in finishes didn't alter the sound in any way that any of the people involved could detect. When a different instrument model was brought out, they could easily tell differences in the tone and timber of the brass, but between the same models, nothing. It wasn't until they were able to see the instruments were they suddenly able to "hear" differences between them, but that was after they had already done the blind tests.
Once they could see them, the silver plated instruments were given a better review. Most people see silver plating and believe it's automatically a step up from lacquer. The truth is, the shape and size of the bore, along with the composition of the materials that actually make up the instrument, will have a far greater impact on the sound than the materials on the outside ever could.
The plating of precious metals is kept as thin as possible to save costs on them. They are plated as thin as possible while still covering the surface. Gold itself can be plated only a molecule or two thick and still look like gold. This means that the surface metal may be less than 1% of the total thickness, which means there's not enough of it to begin to affect the tone. Yes, student model instruments are made with thicker walls for durability, and are also made with wider tolerances between parts for the same reason. The difference here is that these differences between models is easily measurable. Sometimes the difference between the thickness of a student model and an intermediate step up is big enough to measure with calipers, not micrometers.
It is also important to keep in mind that people have different views on what makes a great tone. Just doing a general search on forums about "silver plated vs. lacquer" will yield pages upon pages of discussion and argument. People can both have heard the same instrument in both finishes, and completely disagree over which one sounded better. It comes down to personal preference on what a person hears, and don't be fooled into thinking one will sound better because of something that serves no function to affect the sound.
It's a lot like saying that painting a racing stripe or flames on your car will make you able to drive faster. Taking all credit away from the driver, the engine, the wheels, or any of the other thousand variables that would truly contribute. It has to be the super thin coat of paint on the outside that is doing it, yeah that's it.
If you like the silver plating or gold wash finish for the looks, that's one thing. It's something completely different convince yourself or someone else that it has some remarkable enhancement of the tone that it truly can't have. An instrument that is lacquered like any other can still be a phenomenal horn, if the player takes the time to learn how to play it at it's peak effectiveness.
For the sake of argument, let's say you buy the instrument that is silver plated, or has very ornate engraving. Let's even say it's got a gold wash inside the bell. It looks amazing. It looks beautiful. It cost more than other instruments of the same make, but that extra features make it pop when you walk on stage. People gasp when you show up because of how pretty the horn is. You put the mouthpiece to your lips, and start to play.
The one thing we all have to remember is that, at this point in any performance, the audience should be able to shut their eyes to enjoy every bit of it as much as if they were open. Once they do, all that precious metal means nothing. All that engraving is lost, and from farther than 10 feet, they couldn't really see it anyway. The sound is the important part, and not the look. If it's being recorded, even more so, because the person listening may never even have seen the horn prior to the recording. All they know is the sound, not the look. This doesn't even take into account the fact that you, as the performer, may also close your eyes, meaning the visual is lost even on you during that time as well.
There are several things to keep in mind. First, there have been blind tests done to determine all, if any, tonal differences between instruments. Multiple trumpets were brought to bear. All were exactly the same make and model, using the same mouth piece, same valve oil, even the same materials for felts. Everything was done to make the only variable between them the type of surface finish. Silver plated, gold wash bell, satin silver finish, lacquer: All were tested the exact same way. Not only could the audience not see the instrument, but the person playing them was blindfolded, so they could not put any extra effort into a horn they preferred the look of
When these tests were done, the player and the audience could detect no noticeable difference in the tone quality of the different instruments. I repeat, NO NOTICEABLE DIFFERENCE. The difference in finishes didn't alter the sound in any way that any of the people involved could detect. When a different instrument model was brought out, they could easily tell differences in the tone and timber of the brass, but between the same models, nothing. It wasn't until they were able to see the instruments were they suddenly able to "hear" differences between them, but that was after they had already done the blind tests.
Once they could see them, the silver plated instruments were given a better review. Most people see silver plating and believe it's automatically a step up from lacquer. The truth is, the shape and size of the bore, along with the composition of the materials that actually make up the instrument, will have a far greater impact on the sound than the materials on the outside ever could.
The plating of precious metals is kept as thin as possible to save costs on them. They are plated as thin as possible while still covering the surface. Gold itself can be plated only a molecule or two thick and still look like gold. This means that the surface metal may be less than 1% of the total thickness, which means there's not enough of it to begin to affect the tone. Yes, student model instruments are made with thicker walls for durability, and are also made with wider tolerances between parts for the same reason. The difference here is that these differences between models is easily measurable. Sometimes the difference between the thickness of a student model and an intermediate step up is big enough to measure with calipers, not micrometers.
It is also important to keep in mind that people have different views on what makes a great tone. Just doing a general search on forums about "silver plated vs. lacquer" will yield pages upon pages of discussion and argument. People can both have heard the same instrument in both finishes, and completely disagree over which one sounded better. It comes down to personal preference on what a person hears, and don't be fooled into thinking one will sound better because of something that serves no function to affect the sound.
It's a lot like saying that painting a racing stripe or flames on your car will make you able to drive faster. Taking all credit away from the driver, the engine, the wheels, or any of the other thousand variables that would truly contribute. It has to be the super thin coat of paint on the outside that is doing it, yeah that's it.
If you like the silver plating or gold wash finish for the looks, that's one thing. It's something completely different convince yourself or someone else that it has some remarkable enhancement of the tone that it truly can't have. An instrument that is lacquered like any other can still be a phenomenal horn, if the player takes the time to learn how to play it at it's peak effectiveness.
Wednesday, March 8, 2017
Woodwind Tip #3: The Arguments for Oiling a woodwind
Just like brass, there are plenty of times that any woodwind instrument is going to need to know about oil. The difference is in the type and frequency of application. No matter what, though, all woodwinds will need oiling, no matter the material.
All woodwinds, just like brass instruments, have parts that are metal on metal contact. If you look at the posts that hold the keys on, the rod is held between the posts. It's held either by steel screws at each end or it is a long steel hinge rod with threads at one end and a screwdriver slot at the other. The key is either held by the screws or is floating on the rod like a hinge. If it's a hinge rod and tube, it takes a small amount of oil to reduce wear on the parts. Steel is harder than brass, and will eventually wear it down, thus widening the hole and introducing wobble. This wobble would affect how well the pad seals the tone hole, which means leaks.
There is another, more serious problem here, though. The rod is steel, but rarely is it stainless steel. This means moisture is a factor. Without the oil to displace the water, the rods or screws will rust, and rust takes up more space than un-oxidized steel. The tolerances between the hing rod and the tube are extremely close, and the steel rusting will easily cause the two surfaces to bind together due to lack of space. Now the keys don't move
This is a very very easy fix. Most music stores that cater to wind instruments sell a product called key oil commercially. It is thicker than brass valve oil, which is a good thing. For one thing, the amount of movement is far less than brass, which means the oil doesn't move around as much. Also, you aren't breathing on the surfaces that have the oil when you play, so you aren't pushing it off the instrument. For hinge rods, it only takes a drop to completely coat the hinge rod. Maybe a second drop on a longer one for say a saxophone.
Look closely at the hinge tubes, especially when there are multiple keys on it, like the upper or lower stack. Move a key and see where one section of tube moves against another. This is the spot where a very small amount of oil can be intruduced. Take something small, like the tip of a pencil, and get a small bead of oil on the end. Enough so that it is rounding the end of the pencil, but not enough that it could drop off due to gravity. Touch the oiled tip to the tube joint, so that the bead of oil is now sitting on the joint. After that, move all keys, one at a time, over and over to get it to work itself into the joint. With how close the tolerances are, it will move it's way through the entire section due to capillary action. Once you've moved everything for a few moments, get a q-tip and swab the excess oil that didn't go into the joint. Screw joints are even easier, as you just put a drop in the same way at each end of the rod where the key rod meets the post. If it's got screws at both ends, it's not a hinge rod.
Beyond that, the rest of the post deals with one particular part of the woodwind family. That's those actually made of wood. Clarinets, oboes, and even some flute or piccolos, this means you. There is a need for a different type of additional oil in your case.
The wood used for this is known in the instrument world as Grenadilla. It's also known as African Blackwood, or scientifically it's called Dalbergia Melanoxylon. It is an extremely dense, oily wood from the parts of South Africa. It has been used to make musical instruments for over a hundred years, including Scottish bagpipes. This is due to the high density and oil content. It is so dense that it will not float in water. It is oily enough that people can set a very seasoned piece of wood in a double boiler and it will still sweat out the natural oils.
That being said, it is wood, and it does something that all wood does. The oils will dissipate over time, which will leave the wood vulnerable. Once the cells are empty of oil, the wood wants to soak up whatever moisture it can. This is usually introduced to the instrument through the bore by the players breath. Once the moisture is there, it soaks in and causes the wood to try to swell. But, the saturation levels aren't balanced, meaning the exterior isn't as wet as the bore, so the bore is trying to expand against an exterior that isn't. This creates stress in the wood, and the more times this happens, the greater the likelyhood the exterior will crack to relieve the pressure. If this happens through a tone hole, or goes all the way to the bore, there is little to nothing a repair tech can do to fix it.
The way to innoculate the instrument is to swab out the bores. This can be done at home, but with a few precautions. Firstly, the type of oil is very important. Any oil you would normally use in the kitchen is a no. These can go rancid, and if it does this in the wood, it will never come out. It would become impossible to breathe around the instrument, let alone want to put your mouth on it. Just like key oil, it is easy enough to get dedicated bore oil from companies. Usually I go to the health food store and get a bottle of almond oil. It doesn't go rancid like other oils, is usually the same price as the bore oil for 20 times the same amount, and has little to no odor when used. If you have any nut allergy, you'll know if you have an issue with this and just use the regular bore oil.
Also, it doesn't take much oil to protect the instrument. This is one of the rare times I actually use pad savers. I use one for a flute, as the narrow diameter means I can control where its touching at all times. Control is very important, as you don't want any on the pad surfaces. Put a drop or two on the end of the bore, then use the pad saver to mop the oil around on the surfaces. the one drop should do halfway through the section of a clarinet. Once the bore of the joint has been covered half it's length, I turn the joint around and do the same from the other end. Then, I walk away for at least an hour.
This hour gives the wood time to soak up the small amouth of oil. Due to the density, it will take this long to penetrate even a fraction of a millimeter, but that's all we need for now. After that, I take another pad saver, one without oil, and any excess off the bore. There's rarely anything on it, but it's still a good idea. At this point, the layer of oil is just below the surface, and any moisture can't pass through it to soak into the wood. If the surface looks just dry like no oil was applied, wait a day or two and maybe, if it still looks dry, apply another thin coat. No matter what, until the oil is completely soaked in or wiped off, don't try to play the instrument. It will sound off, and could push the excess oil off the surfaces
In dry climates, this probably would need to be done every 4-6 months. In damper climates, the oil will dissipate more slowly, and should only need to be reapplied annually. If in doubt, take it to a tech to do this. They will likely take the keys off when they do this, because they'll first clean the body with oil soaps to remove any dirt or oils from your body, then apply oil. Like cleaning your teeth, regardless of how well you brush you still need to go to the dentist for a thorough cleaning.
This is also true for oiling the mechanisms of all woodwinds. It shouldn't need this more than once every 6 months, and when you take it to a tech, they'll clean then old oil off start fresh.
Doing this for your woodwind will protect the instrument from moisture, both in the mechanisms and in the materials that make up the bore. It's a lot cheaper than when a technician has to wrestle with frozen keys or try to prevent cracks from getting worse.
All woodwinds, just like brass instruments, have parts that are metal on metal contact. If you look at the posts that hold the keys on, the rod is held between the posts. It's held either by steel screws at each end or it is a long steel hinge rod with threads at one end and a screwdriver slot at the other. The key is either held by the screws or is floating on the rod like a hinge. If it's a hinge rod and tube, it takes a small amount of oil to reduce wear on the parts. Steel is harder than brass, and will eventually wear it down, thus widening the hole and introducing wobble. This wobble would affect how well the pad seals the tone hole, which means leaks.
There is another, more serious problem here, though. The rod is steel, but rarely is it stainless steel. This means moisture is a factor. Without the oil to displace the water, the rods or screws will rust, and rust takes up more space than un-oxidized steel. The tolerances between the hing rod and the tube are extremely close, and the steel rusting will easily cause the two surfaces to bind together due to lack of space. Now the keys don't move
This is a very very easy fix. Most music stores that cater to wind instruments sell a product called key oil commercially. It is thicker than brass valve oil, which is a good thing. For one thing, the amount of movement is far less than brass, which means the oil doesn't move around as much. Also, you aren't breathing on the surfaces that have the oil when you play, so you aren't pushing it off the instrument. For hinge rods, it only takes a drop to completely coat the hinge rod. Maybe a second drop on a longer one for say a saxophone.
Look closely at the hinge tubes, especially when there are multiple keys on it, like the upper or lower stack. Move a key and see where one section of tube moves against another. This is the spot where a very small amount of oil can be intruduced. Take something small, like the tip of a pencil, and get a small bead of oil on the end. Enough so that it is rounding the end of the pencil, but not enough that it could drop off due to gravity. Touch the oiled tip to the tube joint, so that the bead of oil is now sitting on the joint. After that, move all keys, one at a time, over and over to get it to work itself into the joint. With how close the tolerances are, it will move it's way through the entire section due to capillary action. Once you've moved everything for a few moments, get a q-tip and swab the excess oil that didn't go into the joint. Screw joints are even easier, as you just put a drop in the same way at each end of the rod where the key rod meets the post. If it's got screws at both ends, it's not a hinge rod.
Beyond that, the rest of the post deals with one particular part of the woodwind family. That's those actually made of wood. Clarinets, oboes, and even some flute or piccolos, this means you. There is a need for a different type of additional oil in your case.
The wood used for this is known in the instrument world as Grenadilla. It's also known as African Blackwood, or scientifically it's called Dalbergia Melanoxylon. It is an extremely dense, oily wood from the parts of South Africa. It has been used to make musical instruments for over a hundred years, including Scottish bagpipes. This is due to the high density and oil content. It is so dense that it will not float in water. It is oily enough that people can set a very seasoned piece of wood in a double boiler and it will still sweat out the natural oils.
That being said, it is wood, and it does something that all wood does. The oils will dissipate over time, which will leave the wood vulnerable. Once the cells are empty of oil, the wood wants to soak up whatever moisture it can. This is usually introduced to the instrument through the bore by the players breath. Once the moisture is there, it soaks in and causes the wood to try to swell. But, the saturation levels aren't balanced, meaning the exterior isn't as wet as the bore, so the bore is trying to expand against an exterior that isn't. This creates stress in the wood, and the more times this happens, the greater the likelyhood the exterior will crack to relieve the pressure. If this happens through a tone hole, or goes all the way to the bore, there is little to nothing a repair tech can do to fix it.
The way to innoculate the instrument is to swab out the bores. This can be done at home, but with a few precautions. Firstly, the type of oil is very important. Any oil you would normally use in the kitchen is a no. These can go rancid, and if it does this in the wood, it will never come out. It would become impossible to breathe around the instrument, let alone want to put your mouth on it. Just like key oil, it is easy enough to get dedicated bore oil from companies. Usually I go to the health food store and get a bottle of almond oil. It doesn't go rancid like other oils, is usually the same price as the bore oil for 20 times the same amount, and has little to no odor when used. If you have any nut allergy, you'll know if you have an issue with this and just use the regular bore oil.
Also, it doesn't take much oil to protect the instrument. This is one of the rare times I actually use pad savers. I use one for a flute, as the narrow diameter means I can control where its touching at all times. Control is very important, as you don't want any on the pad surfaces. Put a drop or two on the end of the bore, then use the pad saver to mop the oil around on the surfaces. the one drop should do halfway through the section of a clarinet. Once the bore of the joint has been covered half it's length, I turn the joint around and do the same from the other end. Then, I walk away for at least an hour.
This hour gives the wood time to soak up the small amouth of oil. Due to the density, it will take this long to penetrate even a fraction of a millimeter, but that's all we need for now. After that, I take another pad saver, one without oil, and any excess off the bore. There's rarely anything on it, but it's still a good idea. At this point, the layer of oil is just below the surface, and any moisture can't pass through it to soak into the wood. If the surface looks just dry like no oil was applied, wait a day or two and maybe, if it still looks dry, apply another thin coat. No matter what, until the oil is completely soaked in or wiped off, don't try to play the instrument. It will sound off, and could push the excess oil off the surfaces
In dry climates, this probably would need to be done every 4-6 months. In damper climates, the oil will dissipate more slowly, and should only need to be reapplied annually. If in doubt, take it to a tech to do this. They will likely take the keys off when they do this, because they'll first clean the body with oil soaps to remove any dirt or oils from your body, then apply oil. Like cleaning your teeth, regardless of how well you brush you still need to go to the dentist for a thorough cleaning.
This is also true for oiling the mechanisms of all woodwinds. It shouldn't need this more than once every 6 months, and when you take it to a tech, they'll clean then old oil off start fresh.
Doing this for your woodwind will protect the instrument from moisture, both in the mechanisms and in the materials that make up the bore. It's a lot cheaper than when a technician has to wrestle with frozen keys or try to prevent cracks from getting worse.
Tuesday, March 7, 2017
Tales from the Bench #2:
There is something that I've encountered once or twice in my repair career that I was warned about from my instructors. Something that apparently all techs will encounter, and how to handle it.
At one point, I got a call from a concerned parent that their child's instrument just wasn't working. It was s clarinet, and one of the upper pads on it was torn through. If the skin of the pad is cracked or torn, it will leak and notes below that pad won't work. I set up an appointment with them, and when they brought it to me, I installed a new pad and the parent went home happy.
About 3 weeks later, the same parent called me to state that there was a problem. The pad was leaking again. I told them to bring it back, as the fault could have been mine. Either the installation didn't work, or the skin of the pad was defective, or or or. It could have been many things, but they brought it back for me to set it right. I opened the case, and found the same pad was leaking, but there was something very odd about the way the skin was torn. I was broken through in the exact same spot as the previous pad. Clarinet pads sit proud of the key they are in, and this one started the tear on the side of the pad, rather than the face. This meant there was nothing about the tone hole that could have damaged the pad. I made a mental note about this peculiarity as I put in the replacement pad and they went home, happy again.
This is where things get even fishier. About a month later, I get a call about the same pad on the clarinet. Leaking once again. I agree to look at it, but I ask the parent to bring the child with them. They are a little confused, but I tell them it's because I want to ask them what's going on with the instrument.
When they come back, clarinet being carried by the player, with severely slumped shoulders and unhappiness. I open the case, and notice the tear is, once again, in the same exact spot. I look at it for maybe a moment, then turn to talk to the kid. I ask them one very simple question. "You don't like playing the clarinet at all, do you?" The parent is shocked and starts to get their hackles up with the kid, wide eyed and awestruck I could understand them so fast, blurts out "I hate playing the clarinet. I wanted to play the trombone, but they told me I had to play this one!!!!!"
The jaw of the parent drops, as I look at the shocked parent and calmly tell them that the pad kept tearing because the kid hates playing it, and they knew they couldn't play it if it didn't work. I also explained that, by damaging the pad, they were being careful to not do permanent damage to the clarinet and end up making their family spend a lot of money on a more serious repair.
The kid broke down into tears, relieved I wasn't going to scold them and happy someone understood them, but still scared their parent was going to be upset. Far from it, once the shock wore off. The parent, after apologizing the the kid for quite a while, is near to tears themselves.
Six months later, they come to me because it's time to do a deep clean on the kids new trombone. As I do it, he's asking me questions about how to do some of it myself, and different things he should learn to do for and with the trombone to get better at it. He was now a sponge for anything trombone, and the parent couldn't believe how fast their little trombonist was improving.
At one point, I got a call from a concerned parent that their child's instrument just wasn't working. It was s clarinet, and one of the upper pads on it was torn through. If the skin of the pad is cracked or torn, it will leak and notes below that pad won't work. I set up an appointment with them, and when they brought it to me, I installed a new pad and the parent went home happy.
About 3 weeks later, the same parent called me to state that there was a problem. The pad was leaking again. I told them to bring it back, as the fault could have been mine. Either the installation didn't work, or the skin of the pad was defective, or or or. It could have been many things, but they brought it back for me to set it right. I opened the case, and found the same pad was leaking, but there was something very odd about the way the skin was torn. I was broken through in the exact same spot as the previous pad. Clarinet pads sit proud of the key they are in, and this one started the tear on the side of the pad, rather than the face. This meant there was nothing about the tone hole that could have damaged the pad. I made a mental note about this peculiarity as I put in the replacement pad and they went home, happy again.
This is where things get even fishier. About a month later, I get a call about the same pad on the clarinet. Leaking once again. I agree to look at it, but I ask the parent to bring the child with them. They are a little confused, but I tell them it's because I want to ask them what's going on with the instrument.
When they come back, clarinet being carried by the player, with severely slumped shoulders and unhappiness. I open the case, and notice the tear is, once again, in the same exact spot. I look at it for maybe a moment, then turn to talk to the kid. I ask them one very simple question. "You don't like playing the clarinet at all, do you?" The parent is shocked and starts to get their hackles up with the kid, wide eyed and awestruck I could understand them so fast, blurts out "I hate playing the clarinet. I wanted to play the trombone, but they told me I had to play this one!!!!!"
The jaw of the parent drops, as I look at the shocked parent and calmly tell them that the pad kept tearing because the kid hates playing it, and they knew they couldn't play it if it didn't work. I also explained that, by damaging the pad, they were being careful to not do permanent damage to the clarinet and end up making their family spend a lot of money on a more serious repair.
The kid broke down into tears, relieved I wasn't going to scold them and happy someone understood them, but still scared their parent was going to be upset. Far from it, once the shock wore off. The parent, after apologizing the the kid for quite a while, is near to tears themselves.
Six months later, they come to me because it's time to do a deep clean on the kids new trombone. As I do it, he's asking me questions about how to do some of it myself, and different things he should learn to do for and with the trombone to get better at it. He was now a sponge for anything trombone, and the parent couldn't believe how fast their little trombonist was improving.
Monday, March 6, 2017
General Tip #2: Don't subtract from your instruments potential
I saw a great TED talk from a guitar maker named Paul Reed Smith. He talked about how he designed guitars with the an acoustic concept that makes a lot of sense for all instruments. Every instrument, by its construction and materials, is subtracting from the maximum potential it has. This is true for wind instruments as well. What the instrument is made of? How are the parts shaped? How do they fit together? What is used to connect the parts? What are they made of? How is the interior surface finish? What is the exterior finish made ? It's a good subject for any musician to consider.
There are thousands of questions that could be asked, and they all have some affect on how efficiently the instrument functions. Taking a trumpet, covering it in dents, filling the bore with a layer of grease, and wrapping the entire bell in cloth will detract from the sound substantially more than one that is clean, dent free, and uninhibited. The less you do to detract from the sound capabilities, the better it will sound.
We've all seen the infamous ding from a stand, or heard a mouthpiece fall on the floor. We've seen the school tubas covered in dents or the saxophones with rubber bands to hold keys closed. All these things are fixable, and some of them need to be fixed
Sometimes, however, the damage is minor enough that fixing it won't really matter. If it's a student model instrument, for example, It's made with slightly thicker materials and with wider tolerances. The makers of these instruments have made a very wise decision. Knowing that the majority of people playing these instruments won't be as careful as a professional, they have sacrificed a small amount of tone for durability.
In those cases, and even up to some of the intermediate models, minor dents and scratches don't matter as much as on a pro level piece. In many cases, the wear and tear doesn't even affect the sound at all. I'm not saying that dents are okay, but if they are small enough that someone doesn't know they are there from more than 10 feet away, they aren't going to do much to inhibit the sound on a student model. Don't get me wrong. As a technician and a musician, I dislike dents and scratches on instruments, but sometimes it isn't worth getting upset about for long.
It reminds me of the mythbusters episode about driving a truck with the tailgate up or down, and they determined that the friction of the rubber tires on the road created more resistance than the difference in the tailgate had on performance.
With this in mind, there are things everyone should do to maximize the potential of the instrument. Keeping it clean is first and foremost. Any debris (dust, water, dried oils, food bits, etc) will detract from the instrument. When you have the instrument out of the case, try to protect your instrument from anything that could damage it. Small dents might not be much, but many of them can add up and effect things. Even being careful with the instrument in the case matters. The case doesn't make your instrument invulnerable. It can still be damaged through the case.
Some wear and tear on the instrument is inevitable, but knowing the difference between a small dent that is mainly unsightly, and the major damage that will affect how the horn plays is something that will save you from multiple trips to the shop
If you're interested in the TED talk, here's the link. I've watched it several times, and I think it's a good way to think of any instrument. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sNzJjlV1TOA
There are thousands of questions that could be asked, and they all have some affect on how efficiently the instrument functions. Taking a trumpet, covering it in dents, filling the bore with a layer of grease, and wrapping the entire bell in cloth will detract from the sound substantially more than one that is clean, dent free, and uninhibited. The less you do to detract from the sound capabilities, the better it will sound.
We've all seen the infamous ding from a stand, or heard a mouthpiece fall on the floor. We've seen the school tubas covered in dents or the saxophones with rubber bands to hold keys closed. All these things are fixable, and some of them need to be fixed
Sometimes, however, the damage is minor enough that fixing it won't really matter. If it's a student model instrument, for example, It's made with slightly thicker materials and with wider tolerances. The makers of these instruments have made a very wise decision. Knowing that the majority of people playing these instruments won't be as careful as a professional, they have sacrificed a small amount of tone for durability.
In those cases, and even up to some of the intermediate models, minor dents and scratches don't matter as much as on a pro level piece. In many cases, the wear and tear doesn't even affect the sound at all. I'm not saying that dents are okay, but if they are small enough that someone doesn't know they are there from more than 10 feet away, they aren't going to do much to inhibit the sound on a student model. Don't get me wrong. As a technician and a musician, I dislike dents and scratches on instruments, but sometimes it isn't worth getting upset about for long.
It reminds me of the mythbusters episode about driving a truck with the tailgate up or down, and they determined that the friction of the rubber tires on the road created more resistance than the difference in the tailgate had on performance.
With this in mind, there are things everyone should do to maximize the potential of the instrument. Keeping it clean is first and foremost. Any debris (dust, water, dried oils, food bits, etc) will detract from the instrument. When you have the instrument out of the case, try to protect your instrument from anything that could damage it. Small dents might not be much, but many of them can add up and effect things. Even being careful with the instrument in the case matters. The case doesn't make your instrument invulnerable. It can still be damaged through the case.
Some wear and tear on the instrument is inevitable, but knowing the difference between a small dent that is mainly unsightly, and the major damage that will affect how the horn plays is something that will save you from multiple trips to the shop
If you're interested in the TED talk, here's the link. I've watched it several times, and I think it's a good way to think of any instrument. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sNzJjlV1TOA
Friday, March 3, 2017
Brass Tips #2: The oil must flow
Oil is an essential part of instruments, both brass and woodwinds. Yes, woodwinds use oil, just like brass players do, but the oil they use is applied far less frequently than brass. Usually it will be reapplied whenever the instrument goes into the shop for cleaning, and the moving parts will be oiled then.
As a brass player, oil is applied so frequently, it's worth knowing what you're putting on your valves and slides, and why. First and foremost, the main purpose of oil is not to make things move faster. This is a common misconception. THE REASON FOR OIL IS TO REDUCE WEAR AND OXIDATION OF THE METAL PARTS. END OF STORY. After cleaning valves or slides, they should move completely uninhibited. At that point, adding oil is only to prevent the metal surfaces from abrading each other, and from tarnishing in contact with air. Oxidized or tarnished metals take up more space, decreasing the tolerances between surfaces until the stick.
If your valves or slides are sticking and adding oil helps them move, it's time to clean the surfaces so that the old oil. Oil will dry out over time, regardless of how thick or thin it is. when it does, it stays on the surface and, just like tarnish, decreases the tolerances. Adding new oil only partially dissolves the old oil, but will also start to dry out the new, adding to the problem.
Once it's time to oil, there are a couple of options. I say a couple, because there really is only 2: Petroleum distillate and synthetic. That really is it.
Petroleum distillate is just that. Crude oil is refined and distilled like hard alcohol to get the liquid to the form for instrument use. There are hundreds upon hundreds of different brands, mixtures, and features in them all. However, they are essentially all the exact same. In my shop, just as at many shops, the techs all have small bottles they refill from a large jug. It says "VALVE OIL" on the side. it's the most standard oil based valve oil out there, nothing fancy, and odds are it's all you will need.
In blind tests, players were unable to tell the difference between any of these valve oils as far as functionality. That means that they all behave the exact same. Unless you have a reason for needing a higher viscosity oil, than standard valve oil is all you will need. And you'll know if you need it because there will be a special circumstance for needing it (vintage horn or something along those lines). It's a lot like different octanes at the gas pump. If your car needs anything other than the regular gas, the dealer or manufacturer of the car will tell you upfront before you put the wrong thing in. It's never a guessing game. Don't pay more for an oil than you truly need
Synthetics were created to combat two problems with oil. The first problem was the drying factor in oil. Synthetics don't dry out, they just work their way out. When this happens, there's no residue left behind like with petroleum, so there is no build up on the valves. However, when they are gone, they are truly gone, and the metal surfaces are exposed. The residue from petroleum will at least offer some protection from oxidation.
The other reason synthetics exist is to help with something that is a minor concern for some, the smell. There are many who don't like the smell of petroleum distillates at all. For some, it sets off their asthma. In those cases, synthetics are ideal because they are manufactured with no smell in them. Many petroleum distillates have perfumes to mask the smell, but it can actually be more pungent than the oil smell itself.
Regardless of which you chose, just now that these two options have one thing in common. They do not mix with each other. Each will react with the other and render it useless. Know which one you have, and either tell your technician or leave the bottle in the case so they can see. If you are planning on switching yourself, then you must thoroughly was all the previous oils out of your instrument to prevent a reaction.
When playing, the oil should be applied prior to any practice, rehearsal or performance. Then, it should be reapplied hourly. This should only be a drop or two at that point, to keep things as they need to be. This, along with a home cleaning monthly, will prevent wear and tarnish from sending your instrument to the shop more often than once a year or so.
As a brass player, oil is applied so frequently, it's worth knowing what you're putting on your valves and slides, and why. First and foremost, the main purpose of oil is not to make things move faster. This is a common misconception. THE REASON FOR OIL IS TO REDUCE WEAR AND OXIDATION OF THE METAL PARTS. END OF STORY. After cleaning valves or slides, they should move completely uninhibited. At that point, adding oil is only to prevent the metal surfaces from abrading each other, and from tarnishing in contact with air. Oxidized or tarnished metals take up more space, decreasing the tolerances between surfaces until the stick.
If your valves or slides are sticking and adding oil helps them move, it's time to clean the surfaces so that the old oil. Oil will dry out over time, regardless of how thick or thin it is. when it does, it stays on the surface and, just like tarnish, decreases the tolerances. Adding new oil only partially dissolves the old oil, but will also start to dry out the new, adding to the problem.
Once it's time to oil, there are a couple of options. I say a couple, because there really is only 2: Petroleum distillate and synthetic. That really is it.
Petroleum distillate is just that. Crude oil is refined and distilled like hard alcohol to get the liquid to the form for instrument use. There are hundreds upon hundreds of different brands, mixtures, and features in them all. However, they are essentially all the exact same. In my shop, just as at many shops, the techs all have small bottles they refill from a large jug. It says "VALVE OIL" on the side. it's the most standard oil based valve oil out there, nothing fancy, and odds are it's all you will need.
In blind tests, players were unable to tell the difference between any of these valve oils as far as functionality. That means that they all behave the exact same. Unless you have a reason for needing a higher viscosity oil, than standard valve oil is all you will need. And you'll know if you need it because there will be a special circumstance for needing it (vintage horn or something along those lines). It's a lot like different octanes at the gas pump. If your car needs anything other than the regular gas, the dealer or manufacturer of the car will tell you upfront before you put the wrong thing in. It's never a guessing game. Don't pay more for an oil than you truly need
Synthetics were created to combat two problems with oil. The first problem was the drying factor in oil. Synthetics don't dry out, they just work their way out. When this happens, there's no residue left behind like with petroleum, so there is no build up on the valves. However, when they are gone, they are truly gone, and the metal surfaces are exposed. The residue from petroleum will at least offer some protection from oxidation.
The other reason synthetics exist is to help with something that is a minor concern for some, the smell. There are many who don't like the smell of petroleum distillates at all. For some, it sets off their asthma. In those cases, synthetics are ideal because they are manufactured with no smell in them. Many petroleum distillates have perfumes to mask the smell, but it can actually be more pungent than the oil smell itself.
Regardless of which you chose, just now that these two options have one thing in common. They do not mix with each other. Each will react with the other and render it useless. Know which one you have, and either tell your technician or leave the bottle in the case so they can see. If you are planning on switching yourself, then you must thoroughly was all the previous oils out of your instrument to prevent a reaction.
When playing, the oil should be applied prior to any practice, rehearsal or performance. Then, it should be reapplied hourly. This should only be a drop or two at that point, to keep things as they need to be. This, along with a home cleaning monthly, will prevent wear and tarnish from sending your instrument to the shop more often than once a year or so.
Thursday, March 2, 2017
Woodwind Tip #2: A case for the case
The instrument case is one of the best things for your instrument. It keeps the instrument safe, taking dents and dings as a shield. It also keeps the instrument free from dust and rain, prolonging the life of the materials the instrument is made of. Many times, I've had to do cleaning to remove all the dust and dirt from instruments, as that was the only thing keeping the instrument from working as well as it should.
At some point in any instrument's life, it's going to need a new case. Either the old case has become damaged, or the latches stop working, something spilled inside of it, or has just gotten old. Many cases become unusable once they get even the smallest amount of mold in the padding. In a damp environment, it can be a never ending battle against it, and once there will never truly go away. It does become apparent when a case has mold in the foam, as the smell of the case and the instrument becomes pungent and they match.
Once "old case funk" sets in, any length of time in the case will transfer this smell to the instrument, even if it was just cleaned. At that point, there's nothing you can do but get a new case.
There are some things to look out for when getting one
1. Make sure the case fits right
This should be easy, but there are a few pit falls to look out for. No instrument model is build the same as others, even from the same maker. This means that a case that can fix model x will not work for model y. It could put odd pressure on a key or two, pushing things out of place or even deforming the body of the instrument. At that point, it won't play, and every time you put your instrument away, you are increasing the need to go see a technician to fix it. Then, once fixed, putting it back in the case will start the process all over again
Most case makers can tell you what will and will not reliably fit in their cases, but no case is truly universal.
2. Hard vs soft vs semi rigid
For decades, hard cases were the standard, and with good reason. There are very few things that will keep your instrument safe as a good fitting hard case. The downside of hard cases is that they are bulky and heavy, compared to alternatives.
Soft cases are essentially lightly padded, if any padding, cloth bags with a zipper to store the instrument. The chief advantages to them is that they are light weight, and shaped like the instrument, reducing the size of the space needed for storage. However, the chief downside is that they offer very little protection for the instrument inside.
A semi rigid case is somewhere right in the middle. Usually reinforced with hi density plastics, and with dense foam padding to cradle the instrument, they can be lighter than hard cases but more protective than soft cases.
3. Storage in the case
Regardless of your instrument, you're going to need space to store parts of the instrument when not playing. Mouthpieces, cleaning supplies, any sort of oils or greases needed, etc. All of this has to go somewhere. Getting a case that can accommodate all the accessories you need should factor in to what you are looking at
Once you have the case, it's important to keep it in good shape, just like the instrument. Wear and tear to the case is normal, to a degree. Keeping a spatial reasoning about the size and placement of your case will minimize this. Broken and latches and hinges occur mainly when people are careless, and aren't that much fun to replace for the technician or for your wallet.
Periodically, remove everything from the case and vacuum it out. Little bits of dust and other things can fall into the case, and removing them will prolong the life of your case immensely. At this point, it's a good idea to spray down the inside of the case with something to prevent mold. My personal method is to buy a bottle of febreez, non aerosol, and cut it 50% with rubbing alcohol. A few quick spritzes over the surface, followed with leaving the case open for an hour or so, and it will off gas most of the scent and alcohol. Then, putting the instrument in will ensure the padding has been dried up by the alcohol, and give the instrument a very faint odor of the febreeze.
Take care of the case, the case takes care of your instrument, and your instrument takes care of you. Simple as that
At some point in any instrument's life, it's going to need a new case. Either the old case has become damaged, or the latches stop working, something spilled inside of it, or has just gotten old. Many cases become unusable once they get even the smallest amount of mold in the padding. In a damp environment, it can be a never ending battle against it, and once there will never truly go away. It does become apparent when a case has mold in the foam, as the smell of the case and the instrument becomes pungent and they match.
Once "old case funk" sets in, any length of time in the case will transfer this smell to the instrument, even if it was just cleaned. At that point, there's nothing you can do but get a new case.
There are some things to look out for when getting one
1. Make sure the case fits right
This should be easy, but there are a few pit falls to look out for. No instrument model is build the same as others, even from the same maker. This means that a case that can fix model x will not work for model y. It could put odd pressure on a key or two, pushing things out of place or even deforming the body of the instrument. At that point, it won't play, and every time you put your instrument away, you are increasing the need to go see a technician to fix it. Then, once fixed, putting it back in the case will start the process all over again
Most case makers can tell you what will and will not reliably fit in their cases, but no case is truly universal.
2. Hard vs soft vs semi rigid
For decades, hard cases were the standard, and with good reason. There are very few things that will keep your instrument safe as a good fitting hard case. The downside of hard cases is that they are bulky and heavy, compared to alternatives.
Soft cases are essentially lightly padded, if any padding, cloth bags with a zipper to store the instrument. The chief advantages to them is that they are light weight, and shaped like the instrument, reducing the size of the space needed for storage. However, the chief downside is that they offer very little protection for the instrument inside.
A semi rigid case is somewhere right in the middle. Usually reinforced with hi density plastics, and with dense foam padding to cradle the instrument, they can be lighter than hard cases but more protective than soft cases.
3. Storage in the case
Regardless of your instrument, you're going to need space to store parts of the instrument when not playing. Mouthpieces, cleaning supplies, any sort of oils or greases needed, etc. All of this has to go somewhere. Getting a case that can accommodate all the accessories you need should factor in to what you are looking at
Once you have the case, it's important to keep it in good shape, just like the instrument. Wear and tear to the case is normal, to a degree. Keeping a spatial reasoning about the size and placement of your case will minimize this. Broken and latches and hinges occur mainly when people are careless, and aren't that much fun to replace for the technician or for your wallet.
Periodically, remove everything from the case and vacuum it out. Little bits of dust and other things can fall into the case, and removing them will prolong the life of your case immensely. At this point, it's a good idea to spray down the inside of the case with something to prevent mold. My personal method is to buy a bottle of febreez, non aerosol, and cut it 50% with rubbing alcohol. A few quick spritzes over the surface, followed with leaving the case open for an hour or so, and it will off gas most of the scent and alcohol. Then, putting the instrument in will ensure the padding has been dried up by the alcohol, and give the instrument a very faint odor of the febreeze.
Take care of the case, the case takes care of your instrument, and your instrument takes care of you. Simple as that
Wednesday, March 1, 2017
Tales from the bench #1
So, at one point, during my first year of work, I got a phone call to work on someone's Tenor sax. Anything below the low D wasn't coming out, and the sound at that point was very stuffy and muted. While she wasn't able to bring me the saxophone herself, her husband would be able to bring it to me
Next day, her husband shows up, saxophone case in one hand, 18 month old baby in the other. I open the case, and find a beautiful Cannonball tenor inside. Dark blue tinted lacquer, bright brass keywork. The horn was beautiful.
The husband stays and chats as I get to work
I start to diagnose what could be wrong with the instrument by putting my leak light down the bell. I find some very minor regulation issues, but nothing that would lead to problems with the low notes at all. The only way these issues could affect the play-ability is if she was closing the keys lighter than flute players do.
I correct the regulation problems with the adjustment screws and move on. I pull the leak light, and try to put it down the bell of the sax, when it stops. I think maybe it got caught on a tone hole, and try again, but with the same result. It was at that point, I look down the bell, and start to chuckle. This alerts the husband that something is up.
I then reach down into the bell of the sax, and pull out a brand new, dark blue skateboard wheel. Just the rubber wheel, no other hardware. I hold it up like I'm holding an apple just picked from the tree. The husband doubles over laughing, and with tears in his eyes, looks at the toddler and asks "I wonder who put that in there, hmmm?"
Once the wheel is out, I double check the rest of the keys and have very minor things to do to make things pretty much perfect. I play test the horn, and send them home, wheel outside of the sax.
Just goes to show that, no matter unlikely, anything can appear inside of an instrument
Next day, her husband shows up, saxophone case in one hand, 18 month old baby in the other. I open the case, and find a beautiful Cannonball tenor inside. Dark blue tinted lacquer, bright brass keywork. The horn was beautiful.
The husband stays and chats as I get to work
I start to diagnose what could be wrong with the instrument by putting my leak light down the bell. I find some very minor regulation issues, but nothing that would lead to problems with the low notes at all. The only way these issues could affect the play-ability is if she was closing the keys lighter than flute players do.
I correct the regulation problems with the adjustment screws and move on. I pull the leak light, and try to put it down the bell of the sax, when it stops. I think maybe it got caught on a tone hole, and try again, but with the same result. It was at that point, I look down the bell, and start to chuckle. This alerts the husband that something is up.
I then reach down into the bell of the sax, and pull out a brand new, dark blue skateboard wheel. Just the rubber wheel, no other hardware. I hold it up like I'm holding an apple just picked from the tree. The husband doubles over laughing, and with tears in his eyes, looks at the toddler and asks "I wonder who put that in there, hmmm?"
Once the wheel is out, I double check the rest of the keys and have very minor things to do to make things pretty much perfect. I play test the horn, and send them home, wheel outside of the sax.
Just goes to show that, no matter unlikely, anything can appear inside of an instrument
Tuesday, February 28, 2017
General Tip #1: The thingy next to the other thingy doesn't work............huh?
At the base level, everyone knows their instrument. Beyond what it is called, they know the very basic parts of the instrument from when they were first taught. Either the diagram from the book they learned from, or the parts their instructor pointed out, they know at least what and where general parts are and somewhat their function. But, that's not going to help you out when trying to describe a problem.
Too many times, a person will come to me and state that it just doesn't work or sounds off. When pressed to be more specific, they can sometimes be able to tell me what notes don't work, or how things don't work when they try to do a certain thing. Those can help me to close in on a problem, but they don't help that much. Sometimes, just knowing what keys are which, or what parts are called on the instrument. Beyond the mouthpiece, there are many parts to any instrument, and each one does do something for the overall functionality of it.
Woodwind players should know what the keys are for their instrument. Look at the fingerings for a note, and the lowest finger down is the key for that note. I know this should be fairly common knowledge, but sometimes it isn't. The more you know about the way your instrument is put together, the better off you'll be.
Brass, your instrument is easier to know in that there are far less moving parts than woodwinds. This means you have even less of an excuse for not knowing the names of instrument parts. Slide parts, names for different sections of the instrument, etc. All these parts have a name and sometimes the name changes where it transitions to another part. There is a reason for this. Different sections to the same part have to be fixed in different ways.
All this points to one thing. When you do have to bring your instrument to get fixed, maintained, or even assessed, The clearer and more knowledgeable you are about your instrument, what its parts are and what is going on with it, the easier your friendly neighborhood technician will be able to focus on exactly what the problem is, and won't have to spend the first section of time just hunting for what could be wrong. They will zero in on the trouble spot, fix that, then only spend a moment or two going over the rest of the instrument to make sure it's functioning correctly.
The alternative, with unsure and vague answers, the tech then has to assume anything and everything is wrong with what you bring them, and go through a checklist to remove things they find not wrong till only the true problems are left. This takes time, and time is paid for by your bank account. It is also somewhat frustrating for a repair technician to be given an instrument that "I dunno, it's just not working," and spend a good chunk of time on a scavenger hunt to find out the entire problem was a 30 second fix.
The more you know about your instrument, it's parts and how they function, the better you and your tech will get along, and the quicker and cheaper all your repairs will be. This will save your wallet and your technician's stress level
Too many times, a person will come to me and state that it just doesn't work or sounds off. When pressed to be more specific, they can sometimes be able to tell me what notes don't work, or how things don't work when they try to do a certain thing. Those can help me to close in on a problem, but they don't help that much. Sometimes, just knowing what keys are which, or what parts are called on the instrument. Beyond the mouthpiece, there are many parts to any instrument, and each one does do something for the overall functionality of it.
Woodwind players should know what the keys are for their instrument. Look at the fingerings for a note, and the lowest finger down is the key for that note. I know this should be fairly common knowledge, but sometimes it isn't. The more you know about the way your instrument is put together, the better off you'll be.
Brass, your instrument is easier to know in that there are far less moving parts than woodwinds. This means you have even less of an excuse for not knowing the names of instrument parts. Slide parts, names for different sections of the instrument, etc. All these parts have a name and sometimes the name changes where it transitions to another part. There is a reason for this. Different sections to the same part have to be fixed in different ways.
All this points to one thing. When you do have to bring your instrument to get fixed, maintained, or even assessed, The clearer and more knowledgeable you are about your instrument, what its parts are and what is going on with it, the easier your friendly neighborhood technician will be able to focus on exactly what the problem is, and won't have to spend the first section of time just hunting for what could be wrong. They will zero in on the trouble spot, fix that, then only spend a moment or two going over the rest of the instrument to make sure it's functioning correctly.
The alternative, with unsure and vague answers, the tech then has to assume anything and everything is wrong with what you bring them, and go through a checklist to remove things they find not wrong till only the true problems are left. This takes time, and time is paid for by your bank account. It is also somewhat frustrating for a repair technician to be given an instrument that "I dunno, it's just not working," and spend a good chunk of time on a scavenger hunt to find out the entire problem was a 30 second fix.
The more you know about your instrument, it's parts and how they function, the better you and your tech will get along, and the quicker and cheaper all your repairs will be. This will save your wallet and your technician's stress level
Monday, February 27, 2017
Brass Tips 1: Give your horn a bath
Ok, brass players. Time for a confession. We've all been there. We've neglected cleaning our horns as often as we know we should, slap extra oil in it and pretend everything is fine. Slowly but surely, the valves and/or slides become slightly harder to move, but we don't really worry about it till it gets to the point things don't move at all.
The brass surfaces need to be clean to work as well as they should. Period. End of post.
.
..
...
....
.....
......
.......
........
Okay, okay, I'll temper that back. Your brass instrument doesn't need to be so perfectly clean that it's as if the horn has never been played. There is a middle ground, and doesn't take long at all. In fact, it will take less time per month than an a typical cartoon episode on tv, and will save you from having to run to a technician to deep clean it just so it will work again.
For cleaning a brass instrument, there are only a few things you need to know how to do. First, you need to know how to completely disassemble and reassemble your instrument. For any brass instrument, this should only take 2-3 minutes (Rotary valves, you are a different set of requirements, so don't worry about most of this, I'll talk about your instrument later) This includes bumper corks and felts on the valve. Being able to take your horn apart gives you the ability to also check on all the parts on their own to figure out what is going on with your brass.
For tools, all you will need for cleaning is soap, a tub of warm water, a rag, an old tooth brush, a 3 inch wide scrap of fabric and a towel. For soap, you need something that will degrease things well. I prefer Dawn dish soap. If it's strong and safe enough to remove crude oil spills from birds, it's perfect for your instrument. The bathtub is perfect for cleaning almost any instrument, as the entire thing can fit in it in pieces.
One of my favorite tools for cleaning is an old toothbrush I don't care about anymore. Put the soap directly on it, and go to town. For piston valves, it's great for cleaning the inside of the valve casings, and all of the valve itself. Don't try to use it inside slides it won't fit in, it'll get stuck and then you'll have to pay to get it removed. The rag can be used for larger sections that using the brush would take forever
Once it's clean, and rinsed, rinse it again. I'm serious. There's more grit left on those surfaces that you can't see. Now, use the dry towel to clean off all the slides, and use the fabric scrap to wipe down inside the casing and in hard to reach areas. Once it's dry, time for oil. Valves and valve casings need oil now, not just one. And get something on the slides. Any surfaces that move when you play need something to protect them.
The oil is there to slow down wear and tear, not to make things move. If there is too much oil or lots of old oil on things, it can slow things down as quickly as anything else. Using it to make things move is a recipe to have lots of work cleaning it off later.
Doing this should only take 20 minutes every month, unless things are bad. This should help to prolong your instruments life and will only need a deep cleaning annually at most. This is like brushing your teeth so your yearly trip to the dentist doesn't result in 20 cavities to be fixed.
The brass surfaces need to be clean to work as well as they should. Period. End of post.
.
..
...
....
.....
......
.......
........
Okay, okay, I'll temper that back. Your brass instrument doesn't need to be so perfectly clean that it's as if the horn has never been played. There is a middle ground, and doesn't take long at all. In fact, it will take less time per month than an a typical cartoon episode on tv, and will save you from having to run to a technician to deep clean it just so it will work again.
For cleaning a brass instrument, there are only a few things you need to know how to do. First, you need to know how to completely disassemble and reassemble your instrument. For any brass instrument, this should only take 2-3 minutes (Rotary valves, you are a different set of requirements, so don't worry about most of this, I'll talk about your instrument later) This includes bumper corks and felts on the valve. Being able to take your horn apart gives you the ability to also check on all the parts on their own to figure out what is going on with your brass.
For tools, all you will need for cleaning is soap, a tub of warm water, a rag, an old tooth brush, a 3 inch wide scrap of fabric and a towel. For soap, you need something that will degrease things well. I prefer Dawn dish soap. If it's strong and safe enough to remove crude oil spills from birds, it's perfect for your instrument. The bathtub is perfect for cleaning almost any instrument, as the entire thing can fit in it in pieces.
One of my favorite tools for cleaning is an old toothbrush I don't care about anymore. Put the soap directly on it, and go to town. For piston valves, it's great for cleaning the inside of the valve casings, and all of the valve itself. Don't try to use it inside slides it won't fit in, it'll get stuck and then you'll have to pay to get it removed. The rag can be used for larger sections that using the brush would take forever
Once it's clean, and rinsed, rinse it again. I'm serious. There's more grit left on those surfaces that you can't see. Now, use the dry towel to clean off all the slides, and use the fabric scrap to wipe down inside the casing and in hard to reach areas. Once it's dry, time for oil. Valves and valve casings need oil now, not just one. And get something on the slides. Any surfaces that move when you play need something to protect them.
The oil is there to slow down wear and tear, not to make things move. If there is too much oil or lots of old oil on things, it can slow things down as quickly as anything else. Using it to make things move is a recipe to have lots of work cleaning it off later.
Doing this should only take 20 minutes every month, unless things are bad. This should help to prolong your instruments life and will only need a deep cleaning annually at most. This is like brushing your teeth so your yearly trip to the dentist doesn't result in 20 cavities to be fixed.
Tuesday, February 21, 2017
Woodwinds tip #1: Ditch the Pad Saver
If you don't know the name, you know what it is by the description. It's a very soft and fluffy pipe cleaner, the length and shape of the bore of the instrument, usually with a plastic end on it. It's designed for woodwinds to swab out the interior of the instrument for moisture, and it's name indicates it's there to prolong the life of the pad.
Talk to a high level player or instructor, and the first thing they will tell you about it is to not use it. The way they are designed and how people are instructed to use them, they will do the opposite of their name.
Yes, they do soak up the moisture that accumulates on the bore of instrument, but then where does the moisture go? The instructions on the Pad Saver says that it is to be stored inside the instrument. That means all the moisture it soaked up is still inside the instrument, but now can't naturally evaporate away because all of the airspace in the bore is blocked up with this pipe cleaner on steroids. If anything, holding all the moisture next to the pads like that will decrease the life of the pads, and on clarinets could even cause the wood to crack from holding the moisture there
A better tool is to either buy or make a pull through swab. They are just as low cost as a pad saver, if you go that route. The moisture gets pulled off the bore of the instrument, and then the swab would ideally go into a different pocket or place in the case.
I've seen players go from needing pads replaced every few months to a year or more with this simple change, and these were not occasional players but were people that played their instrument every day for at least an hour.
Bottom line, a Pad Saver doesn't, and not using one at all would be better for your instrument than using it
Talk to a high level player or instructor, and the first thing they will tell you about it is to not use it. The way they are designed and how people are instructed to use them, they will do the opposite of their name.
Yes, they do soak up the moisture that accumulates on the bore of instrument, but then where does the moisture go? The instructions on the Pad Saver says that it is to be stored inside the instrument. That means all the moisture it soaked up is still inside the instrument, but now can't naturally evaporate away because all of the airspace in the bore is blocked up with this pipe cleaner on steroids. If anything, holding all the moisture next to the pads like that will decrease the life of the pads, and on clarinets could even cause the wood to crack from holding the moisture there
A better tool is to either buy or make a pull through swab. They are just as low cost as a pad saver, if you go that route. The moisture gets pulled off the bore of the instrument, and then the swab would ideally go into a different pocket or place in the case.
I've seen players go from needing pads replaced every few months to a year or more with this simple change, and these were not occasional players but were people that played their instrument every day for at least an hour.
Bottom line, a Pad Saver doesn't, and not using one at all would be better for your instrument than using it
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)