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
Tuesday, June 6, 2017
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.
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