Caring for your trumpet
With
Kay Charlton
What's in the course
13 lessons (0h 23m) · 1 free
01. Welcome to the course
0:36
02. Parts of the trumpet explained
1:09
03. How to hold your trumpet
1:07
04. It all starts with a buzz
Free lesson1:29
05. Buzzin through the trumpet mouthpiece
1:15
06. Troubleshooting - The straw technique
0:58
07. Make your first sound on the trumpet
2:05
08. Fundamental trumpet techniques
1:43
09. Practice playing your first notes
1:56
10. Now let's practice some melodies
2:35
11. Improvise your very own tune
3:30
12. Caring for your trumpet
You are here2:16
13. Next steps
2:59
Lesson transcript
Caring for Your Pea Trumpet
Now we're going to talk about how to look after your pea trumpet. When you get your new instrument, you will receive a care card with it that will provide you with some hints and tips about keeping it in good condition.
Basic Maintenance
Not much to do really. They're very durable, but it's good to keep it clean. Here are some simple maintenance tips:
-
Mouthpiece Care:
Wash your mouthpiece now and again with some soapy water. Make sure you rinse it out thoroughly. -
Instrument Cleaning:
You can also put some warm soapy water all the way through the instrument every now and again. Remember to rinse it out before you use it, and do this not very often.
Handling the Mouthpiece
When you put the mouthpiece in, don't bang it in, just place it in gently.
Valve Maintenance
The great thing about the pea trumpet is that it doesn't need much maintenance. The valves move really freely, but you might occasionally want to put a drop of valve oil onto them.
How to Oil the Valves
If you need to oil the valves, follow these steps:
- Gently twist at the bottom to take the bottom off; there's a spring there.
- Push the valve through.
- The valves are interchangeable, so it doesn't matter if you get them mixed up, best to do one at a time.
- You can put a few drops of oil (just a tiny bit) on the valve if you need it.
- Put the valve back in, gently twisting it round until it finds its groove.
- Make sure you still have the spring in place.
- Twist to lock the valve in place.
Using the Water Key
This is called the water key, very important! As you blow through the trumpet, condensation gathers over time, and you need to blow it out from time to time.
- Place your thumb there, and your finger here.
- Squeeze the valve open and give it a little quick blow.
- Tip: You don't want to make a sound; you're just blowing air through, and you might get a few drops of water coming out.
After Playing
Blow the water out after every practice or playing session to ensure there's no water left in the instrument. If you forget to do this, over time, the water will build up, and you might hear a "blub, blub, blub" sound.
So remember:
- Pinch the valve open.
- Give it a shake, and the water will come out.
By following these simple care tips, you can keep your pea trumpet in great condition and ready for music!
13 lessons
0h 23m of structured video lessons
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Meet your guru
Meet your guru
Kay is a trumpet player, composer and teacher of brass and curriculum music, specialising in primary classroom teaching - KS2, First Access/WCET (whole-class ensemble teaching, where a class learns an instrument together) and teacher CPD (continuing professional development). She completed a Masters in Music Education - 'Teaching Musician' at Trinity Laban Conservatoire in 2018.
Kay plays trumpet with the Bollywood Brass Band, a 9-piece band of brass and drums whose 2017 CD Carnatic Connection was nominated for a Songlines Magazine 'World Music Award' and given a 5-star review in the London Evening Standard. Kay composes and arranges for the band and leads on their education work, founding the Bollywood Brass Academy in 2017.
Kay has presented her research into whole-class teaching at the Music Education Expo and the First Access Forum. She has designed and led CPD for LSO Discovery, Trinity College London, Music Education Solutions and the Bollywood Brass Band, and is an education consultant for Warwick Music.
Kay's book of beginner repertoire, 'Are You Ready?', is published by Warwick Music; in 2017 Kay was commissioned by Warwick Music and Music Education Solutions to compose songs for a new KS1 scheme of work for the pBuzz, which was nominated as 'Education Resource of 2018' by the 'Education Awards'.
Other publications include pieces for Trinity's Initial (2015/2018) and Grade 1 (2018) piano syllabus, Bollywood Blast! (Spartan Press) - a series of brass and wind tutor books with backing tracks in a Bollywood style - and Whole Class Bollywood Blast with David Rose (Bedford Music Hub), which is aimed at teachers of whole-class instrumental lessons and includes an Arts Award Discover programme.
Her MusicGurus courses bring that classroom experience straight to you: from your very first trumpet lesson through two sets of tunes for beginners, Kay sets out exactly what to play and how to play it.
