As it turns out, cleaning a trombone is pretty straightforward. First, you’ll want to take apart your horn and submerge it in a bathtub. Then, you’ll want to snake all the tubing and remove excess buildup from the slides. When you’re finished, rinse the horn and reapply all lubricants. Finally, put the trombone back together and schedule your next cleaning in three months.

Of course, if that wasn’t enough detail for you, feel free to read the remainder of the article.

Trombone Cleaning Steps

In this article, we’ll be looking at a few techniques you can use to clean a trombone. Of course, we’ll be targeting tenor trombones, but these techniques can be used on most brass instruments.

For a high-level look at the process, here are the steps:

1. Disassemble the trombone
2. Soak the trombone
3. Clean the mouthpiece
4. Clean all inner surfaces
5. Clean all outer surfaces
6. Apply lubrication
7. Assemble the trombone
8. Establish a schedule

Below, you’ll find each of these steps in great detail with links to additional sources to aid in the process.

Step 1: Disassemble the Trombone

Before you do anything, make sure that you’re familiar with the anatomy of your trombone. After all, you will need to take your horn apart, so it’s important that you know how to put it back together. If it helps, consider recording yourself as you take it apart. That way, you have something to reference later.

In general, however, a typical tenor trombone is made up of five major pieces:

• Bell
• Tuning Slide
• Main Outer Slide
• Main Inner Slide
• Mouthpiece

If you have a trigger horn or a bass trombone, you likely have even more moving parts. For instance, pay special attention to extra attachments and tuning slides.

When you’re ready, take the trombone apart and place each piece on a soft surface like a towel to avoid scratching. If you have any issues removing any pieces (like a tuning slide), do not try to force them free. Instead, take the horn to a repair shop.

Step 2: Soak the Trombone

Now that you have the trombone disassembled, fill a bathtub or some other large container with warm water and some mild dish soap. In general, you’ll want to be able to submerge each section of your trombone, so bathtubs usually work best. Also, it’s a good idea to lay a towel in the bottom of the bathtub to avoid scratching your horn.

When you’re ready, place each section of the horn into the bathtub until all pieces are submerged. At that point, leave the pieces to soak for about ten minutes. If you’re weary of soaking like some folks, you can always run water over the trombone while actively cleaning it. Of course, for people like me who don’t have a bathtub, running water over the horn is the only practical way of cleaning it.

Regardless, the main idea here is you want to break up the gunk inside the horn with water before you try to use any tools. In the next step, we’ll talk tools.

Step 3: Clean the Mouthpiece

Of all the parts that make up the trombone, the mouthpiece is probably the easiest to clean. As a result, I recommend cleaning it first while the rest of the horn soaks.

To do that, grab a mouthpiece brush or part of a snake and run it through the shank or the tube end of the mouthpiece. While you’re doing this, it’s helpful to run some water over the brush to flush debris as you’re scrubbing. If you want a thorough clean, use some mild dish soap. Never use anything like bleach as it will strip the surface and reveal the underlying metal (been there; done that).

Once you’ve finished cleaning the mouthpiece, set it aside to dry. In the next step, we’ll dive into how to clean the remainder of the horn.

Step 4: Clean All Inner Surfaces

Before you clean the outside of the horn, it’s important to get inside the horn first. That way, your cleaning efforts aren’t a waste of time.

To clean the inside of a trombone, you’ll probably want a snake and a cleaning rod with a metal head. With a snake, you can clean out the curves of the main outer slide and the tuning slides. Meanwhile, the cleaning rod can be used in conjunction with cheesecloth to thoroughly scrub any straight pieces.

In general, you’ll want to run each tool through the tubing for a few minutes to break up more stubborn deposits. If successful, you’ll find that your slides go on easier during assembly.

As you clean the various inner surfaces of your horn, be sure to run water through the tubing to flush any remaining gunk and soap out of the horn. In addition, don’t forget to remove each piece from the bathtub when you’re done cleaning its inner surface.

Step 5: Clean All Outer Surfaces

With all the inner surfaces thoroughly cleaned, it’s a good idea to flush the bathtub of the dirty water. That way, you can continue to use the tub to clean the outer surfaces.

With the tub empty, you can begin rubbing down important outer surfaces like the main inner slide and the tuning slide. Both of these surfaces need to be thoroughly cleaned as they can contain buildup from lubricants and other debris. In many cases, it may be enough to use cheesecloth, but consider using some dish soap.

In some cases, you may find it useful to run a brush over the tuning slide. Unlike the main slide, the tuning slide doesn’t get as much work, so it may have some mineral buildup. Of course, you would have already noticed this while taking the tuning slide off.

As you rinse off the outer surfaces, take a soft cloth and hand dry them. Then, set each piece aside, and let them air dry for at least 30 minutes.

Step 6: Apply Lubrication

With the trombone completely clean, you can begin assembling the slides. However, you’ll want to apply your favorite lubricant first.

For the main slide, first apply your favorite lubricant to the stockings (the fatter ends) of the inner slide. Then, work the lubrication on one end at a time using the outer slide and a twisting motion. When the lubrication is thoroughly applied, spray the slide with some water.

If you’re not sure how to apply your specific brand of lubrication, I have a few guides you can check out:

• How to Apply Slide-O-Mix to a Trombone Slide

Also, if you’re in the market for a new slide lubricant, I have an article on that as well. To summarize, the three main lubricants I recommend are Slide-O-Mix, Trombotine, and Superslick. Of course, the manufacturer of your horn may have better recommendations.

For the tuning slide, you’ll want to use slide grease—not slide oil or slide cream—to lubricate the tuning slide. To apply slide grease, there’s a slightly different process which I have documented.

In short, the process for applying the grease is similar to the main slide. Specifically, make sure to apply a small amount of grease around the circumference of each tube. Then, work the grease on one tube at a time using a twisting motion. When there’s an even coating on both tubes, put the tuning slide in playing position and wipe away excess grease.

Step 7: Assemble the Trombone

When both slides are in position, you can finish assembly. In particular, I recommend putting the entire horn together as if you were going to play it. That way, you can ensure that horn works. For example, you’ll want to make sure that you didn’t break your water key or slide lock in the process of cleaning the horn.

To assemble the horn, replace all slides as mentioned previously. Then, attach the main slide to the bell and place the mouthpiece in position. If everything went smoothly, you should be able to operate all moving parts as expected. In addition, you should be able to produce quality sounds.

Step 8: Establish a Schedule

At this point, your horn should be in good shape. If your horn was in particularly bad shape before the cleaning, it might be a good idea to create a cleaning schedule. Depending on how often you use the horn, you should be shooting for a cleaning at least twice a year.

If you follow a regular cleaning schedule, you’ll extend the life of your horn considerably, and you’ll limit repair trips. Of course, if you run into any problems during the cleaning process, it’s not a bad idea to take your horn to a repair shop. There’s no shame in that!

Summary

In short, the best way to clean a trombone is to give it a good bath and reapply all the lubrication. Of course, you may find it useful to record yourself during the disassembly process, so you don’t forget how to put your trombone back together.

At any rate, thanks again for taking some time to learn about trombone care and maintenance. In the future, I’ll be looking to extend this article to include specific references for lubrication and other maintenance tips like greasing a tuning slide.

As always, don’t forget to respect the brass!

The post How to Clean a Trombone appeared first on Trill Trombone.

As it turns out, greasing a tuning slide is pretty straightforward. First, remove the tuning slide if possible. Then, clean both the inner and outer slide thoroughly. Once the tuning slide is clean, apply a small amount of grease to the inner slide and begin to work it in place. If done correctly, you should have successfully greased your tuning slide. Below, we’ll take a look at each step in more detail.

Steps to Grease a Trombone Tuning Slide

If you’ve been using your trombone for awhile, you probably already know how to take care of the main slide. After all, you use it all the time. If something is out of order, you’ll notice and take some sort of action. For instance, you might just spray it with some water, or maybe you’ll reapply some lubricant like Slide-O-Mix.

When it comes to the tuning slide, you’re probably less likely to notice any issues. After all, when you use it, it’s typically at the beginning of a rehearsal, concert, or practice session. Of course, at the time, you usually only move it slightly. In other words, it doesn’t typically move through its full range of motion like the main slide.

Over time, the tuning slide can accumulate dirt and damage, and it’s even possible for it to get stuck. In this tutorial, we’ll take a look at the absolute worst-case scenario, a stuck tuning slide, and how to return it to its former glory.

Step 1: Remove the Tuning Slide

If you’re in a scenario where your tuning slide is completely stuck, you might need to invest in a penetrating oil. I can’t recommend any off-hand, but I can point to an interesting discussion around using WD-40. Regardless, you’ll want some lubricant that can squeeze in the gap between the slides and break up any sort of mineral deposits or rust.

If you’re still having trouble, I’ve heard that applying heat can be beneficial. In addition, there are a whole host of methods which can be used to aid in the removal of the slide. For example, try wrapping a loop strap around your tuning slide and through itself. Then, if you manage to tug the tuning slide free, it’ll be attached to the loop strap.

Beyond that, you can always try getting a hold of a trombone tuning slide crook plate. In general, these are metal plates that fit nicely along the inside curve of the tuning slide. Then, you can try tapping on the handle of the crook plate with a hammer to avoid denting up the tuning slide.

In the worst-case, run the horn to a repair shop where an expert can take care of your horn. In many cases, they’ll have tools like the ones listed above which can be used to remove slides. Then, they’ll go through a process which ensures that you get your tuning slide back in mint condition.

Step 2: Clean the Tuning Slide Thoroughly

Once the tuning slide is free, clean it thoroughly. Cleaning is a topic I’ve covered a bit on this site in reference to the main slide, and many of those tips still apply here. In particular, make sure that you clean both the inner and outer slide.

To clean the outer slide, you’ll want to get a hold of a snake or some cheesecloth which you can run inside the tubing. If necessary, you may want to run a mild soap on the inside of the slide to remove any old grease—especially if you used any oils in the previous step.

To clean the inner slide, run some cheesecloth over the tubing. Make sure that you’re removing as much of the old grease and other buildup as possible. If necessary, use a mild soap. If the situation calls for it, it might be worth it to run a stiff brush on the slide as well.

In the worst-case, run the horn to a repair shop where an expert can take care of your horn. In terms of cleaning, a repair may have special chemicals which can be used to remove old deposits and grease from the slide. If you’re lucky, they may even have tools to ensure your tuning slide comes back looking new.

Step 3: Apply Tuning Slide Grease and Assemble

At this point, your tuning slide should be in good shape. If not, repeat the previous steps as needed until you’re ready to put your horn back together. Otherwise, we can move on to applying slide grease.

Unlike slide oil or slide cream, slide grease is more like a thick gel. When applied to a slide, it forms a nice barrier between the inner and outer slide. The purpose of this barrier is three-fold:

• Corrosion protection (i.e. limits corrosion on exposed metal)
• Contact reduction (i.e. reduces damaging contact between inner and outer slide)
• Mobility restriction (i.e. keeps slide from locking but also from moving on its own)

To apply it, place a small amount of grease on the inner slide. Then, like a normal slide, begin to work the slide into place using a twisting motion with one tube at a time. If done correctly, you should get an even coating of grease along the inner an outer slide.

When ready, put the slide in playing position and remove any excess grease with a cloth. With everything in place, you’re finished. Remember to periodically check in on your tuning slide to ensure everything is in working order.

Unfortunately, I don’t have any grease to recommend at this time. However, feel free to check back as I’ll be looking grease options soon.

Summary

In short, taking care of your trombone tuning slide is a three step process:

1. Remove the tuning slide
2. Clean the tuning slide
3. Apply some grease and reassemble the tuning slide

If you follow these steps, your trombone tuning slide should be back in working order. If not, don’t hesitate to reach out to a trombone repair facility. After all, they are the experts.

At any rate, thanks for taking some time to check out this tutorial. Before you go, don’t forget to respect the brass!

The post How to Grease a Trombone Tuning Slide appeared first on Trill Trombone.