Woodwind+Maintenance

Woodwind Maintenance
Overview Generally there is less that you can do to clean a woodwind instrument than other types of instruments. Their cleaning comes more in the way of daily maintenance. Careful observance of these instructions will make your instrument easier to play and will preserve its appearance. It will also cut down on repair bills.

It is important that to make sure that your instrument is in proper adjustment. This is especially true of older instruments. If keys are bent; or pads are torn or worn out; or the instrument is out of adjustment, it will be difficult if not impossible for you to be successful on that instrument. It is important that you have this checked out. Once this is taken care of, follow the instructions below. Instructions
 * Put your instrument together carefully. If you have to force it together,something is wrong. You may need to use cork grease to put some parts of the instrument together. Pressing certain keys will make it easier to put the instrument together.
 * When you have finished playing the instrument, take the reed off, dry it and place it in a reed case.
 * Do not leave the reed on the mouthpiece, it will warp. It should be taken off the mouthpiece and put in its case.
 * Clarinet and saxophone players should have at least four reeds in your case. Number these reeds 1 through 4 and rotate their use daily. As soon as one breaks or wears out, replace that reed as soon as possible.
 * Run a swab through each section of the instrument or use the cleaning rod on the flute. There are several types of swabs. A popular swab with students is called a pad saver. A student simply inserts this in their instrument, when they are finished playing. It soaks up the moisture which will ruin pads over a period of time.
 * Each student should have a soft, clean cloth to wipe off the outside of their instrument, especially where their hands have touched parts of the instrument. This will go a long way towards preserving the appearance of their instrument.
 * The mouthpiece should be cleaned out weekly. You can use a special mouthpiece brush or pull a handkerchief through, on larger mouthpieces. You can wash most mouthpieces in warm water. Do not use hot water, it could warp the mouthpiece. **Do not wash the rest of the instrument!** This will ruin the pads. It is expensive to re-pad your instrument.
 * Extra things should not be stored in the instrument case, unless a special compartment is provided. This can bend, scratch, or otherwise damage the instrument.
 * Q-tips can be used to clean between the moving parts on most instruments. Be careful not to bend springs and keys while doing this.
 * Periodically, you should have your instrument inspected and adjusted by a music store or someone else who knows what to look for and adjust the instrument.