How to Clean Brass Instruments

Summary: Caring for any musical instrument is important to the sound and function of that instrument. For brass instruments, this is especially true. Brass instruments are musical instruments that produce a sound by vibrating the lips and blowing air into the mouthpiece of the instrument. Valves and tubing change the pitch of the note initially played. Brass instruments include the trumpet, tuba, trombone, cornet, bugle and the French horn. Flutes, though made of brass, are not typically described as brass instruments because the sound is produced differently.

In this series of expert videos, you will learn more about care and maintenance for brass instruments. Before you begin playing the instrument, you should familiarize yourself with the parts of the instrument so that you will know what needs to be routinely cleaned. For instance, some valves can become sticky; watch videos in this series on how to clean and replace valve pads. Also get tips on valve oils, greasing slides, cleaning cloths and polishes for brass instruments. Learn how to clean everything on the brass instrument from the mouthpiece to the slide.