Now is the perfect time, right in the middle of lockdown, to take a closer look at how the trumpet and the cornet work, how to take care of them, and which products you need to grease the tuning slides and valve slides.
How Does a Trumpet Work?
The acoustic operation of the trumpet, and brass instruments in general, is quite unique. While most wind instruments use a tube with lateral holes that you open or close to produce notes of different pitches, brass instruments rely on a combination of a vibrating mechanism—namely the player’s lips—and a tube that resonates according to the vibrations of those lips.
The so-called “natural notes” are produced by the resonance of a sequence of partials that are close to a harmonic series, though not exactly the same… A trumpet player works with the first eight resonance frequencies, which correspond to the series: B♭, B♭, F, B♭, D, F, A♭, B♭ (similar to the harmonic series of B♭).
This sequence of frequencies matches the values of the ratio between the speed of sound and twice the tube length (F = c/2L), where “c” (speed of sound) depends on the air temperature, which can cause intonation issues.
The resulting inharmonicity means the musician has to correct pitch deviations. By using the three valves, separately or together, the player shifts between harmonic series and encounters new intonation issues… That’s where the tuning slides come in: they compensate for these shifts. The smooth movement of the slides is therefore essential to ensure accurate intonation.
What Is a Trumpet Made Of?
Trumpets and other brass instruments are generally made of brass, a material with great qualities: it is very ductile (meaning it can be stretched without breaking), making it relatively easy to shape. Being smooth and non-porous, it provides an excellent surface finish.
As for the moving parts, they need to have a good sliding capacity, avoiding the “stick-slip effect” (a jerky movement observed when sliding).
The solution? Greasing the slides ensures smooth operation. The grease prevents condensation in the tuning slides, reduces corrosion, and avoids internal build-up, eliminating the dreaded “stick-slip effect”!
How Do I Maintain My Trumpet?
Greasing the slides is something you should do regularly, especially if you play a lot, but also if the instrument is rarely used. Lack of movement in the slides can encourage tube corrosion and cause them to stick if the grease dries out.
A trumpet has three slides and one main tuning slide (sometimes called the “main slide”). The 1st and 3rd slides can be adjusted while playing thanks to a finger ring that allows you to extend the air column. Sometimes, instead of a ring, you’ll find a “trigger” that works the other way, shortening the air column.
The 2nd slide is connected to the second valve and cannot be adjusted while playing.
Never grease the slides with your instrument balanced on your lap or near anything valuable—make sure you’re comfortably set up! Greasing should always be done on a clean and dry instrument. If that’s not the case, give it a quick wash with warm soapy water, which is the best cleaner.
There are several types of lubricants available, with different viscosities. Use a thicker grease for the 2nd slide and the main tuning slide, and a lighter grease for the 1st and 3rd slides, since these need to move easily while playing.
Note that if a slide is lubricated with grease that’s too thin, it may move on its own—and even fall out! So take care to apply the right amount.
So, Which Products Should You Use?
We have selected several brands and products from our catalogue, specifically designed for greasing slides and tuning pumps, such as the Lub2 grease from SML, the white Tuning Slide Grease from Antoine Courtois, as well as the Swiss brand La Tromba, which offers La Tromba White Box grease for slides and La Tromba Black Box grease, designed mainly for tuning slides…
