The tuning slide is the largest piece that connects directly to the lead pipe, which is where you attach the mouthpiece. The first valve slide is on the back of the trumpet on the right side. It connects the first cylindrical valve casing. The second valve slide is the short piece sticking out from the middle valve on the right side of the trumpet. The third valve slide is on the left side of the trumpet. You may need to unscrew a set screw on the slide to remove it completely. Take a picture of your trumpet before you take it apart so you can easily remember where the pieces fit when you reassemble them. If the slides are stuck, don’t try to force them out since you could damage your trumpet. Take your horn to a music shop to have a professional remove them for you.
Most valves are numbered 1, 2, or 3 so you remember where to put them back. If your valves don’t have numbers, lay them out in the same order you took them out of your trumpet. Trumpet valves are hollow and very fragile, so be careful not to scratch or dent them.
If your mouthpiece is stuck in your trumpet, avoid trying to force it out since you could damage the horn. You can clean your trumpet with the mouthpiece attached, but take it into a music shop to have a professional remove it when you can.
If you don’t have a bathtub, use a large plastic tote bin instead.
Avoid using hot water since you could damage the finish on your trumpet.
Be careful not to force the snake brush around curves if it gets stuck since it could get stuck or break. You can get a trumpet cleaning kit that has all the brushes and supplies you’ll need to take care of your instrument. Avoid running a snake brush through the vertical valve casings since it could leave scratches that affect the sound of your trumpet. If you don’t have a snake brush, then just scrape out any visible dirt in the tubing with a cotton swab or toothpick.
If you don’t have a valve casing brush, then set a clean cotton cloth on top of the casing. Push the cloth through the casing with a pencil to wipe the insides.
If you don’t have a mouthpiece brush, then scrape out any residue with a toothpick.
If you pour water through your trumpet, it may come out of any of the slide openings, so be careful not to get yourself wet.
Shake your trumpet and the slides to help get excess water out from the inside.
Avoid getting the tops of the valves or the buttons wet since the water could damage the felt or cork pieces inside.
Avoid using a snake brush to clean your valves since you could leave scratches that affect the sound of your trumpet.
Keep the buttons and tops of the valves dry while you’re rinsing them.
Too much grease can gum up your valves and cause dirt to build up on the outside.
If more grease builds up around the tubing when you push the slides in, clean it off with a paper towel. Since you removed the tuning slide, you’ll have to tune your trumpet once it’s put back together
Make sure you put the first valve in the casing closest to the mouthpiece, the second valve in the middle casing, and the third valve in the casing closest to the bell, or the flared end of the trumpet. If the valves are in the wrong position, your trumpet won’t play.
You only need to insert your mouthpiece if you plan on playing your trumpet right away. Otherwise, you can just put it away in its case.
Leaving fingerprints and oils on the outside of your trumpet could damage the finish.
If your trumpet makes a gargling sound when you play, it’s a sign that you need to empty out the water key.
Lubricating your valves daily ensures they won’t get stuck or feel sticky while you’re playing.
Make sure you wipe up any excess with a paper towel.
Avoid putting things on top of your trumpet when it’s in its case since you could damage your horn.
