Cleaning/Care tips and maintenance for your musical instrument. Its important to take regular care of your music gear if you want it to sound like new for a long time to come.
Although a complete overhaul / restoration of a music instrument can only be done by professionals, there are several things that you can do to keep your instrument in good shape. Regular cleaning and maintenance is one thing that will keep your musical instrument in good working order.
Time and money spent on preventative maintenance activities is usually much lower, when compared to the costs for major repairs (in case the instrument has been long neglected).
So its important to familiarize yourself with the care and maintenance procedures required for your instrument, so that the instrument continues to give you immense joy.
Here you will find instructions on how to take care of various music instruments. You will also find instructions on how to tune, restring your instrument (for string instruments).
These tips are also very useful for parents of children starting on various school music programs; in case of children, regular instrument care also teaches them to be more responsible.
General Musical Instrument Care
Here are some general maintenance activities that applies to any musical instrument:
- Keep your instrument back in its case when done practicing or when not in use.
- Regularly inspect handles, hinges, locks and zippers and make sure they’re are working properly.
- Clean the fingerprints, dust and residue (do this everyday). You can do this by wiping your instrument down with a clean, soft, non-treated cloth.
- Don’t keep anything on top of your music instrument, and never store anything on top of your instrument inside its case.
- Avoid leaving you instrument in extreme temperatures, as fluctuations can warp and damage your instrument. Avoid leaving your instrument in a car, where it’s susceptible to hot/cold temperatures as well as humidity fluctuations.
- If your instrument is being brought inside from colder temperatures, allow it to warm up to room temperature before playing.
- Never attempt to repair an instrument at home. If a repair is needed, take your instrument to a trained instrument repair technician.
- Don’t leave your instrument unattended, whether inside or outside of its case.
- Consider insuring your instrument against theft or damages (for expensive gear)
Piano
Guitar
If you own a professional grade instrument, its recommended that you get your instrument inspected and serviced by a experienced repair technician (preferably once a year).
Also make sure you have protection (insurance) for your expensive musical instrument.
Projects to Repair Damaged Musical Instruments
Symphony for a broken orchestra, breathes life into hundreds of ‘broken’ school instruments.
“Symphony for a broken orchestra” is a piece composed by Pulitzer Prize-winning composer David Lang written as part of a project to repair over thousand damaged instruments that were rendered unusable because of severe budget cuts to Philadelphia’s public school music programs.
For students, the lack of funding meant they often had to arrange for basic upkeep of instruments, such as reeds and rosin. Eleanor Martinez, a 16-year-old student at South Philadelphia High School, now owns her own clarinet but for a long time needed to share — which grossed her out, she said, given the amount of saliva involved with playing woodwinds.
This is where Symphony for a Broken Orchestra has been like a godsend.
The musicians for Mr. Lang’s symphony included students in grade school, as well as amateurs and professionals — even members of the storied Philadelphia Orchestra, and they played with broken instruments. Performers tapped on violin bodies and clicked the valve keys of horns. At one point, a cellist made noise by turning a stringless peg.
“This was a case where there was something art could do to really solve a problem. It just shouldn’t have been a problem to begin with,” said David Lang after the performance.
KeytarHQ editorial team includes musicians who write and review products for pianists, keyboardists, guitarists & other musicians. KeytarHQ is the best online resource for information on keyboards, pianos, synths, keytars, guitars and music gear for musicians of all abilities, ages and interests.
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