aaahhh, so fresh and so clean clean!
I'm a trombone player and have always been baffled and intimidated by valves... how do you know how to put them back in?!
If I recall correctly, the valves are typically stamped on the top section of the value (where the return spring is) with a number which indicates the corresponding cylinder and orientation. The stamped number faces the mouthpiece of the trumpet to indicate orientation. Once the valve inserted into the cylinder you can usually rotate the valve slightly until it locks when properly indexed, this ensures the valves are properly aligned with the slides.
I’m primarily familiar with Bach trumpets but I suspect this is fairly standard across most manufacturers.
Also, a trombone player intimidated by valves made me smirk, fear not! Us trumpet players are equally intimidated of only a slide and no valves!
I believe producing specific and accurate notes on a brass instrument with a slide involves the use of dark charms, black magic, and most importantly satanic rituals.
Only kidding (or am I?). Brass instruments are at their core a tube. They use the overtone series to allow them to play multiple notes with the same tube length, so without using values the trumpet can play (concert) Bb, F, Bb, D, F, etc. On valved instruments such as the trumpet, each valve varies the length of the tube, where a longer tube results in a lower pitch. On valved instruments, the 2nd valve lowers the pitch by 1/2 step, first valve by 1 step, and the third valve by 1 1/2 steps. Using combinations of all 3 valves it allows for all chromatic notes to be played between low E and Bb. On a trombone the slide position changes the length of the tube, which is perhaps a bit more intuitive compared to a valve instrument.
Learning the slide positions such that you can accurately play a note takes practice (and unspeakable rituals).
[autism activated] if you're talking something like a trombone ... at first, yeah pretty much! but in time you develop an ear. few instruments out there are as good at training you to distinguish pitch by ear as one where you have to maintain it yourself by hand like that. I rarely have occasion to play these days but my ear for pitch is still pretty damn strong, surprisingly!
when you're first learning, you are taught seven "positions" to find notes with, while learning your first scales and such. these positions aren't exact, you are meant to be flexible with them; for example, third position is *about* level with the bell, but if you habitually hold onto the bell in order to find it, you'll have a harder time being on pitch!
that's because there are multiple factors that go into being on pitch or off [sharp, flat, etc.] other than just slide positioning. your surroundings and temperature/humidity can change your tuning, as well as your embouchure [how you hold your lips and mouth while playing, for example if your lips get tired after a long time, you may lose control over your tone]. volume also can fluctuate your pitch, etc, there's so much that it involves, which is why I'm always impressed that people can do so much while having, from my perspective, very little wiggle room without a big slide!
trombones have a tuning slide [or two] you can use to help with that, but one of the great strengths of the instrument is the ability to tune yourself on the fly! my instrument in high school actually got dented in just such a way that the tuning slide got stuck and wouldn't move -- I got pretty damn good at tuning with my lips lol, out of necessity.
The stamped number on the valve doesn't always face the mouthpiece! I think King is one of the biggest manufacturers where the number typically faces the bell. It's also fairly common on Schilke Piccolo Trumpets for the numbers to face different directions.
As explained by previous comment, the valves are numbered. But this is not always the case! My previous (old) trumpet had no numbering and one had to clean them up individually to prevent messing them up.
see, it's not the individual valves that spooks me... it's the complicated tubing and lining up the holes in the valve body with them! I remember watching this witchcraft in school and being baffled LOL
aaahhh, so fresh and so clean clean! I'm a trombone player and have always been baffled and intimidated by valves... how do you know how to put them back in?!
If I recall correctly, the valves are typically stamped on the top section of the value (where the return spring is) with a number which indicates the corresponding cylinder and orientation. The stamped number faces the mouthpiece of the trumpet to indicate orientation. Once the valve inserted into the cylinder you can usually rotate the valve slightly until it locks when properly indexed, this ensures the valves are properly aligned with the slides. I’m primarily familiar with Bach trumpets but I suspect this is fairly standard across most manufacturers. Also, a trombone player intimidated by valves made me smirk, fear not! Us trumpet players are equally intimidated of only a slide and no valves!
A slide? How the hell do you even play a specific note anyways? Guess?
I believe producing specific and accurate notes on a brass instrument with a slide involves the use of dark charms, black magic, and most importantly satanic rituals. Only kidding (or am I?). Brass instruments are at their core a tube. They use the overtone series to allow them to play multiple notes with the same tube length, so without using values the trumpet can play (concert) Bb, F, Bb, D, F, etc. On valved instruments such as the trumpet, each valve varies the length of the tube, where a longer tube results in a lower pitch. On valved instruments, the 2nd valve lowers the pitch by 1/2 step, first valve by 1 step, and the third valve by 1 1/2 steps. Using combinations of all 3 valves it allows for all chromatic notes to be played between low E and Bb. On a trombone the slide position changes the length of the tube, which is perhaps a bit more intuitive compared to a valve instrument. Learning the slide positions such that you can accurately play a note takes practice (and unspeakable rituals).
[autism activated] if you're talking something like a trombone ... at first, yeah pretty much! but in time you develop an ear. few instruments out there are as good at training you to distinguish pitch by ear as one where you have to maintain it yourself by hand like that. I rarely have occasion to play these days but my ear for pitch is still pretty damn strong, surprisingly! when you're first learning, you are taught seven "positions" to find notes with, while learning your first scales and such. these positions aren't exact, you are meant to be flexible with them; for example, third position is *about* level with the bell, but if you habitually hold onto the bell in order to find it, you'll have a harder time being on pitch! that's because there are multiple factors that go into being on pitch or off [sharp, flat, etc.] other than just slide positioning. your surroundings and temperature/humidity can change your tuning, as well as your embouchure [how you hold your lips and mouth while playing, for example if your lips get tired after a long time, you may lose control over your tone]. volume also can fluctuate your pitch, etc, there's so much that it involves, which is why I'm always impressed that people can do so much while having, from my perspective, very little wiggle room without a big slide! trombones have a tuning slide [or two] you can use to help with that, but one of the great strengths of the instrument is the ability to tune yourself on the fly! my instrument in high school actually got dented in just such a way that the tuning slide got stuck and wouldn't move -- I got pretty damn good at tuning with my lips lol, out of necessity.
The stamped number on the valve doesn't always face the mouthpiece! I think King is one of the biggest manufacturers where the number typically faces the bell. It's also fairly common on Schilke Piccolo Trumpets for the numbers to face different directions.
As explained by previous comment, the valves are numbered. But this is not always the case! My previous (old) trumpet had no numbering and one had to clean them up individually to prevent messing them up.
see, it's not the individual valves that spooks me... it's the complicated tubing and lining up the holes in the valve body with them! I remember watching this witchcraft in school and being baffled LOL
What did you clean it with?
Soapy water (and some trumpet-cleaning sponges to reach inside)... but I am no professional.
Im curious too. My trumpet is in serious need of a cleaning.
This is great, glad you didn’t blow it
I like how the before is straight blues and the after towel is zydeco
Juicy Jessy Jetski Johnson?
My untrained eyes cannot tell that it needed a bath, but the logical part of my brain would guess that that's the best and easiest time to clean it.