BANDSMEN'S COLUMN.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 7808, 12 September 1903, Page 7

BANDSMEN'S COL UMN.

(By TROMBONE.) HINTS TO BANDSMEN. In my last batch of " Hint* to Bandstnen," I promised something of interest to ■lide trombonists. . Well, here dt is:— A taw years ago, wjien engaged in regular congest- work, I was in the habit of practising every day, from two bo three hours, in trying to succeed as a slide trombone player, and it is almost unnecessary to add that I vaa careful in the -natter of keeping my instrument, - inside and outside, cleafl, vfitrange to say, ' as one important contest ■was jwajed— the Dunedin Exhibition* 1890 *— m^ tone -trent Off, and I became perplexed as to the cause. "Oh, you are practicing too* much/ -was the. general remark of my friends; but I knew, better than .this, for Twas in good health, and my lips were strong, and did not tire. I examined the instrument, and carefully attended to its cleaning ; yet> the tone suffered, and, worse Btill, 1 began to. break on the high -potes. The' trombone in use was the best Highain, brass, a very fine instrument in every refrpect. I waß convinced that the trouble lay £n the slide itself. One day, when I was about' to procure another trombone, a thought struck me. Amongst some rifle fhoowng gear I had a- small, et-ifE hair fcnwh, for cleaning the barrel. Fixing this to a ramrod, and dipping the bruei- in some fcot, aoapy water, I gently passed it sevjfcni- tim«_ through the slide. To my as-tOnish-neht, a- hitherto unshiftable, thin coating of scum came away, and, after furfchercleanteg, the slides became bright, and Just. like new. A "blow shortly after showwi'xae that the cure was complete. The tone became the original one, and the high notes were got with ease, and with no sign of " crackiness." This experience shows th« necessity of careful attention being given tc jfcbe cleaning of an instrument, and. that, to Jceep its tone pure, something more than ordinary hot water is required on occasions t« |«xnove the scum. There are hundreds oi -brass instruments in the bands of New Zealand which suffer, more or less, from thi* fcause, especially after being in use for a few years. If you find the tone going, dc hob think the ins tnjment is done for, or tha* Jjfou Ace going off, but endeavour to give il '». proper cleaning. Valve instruments canpot be treated with a.bru?h, but hot water, with some soda <n_lxed in it, and small-shot, iwili do the work. To slide trombone players, I would recommend the use of a brush, as instanced above. __^Lm^'_o(ag ms**. wM aasu*- te tecom.