The departure of Summer, and the grand reopening of School, may be here but it’s not all bad news. In fact, with Normans, some of this back to school malarkey comes perilously close to fun. With that in mind check out our Back to School Essential for Brass players below. Even if you don’t play brass. Read on. After all, the new academic year sounds like the perfect time to take up a new instrument.
It’s important to care for your instrument and a must have essential for the new school year is your
Valve Oil. Without this must have accessory you’ll quickly become stuck and find yourself lamenting the missed opportunity of a quick purchase before the frenzied mania of school really kicks in.
Valved Instruments
One particularly popular brand that seems to elicit a Marmite response is the visually distinctive
Blue Juice. While there are those who would argue passionately against it there is a dozen more who find this a fantastic product, as you can see from the reviews.
For those students who are possibly more likely to misplace rather than ever actually finish a bottle of oil, cheap and cheerful might be the way to go. With this in mind the
Rocket Oil is a great buy. (Also available to buy in mass.)
Trombones
However for those people who rely on Rotary valves and slides the afore mentioned oil isn't really the best solution to keeping things moving. For trombones it is all about the side. For this the
Superslick sets are really good, putting together all that you need in one place.
French Horn
Don’t worry, we haven’t forgotten you French Horn people. While the above valve oil is not unsuitable for your instrument it might not be the tidiest. With somewhat more awkward valves than other brass instrument something like the
Superslick SSKO Oil is pretty handy with its precise application needle. (See our how to
here.) Now that everything is moving again after the period of minimal practice, rather the Summer Holidays, it’s good to keep things like that. Cleaning brushes and cloths are really handy in keeping everything
spick and
span.
Another item people often find handy on the school run is a gig bag. While many student Trumpets / Cornets come with a handy backpack style cases some more advanced models and other bigger instruments mostly have more traditional cases. While such cases have some serious benefits, such as being very sturdy and able to take a beating, they are big, heavy and cumbersome. One possible solution is a
Gigbag. These cases offer a lot of protection while being considerably lighter than their ‘Traditional’ counterpart and usually have the handy of backpack style handles for easy carrying. Here are just a few to choose from.
USEFUL LINKS
Best Trumpets for Beginners Choosing the Right Trumpet Best Trombone for Beginners What you need to know when Buying a Trumpet Trumpet vs Cornet
