For information on how to clean a Baritone Horn, you have come to the right page. Here you will find step by step instructions on how to go about cleaning your Baritone Horn. You will also find general information and tips on the topic.

The Baritone Horn was an invented around 1790 by Adolpho Sax. Sax was better known for inventing the Saxophone. Back then the Baritone Horn was basically made of glass rods that could be played by stroking them with moistened fingers. Today the Baritone Horn is often compared to a smaller version of the Tuba. The sound of the Baritone Horn is in a somewhat higher range than that of the Tuba. The Baritone has a mouthpiece, three valves, a bell and the instrument is about 3 feet in height.http://www.angelfire.com/band/horns/index.htmlhttp://www.alsmiddlebrasspages.com/tenorhorn/history.html

Everyone that wants to know how to play a brass instrument will also need to know how to clean it. Good maintenance will make it so that the instrument is easier to play and stays in good shape. You can clean the instrument using the steps below. Make sure you give your Baritone Horn a bath about once a month and every six months you can take it to be professionally cleaned so the places on the Baritone Horn that you cannot reach can be cleaned.

To complete the cleaning steps below you will need the following items:

• ■ valve brush
• ■ snake brush
• ■ dry soft cloths
• ■ valve oil
• ■ slide grease
• ■ towel
• ■ musical instrument soap or dish washing soap
• ■ a bath tub or large container that fits your Baritone Horn

Washing the Baritone Horn is something that you should do once a month. Take the following steps:

• ■ Take the Baritone Horn apart. Remove the mouthpiece, slides, and valves. If any part of the instrument is stuck, don't try to fix it, take it to a music store of repair technician to have them help you. You don't want to damage your Baritone Horn.
• ■ Fill the tub with lukewarm water and add dish or musical instrument soap to it.
• ■ Soak all the instrument parts, except for the valves, in the soapy water.
• ■ Let everything soak for 10 minutes.
• ■ Rinse the valves with water while brushing the openings of the valves using the valve brush.
• ■ Lay the valves to dry on the towel.
• ■ Use the snake brush to brush out any tubes, valve casings and valve bottom caps.
• ■ Rinse off all the soap of your soaking instrument parts and lay the parts to dry on the towel. Make sure everything is dry, inside and out, before you proceed.http://www.musiccenters.com/care.htmlhttp://www.angelfire.com/band/horns/index.html

Oiling the valves of the Baritone Horn should be done before and after you play. Apply the oil at least once a week. To do this, make sure you apply valve oil to the entire valve except for the stem and finger button. Place the valve back onto the instrument in exactly the same way it was before you removed it. Press the valve button up and down so that the oil can spread out somewhat.http://www.angelfire.com/band/horns/index.html

Greasing the slides should be done once every two weeks. Put a little bit of grease on the slides and place them back onto the instrument. Make sure to oil the valves and grease the slides after each time you wash the instrument. Many music stores sell slide grease and valve oil in instrument cleaning kits. The kit also contains brushes that you may need. If you are on a strict schedule, you might want to just purchase valve oil and slide grease separately because it is much more affordable.http://www.musiccenters.com/care.html

There are various things you will have to deal with when you own a Baritone Horn. Following you will find a short summary:

• ■ Don't drink or eat before playing the Baritone Horn since food may be stuck in your mouth.
• ■ If your horn seems extra dirty, consider having it cleaned by a repair technician.
• ■ You can find various videos on cleaning your Baritone Horn on the Internet.
• ■ Learn how to read music after you have learned how to play by ear.
• ■ Never sit on the case with the instrument in it.
• ■ Don't leave the instrument lying around in extreme temperatures.
• ■ If your instruments has numerous dents on it, you may want to take it to a dent repairman. The repairman will have special tools to reverse the dent damage.
• ■ If you have just eaten, make sure to brush your teeth before playing the Baritone horn. You want to make sure there is no food pieces left in your mouth.

Once you Baritone Horn is clean you can start playing the instrument. There are various ways to learn how to play. Some costs more than the other. Make sure to read the Mahalo page How to Play the Baritone Horn.