Musical Instruments Care Guide You Must Keep With You
7 General Tips for Musical Instruments Care
- Keep your instrument in its case when you are not using it.
- A bigger instrument that doesn’t use a case, like a piano, should be kept in an area where it can be covered when not in use.
- Leave a musical instrument in a cool area, extreme heat can damage its exterior. Humidity also has an influence on your instrument’s exterior.
- Don’t attempt to repair your own instrument, always take it to a specialist who has the right tools.
- Don’t put any other objects on top of your instruments, especially anything that contains fluids.
- If you have invested a lot in your instrument consider insuring it.
- Always wipe off fingerprints, sweat drops, dust residue, and other dirty marks. Use a clean cloth – don’t use household cleaners with chemicals that can damage your instrument’s exterior.
Besides these general tips, you can also follow a maintenance guide for a specific instrument type below.
Piano, Guitar, and Drum Maintenance Guides
Piano Care and Maintenance
Usually, when you sign up for piano classes in Singapore, the first thing the instructor will tell you to do is get familiar with the piano’s exterior and interior. Moreover, if you’re planning to get an acoustic piano – you should be aware that maintaining them can be rather expensive as technicians and specialists need exclusive tools to tune and regulate pianos.
One more important thing to take note of is to arrange for an annual voicing test for your acoustic piano. This is necessary to make sure that your piano always creates full tones that are in tune. Some basic piano care tips include using wood varnish for the wooden exterior and covering the piano keys with a special cloth whenever it is not in use.
That’s why nowadays, people tend to switch to a digital piano such as Casio GP-510, a grand hybrid piano for easier maintenance, and affordable price but still has the acoustic piano playing experience.
Guitar Care and Maintenance
Most guitars are typically made from wood, such as Ash, Maple, Walnut, Basswood, and Poplar. Therefore, guitars are subjected to wear and climate from being used over time. However, with proper care and maintenance, it’s actually pretty easy to keep them in good condition and prolong their lifespan.
When it comes to guitar, you need to have a good quality furniture polish to wipe down the base of your guitar and at the same time, use soapy water and a dry cloth to clean the fret bars after each use. Dirt and grime from playing frequently build up and can damage your guitar in the long run.
Another important aspect of guitar care is to always check the guitar strings. Wear and tear can easily damage them and make them snap off when not wiped clean and looked after.
Drum Care and Maintenance
Just like your piano, your drum has to receive proper care across three different parts – hardware, drum hoops, and drum shells. But before you go into every part, the essentials you will need to begin the cleaning process would be drum polish, microfiber cleaning, and lubricating oil. Cleaning tools aside, you will also need to keep some basic tips in mind.
You can do some simple things like polishing cymbals after each use without wiping too hard. Clean the screws and the rest of the drum set carefully with a special drum set cleaner. This is an essential basic knowledge that you can teach to your kids that would become a good habit in the future.
Our drum tutors at drum lessons for kids in Singapore may teach you how to play the instrument well and look after it but it’s always good to enter the class with some basic knowledge. Afterward, everything else will be much easier for your child to take in. They are also more likely to give you detailed steps regarding proper drum care.
