Top Maintenance Tips for Piccolo

What is that one difficulty you find when you own a piccolo? The maintenance can be quite a daunting affair in case of the instrument. You will see that though the sound is perfect, there are times when the tuning does not seem so good, and you ought to manage the instrument, and make it work properly. The care for piccolo should not be a one-time affair; instead, make sure you invest some time and energy into maintaining and servicing the piccolo so that it enjoys a long life.

The question remains, how to service the piccolo while at home, without any professional's interference. Here are a few tips that should help you.

• The first part of the process is assembling the instrument. You ought to be careful about the whole process, and what goes where. When assembling the instrument, there are a few things that you ought to take into account. Here we will detail the same for you.

• You will first need to be sure that the tenon cork is smooth and lubricate. You ought to use the cork grease for the purpose. The reason being this lubrication will ensure the smooth and easy fit of the cork in the instrument

• Next on, you ought to hold the wood above the assembly mechanism and the headjoint from below the embouchure hole in order to piece them together. Twist the two in order to make the fix properly. Make sure you don't insert the finger while putting the two together

• Make sure you don't apply too much pressure while joining the two ends. If you are unable to squeeze them together, then connect with a professional

• The next part of the process involves cleaning the Piccolo. You will need to clean and swab the insides of the Piccolo clean. Here are our favorite techniques to help you with that

• Use a silk oboe swab connected with a string, and use the weight to remove the condensation from within the instrument. You should ideally perform the swabbing after every use of the instrument. This way you will increase the life of the instrument, and reduce the maintenance needs exhibited by the instrument

• Make sure you keep the Piccolo protected from the temperature extremes in your surrounding environment. This could affect, specifically if you move from a warm building into a cold temperature. It can crack the wood of the instrument. You should ideally insulate the instrument within a case so that it remains protected.

• The headjoint should be ideally warmed up before it is blown into the embouchure hole. This way, you can avoid the cracking of the headjoint or other parts of the instrument. The headjoint has a thinner piece of wood, and is more prone to the cracks

• The fingerprints on the instrument can be removed with the help of a cotton cloth that is dampened in water. You should ideally not use cloth that are infused with the cleaning chemical. It is not recommended to use silver polish on the instrument to complete the cleaning. When not in use, keep the instrument within the case, safe and protected. Make sure you clean, and oil both the wood and mechanism of the instrument at regular intervals. The headjoint should be oiled more frequently, at least 3 to 4 times a year.

It is understandable if you can't maintain the instrument thoroughly off your own. You ought to invest in a good Piccolo insurance in that case. It will help you manage regular servicing as well as maintenance of the instrument on a regular basis.