And I take this as a chance for a rebirth. gmonady is now Dr GO.

Prior to my retirement from my professorial gig at the medical school this past December, I taught muscle physiology in the first year medical student curriculum. We are at the mercy to the laws of physiology of muscle fiber development. So it takes about 2-6 weeks for muscle to adapt to new stress without damaging fibers. At the end of that 2-6 week span, one can add another 20% duration to the work out. So if 45 minutes is all you can do at this point, continue for several weeks at 45 minutes, than in that new week add 45 x 0.20 or about 10 minutes to the next week (55 minutes) and stay with that for another several weeks. Then advance another 20%. Keep doing this at these intervals until you reach your goal.

Let fatigue be your friend. When you loose control or start leaking air, step away from the horn for the day and start back at it tomorrow.

Let me know how this works out.

I was walking by a brown stone in New York and heard jazz streaming from a window. Door was open so I went in to find a band playing in an open loft. Asked if I could listen to which a band member replied sure then asked if I played. Said yes, was a trumpet player. They asked if I had my horn with me and told them in the building down the block. They asked me to get it and sit in as their second trumpet would not be there. I did. Turned out it was the 9 lives jazz ensemble, Mingus's band just after he passed. Wound up being bands sub and this launched my music career in NYC.

AND to the Chemists out there:

HAPPY EASTER from:

The Ether Bunny

A mechanic was removing a cylinder head from the motor of a Harley when a heart surgeon walked into his shop. As the surgeon was waiting for the service manager to look at his bike, the mechanic called to him: "Hey Doc, can I ask you a question?" The surgeon, a bit surprised, walked over to the mechanic working on the motorcycle.

The mechanic wiped his hands on a rag and asked, "Doc, look at this engine. Like you, I can open it up, take valves out, fix 'em, put in new parts and when I finish this will work just like a new one. So why do I earn a pittance and you get the really big money, when we are doing basically the same work?"

The surgeon smiled, leaned over, and whispered to the mechanic: “Try doing it while the engine is still running.”

@Kehaulani-0 said in Oiling trumpet:

If the valves stick, wash them, remove all of the previous oil, and reoil with a different oil.

There's not that much difference, practically speaking, in oils as some may want you to believe.

Despite my above post on viscosity and longevity, I actually do agree with these comments. The comparison I made (from other's research) is just that. Other than longevity of the oil, there is no subjective ratings as to which one works best.

And when out on a gig and realizing I forgot to pack the oil, my experience is I can barrow a spritz from one of the other trumpet players and the valves perform just fine. Any Port in Storm.

@Newell-Post said in Odd Mouthpice:

Thanks, guys. When I first saw it I also assumed it might be a cornet mouthpiece duct taped to a trumpet receiver. However, when I got it off, I could see that it is MUCH deeper than a cornet mouthpiece. The shank actually fits on my cornets fairly well, but it is clearly not a cornet mouthpiece. I would have expected it to be marked 7FL, or something of that nature. But it isn't. Just plain "7." I'll post some photos tomorrow.

I am pretty sure the "Bach" taper is the size fitting the Kanstul flugelhorns. Does this mouthpiece fit your Kanstul? I had my Kanstul flugelhorn mouthpiece made by Flip Oakes as a Bach shank and it too is very deep and fits the Kanstul perfectly.

I am betting it is a Sea Cornet. But if someone unexpectedly would step on it while wading in the water it would Be Flat.

Neither. I form an embouchure by firming my upper lips with the facial muscles attaching to the zygomatic arch of the orbits of my eyes. Why? More muscle fibers attach hear distributing force more in more directions, with more insertion sites increasing the efficiency of muscle action while increasing embouchure endurance with more effective distribution of work load.

This also more easily opens the lip aperture resulting in a less resistant airflow.

I am a physician, that taught muscle physiology at a medical school for 27 years. I applied my knowledge of facial muscle anatomy with the physiology of muscle dynamics to come up with this approach, and it has increased my endurance, accuracy and range considerably in doing so over the more "traditional" methods you describe.

@Dale-Proctor said in Greasy Valve Stem Felts:

Do you store the horns at any angle that would cause the valve oil to run toward the stems?

This is my thought too. Are you storing your horn in a case with the valves down?

@Anthony-Lenzo said in Student trumpet:

...I should not have sold it. But thinking back it went to a cute little boy whose dad wanted him to have a good trumpet. Now in retrospect I am happy for the little guy as I write this .It is a good trumpet why shouldn't he have it.

Sounds to me you have done a beginning trumpet player a good service. The trade off is you may have precluded your use of this horn to have been of some benefit to you.

Let me explain, I had an Olds Ambassador and bequeathed it to my brother that abused the heck out of it in marching band. He returned it to me decades later and I decided to refurbish it, perhaps for my own use, perhaps for resale. The refurbished horn when returned looked great but played even better than I ever remembered. I decided to keep it. It is now my third most played horn in my collection.

I take it with me on vacations as if it is stolen or lost, it is the least valuable horn in my collection (except for my Pocket Trumpet). It has served me well on many trips, business and vacation, and many travels when I was not needing to play professionally. So for this reason, I have kept it and am glad I have.

How you use the valve oil depends on 1) the oil you choose 2) tightness of the valves in the casing:

SPEED: The most important quality in a valve oil is its ability to promote speed by reducing friction, but the oil also causes some resistance of its own. This measured resistance is called viscosity. Musicians seeking a "thin" oil are simply looking for a low viscosity oil. Viscosities of different oils are presented in the table below:

VALVE OIL VISCOSITY CHART COMPARISONS:
Products - Viscosity (cSt)
WATER - 1.00
MINERAL SPIRITS - 1.34
CLARK TERRY - 1.83
BENGE - 1.99
BLUE JUICE - 1.99
PLAYERS - 2.15
JUPITER - 2.20
ROCHE-THOMAS - 2.31
HOLTON - 2.38
HYBRID 141-A7 - 3.02
PRO-OIL RED - 3.61
SPACE FILLER II - 3.72
AL CASS - 3.73
PRO-OIL BLUE - 3.80
SPACE FILLER I - 5.10
SLIDE (for trombones) - 5.12
ALISYN - 7.59

ENDURANCE: Represents the oil's ability to maintain a fast and smooth valve action over many hours despite playing conditions. This characteristic is very difficult to develop in an oil without compromising speed because endurance is the end result of a complex series of interrelated properties and conditions: evaporation rate, film strength, surface tension, water solubility, and valve cleanliness.

Evaporation rate:
In most student and mid-line horns, a valve oil that evaporates to < 40% of the original oil remains on the valves will begin to hesitate unpredictably.

For higher end horns (clean and very tight valves), the slowdown is much sooner and sudden seizing of a valve is more common.

Evaporation rate table below, lists the percent of oil remaining on a surface as a function of time at room temperature. This does NOT reflect that a given valve oil will last the number of days shown, but rather the percentage of oil remaining after a given period of time. Unfortunately, as evaporation occurs, the lighter oil content diminishes until only the slow heavy oil remains on the valves. Experiments back in 1976 proved this.

EVAPORATION RATE TABLE
(PERCENT REMAINING VERSUS TIME) Products Vis.(cSt) 19 hrs 48 hrs 72 hrs 96 hrs 120 hrs
WATER 1.00 - 0%
MINERAL SPIRITS 1.34 - 0%
CLARK TERRY 1.83 - 16% - 7% - 6% - 0%
BENGE 1.99 - 35% - 13% - 8% - 5% - 4%
BLUE JUICE 1.99 - 44% - 23% - 17% - 12% - 8%
PLAYERS 2.15 - 44% - 20% - 13% - 8% - 4%
JUPITER 2.20 - 33% - 17% - 15% - 13% - 10%
ROCHE-THOMAS 2.31 - 16% - 13% - 13% - 12% - 11%
HOLTON 2.38 - 25% - 7% - 4% - 0%
HYBRID 141-A7 3.02 - 92% - 75% - 64% - 55% - 46%
PRO-OIL RED 3.61 - 74% - 44% - 33% - 21% - 11%
AL CASS 3.73 - 75% - 48% - 37% - 26% - 16%
PRO-OIL BLUE 3.80 - 77% - 50% - 37% - 25% - 13%
SPACE FILLER I 5.10 - 100% - 100% - 100% - 100% - 100%
SLIDE (t-bones) 5.12 - 100% - 100% - 100% - 100% - 100%
ALISYN 7.59 - 100% - 100% - 100% - 100% - 100%

Endurance also has a factor in the piston as it slides down the valve casing it to rub against the oil film. This movement ruptures the film and allow direct metal/metal contact. In hyper-tight valve assemblies (i.e., Monette and Schilke) oil film rupture is potentially more frequent and disastrous. This is a purely mechanical phenomenon which can only be prevented with an oil having a high film strength. Achieving a high film strength oil within the optimum viscosity range (2.5- 4.0 cSt) is recommended. High film strength gives a smooth, slippery feel when the oil is rubbed rapidly between the fingers. When shaken, an oil with a high film strength will yield bubbles that collapse within 1- 3 seconds. Whereas an oil with poor film strength will tend to entrap air for a much longer time.

Here is what AI says:

When oiling trumpet valves, the key is to use a specialized "valve oil" with a proper viscosity, applying only a few drops on each side of the valve piston, ensuring it coats the moving parts without being excessive, as too much oil can slow down the valve action and attract dirt; it's generally recommended to oil your valves a few times a week or when they feel sluggish, and to always clean the valves regularly to prevent buildup.

So if using artificial oil, it MUST be true.

@J-Jericho said in Oiling trumpet:

I've said this before: I always oil valves before and after playing. Same for Amado water keys. Also, I floss and brush my teeth before playing.

OMG! I have been doing it so wrong all these years! I have been flossing my trumpet and oiling my teeth. No wonder I keep biting my tongue!

For those wanting to join in on the first session in January, the First Sunday Jazz Jam is featuring Cincinnati's premier trumpet player, Mike Wade. I will be there (but has been moved to the 12th due to the snow storm coming through today) as well so bring your axe if you are nearby and get the chance to play with Mike: