REPAIR TRAINING
Do you want to learn how to service your instrument?
We offer beginner courses and advanced repair tuition on brass and woodwind instruments tailored to fit any budding repairer.
With training and mentoring we can teach how to polish keywork, how to strip down any instrument, the importance of good tool use and the impact of quality materials. We will pull way the curtain on how regulations, pad seating, venting and spring tension come together to make your Instrument work at peak performance.
We offer a few different options to suit your level. Getting to know your Instrument courses is a perfect place to start for a player wanting to learn how to check for leaks and do small repairs on the go. They are held at Dawkes Music in Maidenhead, typically on a Sunday, and can be booked through Ticket Tailor.
We also offer online one to one mentoring for budding repairers and technician who want further mentoring. We’ve split it into two levels - option one is called a General Guidance, where we can cover several questions, give guidance on challenges, help you set goals and share experience based on your current situation. The other option, Specific Session, are designed for established repairers, and can be tailored to cover a specific topic of your choice. This takes preparation and will be a presentation of a skill, technique or principle. Please scroll down for more information about our online mentoring.
Finally we do in person session in the SH Music workshop where we can delve into a subjects together and Sun can give your work feedback as you go.
The best place to start is to get in touch and tell us a bit about what you would like to learn, and we will help you find the best course forward.
No further experience is required, but an interest in mechanics, engineering, or general “tinkering” are all useful skills for learning instrument repair.
To book an online session or a in-person visit, please press the button below or visit our Contact us page in the navigation bar above. For more information, please scroll down.
Online and In-person Mentoring
Online and in person mentoring is a great way to gain advice and support on an ad hoc basis. We offer options below to suit every level, from beginners just finding their footing and looking for advise on where to start, specific sessions to cover a topic you would like to excel at, or practical in person sessions to get specific pointers and guidance on your work.
Please get in touch with the option you are interested in booking and we can choose the topics to suit your needs. All online mentoring calls will be held on Microsoft Teams. Applicants must be proficient in English to attend the calls. If you find the language a barrier, please get in touch and we can discuss text based mentoring through translation programs. As we are based in the UK, these sessions will be held within UK working hours where possible, so please check your time zone if calling internationally. If you are looking to book an evening or weekend call, please get in touch for availability and prices.
General Guidance — typically 1-2 hrs online call — £60 per hour
Are you at a cross roads in your career or are you just starting out in the trade and need to find your footing? This session is a informal chat about the topics of your choosing. This can be for instance:
“Where to start” when first interested in the trade
What tools to get, tailored to your needs as a repairer
What type of instrument to look out for when finding a practice instrument
How to structure your future technical goals
Recommended materials to have on hand
Workbench setup and organising tips for your work space
Guide to torch technique and safe tool use
How to overcome challenges around a certain instrument
How to manage time and set goals for your practice
General questions and advice
Option 2: Specific Session — Price on application — £75 per hour
A presentation on my technique or solutions around a topic of your choice to fill out your knowledge base. For instance:
Dent work
Efficient polishing of silver and other materials
Brass Instrument internal alignment and slide work
Woodwind Instrument key fitting and tonehole work
Spring replacement
Techniques for woodwind pad seating
Professional materials and how to use them
Tool and workshop expansion
Instrument specific servicing
Time keeping
Customer experience
Option 3: In person session in the SH Music workshop — Price on application - Guide price £60 per hour
These in person sessions are tailored to fit your skill level and need and can be built on as ongoing tutoring. We can start with a free 30 minute get to know your call over Teams to see what you would best benefit from booking. If an in-person session is booked, we will also cover what tools and set up needed before your visit and start your training plan.
Tell us what session you think might suit your needs
Getting to know your Instrument courses
Working with Dawkes Music in Maidenhead we have developed a range of courses designed for musicians to tackle emergency repair. These are specific to the instruments Flute, Clarinet and Saxophone and is a one day immersive course to cover history, sound production, simple acoustics, common faults to look out for and how to diagnose and do simple non-invasive emergency repairs. We teach how to best play test your instrument and how to spot fault before they affect the playing. You will be familiarised with the most common tools of the trade and take away a little goodie bag of accessories and helpful literature to keep handy.
For more information and to book please visit: Ticket Tailor
feedback on Getting to know you Instrument courses
“I would definitely say I felt more knowledgeable and confident due to the course”
“The course itself was delivered extremely well by someone who clearly is very passionate about repair and maintenance, and very knowledgeable.”
“I enjoyed the whole course. It was very well prepared, delivered with clarity and obvious passion for the subject. […] How marvellous that an expert shares their experience and knowledge so generously.”
“Well presented, with a good balance between info and practical.”