Beginner Band Series: Instruments

So, your student has made the decision to join the band. Great! Now you’re likely wondering what they’re going to play and how to get it? We’ll break it down into two parts:

PART I: CHOOSING AN INSTRUMENT

Choosing an instrument to play in the beginner band may seem like a small thing, but it’s actually a HUGE deal! Each student is deciding the instrument that they not only want to play but the instrument that they’ll dedicate hours to practice on, learn how to take care of, learn all the little cool tricks to, and potentially play for the next 100 years (not to be dramatic or anything). Let’s go over the steps and how an instrument is chosen for each student. 

1. Have options

Imagine a student has made up their mind that they’re going to play the flute. They love everything about it and they can’t picture themselves playing anything else. They are going to become a flute player and that’s that. Then when instrument try outs come along and it’s their turn to try the flute, no matter how hard they try, they can’t even make a sound. The student then gets told, “Maybe the flute isn’t for you. Let’s try something else!” Of course, this would leave the student devastated, and unfortunately, this happens far too often. 

When we begin approaching the day for instrument try outs (May 12), it’s important for your student to have at least three different instruments that they think they would enjoy playing. Typically, at least one of their top choices is something that suits them well. This way, they can leave try outs looking forward to playing their new instrument. 

2. What are we looking for? 

The directors assign instruments very carefully. We do this because we want to ensure that each student is given the highest possible chance of success on their instrument. Because of this, here are some things you might expect during instrument try outs. 

• We’re going to look at your student’s face. A lot. Why? Different instruments are better suited for the various facial characteristics. We’re looking at lip shape and size, whether there is an underbite or overbite, how aligned the teeth are, and more. For context and an example, people with small lips are better suited for certain instruments than people with big lips are. Now, will certain facial features stop your student from playing an instrument? No, but keep in mind, we’re trying to find the best fit for your student, which includes using their facial structure and features as an advantage and tool towards finding that fit. 

• We’re also going to look at your student’s arms and feet? Why? Students who want to play trombone need long arms in order to reach all the slide positions. If a student is wanting to play a large instrument, such as tuba, we might check their feet to see if they’re bigger than average. If they are, then we can expect them to be tall enough to comfortably play the tuba. Once again, we’re looking for the best fit. 

• Particularly for percussion, we’re looking to see if the student can keep time and has a natural feel for rhythm. You may see them being asked to tap a toe at one speed and the other at a different speed. You might see them patting their head and rubbing their stomach. You might hear them saying things like, “apple pie”, “strawberry shortcake”, “watermelon”, “coconut shrimp”, and other weird, and usually food-related, things. Please just trust the process; all these weird things serve a particular purpose. 

3. Making the decision

So your student has finished trying out all the different instruments. Now what? Now the directors will take the score sheet and see how the student did on each instrument. We’ll ask the student what they’d like to play and check that against the score sheet. If they align, then great! If they don’t, then we might look towards a different option for the student. Our biggest goal for instrument try outs is for each student to be placed on an instrument they’ll enjoy and can be successful on. We’ll try to steer students away from instruments that they may struggle on, and here’s why:

• Students who choose an instrument that is not suited for them will struggle. They’ll get frustrated. They’ll progress slower and get behind the rest of their classmates. Once that happens, students often begin to blame themselves and think of themselves as poor musicians. After that, students will grow a dislike for being in the band and eventually quit. 

In contrast, we try to steer students towards an instrument that is well-suited for them. We want them to excel, have fun, and enjoy being in the band. The easier we can make it on the student, the better results they’ll get. 

PART II: GETTING AN INSTRUMENT

Now that the decision of which instrument to play has been made, the next step is getting one. There are lots of options available and here are the best ones: 

1. Renting from Amro

We recommend that first-year students rent an instrument. The reason is that during the first year of beginner band, students are given the opportunity to decide whether this is something they want to pursue or something they do wish to continue into the second year. Should your student decide not to continue being in the band after their first year, which we hope is not the case, selling an instrument is much more difficult than returning one to the rental provider. If you are to buy an instrument and your student decides to quit the band, you’re then stuck with an instrument that has depreciated in value that may likely be hard to get rid of. Renting an instrument provides you with more options and protects you against possible financial losses. 

There are also other benefits to renting with our friends at Amro. A major one is that should an instrument need to be sent to the shop, they’ll provide you with a replacement until your student’s is fixed. They also provided rent-to-own agreements so once you’ve made enough monthly payments to equal the instrument’s original value, you no longer need to make payments and the instrument is yours. 

2. Renting from Ole Brook Bands

Certain instruments will be supplied by the band program. These instruments are: French horns, baritones/euphoniums, tubas, and percussion instruments. We have an extremely limited number of additional instruments that we cannot know for sure will be available to rent to students. We try our best to help where and when we can, but our inventory is limited. Renting other instruments than the ones listed above from the Ole Brook Bands is typically a “last resort” option. 

3. Purchasing

If and when you decide to purchase an instrument, the first thing you need to do is consult a band director. We’re knowledgeable on the different instruments, brands/makes, models, concerns, and other factors that are important to consider when purchasing an instrument. This is particularly important when purchasing a used instrument. The directors will need to inspect the instrument and determine its condition before any purchases are made. We are here to help, be a resource, and protect you financially when making the decision to purchase an instrument. 

4. Things to watch out for

Allow me to get on my soapbox because what I am about to say to you is a hill I am more than willing to die on. I cannot emphasize these statements enough. Do NOT purchase an instrument from Temu, Wal-Mart, Target, Amazon, or any other vendor that is not solely focused on musical instruments, gear, and/or equipment. Do NOT purchase an instrument if the brand name is in Comic Sans font. In most cases but not all, do NOT purchase an instrument that comes with white gloves. Here’s why: 

• It’s NOT cheaper! Yes, the price tag is for a smaller amount than that of a Yamaha, a Gemeinhardt, a Conn, or any of the other great brands, but it is certainly not cheaper. These instruments are cheaply and poorly made. They are not good instruments. They will hold your student back. They will break. ALL. THE. TIME. One visit to the shop for a repair can easily cost more than the instrument was bought for, and that’s if they’re willing to even work on it. After a certain point, the instrument just becomes unusable or is constantly broken. Cheaper is not better! It’s much better to spend more on a quality instrument than to constantly buy and pay for repairs for a low quality instrument. It’s worth the investment to get a good instrument.

5. Other needs and equipment

To make things as concise as possible, all wind instruments will need maintenance kits (oils, greases, cloths, etc.) to help keep the instrument in good condition; however the best way to keep an instrument working well is to preach to your student to take care of it. Don’t throw it around, don’t drop it, don’t let others play with it, be gentle with it, and keep it in its case when it's not being used. Oboe, clarinet, and saxophone players will need to purchase reeds. After a certain amount of time or if they break, reeds will need to be replaced. Brass players will need mouthpieces. If you rent an instrument from Amro, it should come with one. If you rent from Ole Brook Bands, you will need to purchase one. Percussionists will need sticks. 

All of these items will be further explained and more information will be given when your student chooses their instrument. 

Thank you for taking the time to read this post! I hope it helps you get an idea of what to expect when it comes to choosing and getting an instrument!