Joining Band: Gr 4 & Older

Acquiring a Band Instrument

The most important things to remember about choosing an instrument are:

♫   Pick an instrument based on what sounds your child liked the best and what they are most excited to play. That may not be the instrument that fits in her backpack or that his best friend is playing, and that’s okay! The instrument your child is most excited about playing is the instrument that will be practiced the most.  Another important consideration is if your child was successful making basic sounds on the mouthpiece or, for percussion, if they were able to maintain a steady pulse and accurately play back basic rhythms.  Being able to comfortably produce sounds right from the beginning is a big advantage.

♫ Due to the number of instruments available, there may be a limit to the number of students who can play in each section, so it is important to also select a second-choice instrument.

Once your student has selected an instrument you will need to acquire a student/beginner or intermediate level instrument from a music store.  Local music stores that have a road representative who serves North Butler are West Music and Rieman Music.

Please note: Due to extreme pitch problems and lack of durability, please make sure you acquire an instrument from our preferred brands list below. A variety of non-music stores and/or websites offer substandard quality instruments, but the pitch problems and lack of repair options can jeopardize your child’s band experience. When you rent/purchase a quality instrument for your child–that can be repaired if needed—you are giving them the best chance for success. Instruments do not need to be new, used ones are perfectly acceptable.

Preferred Instrument Brands

Flute: Armstrong, Gemeinhardt, Yamaha, Trevor James, Bundy, Selmer, Artley, Pearl, Di Zhao

Clarinet: Selmer, Yamaha, Jupiter, Armstrong, Buffet, Bundy, LeBlanc, Noblet

Alto Sax: Selmer, Yamaha, Jupiter, Buffet, Bundy, Cannonball, Antigua

Cornet (preferred over trumpets): Bach, Yamaha, Selmer, Conn, Besson,

Trombone: Yamaha, Jupiter, Getzen, Blessing, Bach, Selmer, Conn, King, Olds, Antoine Courtois, Holton

Percussion: Mapex bell/snare kit