Information on Supplies & Expectations

BOOKS AND SUPPLIES

Students must purchase the Essential Elements Book 1 for either violin, viola, cello, or bass. Students will also need rosin and a cloth with which to wipe rosin residue off of the instrument. Violinists and violists will need a shoulder rest and cello players a rock stop or cello strap.

All orchestra members need a music stand to be used at home for practice. The stands should be positioned at the players' eye level. Students do not need to bring stands to school.

EQUIPMENT

All orchestra students are to bring their instrument, Essential Elements Book 1, their orchestra binder/folder, and a pencil to every lesson. Violinists and violists must also remember to bring their shoulder rest to every lesson. Cello students must remember to bring a rock stop or cello strap. Violins, violas, and cellos are to be taken to school on lesson and rehearsal days and kept at home at all other times. Instruments may not be left at school overnight. Basses will be kept at school for lessons during the school day. Each bass player is required to have a bass at home with which to practice on.

INSTRUMENT CARE

It is the responsibility of each orchestra member to keep his/her instrument in top playing condition at all times. Please do not try to do your own repairs! If there is a problem with your instrument, bring it to the attention of your director or call the instrument rental company.

TUNING

String instruments are tuned by turning the tuning pegs up to tighten the string, and down to loosen the string. When the string is tightened, the pitch becomes higher. Please allow a teacher or a music store employee to tune the instruments, as strings will break if tightened too severely. While tuning, always pluck the string to ensure the pitch will not become too high, and as a result the string too tight (the string acts like a rubber band, when pulled too tight, it will snap). Music stores offer tuning devices which will display the note name of the pitch which is being played. There are also many free apps available for smart phones.

INSTRUMENT PURCHASE

Instruments can be rented from your local music stores for a school year. Upon renting an instrument, please be aware string instruments are available in four different sizes (generally 1/2, 2/4, 3/4, and full, or 4/4). Please check with the store owner that your child is playing on the appropriately sized instrument for his/her size.

Purchasing a stringed instrument can be a wonderful boost for students once they are ready for a full-size instrument. However, at the fourth and fifth grade age students are not playing on full sizes instruments. When playing on a full sized instrument in the future, please be aware that a music teacher may be able to assist you with the purchase. We can provide you with information about reputable dealers, help you determine the quality of a particular instrument, and even play-test several instruments to help you find one that your child will be able to play for years to come. The purchase of a stringed instrument should be viewed as a long-term investment for your child.

DO I COME TO MY LESSON IF I FORGOT TO BRING MY INSTRUMENT TO SCHOOL?

Students who forget to bring their instrument on the day of a lesson must still come to his/her lesson. Though the student will gain knowledge from the lesson, this is a serious problem because the student misses out on playing on his or her instrument. The lesson group can suffer because the missing students may not be able to perform adequately with the group in the next lesson and will need to catch up. It is expected that the student make a special effort to practice that week to keep up with the group.