• Flute is a member of the woodwinds family.

• The flute is a soprano instrument - it's pitch is very high.

• It is small, light and easy to carry.

• Sound is produced by blowing into the hole in the mouthpiece and it has a high pitched tone.

• Flutes usually play melody lines and it's a great solo instrument.

• Some students have trouble holding the flute or creating their first sound.

Did you know? The flute is the only woodwinds instrument that does not use a reed!

• Clarinet is a member of the woodwinds family.

• It is small, light and easy to carry.

• It has a lower tone than the flute and can play both alto (medium high to low) and soprano (high) parts.

• The clarinet uses a reed.

• Clarinets usually play both melody and harmony lines and it is also a great solo instrument.

• For beginners, clarinet is a great woodwind instrument to start out on!

• Some students may have trouble holding the clarinet if their hands are too small or if they have double-jointed fingers.

Did you know? Clarinet is very similar to the saxophone and clarinetists could easily progress to the saxophone later on.

• Saxophone is a member of the woodwinds family.

• It has a lower tone than the flute and is an alto instrument. It plays medium high to medium low parts.

• The saxophone uses a reed.

• Saxophones can play both melody and harmony lines and sometimes has some great counter-melodies . It is also a great solo instrument.

• It has a larger case and can be too heavy for smaller young students. (Younger students can start on clarinet and switch to sax later!)

Did you know? There are 7 different types of saxophones: soprano sax, alto sax, tenor sax, baritone sax, bass sax, contrabass sax, and sub-contrabass sax.

• It is the smallest member of the brass family.

• It has a high pitched tone that is produced by buzzing your lips into a mouthpiece. It is the soprano instrument of the brass section.

• Trumpets usually play melody lines but they can also play harmonic lines.

• Trumpet is a great solo instrument.

• The case is medium sized and it is a great instrument for students of all sizes!

Did you know? If you uncoil a trumpet, it stretches to 6 1/2 feet long.

• It is a larger member of the brass family.

• It has a mellow low pitched tone and is a tenor instrument - it plays low notes, but not as low as the bass.

• Sound is produced by buzzing your lips into a mouthpiece.

• Trombones sometimes have melody, but they are usually used to help out the harmony or bass!

• It is also a great solo instrument.

• The trumpet reads in treble clef.

• The trombone has a large case, but it's lightweight! Most younger students have no trouble carrying or holding the trombone.

• The trombone is a very important instrument in a school band - they play the bass line and they are the FOUNDATION of the band!

Did you know? If you uncoil a trombone, it stretches to 9 feet long!

• There are many different types of percussion instruments including orchestra bells, timpani, cymbals, bass drum, snare drum and many more!

• Percussionists can play in group ensembles such as band and string orchestra.

• There is solo music for snare drums, xylophones, marimbas and even drum sets.

• Students that choose percussion learn to perform on a variety of instruments!

Did you know? Drums is one of the worlds oldest instruments! 

• It is smallest member of the string family.

• Violin is played by drawing a bow across the strings and changing notes with your fingers on the finger board.

• Reads treble clef and is the highest sounding voice in the string family.

• It has a bright tone and is a soprano instrument - it plays high notes and often plays the melody!

• Violin is also a great solo instrument.

• The violin can be SIZED to fit younger students! Be sure to check your size before ordering your violin!

• It is medium member of the string family.

• Viola is also  played by drawing a bow across the strings and changing notes with your fingers on the finger board.

• The viola reads  alto clef and is the alto voice in the string family.

• It has a deep, mellow tone and plays lower notes. It often plays harmony parts or beautiful counter melodies.

• The viola can also be SIZED to fit younger students! Be sure to check your size before ordering your instrument!

• The cello is one of the larger members of the string family - not as large as the bass, but quite large for small kids!

• The cello can also be SIZED to fit younger students, but it is still quite large - but not very heavy!

• Cello is  played by drawing a bow across the strings and changing notes with your fingers on the finger board, but it stands on the floor, not on the shoulder.

• The cello reads  bass clef and is the tenor voice in the string family.

• It has a deep, dark,  mellow tone and plays low notes. It often plays beautiful melodies, counter melodies, and bass parts!