RECOMMENDED IN-CLASS MATERIALS

• Pencil

• Instrument with Name Tag on Case (name tag provided by school)

• Music Folder (provided by school)

• Supplies to Maintain Instrument

• Bottle Water

RECOMMENDED FOR HOME PRACTICE

• Music Stand

  • Students will be more successful in their practicing at home if they use a proper music stand. They will be able to play in proper playing position & to make it easier to read music. Students should use metronomes to keep the beat and tuners to help them keep in tune. If interested, portable folding stands, metronomes, & tuners are available at the local music stores for about $10-$30 each. There are also free metronomes available online with a link posted at NewhartMusic.com. If you choose to purchase a folding stand for home, please try to purchase one with solid top on the stand.

• Metronome

  • All students should use metronomes to keep the beat and tuners to help them keep in tune!!! There are plenty of free apps for smart phones or free web-based metronomes. They are also available for purchase.

• Tuner

• Good Armless Chair & Lighting

  • Lastly, it is also important that students play with correct posture, so laying on a bed, playing with legs crossed or on the floor is not a good way to play. Sitting up tall in a good supportive chair or standing for most instruments is recommended.

INSTRUMENT SPECIFIC SUPPLIES

All students will be shown how to use these supplies maintain their instrument in good working condition. As suggested by professionals and repair technicians, the supplies listed below are the best way to maintain an instrument in proper playing condition. If an instrument is neglected, then it will likely end up in the repair shop for unnecessary & costly repairs. If interested, there are supply kits available with all the supplies sold together and usually at a discount. Sometimes the local stores run out of these supplies. You may want to call ahead. Shopping idea lists on Amazon are listed later on this page. Some of these supplies can also be borrowed from Mrs. Petty. Please see her after the 3rd day of school and she can help you.

WOODWIND SUPPLIES

• Reed players will go through many reeds. If the reeds are taken care of, 10 reeds should last all year. Purchasing reeds by the box (in bulk) are most cost effective. You can also get reed cases to protect them in their instrument cases. Please try to keep extra reeds in the instrument case for replacement when one breaks.

  • • Flute – cleaning rod with swab (handkerchief), polish/cleaning cloth

    • Clarinet, Bass Clarinet – 5 wood reeds, reed case, cork grease, cleaning swab

    • Oboe – 2 wood reeds, reed case, cleaning swab, cork grease

    • Bassoon - 2 wood reeds, reed case, cleaning swab, cork grease, seat strap

    • Saxophones – 5 wood reeds, reed case, cleaning swab, cork grease, neck or shoulder strap, polishing cloth

• SYNTHETIC & PLASTIC REEDS - The new plastic Legere are pretty good and last a long, long time when taken care of. It is NOT recommended to get any other plastic reed brands as the other ones, that we currently know of, have the worst tone quality ever. Go to www.legere.com/strength-charts to see a strength of reed comparison chart.  If you are not sure which strength you need, see your music teacher before you order.

BRASS SUPPLIES

• All slides should be move freely! Cleaning snakes are used when cleaning the instrument in the bath/sink on a monthly basis. Leave the snake at home. The other supplies should be kept with the instrument at all times and be used once a week to ensure free moving parts.

  • Trumpet – valve oil, slide grease, trumpet cleaning snake, & polishing/cleaning cloth

  • French Horn – valve/rotor oil, slide grease, french horn cleaning snake, & polishing/cleaning cloth

  • Baritone Horn/Tuba – valve oil, slide grease, low brass cleaning snake, & polishing/cleaning cloth

  • Trombone – Water mist spray bottle, slide oil or other slide cream for main slide, cleaning cloth/rag, slide grease for tuning slide, & trombone cleaning snake

PERCUSSION SUPPLIES

• 2 pairs of drum sticks (1 set of 2 B’s and 1 set of 5 A’s)

• 1 pair of staccato wool tympani mallets

• 1 pair of either yarn, plastic or rubber mallets,

• a bag to put these in (stick bag), 

• a snare drum practice pad (rubber head)

STRING INSTRUMENT SUPPLIES

• String instrument polish, violin polish or pure lemon oil. (Please no pledge or other waxy cleaner types of polish.) All supplies should be kept with the instrument at all times except the polish should be left at home.

  • Violin/Viola – 4 working fine tuners, extra set of strings, shoulder rest (foot style), chin rest, polishing cloth

  • Cello – 4 working fine tuners, an extra “A” string, cello rosin, polishing cloth

  • Bass – bass rosin, polishing cloth

• EXTRA STRING SETS should be kept in the instrument case. Almost all violin/viola players will break at least one string this year. If a string breaks, your music teacher can replace them any time. No need to loose playing time by taking it to a repair shop. Strings should match the size of the instrument (for example, a 3/4 size instruments has 3/4 size strings), and they should be "ball end."

WARNING ABOUT SUPPLY SIZES

• Please check with your music teacher for recommendations to sizes, especially when buying boxes of reeds or shoulder rests for violin's and viola's.

• STRINGS

  • 13-14" violas will need a 4/4 violin size shoulder rest

  • 3/4 violins can use a 4/4 shoulder rest (no need to then purchase a 4/4 when you grow into 4/4)

• WOODWINDS

  • Bb Clarinet is the "regular" size clarinet

  • Bb Bass Clarinet is the bass clarinet

  • Alto Sax, Tenor Sax & Baritone Sax all come in different shapes for the different instruments

WHERE TO GO TO GET MUSIC SUPPLIES?

The best place to go get supplies is your local music store. There are many to choose from, however store hours vary and so do their inventories of supplies. All stores will have things like music stands, metronomes, tuners and supplies for the most popular instruments. The more unusual the instrument, the more you would want to call ahead and make sure they have the item you are looking for. String only stores will have the most availabel strings supplies but most band stores also carry string supplies. There are online stores as well, but please purchase quality brands. Off brands often cause poor playing!! If you want more specific information, please email and/or see your music teacher.