Things to Know...

Orchestra instruments come in fractional sizes to accommodate the size of the player.

• Nearly all 6th grade students begin on a fractional sized instrument. For example, most violin players start on a 3/4 size violin, while bass players frequently begin on an 1/8 size bass! As your student grows, they will upgrade to a larger instrument that is appropriate for their physical size. Don't let the size of the instrument deter you... small students can comfortably play any of the stringed instruments!
• Since students usually start on smaller instruments, I recommend renting an instrument instead of purchasing one. Then, when your child is ready for a larger instrument, you can easily swap it for a larger one at the local music store. Purchasing an instrument might be a good option for you once your child is ready for a full size instrument.

You get what you pay for.

• If you decide to purchase an instrument, be careful of amazing on-line deals. Stringed instruments are very intricate instruments. They need to have properly carved fingerboards, bridges, and tuning pegs and they should have high quality fine tuners in order to work properly. An instrument that doesn't have the proper set-up will be extremely difficult to play, especially for a beginning student. This can be quite discouraging to a young player. I recommend purchasing through a local music store or finding a used instrument that was initially sold through a reputable music store.