Equipment can be overwhelming and hard to find...

NOTES

• • Rhythm section is often the most confounding piece

    • Learn the function for each instrument, then teach as a unit

      • For equipment, maximize without going overboard

        • Simplify drum set

          • 18-20in bass drum

          • Small rack tom (12in)

          • Floor tom

          • 14 in snare drum (coated head)

            • Remo coated Ambassador

          • Hi hat cymbals (crucial!)

          • Ride cymbal (most important!)

          • Dark crash or ride with a different sound

          • Sticks, wire brushes, yarn mallets

          • Sets: Gretsch, Renown (better quality), Catalina (cheaper), DW, Yamaha

            • $800-3000

          • Cymbals: Zildjian

            • starts at $1000

          • Heavy duty stands and hardware

          • Sweetwater Music (good customer service)

          • Tune in P4s low to high (E A D G)

        • Bass

          • Amp

            • As neutral and natural a sound as possible

            • Mark Bass, GKs (combo amps [head+cabinet])

            • EQ is as "equal" as possible - knobs in the middle [goes for keyboard & guitar amps too]

              • Turn up treble to increase clarity (larger spaces)

              • Turn down treble for less "tinny" sound (smaller spaces)

              • Don't turn gain too high, don't crank master volume

                • Set gain at 9 o'clock then bring master up to 12 o'clock

          • P-Bass, Fender Jazz Bass

        • Guitar

          • Amp

            • Fischman, light weight options, Fender Twin Reverb

            • Tube amps = warmer sound but pricy-er

          • Hollow-body electric, Stratocaster works but have to fiddle with EQ, Semi-hollow-body is good middle ground

        • Keyboard/piano

          • Amp

            • Roland (cube) sturdy

          • 88-keys, weighted

          • Cassio Privea, Nord Stage (price-y)

            • Piano sound, Rhodes sound (electric keyboard sound)

          • Acoustic preferably

  • Brass

    • Mutes

      • All

        • Bucket, cup, plunger

      • Trumpets

        • Harmon w/o stem

        • Straight

      • Trombone

        • Straight on occasion

  • Saxophones

    • mouthpieces may vary -- encourage having a separate jazz-specific mouthpiece, but this isn't always financially feasible

    • reeds -- there are specific jazz-style reeds, but not every student needs them

      • listen for the sound you want from the saxophones; if you don't hear what you want, look into different equipment

RESOURCES

Sweetwater Music -- drum sets, amps, basses, guitars, keyboards, misc. equipment

Guitar Center -- drum sets, amps, guitars, basses, keyboards, some misc. equipment

Steve Weiss Music -- drum sets, other perc. equipment

Schmitt Music -- saxophones and brass instruments