Lunsford Lions Bands - A Closer Look

Band Instruments are categorized into 3 different families: woodwinds, brass, and percussion!

Scroll to find more information about each instrument!

Descriptions include "student success tips."

These are typically recommended for student sound production, but not required. These tips have been included just so that you have more information towards selecting an instrument without an in-person try-out! Please let us know if you have any questions regarding the suggested "tips."

The Woodwind Family:

Flute, Oboe, Clarinet, Alto Saxophone, and Bassoon!

Flute

light-weight and easy to carry (fits in a backpack)
relatively inexpensive to rent from a music store
plays the melody; highest sounds of the woodwind family
student success tip: students with a large "teardrop" found in the middle of the top lip (a pronounced dip in the shape of the top lip) may need extra patience in developing a sound on the instrument

Oboe

light-weight and easy to carry (fits in a backpack)
one of the more expensive instruments to rent from a music store
uses double reeds in order to play (these reeds required careful handling and are an additional expense)
student success tip: requires a lot of practice outside school time and private lessons are very highly recommended

Alto Saxophone

HEAVY!! (traveling with the instrument AND holding the instrument)
one of the more expensive instruments to rent from a music store
requires the purchase of reeds (quality saxophone reeds are expensive)
plays harmony parts in music typically
THIS IS A LOUD INSTRUMENT!!! It is challenging to play this instrument at soft volumes during practice time at home!

Clarinet

light-weight and easy to carry (fits in a backpack)
relatively inexpensive to rent from a music store
plays the melody
plays a large range of notes (high and low)!
uses reeds to play (these reeds are less expensive than oboe or saxophone reeds!)
a very popular choice!
a lot of clarinet players are needed in the band!

The Brass Family:

Trumpet, French Horn, Trombone, Baritone, and Tuba

Trumpet

light-weight and easy to carry
relatively inexpensive to rent from a music store
plays the melody; highest sounds of the brass family
uses 3 valves to produce notes
student success tip: students with thicker lips may need extra patience with producing sounds on the instrument

French Horn

plays the harmony parts
a really beautiful sounding instrument!
student success tip: typically recommended for students with thinner lips (but that is not required!); students with piano experience (not required) typically do well with horn; students who can sing or match notes with their voice typically do well with horn!
Horn students will have one instrument that lives at home (you rent from a music store) and one that lives at school (provided by JML).

Trombone

larger case, but it is light weight
relatively inexpensive to rent from a music store
plays the bass line
uses a slide to produce notes
student success tip: students with thinner lips may need extra patience with producing sounds on the instrument

Baritone or Euphonium

plays the bass line
uses 3 valves to produce notes
student success tip: students with thinner lips may need extra patience with producing sounds on the instrument
Baritone students will have one instrument that lives at home (you rent from a music store) and one that lives at school (provided by JML).

Tuba

plays the bass line; the lowest sounding instrument of the brass family!
uses 3 or 4 valves to produce notes
student success tip: students with thinner lips may need extra patience with producing sounds on the instrument
Tuba students will have one instrument that lives at home (you rent from JML for $100) and one that lives at school (provided by JML).

The Percussion Family

Bell kit and practice pad

Marimba

Suspended Cymbal

Bass Drum

Percussion

Percussion is not one instrument, but rather a family of instruments all learned at the same time.
Percussion 6 is an advanced and very fast-paced class designed for detail-oriented and organized students.
Students in Percussion 6 learn 14 instruments in the time it takes every other student to learn one instrument.
Students will rent or purchase a rolling bell kit (pictured above), a practice pad, and a Vic Firth Education Pack 2.
student success tip: students with piano experience are recommended for Percussion. This is an advanced class.

More "free samples" here!