Band Instruments
Here are links to websites with information about all the band instruments. If you're not sure which instrument to choose read the information and most important listen to examples of each.
Flute
Reasonably straight teeth, longer and somewhat thinner fingers, thin to medium lips. Flute players do not usually have many problems with playing while wearing braces, which is a consideration for many as their child enters middle school. Because of the way the lips are placed on the flute (called the "embouchure") students are usually more successful if their lips are thinner.
Clarinet
The main consideration for the clarinet is the length and width of the student's fingers. Clarinets are an "open holed" instrument, meaning that the student has to cover and seal the key holes with his or her fingers. Wider fingers are better, and usually fingers that are not overly long are better. Like the flute, this instrument also causes few problems with braces.
Saxophone
While there are several types of saxophone in the band, most beginners start with the alto sax, mainly because the others are too large for most fourth or fifth graders to handle. It is one of the easiest instruments and one of the hardest to play well. It is naturally out of tune, requiring the player to make constant adjustments in order to make it sound good. Sax players need to have enough size to handle the instrument, as it is one of the larger instruments given to beginners. Saxophone players should not have exceptionally small hands, as they need to be able to put their hands around a fairly large instrument and at the same time avoid contact with a number of keys on the side of it.
Trumpet
Notes are produced on brass instruments by a combination of lip tension - changing and adjusting your lips, and key combination (keys on brass instruments are referred to as "valves"). So a student has to manipulate those valves while tightening and loosening his or her lips to produce the notes.
Students who need to wear braces can try various remedies. Some are more effective than others because brass instruments require the lips to be stretched flat across the teeth, which can cause discomfort. After an adjustment period, most students with braces will have no trouble playing the trumpet.
French Horn
The French Horn has the smallest mouthpiece with the narrowest rim of all the brass instruments, and, like the trumpet it will be uncomfortable to play if the student puts too much pressure on the lips while playing. The valves on the French Horn are manipulated with the left hand, where trumpet valves are manipulated with the right hand. A good ear for pitch matching is needed for this instrument since there are so many notes easily played without changing any of the valves.
Trombone
A slide takes the place of valves. Trombone players should have longer arms, due to the need to extend the slide to reach sixth and seventh positions. The larger mouthpiece of the trombone makes crooked teeth and braces less of a problem as well, as there is less pressure on the lips.
Baritone Horn
Also called the Euphonium, although technically they are two different instruments. Its mouthpiece is similar to the trombone's, but it has valves like the trumpet. It is a larger instrument, so the main consideration is the size of the student and whether he/she is able to comfortably hold it.
Percussion
The biggest requirement for a percussionist is an excellent sense of rhythm. The members of the percussion section move around and play many different instruments. Instruments in the section include snare drum, bass drum, xylophone, tambourine, triangle, cymbals, and many others.
