Instruments
Instruments
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All string instruments are fun to play and come in different sizes. Big instruments come in small sizes too so pick the sound you like the most! You'll have fun no matter which instrument you play.
Violin is the smallest and highest pitch instrument and reads treble clef notes (like the right hand for piano.) Students typically start on either a 1/2 size, 3/4 size, or 4/4 size. Most students are big enough for a 4/4 size when they enter 8th grade but many start out on the smaller sizes.
Viola is played up on the shoulder like violin and reads its own clef - alto clef. The sound is a little deeper than violin because it has a lower string whereas the violin has a higher string. Most students start out on a 13-inch or 14-inch viola and grow to a 15 or 15 1/2 inch by the end 8th grade.
Cello has a very rich, mellow sound. It is always played sitting down balanced against the body. Cello reads bass clef. Cello students keep their own rented instrument at home for practice and use a school cello at school. They do not take their instrument back and forth from school each day.
The string bass is the lowest and deepest pitched instrument. It also reads bass clef notes. Bass is played either standing or (usually) sitting on a stool. Bass students keep their rented bass at home for practice and use a school bass at school. Students only bring their basses to school for tuning or for performances.
Not sure which instrument is right for you? Watch this video to see and hear to pick your favorite!
Not sure which instrument is right for you? Watch this video to see and hear to pick your favorite!
Getting an instrument is much easier and more affordable than you might think. The overwhelming majority of our students rent their instruments for the first several years. This allows time for your child to grow into a full size instrument, and time to see how committed your child will be before you make a significant financial commitment. Learning to play an instrument is difficult enough, but learning on a poor quality instrument is almost impossible. There are a handful of reputable music stores in the area, and I encourage you to rent from one of those. Most music stores’ rentals are similarly priced and they rent similar quality instruments.
Bell’s Music Shop went through a rigorous selection process with our district’s orchestra teachers and was selected as the vendor to be present at all NISD orchestra instrument selection events. While you are welcome to rent or purchase an instrument from any vendor you would like, Northwest ISD invites Bell’s Music Shop to be present at the Instrument Fittings. Bell’s Music Shop has been the NISD vendor for the past ten years. The advantages of Bell’s Music Shop are that they are very close (located right here in Haslet and Keller), they have provided outstanding service to our families in the past, and Educational Representatives from Bell’s Music Shop come to our school on a regular basis. In the event that your child’s instrument needs any kind of maintenance that will save you a trip to the music store after work. Bell’s Music Shop does do online rentals and we encourage you to get the rental set up sooner, rather than later. They will deliver the instrument and supplies to school during the summer. This way, everything will be ready to go on the first day of school and you do not have to worry about anything! Please know that you can use any vendor you would like to rent an instrument!
PLEASE - DO NOT BUY INSTRUMENTS on EBAY or on the internet!! Internet deals can sometimes be great if you know what you're looking for. In most instances, internet instruments are TERRIBLE. They look good and they're a cheap price, but not worth whatever you are paying. These instruments are usually made of a "wood-like" material. They don't stay in tune, the bridge usually falls off on a regular basis, the cases are cheap and fall apart easily, the chin rest/tailpiece is of poor quality, the bows warp and lose the bow hair, they are difficult to play, aren’t adjusted correctly, the fine tuners don’t turn...the list goes on forever. Just to get these instruments to be semi-playable, you can bet on spending an extra $200 - $400 in repairs (which is almost always more than the instrument cost to begin with). In general, if it looks like a spectacular instrument for an especially low price - it's probably too good to be true. A general rule of thumb is that any instrument that costs less than $350 is a complete disaster. An inferior instrument will make life difficult for your child and cause them a great deal of frustration.
Contact Sara Wharry if you need to get sized properly sara.wharry@nisdtx.org
If you have any questions regarding instrument rental, please don’t hesitate to contact us! We are here to help make the transition to middle school as smooth as possible, and can't wait to get started with your child!
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