Instrument Information

Woodwind Family

The flute is the only woodwind instrument that does not require a reed (a wooden piece that is attached to the mouthpiece) to make a sound. It is silver, and is held horizontally. It includes many keys, so it does require someone with good coordination! :) 

The clarinet is most commonly recognized because Squidward plays it in the TV show, Spongebob Squarepants. The clarinet utilizes a reed to help produce a sound. Clarinets have many keys that are "open-holed", where the player must close the hole to produce the proper sounds. Clarinets can play low and extremely high and have a dark, mellow sound. 

The alto saxophone is special because it is the only instrument in the woodwind family that is made of brass. While it uses a reed just like the clarinet, the keys do not require the player to focus on covering the holes of their keys (all of the keys have covers that you press down. Used in many ensembles including jazz, classical, and rock, the alto sax would be a great option for any student who wants to learn the dexterity required for a woodwind, while also wanting to be heard in the ensemble.  

Brass Family

The trumpet requires the player to "buzz" into the mouthpiece to make a sound. This instrument only has three valves that the player has to use to change pitch. Trumpets have the melody in many pieces of music that we play, so players must be confident and willing to put in the extra time to make sure they know their music. Trumpets are used in many ensembles in many genres including rock, classical, jazz, pop, rap and orchestra works. 

The trombone requires the player to "buzz" into the mouthpiece to make a sound. The trombone is unique because rather than using valves, the player changes the pitch by moving a long slide. This requires the player to have long enough arms to reach all positions, and someone who can hear pitches well. The trombone is a member of the low brass family, meaning that it plays the lower, supporting harmonies in music, but it does have opportunities to play the melody too. Trombones are used in the same genres as the trumpet. 

Percussion

Percussion is a special family full of many different instruments! The list of percussion instruments is very long, but in sixth grade our students will focus on playing the bell kit, snare drum, bass drum and a small amount of auxillary percussion. Students interested in percussion will be required to pass a test that is focused on their rhythmic reading, and students who have prior piano lessons tend to thrive in this section! We only take a small amount of percussionists in the band every year.