PHYSICAL CONSIDERATIONS

 The oboe requires all ten fingers to work independently. It is held comfortably in front of the body, but requires a larger finger spread than any other woodwind instrument. It may be harder for students with small hands, but be patient, you will grow.

SOUND QUALITY 

The oboe is a woodwind instrument with a very unique rich and prominent sound. It plays on the higher side, but not as high as flute. It often plays the melody or interesting harmony parts in the band. It can be difficult to make a sound on oboe at first due to the double reed and the precise nature of the instrument. It takes a lot of patience, commitment, and PRACTICE! 

OTHER CONSIDERATIONS

The oboe can be a difficult instrument to get started on due to the finger spread and the difficulty of making a good sound at first. Students who choose oboe should be very dedicated and committed independent learners who do not get frustrated easily and are willing to work hard. Oboe is also one of the more expensive instruments to rent and maintain. It uses a double reed to make sound, and one reed costs about $10-12. Students should be able to use a reed for a month or two if they take care not to chip or damage it. Four to five reeds should last a student the whole year if they are not damaged. Beginners should buy “medium soft” strength reeds. For students who are up to the challenge, oboe is a very fun and rewarding instrument! Again, the case is too small to carry your lesson book, so a separate bag is recommended. 

PHYSICAL CONSIDERATIONS

Flute requires all ten fingers to work independently. Because of the way the flute is held (off to one side), it can be difficult to make a sound at first. It takes some coordination and lots of practice and experimentation. Students must use a lot of air to make sound, and therefore it may not be appropriate for students with asthma or other upper respiratory difficulties. Students often experience dizziness while playing at first until they get accustomed to using enough air. Because of the use of the lip muscles, flute may not be appropriate for students with cleft lip.

SOUND QUALITY 

The flute is a woodwind instrument and has a soft, delicate sound. It plays the highest notes in the band, and often has the melody. It can sound“airy” at first until students learn to control their lips.

OTHER CONSIDERATIONS

Flute is the smallest band instrument, which means it is light and easy to carry. The case does not have room for the lesson book, so students must carry that separately. It can take a while for students to make a sound on flute, and it requires patience, commitment, and LOTS OF PRACTICE!

PHYSICAL CONSIDERATIONS

The clarinet requires all ten fingers to work independently. It is held comfortably in front of the body. Students must be able to cover the “tone holes” completely with the pads of their fingers, so students with very small or thin fingers may be better off starting on saxophone or flute. Clarinet does not require as much air as some of the other instruments, and so it can be a good choice for students with asthma. It can also be a good choice for students with cleft lip because the upper lip is not used as minutely as with other instruments.

SOUND QUALITY 

The clarinet is a woodwind instrument that has a sweet and gentle sound when played properly. It has a large range from low to high, but generally plays mid to high notes in the band. It plays a lot of melody and interesting harmony parts. In the beginning, clarinet is prone to “squeaks” until the student learns to control the air and lips, but this is part of the learning process.

OTHER CONSIDERATIONS

Clarinet uses a reed to produce sound, which means reeds must be purchased regularly. A single reed costs about $2, and a box of 10 reeds costs about $14. Students should go through about 2 boxes of reeds per year. Beginners should start with a reed strength of “2” and move to a “2 ½ “ by the middle of their first year. The clarinet is small, light, easy to carry. It is a great beginning instrument!

PHYSICAL CONSIDERATIONS

There are different types of saxophones such as the soprano saxophone, made popular by the well-known artist, Kenny-G, the alto saxophone, the tenor saxophone, and the baritone saxophone, sometimes referred to as the bari sax. These are just a few of the more common types of saxophones. When students sign-up to play the saxophone in elementary school, they begin on an alto saxophone.

The alto saxophone requires all ten fingers to work independently. It is slightly larger than the other woodwinds but uses a neck strap to support the weight of the instrument, which hangs to the right side of the body while sitting or standing. Even smaller students with small fingers can be successful with alto sax. It requires more air than clarinet, but not as much as flute. It is therefore an acceptable choice for students with asthma. It’s use of the upper lip is similar to clarinet, making it a good choice for students with cleft lip as well. The case is a little heavier to carry, but is not unmanageable.

SOUND QUALITY 

The alto saxophone is a woodwind instrument with a louder, fuller sound than the other woodwinds. It has amid-range in the band, and plays some melody as well as interesting harmony and countermelody. It is a great jazz instrument, so students looking to play in jazz band in middle school may be interested in this instrument. It is difficult to control the volume of the saxophone initially, so expect it to be fairly loud.It is somewhat prone to “squeaks” at first, but this is part of the learning process.

OTHER CONSIDERATIONS

Alto saxophone uses a reed to produce sound, which means reeds must be purchased regularly. A single reed costs about $3, and a box of 10 reeds costs about $20. Students should go through about 2 boxes of reeds per year. Beginners should start with a reed strength of “2” and move to a “2 ½ “ by the middle of their first year. The alto sax is a little more expensive than some of the other instruments due to its construction, but is a great beginning instrument.

TENOR SAXOPHONE

Some elementary schools have tenor saxophones available for loan. They are bigger and make lower sounds than the alto saxophone but are played with the same techniques. Typically students can switch to the tenor sax in 5th grade if they get the teacher's recommendation to do so.

PHYSICAL CONSIDERATIONS

The bassoon is the larger, lower sounding version of the double reed instrument such as the oboe. However, bassoon students will not play oboe before switching, instead they will begin on the bassoon itself.  A slight overbite is okay for students wishing to play bassoon, however, a student with an under bite should avoid bassoon. Agile thumbs are a necessity for playing bassoon proficiently as well as a medium or greater hand span.

SOUND QUALITY 

The bassoon's double reed gives it a rich, slightly buzzing quality in the lowest notes and a sweet nasal sound higher up. Bassoons can be extremely expressive as solo instruments and their warm vibrato enables them to sound remarkably human, a little like a resonant baritone singer.

OTHER CONSIDERATIONS

Like the any instrument, the bassoon requires a lot of individual practice time to master. Students are required to maintain a supply of 3-4 high-quality reeds at ALL times. Reeds can cost $10-15 each. The financial trade-off for having to take lessons and keep a stock of working reeds is that the district provides bassoons as they are available for students for an entire school year.