Sometimes the best solution to make your band inclusive involves a little outside the box thinking.
Below are just a few strategies, I am in the process on researching and building a session around adaptations we can make for instruments, but to get you started here are some great ideas.
Click on each topic before to learn more (or just scroll down)
Adaptive Solutions
Skoog (touch, squeeze, or press with hands, forearms, head, or other body parts)
EyeHarp (playable using eye gaze or head movement)
MiMu Gloves (gesture-based control for triggering and shaping sound)
Switch-activated MIDI instruments (single-switch or multi-switch setups mapped to notes or chords)
Band Role Ideas
Bass drones or pedal tones
Chord pads or sustained harmony
Soundscapes or texture layers
Rhythm or pulse triggers
EyeHarp
MiMu Gloves
My Switch Music Software
Adaptive Solutions
OHMI Trust one-handed clarinet (modified keywork designed for single-hand use)
OHMI brass adaptations (custom valve/trigger solutions where available)
Percussion set up for single-hand access (mounted instruments, one-zone setups)
Tablet-based music with a foot pedal page turner (reduces need for a second hand)
Adaptive grips or soft Velcro straps to secure mallets or beaters safely - most are designed to hold toothbrushes or cutlery, but they will work for mallets and sticks.
Band Role Ideas
Repeated ostinato patterns
Root-note mallet or harmonic parts
Auxiliary percussion textures
Support harmony lines
OHMI One Handed Clarinet
OHMI Brass Adaptions
Foot Pedal Page Turner for tablet
Adaptive Grips for Mallets
Adaptive Solutions
Bass Clarinet (fully covered keys remove the need for precise finger hole sealing)
Nuvo jSax (simplified keywork and lighter weight)
Low brass instruments (baritone, euphonium, tuba with large valves)
Percussion mallets with foam or enlarged grips
Key touch extensions (DIY foam/Sugru additions where safe and appropriate) - you actually modify the instrument so that the keys are higher or more molded to their fingers - click here for more information and how to
Band Role Ideas
Harmonic support lines
Long tones and sustained notes
Simplified melodic excerpts
Bass reinforcement
Nuvo Sax
Foam or Enlarged Grips for Mallets
Key Touch Extensions
Adaptive Solutions
Instrument stands for baritone, euphonium, or tuba to remove holding weight
Nursing pillow or lap support to stabilize brass instruments
Straps or anchor points attached to chair or wheelchair to reduce fatigue
Mounted percussion stations so instruments come to the student
Lightweight mallets or sticks with enlarged grips
Band Role Ideas
Sustained tones
Repeated rhythmic patterns
Cue notes and entrances
Texture parts (rolls, drones)
Adaptive Solutions
Percussion tabletop station on a rolling cart (single height, non-slip surface)
Wider music stand base with boom arm to bring music into an accessible field of view
Fixed seating / parking spot with consistent chair–stand–instrument layout
Clear floor lanes marked with tape for safe, predictable movement
Instrument positioning supports (stands, lap trays, angled rests) to reduce reaching
Band Role Ideas
Station-based percussion parts
Mallet keyboard root notes
Bass or harmony support roles
Time-keeping or anchor parts
Adaptive Solutions
Foam tubing or medical grip sleeves on mallets, sticks, and beaters to increase diameter
Soft Velcro hand straps to secure mallets or beaters safely to the hand
Enlarged or T-bar handles for triangle beaters, claves, and small accessories
Lightweight mallets or sticks to reduce fatigue
Mounted percussion instruments to eliminate the need to hold equipment
Band Role Ideas
Repeated rhythmic figures
Sustained percussion effects
Simple mallet parts
Pulse or anchor rhythms
Adaptive Solutions
Tablet-based music with a foot pedal page turner (hands-free page turning)
Simplified parts with fewer page turns and clearer spacing
Master binders with grab-and-go parts so missing music never stops participation
Colour-coded cues, tabs, and entrances to support visual tracking
Consistent layout and enlarged notation to reduce visual overload
Band Role Ideas
Ostinati
Chunked melodic excerpts
Anchor notes at phrase starts
Repeated patterns
Adaptive Solutions
Bass Clarinet (lower pitch, more stable and less piercing sound)
Low brass instruments (baritone, euphonium, tuba for grounding auditory feedback)
Mallet percussion instead of unpitched battery when possible
Loop earbuds or ear defenders to reduce auditory overload without full isolation
Consistent seating and predictable setup to reduce sensory uncertainty
Band Role Ideas
Harmonic foundation parts
Long tones
Support roles rather than exposed lines
Low-register or grounding textures
“Disability is the result of the interaction between individuals with impairments and attitudinal and environmental barriers that hinder their full and effective participation in society on an equal basis with others.”
— United Nations, Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD)
Providing adapted instruments is not about changing the music or lowering expectations - it is about removing barriers that prevent students from participating fully.
When we adapt instruments, setups, or roles, we shift the barrier from the student to the environment, where it belongs.
Inclusive access to music-making is both a pedagogical best practice and a matter of equity: every student deserves a meaningful role in the ensemble and the opportunity to experience success as a musician.
Click the Button to learn how to support students by Managing Their Environment
