How to select an instrument to play!

This website will help guide you into choosing the best instrument for you!
After you watch your school video below, follow the steps to guide you in choosing the instrument that fits you!

Look through all of the instrument families (linked at the top of the page) and learn about all of the instruments that you can choose from. Please note that due to COVID-19, not all of the instruments mentioned in the videos below will be available to start. As a department, we feel that starting on the instruments listed in the above tabs will help students be most successful should remote learning become necessary.

RCS Middle School Music Van Hoosen.mov

RCS Middle School Music Hart.mov

VAN HOOSEN MS

HART MS

RCS Middle School Music Reuther.mov

RCS Middle School Music West.mov

REUTHER MS

WEST MS

2. Take the three tests below to learn more about yourself. These tests will tell you if you are able to keep a steady beat, and what kinds of pitches (high or low) your personal ear prefers. Don't worry about your scores- it's just a chance to help you choose what your preferences are.

Beat Test

This test asks you to listen to a beat and tap along with it on your keyboard. The computer sound will slowly get quieter, but you'll keep tapping the beat in a steady way. This will test to see how close to the original beat you can stay!

Tone Playlist

This playlist has many different videos that are playing different tones. Some are low and some are high. Which tone sounds the most pleasant to you? Do you prefer lower tones or higher tones?

Pitch Test

This link will test your pitch sensitivity. It will play two notes one after the other. After you listen to both notes, tell the test if the second note was higher or lower than the first one. Some of the notes will sound like they're the same note - but listen closely and you'll hear a slight difference!

Band Instrument Selection Form

Orchestra Instrument Selection Form

You took the tests, now what? Well if you're planning on band next year and did great with different pitches, a brass instrument might be the way to go. Or if you enjoyed higher sounds over lower ones, maybe flute or clarinet for band or violin for orchestra. Maybe you did awesome on keeping a steady beat. A low instrument like euphonium for band or cello in orchestra is the heartbeat of the ensemble and we need a steady heartbeat to stay together!

3. Fill out one of these forms to send to your music teacher after you have searched the different instrument categories above.

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