Instrument Choices			home . students . parents . join . zoink
	instrument choices for watkins beginning band At Watkins, we start students on the instruments listed below.  There are some other instruments, but we wait until we know our students before we make recommendations that some switch to another instrument.   All instruments have easy and difficult aspects to them.  Oboe, Bassoon and French horn are the most difficult wind instruments.  Percussion is discussed above.  Depending on the music the band is performing, any instrument can have the important melody (main tune of the song) or the accompaniment (everything that is not the melody).  Also, any instrument can have a solo, and can be featured in the song.  Every instrument is important, and every instrument is fun to play if you practice and become successful. for more information, go to the my instrument page or click on the instrument. Flute      woodwind family sound made by blowing air across the tone hole notes manipulated by pressing combinations of 14 different keys the flute tends to play the melody frequently, as it is the highest of the woodwind family 6 to 8 players will be in a performing band About 13 - 16 will be in a beginning class Oboe woodwind family sound made by blowing into a double reed (two small wooden reeds pressed together) notes manipulated by pressing combinations of 16 different keys the oboe is frequently used as a solo instrument in more advanced music literature as it has a very unique tone players will need to purchase reeds on a continual basis 1 or 2 players will be in a performing band About 2 will be in a beginning class Bassoon woodwind family sound made by blowing into a double reed (two small wooden reeds pressed together) notes manipulated by pressing combinations of 26 different keys and holes the bassoon has a very wide range of high and low notes, although is most frequently used as a low instrument in middle school bands players will need to purchase reeds on a continual basis 1 or 2 players will be in a performing band About 2 will be in a beginning class Clarinet woodwind family sound made by blowing into a mouthpiece and reed held together by a ligature notes manipulated by pressing combinations of 23 different keys and holes the clarinet has a dark and warm sound, and is used in melodies and accompaniments equally players will need to purchase reeds on a continual basis 8 to 12 players will be in a performing band About 25 - 30 will be in a beginning class Alto Saxophone woodwind family sound made by blowing into a mouthpiece and reed held together by a ligature notes manipulated by pressing combinations of 22 different keys saxophone has a unique sound that cuts through the band, so not many are needed in a concert style ensemble, and they usually play accompaniment parts. players will need to purchase reeds on a continual basis 3 to 5 players will be in a performing band (some will switch to the larger saxophones, the tenor and the baritone) About 7 - 10 will be in a beginning class Trumpet   brass family sound made by vibrating lips together and blowing into the metal mouthpiece notes manipulated by pressing combinations of 3 keys and by changing lip vibrations, air speed and air direction the trumpet is used to play the melody very frequently and is the top sound of a full band 7 to 9 players will be in a performing band About 25 - 30 will be in a beginning class French horn brass family sound made by vibrating lips together and blowing into the metal mouthpiece notes manipulated by pressing combinations of 4 keys and by changing lip vibrations, air speed and air direction the French horn plays the accompaniment parts frequently, but is used as a specialty instrument when it has the melody 4 to 6 players will be in a performing band About 4 - 7 will be in a beginning class Trombone   brass family sound made by vibrating lips together and blowing into the metal mouthpiece notes manipulated by moving a slide and by changing lip vibrations, air speed and air direction the trombone is a very important part of the brass section sound and although they frequently have a supporting roll, a band must have good trombone players to give it the strength of sound it needs for the impact point of their music 4 to 6 players will be in a performing band About 15 - 20 will be in a beginning class Percussion                                     percussion is its own instrument family the main instruments include: snare drum, bass drum, timpani, bells, xylophone, marimba, and cymbals auxiliary instruments include: tambourine, cabasa, guiro, claves, toms, wind chimes, triangle, congas, bongos and many others 4 to 6 players will be in a performing band About 8 - 10 will be in a beginning class              The Tuba and the Euphonium are instruments that a trumpet or trombone player can switch to after the first semester of beginning band.
	watkins middle school band * cy-fair isd * 4800 cairnvillage * houston, tx 77084 * 281.463.5857 * (c) 2006