| Flute | Clarinet | French Horn | Tuba |
| Oboe | Saxophone | Trombone | Percussion |
| Bassoon | Trumpet/Cornet | Euphonium/Baritone |
The flute is the smallest of the beginner instruments. It is a very popular selection each year, but only a small portion of those wishing to play flute will be selected.
Physical Characteristics: Flute players should have a slight “frown” to the upper lip with NO tear drop shape in the middle. Flute tones are produced by being able to focus an extremely small air-stream to an exact location on the tone hole. The tear-drop-shaped lip will make it difficult to direct the air so precisely. Flute players should also have agile fingers for moving this multi-keyed instrument through a fast musical passage. Students with extreme overbites (receded jaw) should avoid choosing flute as this makes it difficult to produce quality sounds.
Other Considerations: Students with double-jointed fingers should
avoid selecting flute as double-jointedness can cause lack of agility in the
fingers.
The oboe is similar in its appearance to a clarinet, but it is played using a “double reed” instead of a single reed and mouthpiece. Selection of oboe players is EXTREMELY limited. VERY few will actually be selected for oboe.
Physical Characteristics: Students with profound overbites or underbites would have EXTREME difficulties producing good sounds on the oboe since the embouchure (mouth position) requires equal pressure on both sides of the reed at the same placement.
Other Considerations: Because the oboe is such a difficult
instrument to master, only students with high academic performance records will
be considered.
Students are required to maintain a supply of 3-4 high-quality reeds at ALL
times. Reeds can cost $14-16 each. Students with a history of disciplinary
trouble will NOT be considered for oboe.
The financial trade-off for having to keep a stock of expensive working reeds is
that FISD provides oboes for students at a cost of $30 rental for an
entire school year payable to FISD for routine maintenance.
Unlike the oboe, the clarinet uses a “single reed” and a mouthpiece to produce the sound. Willingness to purchase or rent a director-recommended clarinet is a MUST! Unfortunately, there are some clarinets on the market whose poor design and craftsmanship will make it next to impossible for your student to succeed. We can help you avoid that pitfall. Some clarinet students may be chosen to play Bass Clarinet as 7th graders
Physical Characteristics: One necessity of clarinet tone production is the ability to make the chin flat. Orthodontia is okay, but if a student has an extremely rounded bottom row of teeth, the mouthpiece will be hard to place in the proper position for tone production.
Other Considerations: Instruction in clarinet can be meticulous.
Students who are able to focus on and perform a detailed series of instructions
could do well on clarinet. Students who have difficulty remembering a series of
instructions should avoid playing clarinet. Clarinet players are also
responsible for maintaining a working stock of 4-6 quality reeds. A box of 10
reeds costs $17.50 and can last (with proper care) up to 4 months.
The bassoon is to the oboe what the bass clarinet is to the clarinet. It is the larger, lower sounding version of the double reed instrument. However, bassoon students will not play oboe before switching, instead they will begin on the bassoon itself. VERY few students will be selected to play Bassoon.
Physical
Characteristics:
A slight overbite is okay for students wishing to play bassoon, however, a
student with an underbite should avoid bassoon. An agile thumbs is a necessity
for playing bassoon proficiently as well as a medium or greater hand span.
Other Considerations:
Like the oboe, the bassoon is such a difficult instrument to master, only
students with high academic performance records will be considered. Students are required to maintain
a supply of 3-4 high-quality reeds at ALL times. Reeds can cost $10-15 each.
Students with a history of disciplinary trouble will NOT be considered for
bassoon.
Again, the financial trade-off for having to keep a stock of expensive working
reeds is that FISD provides bassoons for students at a cost of $30
rental for an entire school year payable to FISD for routine maintenance.
The
alto saxophone gives the impression of being both a brass AND woodwind
instrument, however it is indeed considered a woodwind instrument. The alto
saxophone (which uses a single reed like the clarinet) is a very popular
instrument like flute and only a few students will be chosen to play it.
Physical Characteristics: Since the balance of the saxophone is maintained by the use of a neck strap, it is extremely important that students be able to sit up completely straight when asked to.
Other Considerations: Saxophone players are responsible for
maintaining a working stock of 4-6 quality reeds. A box of 10 reeds costs $23.00
and can last (with proper care) up to 4 months. Alto Saxophone students will
have the opportunity after their first year of instruction to audition for Tenor
Sax or Baritone Sax (based on their proven musical and behavioral abilities
while in alto saxophone class).
The trumpet/cornet is the smallest member of the brass family. The sound on cornet / trumpet is produced by buzzing into a small mouthpiece. Students who choose and are selected to play cornet / trumpet will begin on a cornet (smaller in size) and “graduate” into a trumpet upon the completion of a battery of playing exams.
Physical
Characteristics:
While orthodontia is somewhat troublesome to a cornet / trumpet player, it is
not impossible to make good sounds with braces. A slight overbite is okay, but
an underbite can severely hinder progress on cornet / trumpet. Cornet / trumpet
players come in all shapes and sizes.
Other Considerations: Cornet / trumpet parts usually have the
melody (recognizable) part, therefore students who choose and are selected for
cornet / trumpet should exhibit a confident demeanor, strong personality, and
demonstrate a high level of self-motivation.
The French horn is the also a member of the brass family. Its sound is produced by buzzing into a small mouthpiece similar to a trumpet. Only the top 14-16 scores will be selected to play French horn. Students with good musical ears (such as Honor Choir students) should consider French Horn.
Physical
Characteristics:
While orthodontia is somewhat troublesome to a French Horn player, it is not
impossible to make good sounds with braces. A slight overbite is okay, but an
underbite can severely hinder progress on French Horn. Because the bell of the
French horn rests on the knee of the player while playing, it is imperative that
a student’s upper torso be long enough to accommodate the size of the French
horn to make good sounds and that players be able to demonstrate sitting
straight up when asked to do so. The French horn’s keys are manipulated with the
LEFT hand.
Other Considerations: Because of the difficult nature of French
horn notes (mentioned above), students should exhibit GREAT ability to match
sung or played pitches by humming or singing. Perhaps this is a good instrument
choice for students who have participated in piano lessons or honor choir
groups. Students with a history of academic or behavioral problems will NOT be
selected for French horn. FISD provides French horns for students at a
cost of $30 rental for an entire school year.
Like the French horn, trombone players should have good “musical ears”. The trombone is played like the other brass instruments (buzzing into a cup-shaped mouthpiece), but uses a slide instead of valves. The slide is not marked or notched and players rely on their memory and hearing to tell if they are in the EXACT proper location. Students with good musical ears (such as Honor Choir students) should consider Trombone.
Physical
Characteristics:
While some might think that trombone players must have long arms, the truth is
there are numerous accommodations that make it possible for students of all
shapes and sizes to play. A slight overbite is acceptable, while an extreme
underbite would hinder success. Trombone players should have slightly fuller
lips than average.
Other Considerations: Great trombone playing takes good
concentration and study. Many quiet academicians have excelled at trombone.
The euphonium (you-PHONE-knee-yum) is sometimes known as the baritone. It is a member of the brass family and looks like a small version of a tuba. Its sound is similar to that of a trombone, but it uses valves like a trumpet instead of a slide (like trombone).
Physical
Characteristics:
Euphonium players should have moderately full lips, but not too full. A SLIGHT
overbite is okay, but an underbite would hinder a good sound. The euphonium
requires a medium-sized hand span to reach the valves and students should have
an above average lung capacity.
Other Considerations: Students with an above average amount of
orthodontia will find the mouthpiece of the euphonium a bit more comfortable
than trumpet or French Horn. FISD provides euphoniums for students at a
cost of $30 rental for an entire school year, but students are required to
purchase their own mouthpieces.
While many believe the tuba is the largest instrument in the band and would be hard to physically manage, the tubas we use for beginners are ¾ size and easy to handle. In fact, tuba players will begin by playing a baritone horn and will switch over in December (if physically ready) to one of the ¾- sized tubas.
Physical
Characteristics:
Tuba players need to have full lips and a large lung capacity. While the size of
the student doesn’t matter TOO much, a long torso (upper body) helps a student
reach the mouthpiece of the tuba while resting the bottom of the tuba on the
edge of their chair or across the thighs.
Other Considerations: The tuba provides the musical foundation for
the band and requires players that are self-motivated over-achievers. Students
with a history of academic trouble should not consider tuba as we rely heavily
on the ability of the tuba players to be consistently UIL eligible. FISD
provides tubas for students at a cost of $30 rental for an entire school year,
but students are required to purchase their own mouthpieces. Baritone
mouthpieces will be provided during the first semester.
Just because you are always tapping on things does not mean you are a natural percussionist (drummer). In fact, the percussion section is the most select, hand-picked section of the band. Only students with the highest grades, lowest discipline problems, backgrounds in piano lessons, and extremely high gross and fine motor skills will be considered for percussion.
Physical
Characteristics:
Students should exhibit a great deal of coordination in gross and fine motor
skills
Other Considerations:
The study of
percussion includes bells, triangle, tambourine, maracas, claves, among many
other instruments.
IMPORTANT: Students interested in testing for percussion will be required to
attend a MANDATORY testing session. Students who do not attend this session
will NOT be considered for percussion.
