Instrument info page

Flute is commonly thought of as playing high notes, but that isn't always true. The guy in this video is one of the most famous flute players of all time, his name is Sir James Galway. He is so good at the flute that the queen of England made him a knight because of it.

Lots of times in band the flute has the melody so they get to play the tune that everyone knows and walks away humming. You play the flute by blowing across the hole towards the top of it and press the buttons.

Clarinet can play more notes than many other instruments. They can play low and high notes as well as notes in the middle. The guy in this video is actually a famous saxophone player but here he is showing off his jazz clarinet playing skills. He is....kinda weird looking but who cares if you play clarinet like that!? LOL Some other famous clarinet players to look up are: Stanley Drucker, Julian Bliss, Sabine Meyer, and Pete Fountain

In band, clarinets swap back and forth between having the melody and background stuff, but usually both are fun to play. You play the clarinet by blowing through a tiny gap between a piece of wood and the top of the clarinet and covering holes/pressing buttons with your fingers.

Trumpet is what is called a brass instrument. It is an instrument played in many different cultures and countries around the world in many different kinds of music. This is one of the world's most famous trumpet players, Alison Balsom. Other famous trumpet players to look up are: Bud Herseth, Louis Armstrong, and Wynton Marsalis

Trumpets are usually known for playing big proud parts! When people hear trumpets they think of royalty arriving in town or of a great battle. Trumpet is played by making a buzz sound with your lips into a mouthpiece and using the buttons to change the sound your lips make. 

Trombone is another brass instrument like the trumpet. It is kind of like a slide whistle that you make buzzing noises into. It is really similar to a trumpet even thought it doesn't look like it. They're also commonly used in jazz music and its common to see them in concerts all over the world. This guy, Christopher Bill, does really cool covers of popular songs. Some other famous trombone players are: Joe Alessi, Bill Watrous, and Christian Lindberg.

Trombones usually represent big things in music. If you google this "Ride of the Valkyries" you'll find one of the most famous trombone songs ever, and I think you'll recognize it. In this song trombones represent great warriors who lead great battles! Trombone, like other brass instruments, is played by making a buzzing sound with your lips into a mouthpiece. Unlike other brass instruments, there are no buttons and instead a slide that you move with your arm.

Tuba is the last brass instrument that we use in beginner band. It is also the biggest of the brass instruments. But don't let its size intimidate you, you can be big or small and play the tuba. Some of my best tuba players have been on the small side. (And many of my best tuba players have been girls!) There is another version of the tuba that you see at football games and parades called the Sousaphone. This guy is one of the most well known tuba players in the world right now. He has a weird name because he is from Norway. He has another really popular song called "Fungg Blue" that is worth a watch if you like weird stuff! Some other famous tuba players are: Carol Jantsch, Arnold Jacobs, Velvet Brown, and Roger Bobo.

Tubas are the lowest notes of the brass section. They are also some of the loudest of the brass section! But as you can see in this video, low notes are not the only thing a tuba can do. You play a tuba like you'd play all of the other brass instruments, by making a buzzing sound with your lips into a mouthpiece, then just using the buttons to change the note. The only difference is this mouthpiece is bigger and the notes are lower.

Percussion is one of the most misunderstood sections of the band. Often people think of the percussion section as "drums" but that isn't what it is. Percussionists have to learn many different instruments that make lots of cool sounds. Percussionists have to learn to read music a couple different ways. In this video you will see a bunch of different percussion instruments that you could learn to play.

Enrollment for this course is limited, and students wishing to play percussion will need to attend an additional evaluation before students will be selected for this instrument. In beginner band, we spend the entire first half of the year learning how to play melodics (xylophone/marimba/bells) before we get to playing any real drums. Then in the second half of the year we only do drums on some days of the week (usually Monday/Wednesday/Friday).