Instrument selection is extremely important for musicians, and we always recommend that students do their research, seek out recommendations and play test instruments before purchasing.
However, there are also many accessories and smaller items that we recommend students have, as detailed below. Parents: these are great gift items for the young musician, as a back-to-school item, for the holidays or, really, any time!
NOTE: All of the following links are to the Woodwind/Brasswind store, but these items can be purchased through most music retailers. Woodwind/Brasswind is an iGive affiliate, though, so if you’re planning on making any purchases through their online store, consider creating or signing into your account at iGive so that a percentage of the money you spend at WWBW goes to the Norwell Scholastic Arts Society!
Percussion
- Vic Firth Double Sided Practice Pad: Because you’d practice at home more if it didn’t make so much noise. Everyone wins!
- Dr. Beat DB-30 Metronome: Metronomes are an absolute must, and if you don’t have a metronome app on a smartphone, this is the way to go.
- Innovative Percussion FP2 Intermediate Mallet Pack: Two solid sets of keyboard mallets, a set of timpani mallets and concert sticks, with a stick bag for keeping track of it all. Sticks and mallets are largely a matter of personal preference, but these are an excellent kit at a pretty affordable price.
- Vic Firth STH Thom Hannum Signature Drumsticks (marching snare only): A great set of snare sticks for pep and marching.
- Vic Firth Jazz Brushes (jazz only): Nice all-around brushes, for more sensitive playing.
Brass
- Piston Valve Oil (for piston-valved trumpets, euphoniums/tubas) or Rotor Oil (for rotary valved French Horns and tubas).
- Tuning Slide Grease: For all brass instruments.
- Trombone Slide Cream: For making your slide fast.
- Trombone Spray Bottle: For making your slide even faster–and it’s quicker, for easy upkeep during rehearsals and gigs.
- Care Kits: For basic maintenance and cleaning, available for trumpet, horn, trombone, euphonium and tuba.
- Tom Crown Copper Trumpet Straight Mute: Indispensible for trumpeters, for both symphonic and jazz.
- Humes & Berg Trumpet Cup Mute: Indispensible for jazz trumpeters, especially for older charts.
- Harmon B Trumpet Mute: One of the most versatile jazz mutes made.
- French Horn Stop Mute: Called for in a pretty fair amount of symphonic music.
- Tom Crown Trombone Straight Mute: Very common accessory in a lot of symphonic music–and occasionally in jazz.
- Korg TM-40 Digital Tuner/Metronome: Probably the most important practice tools you’ll ever own. If you don’t have a smartphone with tuner and metronome apps on them, this is the way to go.
- Silent Brass: Silent practice system, available for trumpet, horn, trombone, euphonium and tuba. Because you’d practice at home more if it didn’t make so much noise. Everybody wins!
Woodwind
- Korg TM-40 Digital Tuner/Metronome: Probably the most important practice tools you’ll ever own. If you don’t have a smartphone with tuner and metronome apps on them, this is the way to go.
- Reeds: These are a matter of personal preference, but we use Vandoren Traditionals, for their general reliability and consistency. Reeds come in “strengths,” on a scale of 1-5: the higher the number, the thicker the reed. Most high school reed players use something in the vicinity of a 3. (Clarinet, Bass Clarinet, Alto Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone, Bari Saxophone)
- Ligature: The ligature is what holds the reed in place on the mouthpiece–again, they’re largely a matter of personal preference. Because of their affordability and highly positive reviews, though, we loan out Rovner Mark III ligatures with our school-owned reed instruments.
- Cleaning Rod and cloth (flute) or Swab (clarinet, saxophone): Must-haves, for removing moisture from your instrument.
- Cleaning paper (all woodwinds): An absolute necessity, for cleaning sticky pads and keys.
- Key oil (all woodwinds): For keeping key mechanisms moving easily.
- Screwdriver and awl set (all woodwinds): For those screws that always back out.
- Cork grease (clarinet/saxophone): For keeping your corks conditioned and smooth.
