Instrument comparison:

Instrument Type Minimum Groups in which they Comments Practicalities (Family) age to can be played start Singing Vocal 2 or 3 All sorts of choirs and All children should be encouraged Free! Try to learn to read music countless other to sing, as often as possible, along the way! contexts. throughout their lives! Violin String 4 or 5 Orchestras, various Ideal for a musical child. Best to Easily portable. ensembles, folk, jazz start young! etc. Viola String (later) Orchestras, various Ideal for a musical child. Best to Fairly easily portable. ensembles. start young on violin and change later. Cello String 5 or 6 Orchestras, various Ideal for a musical child. Best to Fits in medium sized car boot or on ensembles. start young. Small instruments are passenger seat. available. Double String 8 or 9 Orchestras, various Shortage instrument so players in Transport is an issue. Requires Bass ensembles, folk, jazz demand. Small instruments are folded down seats. etc. available. Flute Wood- 8 Orchestras, various Very popular so competitive at Small, easily portable and relatively wind ensembles, bands, higher levels. Sound production quiet. folk, jazz etc. difficult to start with but progress can be rapid. Piccolo Wood- - Orchestras, various Specialist – follows on from ditto wind ensembles, bands, learning Flute. folk, jazz etc. Oboe Wood- 8 or 9 Orchestras, various Shortage instrument so players in Easily portable. Reeds required wind ensembles, bands etc. demand. Difficult to begin with, so regularly – good instruments can be players need determination! expensive. Cor Anglais Wood- - Orchestras, various Specialist – follows on from Fairly easily portable. Reeds wind ensembles. learning Oboe. In great demand! required regularly – good instruments can be expensive. Clarinet Wood- 8 Orchestras, various Very popular so competitive at Easily portable. Reeds required wind ensembles, bands, higher levels. Advanced players regularly. jazz etc. will require 2 instruments (Bb & A) Bass Wood- - Orchestras, various Specialist – follows on from Fairly portable. Reeds required Clarinet wind ensembles, bands, learning Clarinet regularly. etc. Bassoon Wood- 10 Orchestras, various Shortage instrument so players in Reeds required regularly – good wind ensembles, bands, demand. Great fun and not as instruments can be expensive. etc. difficult as it looks! Recorder Wood- 6 recorder groups and A good starter instrument. Easily portable and quiet wind ensembles, early Progress rapid. Skills transfer music. easily to all woodwind instruments. Saxophone Wood- 11 or 12 Bands, jazz, Progress rapid. Loud. Very Portable. Much better to start on wind occasionally popular so competitive at higher clarinet and add saxophone later! orchestras. levels. Horn Brass 9 or 10 Orchestras, various Shortage instrument so players in Fairly portable. Often better to start (Often called ensembles, bands, great demand. Not as difficult as on trumpet or cornet and transfer French Horn) etc. people say! A great choice. later! Trumpet Brass 7 or 8 Orchestras, various Good beginner instrument. Skills Portable. Loud – but can be ensembles, bands, easily transfers to all other brass. practised with a mute! jazz etc. Cornet Brass 7 or 8 Bands, jazz, Almost identical to the Trumpet but Portable occasionally slightly lighter and easier to blow. orchestras. Many players continue to play both. Good starter instrument. Trombone Brass 9 or 10 Orchestras, various Longer arm reach than other brass Often better to start on trumpet, ensembles, bands, instruments. Strongly advise cornet or euphonium and transfer jazz etc. learning bass clef notation! later! Tuba Brass 12 Orchestras, various Shortage instrument. Needs a fair Heavy but fits in car boot. Usually ensembles, bands, degree of strength and lots of better to start on a smaller brass etc. wind! instrument!

Euphonium Brass 8 or 9 Mainly brass and wind Shortage instrument. Basically, a Players often start on euphonium, bands. small tuba – but often has a solo or progress to tuba and carry on with more prominent role. both. Flugel Horn, Brass 8 or 9 Mainly brass bands. We really do not recommend Tenor Horn, starting on any of these Baritone etc. instruments. Skills transfer easily from any other brass instrument.

Piano Keyboard 4 Various ensembles The perfect starter instrument for a Instrument takes up space. (when advanced) youngster. Skills transfer easily to Occasional tuning required. all other keyboard instruments Electric Keyboard 4 Various ensembles Skills transfer easily to/from piano Just a cheaper and smaller option. Piano (when advanced) and can be used to imitate other Does not require tuning. instruments. Organ Keyboard 10 or 11 Mainly church use but Nobody starts on the organ. Learn Access to an instrument can be also light music and the piano first. Accomplished problematic. (Uses hands and feet!) theatres. players are in demand. Harp 8 or 9 Mainly solo but Shortage instrument (except in Instruments expensive and portability occasionally in Wales!). A great choice if you like can be a problem. orchestras and folk the sound. Good players in great music. demand. Percussion 8 Orchestras, various We strongly recommend that Access to and transport of ensembles, bands, children do not learn only drum kit! instruments can be a problem. folk, jazz etc. Percussion involves a vast range of skills and techniques and good players are in great demand! Must also learn to read music. Guitar 8 Various Of course, kids who are into pop We strongly recommend that all guitar (Classical) music will want to play the guitar! players learn to read music too (Acoustic) Try to persuade them to learn (Electric) Classical Guitar instead. The skills (Any fairly accomplished musician will (Bass) acquired are easily transferable to be able to teach themselves well (Ukulele etc.) all other types of guitar – but this is enough to play most pop and folk not the case in reverse. music.) (The Ukulele is a good starter instrument for small children.)