Flute

The Flute is a wonderful instrument that often plays the main melody of a piece of music.

It is part of the Woodwind family (have a look for the other members of the Woodwind Family in these videos). It is a perfect choice for a student who is patient & loves to learn. Piano players often ‘double’ on flute, so if you love the piano, flute might be the best instrument for you to play in the band.

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Clarinet

In recent years, the Clarinet has become an extremely popular choice.

The Clarinet is ‘broken down’ into pieces, so the case is quite small & easy to carry. It is a little tricky to put together at first & parents might need to help small hands with this. The Clarinet is also a member of the Woodwind Family, it produces sound from the vibrations of a reed & is closely related to the Saxophone. Clarinet students will be one of the first to make great sounds. This makes it a great choice for students who like instant gratification!

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Saxophone

The Saxophone family has many types. The one that we focus on in Training Band is the ALTO Saxophone.

The sound of the Saxophone is instantly recognisable & has been a popular choice for many years. The Alto Sax is larger & a bit heavier than the other instruments in the band. As you’ll see in the video, we use a neck strap which takes all of the weight. This can feel strange at first, but all our Sax players ‘grow into the instrument’. It is also a member of the Woodwind Family & produces sound from a reed making it similar to the Clarinet in some ways.

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Trumpet

The trumpet is a Brass Instrument.

That describes what it’s made from & is a good description of the quality of sound that it makes. Trumpet players are closely aligned with the Trombone & low brass players based on the ‘buzzing’ sound that they create. The case is small & the instrument is not too heavy. Most parents worry about the ‘loudness’ of the trumpet. The good news is that you can practice at home with a ‘mute’. This makes the trumpet whisper quiet. Trumpets often play the melody & stand out as a strong section within the band.

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Trombone

The trombone is deep sounding instrument that works with both our Trumpet section & Bass players.

It has no keys! It uses a slide to change notes. As we mention in the video, good singers make great trombone players because they need to use their musical ears to hit the right note. The trombone is part of the brass family & the sound is created by buzzing into a cup shaped mouthpiece. In addition to the Trombone, we are happy to teach other low brass instruments such as Baritone, Euphonium & Tuba. If you have a particular interest in these instruments, please email us after you enrol to let us know.

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Bass Guitar

The electric 4 string Bass Guitar is the only guitar offered in our band programs

The Bass plays with the Trombones & Low Brass players to create a wonderful ‘bottom end’ in our bands. As with all our band members, the Bass Guitar players learn how to ready musical notation (not TAB). PLEASE NOTE: Numbers are limited in each band. Think carefully about your second choice (hint: don’t put Drums as your second choice because those numbers are limited too).

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Percussion

We refer to Drummers as Percussionists for a reason - We teach children interested in the drums how to read & construct rhythms. These are lifelong skills which can lead to the drum kit as well as tuned percussion such as the Glockenspiel. Our percussionists work together to create rhythm soundscapes that drive the band & add excitement to every performance. PLEASE NOTE: Numbers are limited in each band. Think carefully about your second choice (hint: don’t put Bass Guitar as your second choice because those numbers are limited too).

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Purchasing your instrument

SBA do not sell instruments but are happy to direct you to our friends at Reeds and More for all of your instruments and accessories.

On the topic of instrument purchasing, we see a lot of very cheap ebay/gumtree instruments turning up in our training bands. Unfortunately, these rarely offer good value for money as the quality and workmanship is poor and little or no warranty is given. Typically, they are difficult to play and this can lead to frustration…exactly the thing we don’t want in encouraging children to play.

Arrange a meeting

Contact SBA now to run your schools band program. To arrange a meeting to discuss building your band, please visit our contact page on the link below.

Contact Us

Alternatively please feel free to contact us directly on:

1300 1BANDS (1300 122 637)

Take the next step to a musical future here!

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