I am going to take a bit of time to cover the brass instruments that your child can play. I am going to just give a brief overview of each. You should include your child in any decisions you make pertaining to lessons. These instruments are generally not good for children under 9, brass are heavy and require a lot of lung strength.
A French horn consists of a very long, narrow tube of brass coiled around on itself. Blocking with your lips into the cup-shaped mouthpieces makes the sound, which comes out the flared bell end. The French horn has the advantage of being used in both orchestras as well as wind bands and even some school bands so there are plenty of opportunities for group play. Horn players are in high demand since so few children learn horn, which increases your child’s chances of getting valuable performance time.
While the horn has its advantages, there are still downsides, such as it is not a very easy instrument to start learning. Some children start on the trumpet and later after some experience change to the horn. As well as open notes are very close together, and it is difficult to control movement between them. The horn also requires a lot of air pressure, which young children do not typically have; usually this pressure is not possible until a child is 11-12 years old. One other major downside is the size and weight of the horn; it is not an instrument for a small child since they do not have the strength to hold it.
If your child plays horn, make sure they are serious before purchasing one, as they can easily cost around $1,500 for a student model and professional models range from $2,500 up to as high as $8,000. There is relatively little maintenance since there are very few moving parts, however valve’s will need to be oiled as well as the slide greased every few weeks.
Saxophone
Saxophones come in several different sizes, the smallest is the soprano saxophone, which is straight, the next size up is the alto saxophone, which has a curved mouthpiece and bell and usually hangs from a sling around the neck. The largest saxophone is the tenor saxophone is the same as the alto in shape, and the baritone is the same size, however the tube is coiled to reduce its length. Most saxophonist start on the alto saxophone, and some start on the soprano.
While it is not a good idea to start with a tenor or a baritone, it is quite possible to switch to one later once basic skills have been learned. Saxophone is very easy to produce sound with, and after only a few lessons, your child should see some good progress, which will encourage them. Saxophone is also a very versatile instrument that can be played in many different types of music. Like the clarinet, the fundamentals of the saxophone are easy to learn, and by the time, your child gets to fourth or fifth grade there are very few differences between learning the saxophone and other woodwind instruments.
Downsides to saxophone are that is it a very heavy instrument, your child needs the strength to hold and carry it, as well as arms long enough to reach the keys. Another downside is that your child must bite hard on the mouthpiece, which is difficult for many children until they start getting their adult teeth. Last major downside is that most orchestra pieces are not written with saxophone parts, which can limit the ability to play in a group setting.
Children can start learning saxophone anytime between 10-12 years old; by this point, they should have the physical strength necessary to hold the instrument. You should wait until closer to 12 or possibly later if your child is very small, or has difficulty breathing for any reason. Costs for a saxophone range are approximately $400 for a used one, with new models costing between $750 to as much as $2,000. Maintenance should be done yearly to tune the instrument and give it a good check up to ensure it is still in good shape, as well as the soft pads on the keys should be changed once a year.
Trombone
The trombone is the very large relative of the trumpet, and has a narrow tube of brass folded in upon itself to conserve space. You play the instrument by blowing into the mouthpiece, while sliding the slide, which lengthens and shortens the tubing. Some advantages of the trombone are that it is relatively easy to learn, with no keys to learn, and no finger placements to make it more difficult. Trombone players are also typically in demand, since there are rarely enough to fulfill all group playing situations.
Downsides to trombone include that the instrument is a bit difficult for small children to hold due to its size. When the trombone is played with a brass band, the trombone is played in treble clef, however when played in an orchestra or wind band, it is played in bass clef. This will cause your child to need to learn to play both styles of trombone to have the best experience. Children can typically begin learning trombone once they are between 11-12 years old and they have plenty of arm strength as well as long enough arms to push the slide out.
Trombones are certainly not cheap; however, they are cheaper than many of the other brass instruments with a good student model costing between $400 to upwards of $900. The good news with trombones is very little can go wrong, which means that maintenance is quite cheap and not needed often. If the trombone becomes dented, that is a costly repair however.
Trumpet
Trumpets are mostly orchestra instruments, however they are found in the occasional jazz band. To play the trumpet you support the instrument with one hand, while the other hand operates the valves, as you blow into it. Advantages to trumpet are that it is possible to be played in several different settings, aside from just orchestra play so your child will have numerous chances to play. It is also a fairly easy instrument to learn, with numerous trumpet teachers around to choose from. Trumpets are also fairly small and easily fit into a case for easy transportation.
Downsides of trumpet is that because it is such a popular instrument it makes it very difficult to find group playing opportunities, which if your child craves that experience may make trumpet the wrong instrument for them. Children can begin playing trumpet usually around 9-10 years of ago, once they have the strength to comfortably hold the instrument. Many students who start on the trumpet, later switch to a different horn instrument that is not as popular and has more playing opportunities, so trumpet can serve as a good stepping stone.
Trumpets are relatively inexpensive instruments for the student models, with a good quality model only costing around $300, which is much lower than many other instruments. This also makes trumpet a great starter instrument since it is much cheaper than the other instruments that it can lead to. Trumpets need very little maintenance, however they can be easily dented which is an expensive repair if necessary. The slides will need to be greased occasionally, and the valves will need to be oiled at times to keep it sounding wonderful.
Tuba
This is the largest of the brass instruments, and involves a lot of strength to hold the instrument. Not recommended at all for small children, even older children who have a small body size may not have the strength to hold it. The tuba is fairly easy to learn, and does not require strong breath control; however the size and weight are major downsides. It does come in a smaller three-quarter size for children are just starting to learn tuba.
Tubas are used in orchestras, wind bands, brass bands, and jazz bands, which will allow your child several opportunities to play. Competition for those places is slim since there are few tuba players around, which will make finding your child a place much easier. Downsides are that since the tuba is so large it is not something most girls are able to play, as well as boys need to have good arm and back strength to hold it. Tuba is also played in different clefs, with bass clef being used for orchestra and wind bands and treble clef being used for brass bands. Your child will need to decide which clef they want to learn since very few tuba players play both clefs.
Children are able to start playing tube sometime between fourth and sixth grade, sometimes later if they are very small. This recommendation is made because of the size of the tuba, not the difficulty. Some children start playing tenor horns and later switch to tuba once they are big enough and strong enough to handle the instrument. A new tuba costs approximately $1,750 up to as much as $3,000 while used tubas can be purchased for anywhere from $500 to as much as $1,500. For professional model tubas, you are looking at a set back of up to $12,000. For maintenance, your tuba should be tuned every few months, and a yearly cleaning and adjustment. Otherwise, there are no major expenses with the tuba unless it is dented, which can be expensive to repair.
