On this page, parents and students can find the suggested accessories, brands, and models to upgrade from the beginner instruments that we start with.  Many parents and grandparents like to upgrade their students’ band experience for Christmas or birthdays.  What a great way to treat them and encourage their education at the same time!  This page can help you find out what they need and keep it a surprise.

Accessories for Everyone

♦ Music Stand
  • Manhasset
  • Wenger
  • Certain portable stands can be very useful, but make sure they are of quality construction.  Do not buy the metal wire stands.

♦ Tuner & Metronome
  • I recommend the Korg TM-50 Tuner/Metronome.  This device is very accurate and inexpensive, is available online, and qill last wind instrumentalist through high school and college level playing.  You can find it on Amazon here. 
  • Smartphones and tablet computers now have excellently accurate tuners and metronomes that can always be with a student and are very inexpensive.                 Please consider these apps:
          1. TonalEnergy Tuner by Sonosaurus
          2. insTuner by EUMLab
          3. Pro Metronome by Xiao Yixiang

Mouthpieces

The easiest way to improve an instrument’s sound quality is to purchase a quality mouthpiece.  The closer the instrument gets to the mouth, the more important it is to the way it performs.  This is why mouthpieces are so easy to remove and replace.  However, mouthpieces can be very particular, and it is best to try it before you buy it.  If your student is taking private lessons, that resource is the best place to find a new mouthpiece.  In the absence of a private teacher, please consider these models as quality standard sizes.

♦ Clarinet
  • Vandoren 5RV
  • Ligature (holds the reed in place): Rovner, Dark

♦ Saxophone
  • Selmer C* (C-Star)

♦ Trumpet
  • Bach 5C or 3C

♦ French Horn
  • Holton Farkas Medium Cup (MC)
  • Schilke 29 or 30

♦ Trombone & Euphonium
  • Schilke 51D

♦ Tuba
  • Helleburg (Standard Size)


Do NOT buy a plastic mouthpiece!  Woodwinds are made of wood.  Brass instruments are made of metal.  Plastic mouthpieces will make the whole instrument sound like a cheap plastic knock-off.  Don't waste your money!

Instruments

Below are suggested brands of instruments to purchase.  It is recommended that only “professional” grade instruments are purchased after the beginning ones have been used up.  “Intermediate” horns are not much better than the beginning horns but cost much more.  A truly professional instrument, with proper care and maintenance, can last a student a lifetime.

♦ Flute
  • Pearl
  • Yamaha
  • Gemienhardt
  • Additionally, a new flute should have several improved features to be worth buying.
          1. A "b" Foot Joint
          2. Open Tone Holes
          3. An Off-set G Key

♦ Oboe & Bassoon
  • Fox Renard
  • Selmer

♦ Clarinet
  • For a new clarinet to be worth buying, the body should be made of solid wood or grenadilla rather than plastic
  • Buffet
  • Yamaha

♦ Saxophone
  • Look into a tenor or baritone saxophone with Mr. Foster before you buy anything
  • Selmer
  • Yamaha

♦ Trumpet
  • Bach

♦ French Horn
  • Any upgrade needs to have a thumb trigger valve
  • Conn
  • Yamaha

♦ Trombone
  • Any upgrade needs to have an F trigger
  • Conn
  • Bach
  • Also, talk to Mr. Foster or your private teacher about moving to a bass trombone

♦ Baritone/Euphonium
  • If upgrading, please purchase a euphonium, not a baritone
  • Wilson
  • Besson

♦ Tuba
  • Make sure any new tuba is a full size horn with at least 4 valves
  • Miraphone
  • Meinl Weston

You may also want to look into the rent-to-own program at your local music store.  Many have upgrade programs that will put much of the money you have already paid renting toward purchasing a new, better instrument.