Educational resources designed by REW Music to help you choose your instrument
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TIMBRE SURVEY |
INSTRUMENT TENDENCY SURVEY |
SURVEY ANSWER KEYS |
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Learn about the instruments! (Flute, Clarinet, Trumpet, Trombone, Violin, Viola, Cello) Click on any instrument on this virtual wall and open up a world of information, including an introduction, what it sounds like, what players think is special about each instrument, how each instrument is played, and more!
Choosing Instrument Surveys
These surveys are intended ONLY as a guide or suggestion of where to start for students, and what they may enjoy learning to play. They are not intended to take the place of a face-to-face consultation.
The Timbre Survey is a listening activity designed to allow students to hear the instruments and choose the sound they like most, without a visual image that could influence or distract a student from the sound. The two examples played for each instrument are the same music and played in the same style. We did this so that students are comparing the sounds of the instruments and not the songs being played. This is a great launching point when picking an instrument!
This tool helps students choose their instruments based on a survey of personal tendencies.
People who play a certain instrument tend to behave a certain way. Because music educators know this, we thought there should be a survey identifying behaviors which tend to line up with certain instruments. After pulling our information from 3 different dissertations and other resources, we came up with this fun activity. It is designed to be filled out by the PARENT OR GUARDIAN observing their child's behavior. This resource pairs with the Timbre Survey. From this, you can compare the two and have a good idea of what instrument a student may enjoy learning to play.
Click the image below to download the PDF document.
Offered annually in June and August, Exploring Instruments Camp is a hands-on, interactive, multi-day camp to help rising instrumental music students discover what instrument they like and what they may find the easiest to play. Each student handles each instrument for the entire instruction period, so they have the most in-depth opportunity for discovery and as much time with each instrument as possible.
A FREE clinic offered during back to school time each fall to help students and parents get started with their newly chosen instrument. In the clinics, REW Music educators work with groups of like instruments to teach both the students AND parents how to properly disassemble the instrument, clean it, put it back together, and make the first sounds. These clinics help students learn to keep their instrument in great working condition, as well as enable faster progression when they get to class at school. Many times, students who have attended a Getting Started Clinic are then able to assist their classmates during the first classes at school.
REW Music offers private lessons year-round for students of all levels.
REW Music provides a quality rental program for students. Month-to-month rentals, no interest, maintenance included in monthly rental price, school preferred accessories, complete in-house repair service. Call or visit the store to rent an instrument or get more information. (Online rental options available summer & fall.)