Instrument upgrade: How, when, what, should I be looking for?

This turned into a rather long and involved post. I encourage everyone to read the entire thing, but if you are looking for a specific instrument, I suggest using CRTL+F on your browser to find the instrument you are looking for. Enjoy!

Good afternoon musicians!

At some point, as we all grow in music, several questions must be asked:

• When should I upgrade my instrument?
• What instrument should I get?
• How do I go about getting the instrument that I want?

The answers to these questions can vary from instrument to instrument, and differ in circumstance. Below I will attempt to address some of the things that all advancing musicians should consider, and then some instrument-specific details to worry about.

When should I upgrade my instrument?
What instrument should I get?
These questions are difficult, only because it ends up being the most personal of the questions we ask. The simplest answer is that you should upgrade when you feel as though your current instrument is no longer meeting your needs, and you should upgrade to an instrument that meets your current playing needs.

Whether those needs involve an overall sound, or something specific you wish to be able to do, only the person playing can say with any small amount of certainty that a new instrument could be helpful.

Here are some instrument-family specifics:

Orchestral Strings:

You lot have the easiest time at first, because you start out needing a new instrument as you grow bigger. Once you reach that full size, the timing becomes more difficult.

Many students use their student-level full size instrument through high school, and for many music becomes a hobby after that, and so a new instrument may not be necessary ever again.

For advanced students, or students wishing to make a career playing music, I would suggest you upgrade to a better quality instrument as soon as you are financially able, and as soon as you are able to locate a good, quality instrument.

Here at the store, we have several fine intermediate/step-up level instruments available for advancing young musicians. If you are looking for something on a professional level, I would consult your private teacher, or a local university string professor.

When looking for an advanced instrument, handmade instruments are usually higher in quality, both in the materials selected, and the care with which the instrument is put together.

Brass:

Many brass students move up to their step-up instrument at the beginning of, or halfway through high school.

Trumpets:
Trumpet players will be advised to look into a Silver plated trumpet, usually a Bach TR200S or the Yamaha YTR-5335GSAL or similar.

Either of these fine step-up instruments will serve throughout high school. If continuing in music, many trumpeters seek out the ever popular Bach Stradivarius, which is considered one of the, if not the top, pro level trumpet. At the very least it's name is recognizable and popular.

Trombones:
Trombone players will be looking for a trigger trombone to move up to, which adds more notes in the low range, and offers not only a larger bore (and rounder sound) but the trigger also offers more note playing alternatives. Many trombone players stick with a Bach trigger trombone, but there are many out there.

French Horn:
French horn players should move into a double horn at their earliest convenience. Yamaha makes some great intermediate horns, and having the double horn makes it much less difficult to play high notes, as well as rounding out the horn sound.

Baritone:
Baritone and tuba players should consult either with their band directors, or the local college professors, if they are looking to purchase their own instruments. Even at the college level, school will provide these larger instruments as long as they have enough to cover everyone, but if you are more advanced, or wish to move past playing your instrument in college, a pro-level horn is a necessity. Unfortunately for tuba players, pro-level tubas vary greatly for a number of reasons we won't get into here, but suffice it to say, you should consult with your professor to find the best tuba for your situation.

The biggest thing to remember when stepping up in brass instruments, is that the higher quality horns usually have a larger bore, which may require a new mouthpiece. This will feel odd at first, but will help to develop a more mature sound to help keep advanced players sounding fantastic.

Don't get rid of your student horn if you can avoid it though! They are fantastic for marching band!

Woodwinds:

Woodwind players also tend to move up throughout high school, or into college. Consult with your band director if you are interested, or wondering if they think you should move up.

Flute:

The student brands that make great flutes, Gemeinhardt and Yamaha, also make decent step-up instruments. Also at the intermediate level, you will find that the Amadeus line by Haynes is very well-recommended.

For flutists, you should look for an open-holed flute, with either an inline, or offset G key. The difference is mainly in comfort for your fingers, so you should try to get your hands on the instrument if you can.

A foot with a low B will also be beneficial in the long run, but may not be necessary. When in doubt, ask your private teacher, band director, or the local University's Flute professor for guidance.

Clarinet:

Clarinet players should look to move up to a wooden flute. Buffet, even after being bought by Conn-Selmer, still offers some great wooden clarinet models.

Be careful with all wood clarinets, as they are able to crack in conditions that are too dry. In order to maintain the humidity levels for the instrument, keep your instrument in a safe, cool, not too dry place, and in the winter, leaving a french orange peel in your case can combat cracking.

Oboe:

If you are looking for an intermediate-level oboe, the best thing you can do is research, research, and research. You will definitely want a wooden oboe, and take care with humidity and temperature as oboes are much more likely to crack than clarinets.

Most oboists will swear by Lorée oboes, and unfortunately for prospective buyers, oboes hold their value very well when taken care of, and are usually the most expensive woodwinds aside from bassoons. It is best to consult your private teacher or the local University Oboe professor for help finding a quality instrument that will suit your needs.

Bassoons:

Bassoons are somewhat of an enigma to me compared to many of the other instruments on this list. Off the bat, I can say that Fox bassoons are rather well-regarded, but beyond that, I encourage you to again, talk to your private teacher or a local University professor for specific guidance on what to look for.

Saxophones:

Okay, so, saxophones are kind of my thing (if you hadn't known that already) so hold on to your hats.

First, my personal experience:

I was one of those kids who knew fairly early on that he wanted to do something with music for the rest of his life. Because of that, my mother and I decided that we should skip over intermediate saxophone land, and hit a professional model right away. For us, it was a money-saver, and since I still play to this day, 12 years after purchasing that horn, I would say it was money well-spent.

Now, if you do not know if you will play this instrument beyond college, an intermediate model will be just fine. I highly suggest putting your money into an Alto sax, as they are the least expensive, and most schools will have tenors, baritones, and sopranos available (at the college level) for you to use. It could be worth it to invest in your own mouthpiece for the larger sizes, however.

Brand-wise, the most popular and well-reviewed horns are Selmer, Yanigasawa, and Yamaha, usually in that order. Selmer has been the big name in saxophone for years, but recently Yanigasawa, a Japanese saxophone company, has been taking over a little bit. Yamaha, like with many things, makes a really decent instrument, especially considering they make practically everything.

No matter what horn you end up with, I highly suggest making sure you have a High F# key, as well as the hardware on your F key to push the G# key closed more easily, for a better seal (and for some advanced sax techniques that utilize pushing down extra keys to change the pitch or tone of a note).

If you do not know what lies ahead, an intermediate model will be great to last you for the rest of your life, but if you want the edge in quality, spring for the pro model.

For any woodwind instruments larger than these, similar guidelines should apply, though you still want to consult someone before grabbing a Bass Clarinet, or a Soprano, Tenor, or Baritone saxophone.

Percussion:

Good news percussionists! Except for a snare to practice at home, and the various mallets and sticks needed, you don't usually have to provide most of the needed equipment. For those of you who like to practice at home, finding various instruments can be useful, but aside from a drum kit for your band, you should only need to invest in quality sticks and mallets, unless you want to be/need to be the person who provides an awesome triangle, tambourine, or other accessory instrument.

If you are looking for a drum kit, do your research, and attempt to try out a few. The best-sounding kits will all have shells made of the same wood, and then you just need to take care to adjust tensions, and put quality heads on them.

Guitar:

For guitar upgrades, I suggest doing your research beforehand. Ask around on forums and ask other guitarists about instruments that usually put out the sound you are looking for.

For many players, looks and sound can go together, but for others, they can be very separate entities. The most important thing when looking for a new guitar, is knowing what sound you want, how much of that sound can come from your amplifier (for electric) and how much of that may come from pickups in the instrument.

Most music stores, ours included, will offer a variety of instruments at different price levels. Figure out what your price point is, and what kind of sound you are looking for, and go from there.

If you are playing mainly for yourself, having one guitar available is probably enough, but if you are in a band, you may want a couple of instruments. The reasons for this vary from group to group, and from person to person based on the funds available, but aside from the guitar-collector bug that goes around, multiple instruments can offer multiple sounds and setups, just like amplifiers.

Bass:

Bass purchases can follow the same thought lines as guitarists, but many bassists go for one bass that sounds good, and can then be modified through an amp or effects to suit their needs. Granted, not all bassists operate that way. The biggest concern for bassists is pickup arrangement, and how many strings you need. Many bassists work well with a 4-string, while other absolutely need a 5. 6-string basses are not as common, but still have their uses. Research which one may be best for you, and start from there.

Piano:

It used to be that having a piano in the house was fairly common. People would use it as a place to meet, play, and enjoy some time with family and friends. Nowadays, with fewer folks learning, and not as much space available for instruments, most people overlook the idea of having a piano in the house.

I suggest, for the best use of a piano, getting the highest quality, 88-key piano you can afford and fit into your space. Many electronic pianos are of a high enough quality to learn piano on, and they come in a variety of price points that should make it easier to bring a new keyboard into the house.

Acoustic pianos are always going to sound better, until speaker and sample technology is further improved, but the electronic ones that exist now are pretty fantastic. We work with KORG, which is one of the big names in electronic pianos, and they have a fantastic selection for anyone looking to add a compact, but great sounding piano to their home.

For any keyboard, look for weighted keys, and make sure you play the instrument to test out sound response, and how well the keyboard sounds overall.

You may be able to get by with a smaller-sized keyboard, but the majority of smaller instruments do not have the high quality of samples that come from 88-key instruments.

FOR ALL INSTRUMENTS:

As long as you have the passion, and the drive to better yourself as a musician, and as long as it doesn't send you spiraling into a mountain of debt, upgrading your instrument can provide several benefits:

• Higher confidence in playing
• Larger, rounder, higher quality sound
• Faster response to note changes
• Longer-lasting (as long as it is well-maintained)
• Greater ease in playing extreme ranges (very very high, or very very low)
• They usually look much cooler than student or beginner level instruments

How do I go about getting the instrument that I want?

If you are wondering how to find the instrument that you want, and I didn't mention it above, do research, and ask people more experienced than you for their opinions. Although you may not end up agreeing at some point, folks who have been playing for many years are a great place to start for guidance.

Do your research, then ask your local music store (like us!) what they have available, or what they may be able to make available to you. The biggest thing with any new instrument, once you have an idea of what you are looking for is: TRY THE INSTRUMENT OUT BEFORE PURCHASING.

You will have no idea if the recommendations are right for you until you can play an instrument for a little bit, to see how it responds. We DO NOT suggest purchasing an instrument unless you get to try one out at some point.

My last bit of advice in this long-winded post, is to always keep practicing, and making yourself a better musician. No matter how great your instrument is, it will only marginally improve the quality of sound you put into it. Be aware of your technique, and strive to always better yourself to get the most out of your instrument upgrade.

We can always help in this endeavor, so make sure you check with us when looking to upgrade and we will see what we can do for you!

Long Spring Breaks, and Moving Forward

Good morrow friends, family, and fellow musicians.

I apologize for our extended hiatus here over at the Sound Off blog. As we continually try to add value to our store, and explore new and updated avenues to reach you and support you for all of your musical needs, some things can get left off to the side for a moment.

This time around, it was the blog, which is a shame because I quite enjoy writing and letting you know what we are up to, and how we can help you become better at your craft.

We have been slowly rolling out an online platform to sell some of our gear on reverb.com. This website specializes in instruments, gear, amps, and other accessories (not just limited to, but mostly populated by guitars and related materials) sold from person to person.

If you get chance, check out our store here. You can see all of these pieces in the physical store, but if you're having difficulty getting over here, check some of our great instruments and amps out right online.

Other items as we move forward, we want to help you become a better musician.

Now, I am not talking wholly about our great lesson program (which you check out either using the menu on our website, or here if you want to click right over there) but also about an idea that I, personally am excited about.

We want to start offering short sessions on Saturdays, I would call them mini-master classes, or information sessions, about topics that interest you as a musician. To start, we will use the talent we have here at the store to offer information and answer questions about what we should cover. I will also be reaching out to local musicians and educators to ask for their input, and hopefully their support.

These mini-master classes would be open and free to anyone who would like to attend, we just ask that participants are eager, excited, and willing to learn something new.

Here's where you come in: What do you want to know about? What burning questions do you have that I haven't answered here, or you want more information from someone with experience? Feel free to let us know in comments right here on the blog, on the related Facebook post, or shoot an email straight to us from our website.

We are here to help you become better musicians, so we want to know the best way to do that!

Thank you all for your support, and we hope to be able to offer you more in terms of education, supplies, and instruments and that together we can all further mature as musicians.

Why Study Privately?

I'm sure that most people, at some point in their musical career, have asked someone:

Why do you pay that guy over there to teach you how to play?

7-10 years ago, the answer was easier: because that guy can show me things I can't figure out for myself.

Nowadays, with the widespread use of the internet, and YouTube, there are more resources than ever for learning how to play a musical instrument.

So why should you pay that guy over there, or the fine folks who work here, how to play?

Because the internet can only help you so much.

Sure, there are probably about 50 tutorials on YouTube alone on how to play the guitar. I guarantee that if you checked there would be plenty of quality instructional videos available.

What those videos can't tell you, are ways to improve upon the basic message.

The internet can only suggest certain ways to do things, but in the end, a private instructor can tell you how to produce a better sound.

If you think about it, most people learn best when shown how to do something, then they attempt to do it themselves, and then they receive feedback from someone else.

The same is true for being a musician. If you are able to produce a sound, or practice a skill, and then a knowledgeable instructor can tell you how to improve your technique, or what the next step is, that is a more worthwhile experience than watching a video on YouTube and expecting to gather all of the nuance and experience that an in-person teacher is capable of producing.

I think that the internet is a great place to start. Heck, we're in talks over here to start producing online video content ourselves, but I will never suggest that anyone's online content, even our own, will replace having someone in the same room with you, dedicated to making sure that you are performing at peak levels.

Allow us to help you take your performances to the next level of amazing, stop by and sign up for some private lessons, and let us show you the real value of a living, breathing person who cares about your musical development.

Music in Every Day Life

We hear music every day.

Whether on our favorite TV shows, in the movies we watch, or in the car on the way to work, we are practically surrounded by music.

Now, a few of you will tell me that because I work in a music store, that of course I am surrounded by music every day. You are too though.

It's been very interesting over the last few years to find that fewer and fewer TV shows utilize a full 30+ second intro song now. Most shows have about 3 seconds for a catchy tune, and then it is back to the action.

Gone are the days of Cheers, Friends, Full House, Step-By-Step, and Home Improvement where shows have a fully realized song to introduce the actors, and show a few credits before the story starts.

Most shows now prefer to use a snippet for an intro, and put some credits over the opening scenes in order to add more time for action (or more likely, advertising). Folks who happened to enjoy the tradition of the opening theme song have cried foul about this practice for as long as it has been happening.

The thing that I find most interesting when shows do this, is that not only do they tend to have a fully realized theme song over the end credits, but there is more music interspersed throughout the entire episode.

For example:

One of my favorite new shows right now is 'The Flash' on the CW.

I realize that there was a Flash tv show many years ago (the actor who played The Flash in that show plays the father of the current Flash in this one), but this incarnation is new for folks like me.

Anyway, while they don't have an opening theme, The Flash has great music during the show, and a great theme song for the end credits. These are orchestral arrangements too, not pop or rock songs appropriated for a TV show.

The fantastic part, to me, is that this quality of music is found on a network that is considered to be lesser, or for less civilized or less mature individuals than the big three networks. Yet, here they are, not only producing a few quality shows, but also making sure that they are chock-full of amazing music.

The next time you watch your favorite TV show, try to listen for the incidental music happening in the background that gives a little extra punch to the emotion in a scene, or helps to enhance the action as the good guys take down the bad.

After you do that, listen for the music that exists throughout your life that you may not normally appreciate (yes, this includes elevator music).

If you take the time to look for, or add a little extra music to your life, I think you will find that you can enjoy the journey just a little bit more.

Resolution Constitution

I am sure that you all know what they say about New Year's resolutions. Many people would have you believe that they usually start to peter out about this time of year. Things come up, life happens, time gets away from you, and before you know it, BAM! your resolution is all but disappeared.

I am here to encourage you to not let that happen! Especially if you resolved to become a better musician.

The secret to being a good musician is to find new and interesting ways to practice your core skills. Many of these ways do not even involve your instrument at all!

I'm sure some people will say, "But Mr. Manager, that's crazy! How can I practice without my instrument?"

Many people probably thinking I'm pulling a Harold Hill and trying to get everyone to use the THINK method, but I promise you, I am not (if you didn't get that reference, look for The Music Man at your local library. Not the one with Ferris Bueller in it, the older one).

Here we go!

• Guitarists/Woodwinders/Brass players/Drum hitters: you should practice your finger/stick combos or patterns any time you can.
  
  Even if it is just going over scales, when you take the time to make your fingers work together, they will perform better on your instrument.
  
  You can air guitar or air play if you like, or you can put your fingers on a firm, flat surface (like a table) and practice that way. The most important part is to make sure that you have great hand position, and are taking the time to force your fingers to work in the order, or together how you want them to.
  
  
• Brass/Woodwind players: Practice with just your mouthpiece.
  
  For brass players, this is easy! Just keep your mouthpiece, or if you can a spare mouthpiece with you, and when you have some extra time of not doing much, practice blowing different simple tunes on your mouthpiece. This allows you to practice gaining better control of your embouchure, and also allows you to practice in front of a mirror to watch your lip changing habits without having to worry about lugging your instrument around.
  
  Woodwind players may need to use a reed for this, and may not be able to produce as many different sounds without hurting themselves, but practicing in front of a mirror or playing long tones on just the mouthpiece can help you focus your air until you are better in control of your sound.
  
  Across the board, I like to try to have my woodwind and brass students match the pitch I play on my mouthpiece because it can help them to realize that they are pinching too tight, or not focusing their air enough to get the best sound.
  
  

These are just a few small ways to improve yourself as a player. Use your imaginations! How do you practice away from your instrument?

Proper Practice Makes Perfect Pt 1

Something that a lot of musicians hear constantly is that 'Practice makes Perfect' or that 'Perfect Practice makes Perfect' and to folks who say either of those two things frequently I say: phooey.

The notion that practice should be perfect is a mistake. We practice in order to play more perfectly, but there really is no perfect way to practice. Each practice session is best approached from the perspective of a Doctor or a Mechanic trying to diagnose why something is not working the way we want it to.

Playing music isn't just an automatic reaction to symbols on a page. Music is an interpretation by a smart, savvy young musician, of those symbols into something that makes sense to both player and listener.

The best way to approach new material, is to take it SLOW.

I cannot emphasize it enough. I know, playing everything slow is no fun. It sounds lame and it feels like it is too hard to do (that is me pretending to be you making excuses about why playing slow is dumb).

I am telling you you've got it all wrong.

Playing slow, while possibly somewhat difficult to do, is very important to developing as a musician. When you first start doing something, or learn how to perform a new skill, you can't do it very quickly can you? You have to think about, and try to force yourself to do this thing you just started doing.

Playing music is the same way. You have to think about doing it. This is why we start practicing slowly. If you have time to think about it, you have a much better opportunity to be successful while you practice.

Think of your brain performing a skill as a vehicle leaving one place, to go to another. At first, for new skills, the path to get where you want to go is narrow, or bumpy, and takes a long time to traverse. The more you travel down the path to finish this skill, the easier it gets. The road gets wider, or perhaps it gets smoother. 

Once you have done it a couple dozen times, all of a sudden, instead of, say, a dirt path, you have a gravel path. After a few more dozen times, you're traveling down a brick path, or a decently paved sidewalk. The more you practice and perform this skill, the wider your path gets. Eventually you are traveling down a decently smooth, paved road.

After you master a skill, sequence, or piece of music, your brain is sending its signals down an eight lane wide, super highway, where you barely have to think about how to perform the task at all.

This is the way of practicing. You start off having to think about, and force yourself to perform an action, until you do it enough times that it seems like you could never get it wrong.

To get to that end point though, you need to start SLOW in order to build up to the awesome speeds of that super highway.

Obviously you don't have to play slowly forever. Just like our example above, the more you practice and concentrate on improving a skill, the faster you are able to go.

Please, budding musicians, do not be discouraged by not being able to practice or play perfectly the very first time. Try your hardest to, instead, work hard to improve the ability of your brain and body to interpret, and perform what is being asked of you on a piece of music until you have no choice but to play it 100% correctly, and beautifully.

Happy practicing!