Musical Instrument Demo Videos

A new series of musical instrument demo videos from Schottenbauer Publishing has been published on YouTube. The series focuses on low-cost instruments featured in the science of music books from Schottenbauer Publishing, including the multi-volume series Where Does Sound Come From? and How Do You Play That Thingamabob? The Science of Music Performance, as well as the book Science of Music: An Anthology of 28 Graphs for Kids, Teens, & Curious Adults, the Science of Music Performance blog, and the multimedia Ear Training series from MusicaNeo.

Click on the direct links below to hear the following low-cost instruments. The woodwinds, brass, and strings are available from Music123, while the recorders are available from West Music and the xylophone is available from Percussion Source.

Etude Instruments (Music123)
Trumpet
Trombone
Flute
Clarinet
Saxophone

pBone (Music123)
Plastic Trombone

Florea Strings (Music123)
Violin

Korogi Tabletop Models (Percussion Source)
Xylophone, 2.6 Octave

Harmony and Aulos Recorder (West Music)
Recorders

An earlier video contains a mixed selection of these instruments. Audio demonstrations are also available from the publisher on SoundCloud.

When purchasing an introductory musical instrument, remember to purchase Big Print Music Method Exercises, Solos, Duets, Ensemble, & Conducting Method, perfect for beginners in school and homeschool! Big Print Music Method is available from MusicaNeo from $2 per e-file, and is available in print from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-a-Million, CreateSpace, CreateSpace Wholesale, and other online stores!

Musical Instrument Purchase Tips

Demonstration of Western Musical Instruments
Excerpted from YouTube Video on Publisher Website

As school begins, most students consider purchasing their own musical instrument. For many, borrowing an instrument from the school or renting an instrument seems like the best option. Others simply decide to purchase due to instrument preferences provided by schools, band directors, symphony conductors, local music stores, and private sales from older students. 

If a family or school system is particularly financially limited, it may be challenging to find an instrument in the right price range. This is particularly true of homeschool families, who do not have a school providing free instruments on loan. Some private and parochial schools also do not offer free instrument loan, providing an extra burden to families with strapped budgets.

Fortunately, a few extra-low-cost options do exist:


Direct Imports

Direct imports are possible in the USA and many other countries. When a group of families can bundle their purchases together, it may be advantageous to purchase instruments overseas and import them directly. No business license is required when making private purchases overseas, just as during a personal trip to a foreign country. Ordering may be simple, requiring only a credit card or Western Union for payment. Shipping costs are surprisingly low, and import tax is only approximately 5.5% on musical instruments in the United States. Although import restrictions or quotas may exist in some countries, there are few in the USA. Items must be picked up at a seaport, or, if necessary, within-USA shipping can be arranged at cost from a professional company. If these steps seem too complicated, importing can be arranged with a licensed import agent who will add a service fee. Although this fee may be lower than markup at a traditional music store, it is still an additional cost. It may be possible to find a local store which specializes in imports and is willing to make a special order for a minimal fee.

Musical instruments are made particularly low-cost in China, from multiple companies which can be located through easy internet webpages such as Made-in-China.com. Although some companies require minimum purchases of 5, 10, or 100 instruments, others place no restrictions on woodwinds or brass. Keep in mind that USA store costs usually include markup of 100% to 500% for musical instruments such as these, which may sit in a warehouse for long periods of time before selling.

Several Chinese musical instrument companies include:

• XuQiu Music & Sonor Music: Woodwinds, Brass, Strings, & Percussion. Most instruments are sold individually. Shipping is extremely affordable to the East Coast USA. For example, one estimate for shipping 16 instruments was only a few hundred dollars. Import tax is approximately 5.5% in the USA, and transportation from port depends on destination location. Costs cited in February 2015 include the following: 

• Woodwinds
• Flute (Sterling Silver): $586
• Clarinet (Ebony): $235.60
• English Horn (Bakelite): $1688.50
• Oboe: $393.20
• Bassoon: $696.20
• Contrabassoon: $7,500.00
• Brass
• Trumpet (Silver): $78.95
• Trombone: $145.47
• Double Horn: $230.00
• Flugelhorn: $109.00
• Bass Flugelhorn: $176.00
• Euphonium: $241.65
• Tuba: $399.85
• Strings
• Violin: $24.50
• Viola: $38.95
• Cello: $113.35
• Bass: $259.99
• Percussion
• 5-Piece Drum Set: $164.95
• Marimba (4-Octave): $1749.50

• Chloris Pianos: Upright & Grand Pianos. The following costs cited in February 2015 include shipping costs to an East Coast seaport in the USA.

• Upright Piano: $1,265
• Grand Piano (5'6"): $3,915
• Concert Grand Piano (9'): $11,895
• Shanghai Lingjiang Musical Instrument Co., Ltd.: Upright & Grand Pianos. The following costs cited in November 2015 do not include shipping or import tax.
• Upright Piano: $1,300
• Grand Piano: $3,000

 Additional companies can be located online.


Low-Cost USA Purchases

For individuals who are not interested in importing instruments, low-cost USA purchase options do exist. Although not a comprehensive list, the following provide some good options for low budgets. New (11/15)! Instrument demonstration videos are now available on YouTube.

• Music123: Some of the lowest costs on band and orchestral instruments in the USA can be found here, particularly in special sales from November through March. The bottom-dollar student instruments sold by this discount retailer include the Etude, Allora, and Florea brands, all of which offer good quality to beginners.
• Harmony Recorders: A full set of 5 plastic recorders (sopranino, soprano, alto, tenor, bass) cost approximately $200 from West Music, which specializes in low-cost recorders in the USA.
• Korogi Tabletop Xylophones: These 2.6-octave desktop xylophones provide excellent quality from Percussion Source. At approximately $315, these are a tiny fraction of the cost of a full instrument.
• Yamaha Electric Pianos: One of the highest-quality and lowest-price full-sized (88-key) electric pianos is manufactured by Yamaha Corporation. The basic model can usually be purchased in the USA for approximately $500 from a source such as Music123.
• Kawai Grand Pianos: These pianos offer high quality at lower cost than other major brands, but with similar stiffness of key action compared to the prized Steinway models. Serious students require a grand piano of at least 5'6", because the key action is closer to the concert grand. Upright pianos are not recommended for serious students, because they feature several major differences in key action. 
• Mason & Hamlin Grand Pianos: These pianos offer high quality at lower cost than other major brands. The 5'6" model is known to be similar to a Steinway concert grand in key action. Upright pianos are not recommended for serious students, because they feature several major differences in key action. 

Quality Instruments

For individuals with a higher budget, the following are some of the best options available:

• Mollenhauer Recorders: These fine wood recorders from Germany are some of the best, made from exotic wood in many different sizes (garklein, sopranino, soprano, alto, bass, greatbass). These are available from several stores in the USA, with a list of USA dealers on the manufacturer site.
• Kung Superio SubBass: Perhaps the only company to offer the extremely large SubBass recorder, this company features a full range of sizes (garklein, sopranino, soprano, alto, bass, greatbass, subbass). These fine wood recorders are available from several stores in the USA, with a list of USA dealers on the manufacturer site.
• Steinway Pianos: By far the most highly prized concert piano in the USA, the pianos are an excellent investment for serious pianists. The key resistance of Steinway pianos is better suited to high-quality performance than some other well-known brands. Serious students require a grand piano of at least 5'6", because the key action is significantly different than smaller models, including uprights. 
• Conn-Selmer, Inc.: The standards of excellence in brass and woodwinds are hidden within this larger company. For excellent brass, choose Bach, and for excellent woodwinds, choose Selmer. The company also offers a selection of high-quality strings and percussion instruments.

While selecting your new instrument, remember to check out The Big Print Music Method and other music education materials from Schottenbauer Publishing!

What Age to Start Learning Recorder?

With The Big Print Music Method, almost anyone can learn to play the recorder! With extra-large fingering charts, color-coded keyboards, and oversized staves, The Big Print Music Method provides convenient, easy music education for a wider range of ages and conditions than ever before!

What is the best age for learning recorder? The answer to this question is linked to the size of the recorder. Recorders are available in many sizes, from small to large. The smallest, the garklein, is tiny enough for a 3-year-old child to hold! The sizing chart below provides a guide to selecting a recorder, for individuals of average build:

Age 3+     Garklein in C
Age 5+     Sopranino in F
Age 7+     Soprano in C
Age 10+   Alto in F
Age 15+   Tenor in C
Age 15+   Bass in F

Students should note that tenor and bass instruments are very similar in their requirements for the size of hand, with several caveats. Most bass recorders have keys for the lowest holes in both hands, which ironically makes the fingering span more comfortable than the natural tenor recorder. In contrast, the tenor recorder is available in many models, some of which offer the traditionally large span, and others which feature extra keys and/or a bent neck, resulting in a shorter span between fingers.

A few additional details are useful when choosing a recorder. First of all, buyers should be aware that the tuning requirements for recorder vary widely, due to different historical standards. Students should check that the recorder is in tune with other recorders being used in the same musical ensemble. The term "tuning" refers to the frequency of pitch for the A, which is modern times is usually set at 440 Hertz for all pianos, plus band and symphony orchestra instruments. Historical recorders may be manufactured for a pitch of 442 or 445 Hertz, resulting in instruments which are chronically out of tune with modern instruments. 

Second, it is necessary to know whether the recorder has been created with Baroque/English or German fingerings. Although only slightly different, these fingerings may be difficult to unlearn at a later point in time. Solve this proactively by selecting the right equipment for your school or ensemble!

Third, students should know the proper ranges of the recorder being purchased. The lowest pitch of a recorder is either C or F, although some modern high-end recorders have extensions for one or two lower notes. These conventions around lowest pitch presents a challenge for learning fingerings. The same pattern of fingerings map to different notes, depending on the lowest note of the recorder. Therefore, for the typical student, it is easier to specialize in only recorders in C or recorders in F.

Fourth, buyers should be aware of the options for quality and price range for recorders. The most common models, soprano recorders in C, are usually made of plastic and cost only $3 to $5 at most music stores. These models are fine for learning recorder. Most importantly, the plastic mouthpiece can safely be washed, which is necessary for good hygiene if the recorder is to be played by more than one student. The next most affordable recorders are the plastic garklein in C, sopranino in F, and alto in F, which may be available for $20 to $30 each. Tenor and bass recorders in plastic are usually much higher in cost. The best value is the Harmony recorder set, consisting of plastic models (sopranino through bass), available from West Music for just under $200. Schools, parents, and students who require the best are advised to purchase wooden recorders, which begin around $100 and may cost as much as thousands of dollars each. 

Once a recorder has been selected, consider The Big Print Music Method. A free sample of the Big Print Exercises for Soprano Recorder (German Fingerings), is available for download from MusicaNeo. Excerpts from several of The Big Print Music Method exercise books and Big Print Ensemble are located below. 

Excerpt from The Big Print Recorder Method Booster

Excerpt from The Big Print Recorder Method,
3-Note Exercises

Excerpt from The Big Print Recorder Method,
Interval Exercises

Excerpt from Big Print Ensemble

The Big Print Music Method is available from MusicaNeo for as little as $4 per e-file. Books in the series are also available in print from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-a-Million, CreateSpace, CreateSpace Direct Wholesale, and other internet retailers. 

Worldwide, books in The Big Print Music Method are available through internet retailers such as Amazon in Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Italy, 

Japan, Mexico, Netherlands, Spain, United Kingdom, & United States!

Bow Science and Exercises for Violin and Viola

"Bow Science & Exercises for Violin & Viola" is a series which takes a systematic approach to understanding the most basic science which applies to the bow. The first volume, Basic Science, describes the physics of the bow.  Topics include the coordinate plane, types of motion, center of mass, force, and the bow as a lever.  The second volume, Preliminary Exercises, teaches specific exercises which which may be used by elementary violin and viola students rapidly accelerate control over the bow. Written for children and adults of all ages, the books feature big print and clear diagrams. 

Both books are normally available in both print and Kindle editions, from Amazon, CreateSpace Wholesale, and other vendors. Additional information is available on the Schottenbauer Publishing website.