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Orchestral Percussion Fact Sheet |
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Tympani
 Snare Drum 
Xylophone  Glockenspiel 
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When to start: |
From school years 4 - 5.
Many percussionists don't start until secondary school but the earlier
the better |
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| Costs: |
Very little. Drumsticks cost
about £7 a pair and can last quite a long time depending on usage,
Beaters for tuned percussion instruments are slightly more expensive,
£10 - £30 depending upon which instrument they are for. |
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| Hire: |
A percussion 'starter pack'
(containing a pair of drum sticks, pair of beaters, glockenspiel and
practice pad) can be hired from Gloucestershire Music for £11.25 per
term. |
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| Buy: |
Varies depending on which
instrument is to be purchased. A percussion 'starter pack' is available
on the market (as described above) for about £130. Small instruments (woodblock/tambourine/triangle etc.) £5 - £10. Snare drums start at around £50. It would not be expected that students purchase larger instruments, (tympani/xylophone etc.) unless they were in a position to do so when much more advanced. Buying second-hand offers good value, but always seek your teacher's advice before you buy. |
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| Pros/Cons: |
Pro:
Playing orchestral percussion instruments is as diverse as one can
imagine. There are an infinite number of instruments (a percussion
instrument being
anything that is struck) and percussion instruments feature in
virtually all styles of music. There is also a wide variety of music
written for the solo percussionist and many works for percussion
ensemble. Con: Practise can be a problematic because of the volume. However 'practice-pads' are available and practise on them is very beneficial. Transport for instruments such as tympani will require the use of a large vehicle. Summary: Playing orchestral percussion instruments can be a wonderful experience and has limitless possibilities - in the music that one plays, the pleasure that it gives and the people that you meet. |
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Drum Kit Fact Sheet |
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Drum Kit
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When to start: |
From school years 4 - 5.
Many pupils don't start to play the drum kit until secondary school but the earlier
the better |
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| Costs: |
Very little. Drumsticks cost
about £7 a pair and pupils having lessons in school will have access to
a drum kit. The purchase of a 'practice pad' is recommended in order to
develop technique - these cost around £10. |
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| Hire: |
Schools can hire a drum kit
from Gloucestershire Music for £22.37 per term. For pupils, a percussion 'starter pack' (containing a pair of drum sticks, pair of beaters, glockenspiel and practice pad) can be hired from Gloucestershire Music for £11.25 per term. |
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| Buy: |
New drum kits of playable
quality start from about £300. Electronic kits are also available -
starting from about £500.
Buying second-hand offers good value, but always seek
your teacher's advice before you buy. |
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| Pros/Cons: |
Pro:
Playing the drum kit is great fun and it features in many different
styles of music: rock, jazz, funk, reggae, soul, R&B, indie and pop to
name but a few. Con: Practise can be a problematic because of the volume. However 'practice-pads' are available (practise on them is very beneficial) and practice on an electronic kit is virtually silent. Summary: Playing the drum kit can be a wonderful experience and has limitless possibilities - in the music you play and the people that you meet. |
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