Brent Music Service

		The Percussion Family		Including general percussion (timpani, glockenspiel, xylophone, snare drum) and drum kit. Percussion instruments feature in virtually all styles of music and so offer access to wide range of musical ensembles, including classical, pop, rock, jazz and folk music. In addition to school tuition services, Brent Music Service also offers the Brent Junior Ensemble and the Brent Youth Concert Band which can be joined by percussion players of the appropriate standard (see Brent Music Ensembles section for more information). If you like the idea of learning percussion, please speak direct with your school to find out if Brent Music Service tutors are available for this instrument.

		General Percussion		Summary: 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. However, consideration must be given to the problems of practise and transportation. To overcome the obvious size issues, practise pads can be used to develop stick technique. Costs to Buy: Varies depending on which instrument is to be purchased. A percussion 'starter pack' is available on the market (containing a pair of drum sticks, pair of beaters, glockenspiel and practise pad) 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, (timpani/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. Ongoing Costs: Very little to learn initially. 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. For students developing to advanced levels, individual percussion instruments and 'sound-makers' may be desirable which range widely in cost.

		Drum Kit		Summary: 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, giving limitless possibilities to the types of groups you can join. Practise can be problematic because of the volume, but practise pads are available or electronic drum kits offer almost silence to those around whilst you can hear the sound through headphones. Costs to 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. Ongoing Costs: Very little. Drumsticks cost about £7 a pair and pupils having lessons in school or part of one of the Brent Music Ensembles will have access to a drum kit. The purchase of a 'practise pad' is recommended in order to develop technique - these cost around £10.

		A Brent Council Service Making a difference through music