Back to School Instrument Guide

Is your child or grandchild ready to go back to school? Here are some great Yamaha musical instrument suggestions, whether it’s for a youngster joining their school band or orchestra for the first time, or for the burgeoning keyboardist, guitar player or drummer.

Wind Instruments

Many parents choose to rent wind instruments initially instead of purchasing them, giving them time to gauge their child’s interest before stepping up to ownership. The Yamaha Band Instruments for Music Students website provides parents who are ready to start thinking about renting a wind instrument with answers to the most commonly asked questions, like “Why rent? Where should I go? Can I purchase online? What are the names of the beginning instrument models?” Because Yamaha has been involved with schools for many decades, partnering with local experts and educators, we can help parents walk more confidently into a new musical journey for their child — a journey that hopefully spans many years.

SILENT Brass^™

As every parent of a budding trumpeter, trombonist, or tuba player knows, brass instruments can be loud. The Yamaha SILENT Brass™ system, with versions for all three instruments (plus French horn, flugelhorn and euphonium), provides the perfect solution. It consists of a mute fitted with a pickup microphone that connects to a small electronic “Personal Studio™” unit that clips onto the player’s belt — just plug in the included headphones and the student can practice to their heart’s content … without interrupting the peace and quiet of everyone else. That little box incorporates exclusive Brass Resonance Modeling technology that replicates the natural acoustic tone you hear when playing without a mute, making it feel as though you are playing mute-free. It can also be connected to a computer or smart device via the supplied USB cable, making it easy to record performances or take part in online lessons at home.

String Instruments

SILENT^™ and Electric Violins

For nearly 25 years, Yamaha SILENT™ and electric violins have become a staple of orchestra classrooms, rehearsal rooms, performance venues and everything in-between. Little wonder, in that they allow students and performers alike to rehearse and play anywhere … and to be heard above even loud accompanying instruments. They have a number of similarities, differing primarily in terms of functionality: SILENT Violins allow completely silent practice with headphones, or they can be plugged into an amplifier, whereas electric violins are specifically designed to be played amplified. Electric violins have more of a traditional sound, thanks to their all-wooden construction and passive in-bridge pickup, while SILENT Violins offer greater tonal and sonic variety, thanks to their advanced electronics that even includes a built-in reverb effect.

Keyboards

YPT-255AD Portable Keyboard

When playing is fun, you want to keep practicing. The more you practice, the more you improve. And the more you improve, the more you want to play. The PSR-E273AD offers hundreds of engaging sounds (“Voices”) and accompaniment Styles with sophisticated practical learning functions that inspire beginners to realize their potential and develop enthusiasm for learning and playing music, ensuring speedy progress. The built-in Quiz Mode, for example, helps develop your musical ear by playing notes and letting you choose the corresponding key to press, while three Lesson Modes teach you how to play complete songs. You can even capture your performances using the onboard song recorder and play them back to help you improve. The PSR-E273AD makes the whole learning experience fun!

reface synthesizers provide modern sound in an ultra-compact size that fits into any school bag. These mobile mini keyboards offers a big sound in a small package, with controls that are optimized for quickly creating custom tonalities, making them a great gift for young synthesizer enthusiasts everywhere. Each reface model adopts a different stylistic and sonic methodology instead of taking a “one size fits all” approach. The reface CS is a virtual analog synth with five unique oscillator types and extensive modulation controls plus a built-in looper, while the reface DX provides the ability to create and edit FM (Frequency Modulation) sounds, allowing the user to go from retro ’80s to cutting-edge modern at the flick of a switch.

Guitars

GigMaker Packages

Know a budding guitar hero? Yamaha offers a variety of complete GigMaker packages, all of which include a guitar and all the essentials required to maximize playing time and enjoyment. Each includes a protective nylon gig bag, a strap, a digital clip-on tuner and a supply of picks. The Standard Acoustic Guitar Gigmaker comes with a Yamaha F310 steel-string acoustic guitar, while the Deluxe Acoustic Guitar GigMaker includes a premium, solid-top steel-string guitar for superior tone and projection. There’s also a Classical Guitar Gigmaker that comes with a Yamaha C40II nylon-string guitar, and an Electric Guitar GigMaker that includes a Yamaha Pacifica PAC012 electric guitar (available in your choice of four finishes) and a two-channel 15-watt practice amplifier, plus a connecting cable.

The APX600 acoustic-electric guitar offers a thinline cutaway body for exceptional playability, with a 25″ scale length and narrower string spacing for enhanced comfort, making it the perfect choice for beginners and intermediate players alike. It can be used on its own, without amplification, or it can be plugged into any amplifier thanks to its built-in pickup system. Available in five distinctive finishes (including Oriental Blue Burst, shown above), the APX600 looks as good as it sounds, with striking design features such as an abalone sound hole rosette.

Drums

DTX402

Allow your budding drummer to give voice to their musical sensibilities with DTX402 Series electronic drum kits. Each comes with a full complement of drum and cymbal pads, along with bass drum and hi-hat pedals, and the included module comes loaded with hundreds of acoustic and electronic drum sounds, as well as 10 built-in training functions that make practicing fun. All DTX402 Series kits are compatible with the free Rec’n’Share app so drummers can play along to their favorite music and share their performance on social. Parents will also be happy to know that there’s a headphone jack enabling practice without any of the loud noise levels that come from acoustic drums.

Advanced DTX6 Series electronic drum kits are perfect for at-home practice as well as jamming with others … and without the loud volume levels that come from playing an acoustic drum set. There are three models to choose from, all with a compact design that allows them to be set up almost anywhere. All come with a DTX-PRO module loaded with hundreds of professionally sampled sounds and effects recorded in renowned studios around the world. A comprehensive series of built-in training tools enable drummers of every level to develop their skills, and with the use of the free Rec’n’Share app, players can even record and take videos of their performances and share them with friends and family.

Ready to learn more about these great products? Check out our online store.