I am not sure if anyone can help here. My daughter has recently started percussion lessons at a saturday music school in London and though we already have a drum kit her teacher now says in order for her to progress we really need to get her a tuned instrument - not exactly sure what this means but she says a xylophone or a marimba etc. They all seem to cost a fortune and I wonder what other people do in these circumstances? Her main instrument is actually the oboe ( grade 7) and singing ( grade 4). We already need to upgrade her oboe but cannot afford to at this current moment and so I am very keen to know what other people do in these circumstances?

Is it possible to rent them?

We live in Cambridge.

Does your daughter have any access at all to tuned percussion instruments, say at school? I also have percussion lessons, and I don't have any tuned percussion at home; I just practise at school whenever I'm free. I don't know whether this is feasible for your daughter. In terms of buying a tuned instrument, I would say that a xylophone would be a better option than a marimba due to the considerable difference in price and size. I don't actually know whether renting's possible, but I'd think it would be. I hope this is vaguely helpful to you, although I haven't been able to answer all your questions.

Can CIMA suggest anything? www.soundsamazing.org

What nonsense!!

Tuned percussion is wonderful, and it is great to be able to play it, but if this teacher is suggesting that tuned perc. is essential to becoming a good kit player then he/she is off his/her rocker!

I know amazing professional drummers who would look at a glockenspiel and probably think it was some sort of barbecue... Tuned, orchestral, kit and latin percussion are all very different, and all can be learnt to a very high standard without any knowledge of the others...

My advice is to find another teacher, in all honesty... In London there are loads of decent professional drummers you can go to!

My eldest plays drums and both girls did Orchestral Percussion which one still plays in Concert Band but they are two different things as Manek says.

Is your duaghter going ot be playing in a Concert Band or Orchestra.

On the point of upgrading Oboe you don't sya how old your daughter is but you could always apply for a Fame Academy Bursary. It just takes ages for them to sort it out but they are great if you ca get one.