Starting an instrument? Making the decision to learn a new instrument is a fun, exciting and rewarding experience. Different instruments can vary quite a lot in quality and price and it’s important that the instrument is good quality as you or your child will find it hard to progress with a bad instrument. If you are looking to start a new instrument, then you have two options: either to buy the instrument outright or hire it.
Purchasing an instrument outright is great if you are sure that you or your child will continue playing for the foreseeable future as you will pay less in the long run. Some music shops also offer finance, for example here at DS Music we offer 0% finance (selected instruments) and 24 month interest bearing finance to help spread the cost – contact us for the latest deals. Here are some popular instruments at very competitive prices which are great for beginners up to the grade 6 level: Violin, Cello, Flute, Clarinet, Alto Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone, Classical Guitar, Trumpet.
Buying a second hand instrument is another option, which is fine if it has been regularly serviced in the past and looked after. However, sometimes used instruments can need a fair bit of work doing to them to get them into a playable state (especially flutes, clarinets, saxophones), so the attractive used price can suddenly become quite expensive with repair/servicing bills.
Hiring an instrument can be a great risk free option when starting an instrument as the minimum commitment is usually a few months with no large upfront payment and low monthly hire fees - most parents will be familiar with their children suddenly deciding that they have their heart set on playing a certain instrument, and most of you will be at least a little sceptical that this sudden impulse is actually going to last more than a week! Renting an instrument allows you or your child to try learning an instrument without the cost and commitment of buying an instrument outright.
Another benefit is that instruments of all sizes are available for hire, which is particularly useful for children learning violin, guitar or cello, when it’s absolutely vital to make sure they’re learning on the right size instrument. If they grow out of the size they’re using before the 24 months are up, then you can just cancel the existing contract and start a new one for the next size up at no extra cost, saving you a lot of money in the process!
At DS Music we offer a very competitive instrument hire purchase scheme with instruments starting at just £8.33 per month (correct as of 19/09/15). The minimum commitment is only 4 months, all the instruments are brand new (fully setup, full warranty, etc), the instrument is yours to keep if you complete the 24 month contract or at any point after 4 months you can take 80% of your hire payments towards purchasing the instrument you are hiring. To find out more about our instrument hire purchase scheme please click the instrument you are interested in: Violin, Cello, Flute, Clarinet, Alto Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone, Classical Guitar, Trumpet.