Wind Instruments Tuition
Waltons New School of Music
‘Music is your own experience, your thoughts, your wisdom. If you don’t live it, it won’t come out of your horn.’
– Charlie Parker
‘I do not consider myself as having mastered the flute, but I get a real kick out of trying.’
– James Galway
‘After you’ve done all the work and prepared as much as you can, what the hell, you might as well go out and have a good time.’
– Benny Goodman
Available both in-school and online, the New School’s Wind Instruments Programme offers expert tuition in clarinet, concert and Irish flute, piccolo, recorder, alto and tenor saxophone and tin and low whistle, for students of all ages and skill levels.
Instruments Taught
We offer tuition in the following instruments:
- Clarinet (Classical or Jazz)
- Concert Flute
- Irish Traditional (Wooden) Flute
- Low Whistle
- Piccolo
- Recorder
- Saxophone (Alto & Tenor, Classical or Jazz)
- Whistle (Tin Whistle & Low Whistle)
Students of wind instruments at the New School can also be prepared for a range of grade exams, from preliminary to performance or teaching diploma level, as well as Junior Cert. Music and Leaving Cert. Music practicals, and instrumental study at the school counts as the ‘personal skill’ challenge area for Gaisce – The President’s Award. (For more information on grade examinations, see the Grade Exam Syllabi tab below. And for more information on Gaisce, see the Gaisce – The President’s Award tab on our Tuition Options page.)
Questions about our
wind instruments tuition?
or call us on (01) 478 1884.
In-School & Online Tuition
We offer both in-school tuition, which takes place in the New School, and online tuition, which takes place in your own home.
In-School Tuition
Although the COVID-19 pandemic is thankfully behind us, the disease remains a threat. So with the health and safety of both students and staff at the New School in mind, we have retained some of the equipment and policies we put in place during the pandemic to keep the school a safe space to learn music. See our COVID-19 Safety Policy page for more information.
Online Tuition
Online tuition is taught by the same expert teachers as our in-school tuition and takes place where you are, anywhere in Ireland or around the world.
For online tuition, you will need:
- An instrument for tuition and practice (except for voice, theory, songwriting and music technology tuition).
- An internet-connected laptop, computer, tablet or smartphone. (A laptop or computer with webcam and microphone is recommended, as it will have the largest picture.)
- Ideally, internet speed at least 1.5Mb per second. (You can test your speed using Measurement Lab’s Speed Test.)
- Headphones or earbuds, if possible.¹
- Free Zoom software or app.²
- Waltons Music offers its Zoom ZUM-2PMP Podcasting Pack, ideal for online music tuition, at a 5% discount for currently enrolled New School students. If you would like to obtain this discount, please contact Waltons and include a scan or photo of your tuition payment receipt.
- If you haven’t learned music with Zoom before, please see our printable Zoom for Students information sheet for information on how to download and set up Zoom for music tuition.
See our Online Tuition page for more information on online tuition with the New School, as well as the instruments, subjects and courses we offer online
Tuition Options
Our options for wind instrument tuition, both in-school and online, include:
- Weekly private lessons, 30, 45 or 60 minutes in length.
- Weekly partner lessons and small group lessons, designed for students at the same level of proficiency who enrol together, and available as 30- 45- or 60-minute partner lessons, 45- or 60-minute small group lessons for 3 students and 60-minute small group lessons for 4 students. Online partner and small group lessons are possible both for students in the same location and for students in different locations.
- Single 1- or 2-hour Intensive Lessons.
See Tuition Options for more information on private, partner and small group lessons, and Enrolment • Fees for tuition fees and enrolment forms.
Courses
Beginners should also consider supplementing their tuition with Music Fundamentals, a 10-week course introducing the essentials of reading and writing musical notation, as well as elementary musical grammar, for music-reading beginners.
Introducing Music Technology is a practical, hands-on online course designed to teach absolute beginners how a computer or laptop and free music production software can be used to produce professional-quality recordings at home.
Ableton Live Basics is another online course that covers the essentials of Ableton Live, one of the fastest, most fluid and most flexible DAWs (Digital Audio Workstations) available. The course is designed both for those who have Ableton Live software and for those who have Ableton Live Lite, which comes free with a range of music technology hardware.
‘This course is perfect for anyone with an interest in music. It starts with the very basics of theory and the information is made easy to understand. There is a good atmosphere in the class, being with people who share your passion for music.’ [Music Fundamentals]
– I. Colgan
‘I have wanted to do a music technology course for years, but the opportunity didn’t come up until I saw that Waltons were offering an online version of their Introducing Music Technology course. Signing up was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made, and I thoroughly enjoyed the course. My zero experience in recording music was no problem because it is tailored for beginners, and looking back on how much I learned in such a short space of time is incredible! The teacher is very friendly, helpful, and explains things in a clear and concise way. I would highly recommend this course to anyone with an interest in the subject!’
– A. Hickey
Ensembles • Sessions
Our Flute Ensemble is open to students of Grade III standard and above and works on a wide range of repertoire in a variety of styles. It is also an opportunity to meet other players and make some great music!
We have a comprehensive Jazz Ensembles programme of interest to wind instrument students who would like to explore jazz, including Jazz Ensemble I, for those with no previous jazz experience; Jazz Ensemble II, an intermediate ensemble; and Jazz Ensemble III, an advanced ensemble.
We also run monthly Trad Slow Sessions, open to both New School and external students/players, once a month on Friday evenings in the school.
Wind Instruments Faculty
- Patrice Brun • saxophone, clarinet
- Peter Dobai • saxophone, clarinet, recorder
- Éamonn Galldubh • Irish flute, saxophone, tin whistle, low whistle
- Andrew Keeling • concert flute
- Harry Long • tin whistle, low whistle
- Naoise Ó Briain • concert flute, Irish flute, piccolo, recorder, Flute Ensemble
- Katie Scully • Irish flute, tin whistle, low whistle
- John Sweeney • tin whistle
- Solomiya Vircikova • recorder
New School Stage System
Wind instruments tuition at the New School is designed to work within our Stage System, a comprehensive methodology for assessing student progress, from absolute beginner to a professional qualification (diploma).
New School Stages, ten in all, are roughly equivalent to the ‘grades’ of graded music exams offered by widely recognised exam boards (ABRSM, RIAM, Trinity Guildhall, Rockschool, etc.) and progress from beginner to performing or teaching diploma level. Stages and their grade equivalents are:
- Stage 1 (1 term of lessons or an Introducing group course for beginners, equivalent to Preliminary Grade)
- Stage 2 (1 year of lessons, equivalent to Grade 1)
- Stage 3 (equivalent to Grade 2 or an intermediate group course)
- Stage 4 (equivalent to Grade 3)
- Stage 5 (equivalent to Grade 4)
- Stage 6 (equivalent to Grade 5)
- Stage 7 (equivalent to Grade 6)
- Stage 8 (equivalent to Grade 7)
- Stage 9 (equivalent to Grade 8)
- Stage 10 (equivalent to a Performing or Teaching Diploma)
Students who successfully complete a stage can be issued with a certificate of completion. Please let the school office know if you would like this certificate.
See About Our Stage System for more information.
Tuition Fees
Tuition fees for private, partner and small group lessons are listed in the Enrolment • Fees section of our website and depend on the length of lessons as well as the duration (number of terms) of enrolment:
- First Term (September-December) • First-Second Term • First-Third Term Fees
- First Term Late Enrolment Fees
- Second Term (January-March/April) • Second-Third Term Fees
- Second Term Late Enrolment Fees
- Third Term (March/April-June) Fees
- Third Term Late Enrolment Fees
- Summer Term (July-August) Fees
- Summer Term Late Enrolment Fees
- Intensive Lesson Fees
Group course fees are listed on individual group course pages.
Tuition Assistance
The New School is dedicated to providing high quality music education for a wide range of students, whatever their financial circumstances, and our Tuition Assistance programme is designed to help defray the cost of tuition with us. Although there are a limited number of Tuition Assistance awards each year, every effort will be made to assist students (or their parents) who, because of financial circumstances, would otherwise be unable to study with us. Tuition assistance awards are in the form of discounts of between 10% and 40% off the student’s fees and depend on the both student’s and the New School’s financial circumstances, as well as the type of tuition. See our Tuition Assistance Policy for more information or follow the link below to apply for tuition assistance.
Enrolment • Booking
Enrolment for wind instruments tuition with Waltons New School of Music requires a completed enrolment form and, except for those students using payment plans, full payment of tuition fees. Intensive Lesson booking requires a completed booking form and deposit.
Lessons & Ensembles
First – Third Terms
Group Courses & Workshops
First – Third Terms
Lessons, Courses & Workshops
Summer Term
Intensive Lessons
Gift Certificates
Questions About
Enrolment & Booking?
Your Feedback
Have you learned – or are you learning – a wind instrument with the New School? We would appreciate it if you could take a few moments to give us your feedback in a brief online questionnaire about your experience here. Thank you!
If you have enjoyed learning with the New School, we would greatly appreciate your Google review. Good reviews mean a lot to us!
Martin A. Walton Memorial Scholarships
Running since 1995 and taking place in late May / early June each year, the New School’s annual Martin A. Walton Memorial Scholarship Competition offers the most generous scholarship opportunities of any music school in Ireland. The Competition awards full-year tuition scholarships in three categories:
- Young Student of the Year (students aged 18 and under)
- Mature Student of the Year (students aged 19 and over)
- Most Promising Beginner (students who came to the school as beginners on their instruments)
New School Ensemble Prize
This prize is awarded for the best performance in our Scholarship Competition by an instrumental, vocal or mixed ensemble/group made up of two or more students, as well as for progress over the school year.
Songwriting • Composition Prize
This prize is is awarded for the most creative original composition or song for solo instrument, voice or ensemble, performed by the composer/songwriter alone or with a group.
See Scholarships • Prizes for more information.
Grade Exam Syllabi
Links to downloadable wind instruments syllabi (pdf format) with different exam boards:
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NOTICE Due to COVID-19 restrictions, in-school Friday Casual Concerts and End-of-Term Concerts have been cancelled to date but may resume later in the year. Instead, our End-of-Term Concerts are virtual. (For virtual concerts, students submit videos of their playing or singing, and these are added to the New School’s YouTube Channel.) If we are unable host any concerts in the school or our End-of-Year Concert in the National Concert Hall, all concerts will be virtual. |
Friday Casual Concerts
Our Friday Casual Concerts are a great opportunity for students to perform in public, in a relaxed and supportive setting, before friends, family and other students. These brief concerts take place once a month on Friday evenings at 7 pm in the school and allow individual students and ensembles to show off their skills and learn how to cope with nerves. They are also highly recommended for students preparing for grade exams.
End-of-Year Concert
Our End-of-Year Student Concert takes place in the National Concert Hall’s John Field Room each June and showcases some of our best students and ensembles, of all ages and in all music genres, as well as scholarship and prize winners in our Scholarship Competition. Performers are selected by their teachers and the school administration.
See School Concerts for more information.
Student Benefits
Currently-enrolled students (and parents of students) are entitled to several useful benefits, including:
- Discounts on Waltons World Masters Series events
- Discounts from Waltons Music
- Discounts on ensembles, sessions and music theory courses
- Discounts on practice facilities
- Discounts on city-centre parking
See Student Benefits for more information.
What is the wind (or woodwind) family?
The wind or woodwind family of instruments includes flutes, clarinets, saxophones, oboes, bassoons and recorders, as well as harmonicas, uilleann pipes and bagpipes. Contrary to what the name suggests, all woodwinds are not constructed of wood. For example, concert flutes are usually made out of nickel, plated with silver, and saxophones are usually made from brass. Although, clarinets, oboes, traditional flutes and recorders can be made from wood, they are also often made of ABS plastic. What differentiates a wind instrument from other ‘blown’ instruments – such as ‘brass instruments’, for example – is how the musician makes the sound. When air flows into the mouthpiece, a sound is created inside a resonator and a column of air vibrates. The volume, pitch and tone of the instrument change as the fingers open/close the holes or press a key.
Which instrument should I choose for myself / my child?
The most important considerations in choosing an instrument are simple ones: Do you / does your child like the sound of it? Are you / is your child excited about learning it? Genuine interest is the key ingredient, but there are other factors that you should take into consideration, including age (see below), the style(s) of music you/your child likes best, etc.
What genres/styles of music are the different wind instruments most suitable for?
The recorder is really best for classical or folk music. Saxophones are flexible instruments can be used for classical, rock/pop, blues, funk and jazz. The clarinet is best for classical and jazz. The flute is most often heard in classical music, though you will hear it in plenty of jazz and rock music. And the harmonica is most often heard in blues, folk, jazz and Irish traditional music.
At what age should wind instrument tuition begin?
While there is no definitive ‘starting’ age for any instrument, the most important consideration is whether or not a child is physically capable of playing it. Recorder and tin whistle can be started at the youngest age, as soon as a child’s fingers are big enough to cover the holes. Other wind instruments should not be started until the child’s second set of teeth are through, because pressure is put on the teeth when they are played. A child also needs to be big enough to hold and blow these instruments. For example, playing the flute requires a fairly long ‘reach’, and although specialised ‘u-bend’ flutes are available for younger players, these are expensive instruments and are not generally recommended. Likewise, strong lips and good ‘puff’ are essential.
Unlike string instruments, wind instruments do not normally come in smaller sized equivalents, although where there is a choice (alto vs. tenor saxophone, for example), we would always recommend the smaller instrument (alto). Where there are very small sizes available (such as the piccolo or soprano saxophone), these are advanced, specialist instruments, which we would not recommend. For all of these reasons, we recommend that children begin study of wind instruments (except recorder and tin whistle) after the age of 10 or so.
Once your child has settled on an instrument to play, it is important that they not hop around from instrument to instrument. A child should give an instrument at least one year before deciding to try something else.
How can I help my child to progress more quickly?
Supporting your child’s musical development can seem daunting, especially if you haven’t played an instrument before yourself. But children have a natural desire to please, and the best way to help them progress quickly is simply to take an interest. Practice can be a lonely occupation, and children thrive on company. So sit with your child while he/she practices, and listen, comment and encourage. See also our Practice Tips page for more suggestions.
Can an adult learn to play a wind instrument?
Yes! Results will not come overnight, and, in fact, the learning process will likely take years to complete. Nevertheless, we must remember that those years will pass by anyways, and being older is not a reason to refuse to undertake it. There is a great deal of pleasure and satisfaction to be had in learning a musical instrument. The New School has adult beginners of all ages learning wind instruments.
What should I look for when purchasing a wind instrument?
One of the most critical factors in your / your child’s success is the instrument’s quality. Low-quality instruments won’t hold up well or as long. But because musical instruments can also get prohibitively expensive, the key is to look for a good quality beginner or ‘student’ instrument rather than a professional one. Because wood is prone to chipping, steer clear of instruments made of wood, at least initially.
Do I / does my child need to practise every day?
Practice is an essential element of music learning, and spreading practice over the course of a week is far more effective than cramming it into the day or two before your next lesson. (When Pablo Casals, one of the greatest cellists in history, was asked, at the age of 80, why he still practised every day, he replied, ‘Because I think I am making progress.’) If it simply isn’t practical to practise every day, try to aim for five days per week. See our Practice Tips page for some suggestions on how to practice productively.
What are your teaching methods?
Our teachers generally use a ‘traditional’ approach, which means they generally incorporate note-reading, musicianship, and technique (instrument-specific skills) into each lesson. They bring a lot of experience and a range of techniques to bear in their lessons, and their teaching methods are not set in stone. We believe that each student learns best when approached as having unique strengths, weaknesses and learning styles, and each lesson is tailored to the individual student.
Can you prepare me / my child for grade or practical examinations?
Yes. Although we don’t require students to take grade examinations, we recognise that they are an excellent way to measure students’ progress, recognise their achievements and act as a very useful motivational tool. So wind instrument tuition can certainly include preparation for grade exams. (See the Grade Exam Syllabi tab above for links to the syllabi of different exam boards.) Our teachers can also prepare students for Junior Cert. Music and Leaving Cert. Music practical exams.
How should I care for my / my child’s instrument?
Here are some essentials to remember:
- Keep it dry and clean. Always clean out moisture from each section of the instrument following every use. Also, using a non-treated cloth, wipe down the exterior of the instrument to remove any residue and fingerprints.
- Store it in a controlled environment. Extreme fluctuations in temperature can cause damage to any instrument. And wood, in particular, expands and contracts with temperature changes, which can cause cracks in its structure.
- Never put an object on top of the instrument. Brass and nickel instruments can bend, so be mindful of where you place them and what you place on top of them.
- A few months after the instrument is set up and broken in, bring it back in for a check-up, as it is normal for the materials to come out of adjustment during this time. This type of adjustment should ideally take place every twelve to eighteen months. Or, if the instrument is played often, schedule more regular adjustments.
- We suggest that you also schedule a regular, professional cleaning. Once a year (enter it into your calendar as a reminder), take the instrument to a professional repair technician for cleaning and maintenance. Doing this may prevent future costly repairs. Also, many wind instruments have pads, which provide a perfect seal in order to create the proper note. These pads will need to be replaced once every eight to ten years – a job that requires dismantling the instrument, cleaning it, refitting and tightening the loose parts as well as replacing springs and corks, if required.
What is the purpose of practising scales?
Scales help build finger and hand dexterity by giving you something to play that you can work on without being slowed down by reading. They also teach you what notes are found in each key, which makes reading music go more smoothly as you will stop having to read each note one at a time and start to see patterns within the key. And finally, they are essential for developing ‘muscle memory’, so your fingers know where to go when you’re playing in a particular key, without having to think about it.
How can I develop good sight reading skills?
Sight reading is learned by doing, and it takes practice! Being a good sight reader requires a combination of two elements:
- Learning as much music theory, music history and related subjects as possible.
- Practical experience in sight reading. This is acquired by joining as many formal or informal groups as one can locate, and also regularly attending to new music in the home practice.
Here are three things to keep in mind:
- At the beginning of every piece of music, there are three areas to examine initially: the clef signs, the key signature and the time signature.
- One should also have some general idea about the style period.
- Glance through the piece if you have time and look at the form and chord structures. Determine, at a minimum, whether it is in a major or minor key, and note any development or recapitulation materials.