I often get the question "How should I decide on instruments for new members" at various seminars and by email.
  It seems that some teachers worry about this at the beginning of the school year, but I don't think it's a big problem.
  In some schools, it was difficult to decide which instruments each student would play, and it took until the end of the first semester to decide. But the practice time for a year is fixed, so if they do that, they won't be able to start practicing.
  Things often don't go as planned due to differences in the number of instruments and the number of students who want those instruments (for example, no one wants to play a large instrument), but please try to prioritize students' preferences as much as possible.
  I've heard stories in some areas that "that teacher can instantly see the aptitude of the student and choose the perfect instrument for that child," but I don't really believe it.
  There are some physical considerations (for example, thin lips or crooked teeth), but I don't think it has much of an impact at the elementary school level.
  It's a problem if the student's hands are too small to reach the holes on a flute or clarinet, or the student's arms are too short to reach the fifth position on a trombone, but there are many small students who can play a large tuba on a stand.
  The important thing is whether you like the instrument and whether you like music.
  Rather than aptitude for each instrument, I think it's more important to check the abilities and senses that are common to all instruments. This isn't too difficult, and it's enough to just make a voice that is the same pitch as a note played on a piano, or clap their hands in time with a metronome (some children can't do this).
  If possible, show the students videos of each instrument or let them listen to famous melodies played on that instrument before letting them make their own judgment.
  Many students initially choose well-known instruments such as the flute or trumpet, but when they hear "Scenes" from "Swan Lake," they may want to practice the oboe, or when they hear a concerto for each instrument, they may want to play that instrument.
  These days, there are many CDs or YouTube of tuba solos available. When students hear a good drum march, more students will want to play the snare drum or other percussion instruments.
  If you allow the existing students to introduce and play their instruments for the new members, it will be a good experience for both new and old students, and you can make it part of the concert.
  Also, this does not mean that a student should never change the instrument once he or she has decided on it. Sometimes, students may start playing the trumpet but not be able to make much sound, so they switch to another instrument.
  I think it is best to ask about the students' first and second choices, and start practicing as soon as possible, and if there are any inconveniences, you can think about it at that time.
  I have seen students play the trumpet for the first piece and the tuba for the second piece. There was also a student who played the alto horn for a year, but wanted to switch to the cornet because he wanted to play melodies.
  The fingers of woodwind instruments have many common parts for each instrument, so you can switch and play various instruments.
  It is also common for students to switch from wind instruments to percussions and from percussion to wind instruments.
  Elementary school students have flexible minds and bodies, so even if they change instruments at the turn of the school year, they often can play all of them to the same level without any resistance.
  There was also a junior high school student who played woodwinds in the school band and brass in the local band.
  If they learn the tips of one wind instrument, such as "the feeling of breath when playing an instrument" and "the resistance to the breath when blowing into an instrument," they can apply them to other wind instruments. Also, reading sheet music is the same for percussion and wind instruments.
  Don't worry too much at first, let students practice their favorite instruments as possible as the number of instruments allows.
  However, in order to switch between several instruments, the minimum requirements are to be able to read music and memorize the fingering for each instrument. This is why teaching students fingering and how to read music is so important within the first a few days.