FAQ

Set-Up Demonstration: Percussion/Combo Kit

During this time of year we get a lot of questions about starter percussion kits and how to go about setting them up properly. The Debut instrument rental program from Paige’s Music offers a few different options for starting percussion students. You can find a video below to the Percussion (bell kit only) or Combo Kit(bell and snare) model that comes with many components that you will need to know how to set-up. By following the video and keeping the tips below in mind, you should have no problem getting you instrument set-up properly right from the start!

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Jul 26, 2022 No Comments

Set-Up Demonstration: Xylo Kit

During this time of year we get a lot of questions about starter percussion kits and how to go about setting them up properly. The Debut instrument rental program from Paige’s Music offers a few different options for starting percussion students. You can find a video below to the Xylo Kit model that has become popular over the last few years with many schools. By following the video and keeping the tips below in mind, you should have no problem getting you instrument set-up properly right from the start!

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Jul 26, 2022 No Comments

How Do I Payoff My Instrument?

Did you know you can pay off your instrument rental contract early and save! If you choose, you may pay off your instrument balance in full and save 40% off your remaining balance. You can do this at anytime during your contract. There is no penalty for paying your instrument off early. To do this, please call our accounting office at Paige’s Music by calling 1-800-382-1099. You can also complete this process online on the Paige’s Music website. Please refer to this earlier post that explains how to make a payment on our website. As always, please give us a call if you have any questions.

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Oct 20, 2020 No Comments

FAQ: How Do I Pay Off My Instrument Rental?

Did you know you can pay off your instrument rental contract early and save! If you choose, you may pay off your instrument balance in full and save 40% off your remaining balance. You can do this at anytime during your contract. There is no penalty for paying your instrument off early. To do this, please call our accounting office at Paige’s Music by calling 1-800-382-1099. You can also complete this process online on the Paige’s Music website. Please refer to this earlier post that explains how to make a payment on our website. As always, please give us a call if you have any questions.

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Jun 26, 2018 No Comments

Stick and Mallet Packs for the Beginning Percussionist and Beyond

Welcome back to the Chops blog. Today we’re going to cover the different options available for stick and mallet packs.  There are great options for starting a young percussionist, as well as expanded packs for the intermediate student.  These sticks and mallets should last for many years and can be used at every level (beginner, intermediate, high school, college and beyond).  Our most popular packs requested by schools are from Vic Firth and Innovative Percussion.  Both make great quality products you can trust.  A young percussionist should start with one of these packs, then add to it as they progress through their percussion education. I’ve broken the packs down into four categories: Basic packs, Core packs, Intermediate packs, and Expanded Core packs.  The quality is the same with each pack.  The difference is what is included in the different levels of packs.  The more you get now, the less you’ll need to add on later.

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Jul 25, 2017 No Comments

2017 WGI Independent Percussion Auditions

Welcome back to the Chops blog.  Audition season for indoor percussion is upon us and many of you may be considering marching in an Independent percussion ensemble this winter.  Indoor percussion, although a relatively young activity, has become very popular, both locally and nationally, over the past 10-15 years.  Over this time, many “Independent” ensembles have been started to give percussionists the opportunity to continue performing after they graduate from high school.  It also gives those whose high schools do not have a performing ensemble, an opportunity to join and experience the thrill of performing in an indoor percussion ensemble.  For those of you not familiar with this, there are “Scholastic” and “Independent” classifications in indoor percussion.   Here is the class description from the WGI website: Scholastic – units whose membership comes from the SAME High School or a school that feeds to that particular High School. Independent – units whose members are not necessarily associated with a particular school. Scholastic and Independent units are then further divided into classes: A Class – Beginning programs and performers. Open Class – The intermediate developmental level of performers. World Class – The most advanced programs and performers. Here also is a link to the

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Sep 20, 2016 No Comments

Why Attend A Clinic

Why should I attend a clinic?  What’s the point when I can watch everything on YouTube? We’ve discussed this topic quite a bit over the years here at Chops, but not because we don’t see the value in attending a clinic.  We’ve discussed it because we feel there are many reasons why people SHOULD attend clinics.  We remember when we were kids, before so much media was available at your fingertips online.  Music stores hosted clinics quite frequently, and were packed, sometimes needing to host them in a local school auditorium, gym, or ballroom at a local hotel!  That was also when there wasn’t the assistance of easy online promotion.  It was much more difficult to get the word out. Now, it’s very easy to promote clinics through many different avenues and notify many more people.  But, it seems less and less attend clinics and many music stores abandoned them long ago because of low turnout.  So, besides the obvious reason that music is better experienced live than on video, here’s a list of reasons of why clinics are worth attending. Education – You could learn a lot.  There’s a lot of information shared at clinics.  You might be able

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May 24, 2016 No Comments

How Do I Order Supplies And Have Them Delivered To My School? – FAQs

Another frequently asked question is – How do I order supplies and have them sent to my school? We have 2 options and neither one requires you to visit our store. 1. Call the store at 1.877.900.3786. We will take your order, ask for your school, student name, and payment information. Then the order will be delivered by the Paige’s Music District Managers on their next weekly visit to your school. 2. Order online. Browse our online store and add your items to your cart. Our website uses SSL (secure sockets layer) encryption to allow you to shop our site with confidence. And, we go through a site vulnerability scan several times a year which is verified by SecurityMetrics. When you’re ready to checkout, sign in with the username and password that we sent to you when you first signed up for a rental instrument. Note: If you have a rental instrument from Paige’s Music already, please use the username and password that was automatically generated for you by their system. They provided those credentials to you in a letter just after you recieved your instrument. If you have discarded or misplaced that information, please call them at 1-800-382-1099 and they’ll help you get signed in. If

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Mar 22, 2016 No Comments

What Mallets Does My Student Need – Advanced? – FAQs

Welcome back to the Chops blog series on mallet FAQs (frequently asked questions). Late last year we addressed the mallet needs of the beginning and intermediate band and orchestra student. Today we’re going to discuss the needs of the advanced student. As an intermediate student reaches their senior year of high school, they should own mallets for marimba, vibraphone, timpani, and various accessory instruments. As they continue to progress, and eventually approach an advanced level, it is critical they have a wide variety of mallets available for those instruments. As we’ve discussed many times before, mallet preference is dependent on the individual percussionist. As an intermediate student gains experience they will develop their own preference for brands and models. The following recommendations, therefore, are general. For the glockenspiel (bells) and xylophone, the advanced student should at least have a hard and soft mallet choice. Plastic is the most common material for these mallets but other choices such as hard rubber or wood or hard rubber exist. For the glockenspiel, a metal mallet, either brass or aluminum is occasionally needed for the most bright and piercing situations. For the marimba, vibraphone, and timpani the advanced student should own a set of

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Mar 1, 2016 No Comments

How Do I Tune My Drums? – FAQs

“So….. how do we tune the drums once we get them set up?” That is one of the FAQ’s we get when someone buys a drum set for the first time. There are many different ways to tune your drums; just look at all of the tuning articles and videos on the internet! We’re going to try and simplify this process for you with the video links and PDF below. Learning to tune drums is a huge part of playing them, so be sure to pay attention to what you see/read (thanks to Evans Drumheads and Drumeo for the great info). You also need to practice and experiment with tuning so that you can find the sound that suits YOU the best. Let us know if anything you see or read doesn’t quite make sense; we’d be glad to help you out! Evans Drumheads Tuning Tips Drumeo Tuning Videos Tuning Your Toms Tuning Your Bass Drum Tuning Your Snare Drum

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Dec 29, 2015 No Comments

What Mallets Does My Student Need? – Intermediate

Welcome back to the Chops blog series on mallet FAQs (frequently asked questions). Last month we addressed the mallet needs of the beginning band and orchestra student. Today we’re going to discuss the needs of the intermediate student. After several years in band or orchestra your student will need to expand their mallet collection as the music they perform requires an expanded selection of instruments. While your student will be able to continue using the mallets they already have, many of these new instruments, such as marimba, vibraphone, timpani, and accessory instruments, will require unique mallets. For both marimba and vibraphone, the intermediate student can normally get by with one pair of mallets for each instrument. We recommend a “medium” mallet that will work well in most situations. Both styles of mallets can also be used on suspended cymbals. Our favorite “medium” marimba mallets include: Innovative Percussion – IP240, Soloist series Mike Balter – 13B or 13R (B indicates birch shaft, R indicates rattan shaft) Pro-Mark –DFP730, Dan Fyffe marimba series Vic Firth – M171, Multi-Application series Those mallets are pictured here. Our favorite “medium” vibraphone mallets include: Innovative Percussion – RS251, Rattan series Mike Balter – 23R or 23B

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Nov 3, 2015 No Comments

When Will I Need to Replace or Retune Bars on My Synthetic Bar Instruments? – FAQs

Welcome back to the Chops blog. Occasionally when a school is faced with needing to replace their synthetic bars, or have them retuned, the question pops up of how long they normally last before needing replaced or retuned. There are many factors that go into answering this question, so I contacted our friends at Pearl/Adams, Yamaha and Majestic to get some input on the topic. There’s no “absolute time scale” for when bars will lose their resonance, or need retuned or replaced, but here are some things to think about to help answer the question. Environment – Is the instrument used only indoors in a concert setting, or is it exposed to the outside elements for marching band? Damp conditions aren’t good for any instrument, and “baking” in lots of sunlight can cause bars to lose resonance. Be sure to cover the instruments during summer rehearsals when not in use. Frequency Of Use – Is the instrument used primarily in concert band classes through the year, or is it used more frequently (band class, after school marching band rehearsals, indoor drumline, Saturday rehearsals, summer rehearsals, etc.)? Obviously, the more you play it, the quicker the bars might need retuned or

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Oct 6, 2015 No Comments

What Mallets Does My Student Need? Beginners – FAQs

Welcome back to the Chops blog series on mallet FAQs (frequently asked questions). Today we’re going to answer one of the most common questions we receive: what mallets does my beginning band student need? When your student enrolls in band as a percussionist, their director will have a requirement for the sticks and mallets they will need. These requirements normally include synthetic mallets for bells and xylophone, drum sticks and a stick bag. They may also include yarn mallets for marimba and vibraphone. Mallets for bells (also known as glockenspiel) have a birch or rattan shaft and a synthetic head, usually made of plastic or rubber. For beginners, birch shaft mallets would be recommended. Many brands and models are available, but we recommend the following choices. These are also the standard mallets available in beginner stick/mallet prepacks. Plastic and Rubber Models for Bells and Xylophone: • Vic Firth M14 (plastic), M5 (rubber) • Innovative Percussion F12 (plastic), F8 (rubber) • Mike Balter BB11 (plastic), BB8 (rubber) • Pro-Mark DFP640 (plastic), DFP230 (rubber) Mallets for marimba and vibraphone have a birch or rattan shaft and a yarn or cord head. In addition to the marimba and vibraphone, these mallets can be

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Sep 22, 2015 No Comments

Mallet FAQs – Marimba VS Vibraphone

Welcome back to the Chops blog! Today we’re going to continue our series on mallet-related frequently asked questions (FAQ) by explaining the difference between marimba and vibraphone mallets. While they are very similar in appearance, and can sometimes be used for the same purpose, there are significant differences in marimba and vibraphone mallets. The differences between marimba and vibraphone mallets begin with the materials used in their construction. The head of both style mallets contain a rubber core, but the material wrapped around that core varies. Marimba mallets use a softer yarn than vibraphone mallets, which use cord. The harder cord and rounder shape of the mallet head allows the mallets to produce a clear sound from the metal bars of the vibraphone. Note the differences in appearance between the Vic Firth marimba and vibraphone mallets below. The M1 on the left is a popular marimba mallet. The M25 vibraphone mallet on the right was designed by Gary Burton, the world’s foremost vibraphonist. Another important difference between marimba and vibraphone mallets is the material used for their shafts. Both are commonly available in birch or rattan, but marimbists and vibraphonists have different preferences. Marimbists typically prefer the rigidity of birch

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Aug 25, 2015 No Comments

Mallet FAQs – Marimba Mallets

Mallet FAQs: Marimba mallets Welcome back to the Chops blog! Today we’re going to begin a series of posts on mallets. With the large variety of brands, applications, and styles available, purchasing mallets can be very confusing for non-percussionists and non-musicians. We frequently answer questions about mallets such as: “Why does my student need these mallets when they already have several pairs?” “What is the difference between these mallets?” “What does my student’s teacher recommend this mallet and brand over others?” “Can I use this mallet for this instrument?”   In this series we’ll attempt to answer some of the most frequently asked questions (FAQs) we receive about mallets. We’re going to begin with marimba mallets. The most common marimba mallets consist of yarn wrapped around a rubber core, which is attached to a wood or rattan handle. Other styles, including rubber, are available, but yarn is the most common. Yarn mallets are commonly described in terms of their “hardness” or articulation. “Soft” mallets have a large yarn head and produce a round, gentle tone in the mid to low range of the instrument. “Hard” mallets include a smaller head with less yarn and are better suited to the upper

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Jul 21, 2015 No Comments

Can I Payoff My Instrument Rental? – FAQs

Did you know you can pay off your instrument rental contract early and save! If you choose, you may pay off your instrument balance in full and save 40% off your remaining balance. You can do this at anytime during your contract. There is no penalty for paying your instrument off early. To do this, please call our accounting office at Paige’s Music by calling 1-800-382-1099. You can also complete this process online on the Paige’s Music website. Please refer to this earlier post that explains how to make a payment on our website. As always, please give us a call if you have any questions.

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Jul 7, 2015 No Comments

How Do I Order Supplies And Have Them Delivered To My School? – FAQs

Another frequently asked question is – How do I order supplies and have them sent to my school? We have 2 options and neither one requires you to visit our store. 1. Call the store at 1-877-900-DRUM (3786). Jeff or Derek will take your order, ask for your school, student name, and payment information. Then the order will be delivered by the Paige’s Music District Managers on their next weekly visit to your school. 2. Order online. Browse our online store and add your items to your cart. Our website uses SSL (secure sockets layer) encryption to allow you to shop our site with confidence. And, we go through a site vulnerability scan several times a year which is verified by SecurityMetrics. When you’re ready to checkout, sign in with the username and password that we sent to you when you first signed up for a rental instrument. NOTE: The Paige’s Music username and password will work for Chops Percussion. There’s no need to create a new account. Note: If you have a rental instrument from Paige’s Music , please use the username and password that was automatically generated for you by our system. We provided those credentials to you

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Feb 10, 2015 No Comments

Do You Give Private Lessons? – FAQs

Another question we get a lot is "do you give private lessons at your store?" The short answer is, no we do not. If you live on the northeast side of Indianapolis, you should check out Bongo BoyMusic School. If you live in another area, check with your director for your local recommended teachers. If you’re still not having any luck, give us a call and we’ll try to direct you to the best resource closest to you. As always, if you have any other questions, please give us a call at 1.877.900.3786.

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Jan 20, 2015 No Comments

Do You Sell Books – FAQs

Another popular question we receive is "Do you sell books?" We do not sell sheet music or books. However, Chops Percussion is a proud partner with J.W.Pepper, one of the nations leading printed music retailers. We share a building with their Indianapolis location and refer all of our customers to them. They share the same hours of operation as our main showroom and also offer FREE deliveries to our account schools through our convenient weekly visits by the Paige’s Music District Managers. To place an order or inquire about sheet music and books, click on the logo below or give them a call at the numbers listed.

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Oct 22, 2014 No Comments

Do You Have More Than One Location? – FAQs

We often get asked – “Do you have more than one location?” Chops Percussion has one location: 5282 E 65th Street Indianapolis, IN 46220 [MAP] [Look Inside] 1-877-900-3786 Store hours are Monday-Friday: 10-6, Saturday: 10-4, Sunday: Closed. We also have a website located at www.chopspercussion.com where you can purchase items and have them shipped to you for a fee or delivered to Paige’s Music account schools via their District Managers (see below). However, we have a couple of other ways for you to get your percussion supplies. Paige’s Music District Managers – They Bring Our Store To You Chops Percussion is the drum and percussion department of Paige’s Music. They have 7 different District Managers that call on a particular set of schools each week in Indiana. They divide their "routes" by the days of the week. Each District Manager has a set of schools he visits on Monday, a different set on Tuesday, a different set on Wednesday, and so on. That means we’re visiting your school at least one time each week. You can find which day we’re at your school by visiting the Paige’s Music school delivery page. Whether you call in your order, or order on

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Oct 1, 2014 No Comments
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