Tuning and repairing instruments requires skill; and, musical instrument parts and accessories education and training will enable you to properly fix musical instrument and grow your business. It doesn't take a trained ear to distinguish an out-of-tune instrument, but it definitely requires one to fix it. Whether you plan on repairing the instruments that you personally play or repairing others' instruments, you have to know your stuff.

There are an endless number of musical instrument families. From string instruments to musical brass instrument parts, there is a lot to know in the musical instrument parts and accessories industry. Consider the following when looking to further your musical instruments part and accessories education and training:

1. It is beneficial to have some knowledge about parts for musical instruments of all kinds.

2. Frequenting association websites and joining musical instrument parts professional organizations can help you to learn the tricks of the trade.

3. Getting a degree or certification while pursuing musical instrument parts and accessories education and training can put you one step ahead of the game.

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Become familiar with the different parts for musical instruments

In any musical career you seek it is important to be as familiar as possible with every group of musical instruments. Taking the time to familiarize yourself with music instrument accessories can help you to be more accurate and efficient at your job. Be sure to note not only the parts of each type of instrument, but also the sounds each of those parts helps the instrument to make.

I recommend: Data Dragon breaks down musical instruments in an easy to understand way that will help you begin identifying musical instrument accessories. Enchanted Learning gives a description of numerous musical instruments that may assist you in understanding musical instrument replacement parts.

Learn about musical instrument repair parts from the experts

Getting tips from the experts in the music instrument parts industry is priceless. Learning from those who are most well versed in the field can provide you with knowledge that no textbook or class can provide. This type of knowledge combined with hands-on experience will make you stand apart from your competitors.

I recommend: The National Association of Professional Band Instrument Repair Technicians (NAPBIRT) offers many educational resources to its members. The Professional Band Instrument Repair Technician (PROBIRT) is an online resource to learn about musical accessories from those in the industry.

Seek organized education to learn about musical instrument parts and accessories

Having a degree or certification in instrument repair shows your employer and your customers that you are knowledgeable and dedicated. This can give them some certainty if they don't know you personally or are choosing between multiple candidates for a job. Having a degree or certificate also shows that you are committed to the advancement of your career.

I recommend: Minnesota State College-Southeast Technical details its coursework in Band Instrument Repair. If it is musical instrument keyboard parts you are interested in servicing, the Piano Technicians Guild offers certification to become a Registered Piano Technician.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Another popular, and revered, way into the musical accessories business is through on-the-job apprenticeships with industry professionals. Check with your current, or potential, employer to explore apprenticeship opportunities.

No matter what kind of music business you're into, the hunt for musical instrument parts and accessories will be ongoing. Whether it's for strings, woodwinds, keys, horns, drums or any other kind of instrument, buying parts and accessories, from replacement parts to cases and protective accessories is crucial to re-supplying your business to keep instruments in use.

No matter what kind of parts or accessories you need, you can find them online from sellers who regularly outfit business clients with gear for music making endeavors. Business owners or managers might need these kinds of purchases:

1. To re-supply a school, camp or other educational facility where worn parts for musical instruments or lack of proper cases and protective gear are having an effect on the daily operation of the business.

2. To outfit a new performance hall or other facility with musical instrument accessories or parts.

3. To make scheduled specific buys of music instrument accessories on the part of clients who play a specific kind of musical instrument.

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Find musical instrument replacement parts, accessories or supplemental gear for strings

From the routine purchase of replacement strings for all string instruments, to the buying of electronic musical instrument parts online retailers offer a wide variety of musical parts and accessories. For plugged-in instruments like electric guitar or bass, buyers can find tuners, straps, picks, strings, bows and other gear to keep their stringed instruments in working order.

I recommend: Get a variety of string instrument parts and accessories including gear for violin repair at Rolin Music. Get parts and accessories for the guitar directly from the manufacturer at the Ernie Ball Inc. website.

Find musical instrument case parts or other gear for woodwinds

Like strings, woodwinds have their own special needs. Two big common purchases are cases for woodwind instruments, and replacement reeds. The reeds of woodwinds routinely need to be replaced for optimal use.

I recommend: Find cases for woodwinds and specific tools for flutes like cleaners, rods, and other accessories at music provider website Woodwind & Brasswind. You can buy reeds for saxophone, clarinet and more at Rico Reeds, another online vendor of music instrument parts and musical accessories.

Make other buys on parts for musical instruments

From keys to drums to horns, other instruments also require lots of special gear and parts to keep them in good shape. Look for vendors who offer the specific gear you need and the support you can rely on for ongoing sales.

I recommend: Drum cases are a must for any drum facility or traveling drummer. They protect the parts of a drum set from all kinds of wear. Get drum cases, guitar parts and more at Melody Music. If you're looking for buys on parts or accessories for a piano or keyboard, your search might take you to the Vanda King Entertainment Ltd. piano showcase, where a variety of goods for musical support are available for sale online.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Make specific, informed buys. Not all music accessories and parts are created equal. Check out the exact sizing, compatibility, as well as any special needs of resident musicians, before outfitting your facility with musical instrument parts and accessories.

From the clarinet to the sousaphone, musical instruments are often very complex in their construction. Valves, tubes, keys, reeds and mouthpieces must all work in unison to produce a full, rich tone that turns a simple performance into musical art. While a professional repair technician will want to know each part and accessory for every instrument, musicians and music store owners can benefit from knowing a few basic key terms. If you're a musician, you may want to focus on the key terms specific to your instrument.

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Finger pearls

Finger pearls are the concave, penny-sized bits of plastic that cap off an instrument's keys. All brass instruments have them, as do a handful of woodwind instruments, including the saxophone. Some high-end manufacturers use mother-of-pearl to make the finger pearls.

I recommend: Saxophone-Players.com provides up-close photos of a saxophone. You can see the finger pearls, which look like white circles on the photos.

Ligature

The ligature is a round piece of plastic or metal that holds the reed in place on a woodwind instrument. On most woodwinds, you can use a screw to loosen or tighten the ligature.

I recommend: There is a good selection of ligatures with pictures at Woodwind & Brasswind.

Pickup

A pickup is a piece of metal or wood that transforms the physical vibration of a string into an electrical signal. You can find pickups on electric and acoustic-electric guitars, cellos, mandolins and other string instruments.

I recommend: View photos of pickups, including Humbucker and noiseless ones, at Guitar Center.

Tuning slide

Some instrument manufacturers make tuning slides to automatically adjust the concert pitch of brass instruments. One common tuning slide changes the pitch of a trumpet from C to Bb tuning.

I recommend: The Online Trombone Journal provides a detailed look at maintaining the tuning slide on a trombone. Scroll down to see pictures of the parts for the tuning slide.

Rosin

String players rub rosin on their bows to keep a firm grip on the strings. This not only makes their playing more accurate, but it also livens up the instrument's tone and makes for a better performance.

I recommend: Mystic West Products offers tips and techniques for applying rosin to a new bow.

Drum key

A drum key is one of the percussionist's most important accessories. You can use it to adjust the tension of a drum's head, which can change both its pitch and its tone.

I recommend: Take a look at the different drum keys at Zzounds Music. They come in a few different shapes and sizes, and you can use some with power tools.

Musical instrument parts and accessories are necessary to keep the instrument sounding its best for the musician's skill level. However, these products can put a significant dent in the budget, especially if you don't plan for the expenses properly.

Consider the following musical instrument parts and accessories pricing and cost guidelines when you are planning your instrument budget:

1. Help musical accessories last as long as possible by purchasing cases to protect them.

2. Stock guitar accessories and parts.

3. Keep the drum equipment and accessories stocked up.

4. Provide ample replacement parts and accessories for your wind and brass sections.

Action Steps
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Invest in cases for musical accessories and instruments

A case is a vital accessory to anyone who will travel with their musical accessories and instruments. Not only do these cases keep all of your musical instruments parts in one place, they also protect the equipment from scratches, scuffs and dings. The price you pay for the case is dependent upon the instrument type, case style, features and brand name.

I recommend: You can find musical instrument cases at B&H Foto and Electronics. Expect to pay anywhere from $20 to over $400 on a musical instrument case. Parts cases start at around $25. Musician's Friend sells musical instrument accessories and cases. The cases start at around $50, while parts for the cases start at around $1.

Purchase musical accessories for guitars

Guitars have a varied selection of musical accessories and replacement parts available. While some of these items, such as guitar strings and tuning heads are vital to playing the instrument, others, such as straps and picks are optional and serve only to improve the performance and ease of use.

I recommend: Full Compass offers musical instrument repair parts, including guitar strings, which are priced starting at around $10. American Musical Supply sells music instrument accessories and musical instrument replacement parts. Guitar picks start at under $5 per dozen, while tuning heads start at under $50.

Consider the cost of musical accessories for drums

Drum sticks and drum heads are necessary musical accessories for any drummer. Add drum beaters and cymbal equipment into the equation and the cost of keeping the drummer in business increases. As such, planning for a variety of replacement parts for the drums is necessary.

I recommend: Same Day Music sells musical accessories and musical replacement parts for drums. Drum sticks start at under $10, drum beaters are priced around $30 and replacement drum heads are priced starting at under $15. Cascio Music sells music instrument parts and accessories. Drum straps are priced starting at around $15, while cymbal boom arms start at under $40.