Renting vs buying an instrument for a child: how to decide

Rent the first instrument in most cases. Renting costs less up front, covers the months when you do not yet know whether your child will keep playing, and lets you trade sizes as your child grows. Buy once your child has played for a year or more, plans to go on, and plays an instrument in its full size. Pianos and guitars are the main exceptions, since many families buy them from the start.

When renting makes sense

• Your child is in the first year of lessons
• The instrument comes in small sizes that a child outgrows, such as violin, viola, cello, and double bass
• Your child may switch instruments, which happens often in school band
• You want repairs and adjustments included
• The instrument costs a great deal, such as a harp, a bassoon, or a French horn

When buying makes sense

• Your child has played for a year or more and wants to go on
• Your child has reached a full-size instrument
• The teacher says the rental is holding your child back
• You have younger children who may play the same instrument later
• The total rent over the next two years comes to more than the price

The three kinds of rental

A plain rental. You pay by the month or by the school year and hand the instrument back at the end.

Rent-to-own. Part or all of each payment counts toward the price. If your child keeps playing, you own the instrument at the end. Read the contract for the full price you will have paid, since it can be higher than the shop price.

A school loan. Many school band and orchestra programs lend the large and costly instruments, such as tubas, bassoons, and double basses. Ask the music teacher before you rent one.

How to compare the cost

1. Ask for the monthly rent, including any damage plan.
2. Ask for the price to buy the same instrument.
3. Divide the price by the monthly rent. The answer is the number of months after which buying costs less.
4. Ask what the shop would pay to buy the instrument back, or look at used prices. An instrument you can resell costs less than its price tag.

A family that expects to play for longer than the number in step 3 saves money by buying. A family that is unsure saves money by renting.

What to check in a rental contract

• Is a case included, and a bow and rosin for string instruments?
• Who pays for repairs and broken strings?
• Is there a damage or theft plan, and what does it cost?
• May we trade for a larger size at no charge?
• Does any rent count toward a purchase, and how much?
• What is the shortest rental period?
• What happens if we return it early?

Notes by instrument

Violin, viola, cello, and double bass. Rent the small sizes. A child may move through three or four sizes before reaching full size. See violin sizes for kids. For what to check before you buy, read best beginner violins for kids.

Flute, clarinet, trumpet, trombone, and saxophone. Many families rent for the first year of band, then buy or finish a rent-to-own plan. Ask the band teacher which brands local repair shops will service.

Oboe, bassoon, French horn, and tuba. These cost more. Ask the school about a loan first.

Piano. Most families buy a digital piano or an acoustic piano. Some piano shops rent acoustic pianos by the month. See piano or keyboard for a beginner.

Guitar. Student guitars are among the lower-priced instruments, so many families buy one. Guitars come in half and three-quarter sizes for children.

Harp. Some harp teachers and harp shops rent small harps to students. Ask the teacher before you look anywhere else.

Buying used

A used instrument from a good maker can cost less than a new one and hold its value. Follow three rules.

Ask the teacher first. Teachers know which makers last and which to avoid.

Have it checked. A repair shop can tell you what the instrument needs before you pay for it. Pads, strings, and adjustments add to the cost.

Be careful with the cheapest instruments online. Some are hard to tune and hard to keep working, and some repair shops will not take them. A child cannot tell whether the problem is the instrument or the playing.

Looking after it

A rented or owned instrument needs the same care. Keep it in its case when no one is playing. Keep it away from heaters, cold cars, and direct sun. Ask your home insurer whether instruments are covered away from home.

Questions for the teacher

• Which size does my child need now?
• Which shops do you trust?
• Is this instrument good enough for the next two years?
• When is the right time to buy?

Next steps

If you have not picked an instrument yet, read how to choose a first instrument. To hear each instrument first, start with the four families of the orchestra. For the wider picture, see the parent’s guide to music lessons.