If your child has decided to learn percussion, it is important to have a practice marimba at home. Due to a limited number of marimbas at school, they won’t likely have enough practice time there to become proficient. Therefore, a marimba at home will give them the time to practice and improve more rapidly.
For most novice percussionists, we recommend renting a 3-octave practice marimba for the first year or two instead of purchasing it. The marimba is a tough instrument to learn and not all percussionists will stick with it. Therefore it is best to not make a big investment upfront. If you rent for the first year or two, you’ll better know if your child enjoys it and may stick with it long-term. Then you can decide if it makes sense to continue renting or purchase one based on your budget and your child’s interest level.
Another consideration for renting initially is that your child may progress rapidly and outgrow the 3-octave marimba. From there, a 4.3-octave marimba will be required when they begin 4-mallet exercises such as in the video below. Based on your budget and options in your area, you can decide to buy a 4.3-octave marimba or rent a 4.3-octave practice marimba.