Musical Instruments

Sounds worth a thousand pictures: Speakers get artistic. Alive and calculating: The HP-12C lives on. Cool stuff worth tracking. And finally … hand signals for the military.

Based in San Dimas, California, Charvel is a company that manufactures electric guitars. Charvel instruments are available only through authorized dealers. Fender Musical Instruments Corporation...

The modification of the trombone in order to provide specific functionality has lead to different subtypes, one of which is the trigger trombone.

It's important to clean out the inside of your flute after you finish practicing. The inside of the flute should be completely dry when you put it into the case to avoid the moisture from your...

Care of 12 string guitars is very similar to that of other guitars. Regular cleaning of the strings and body, storage in moderate humidity environments, and preventing prolonged exposure from...

Japanese electronics manufacturer Casio makes workstation-like keyboards for musician hobbyists and also simple keyboards for children to explore music. The devices can have hundreds of built-in...

The acoustic guitar is once again enjoying a popularity boost. Musicians of every style are embracing the instrument's simple versatility, blending traditional musical values with modern...

Every budding guitarist wonders what the difference is between steel or nylon strings. While there are several distinctions, including the type of guitar on which they are installed, choosing...

A recorder is an instrument in the flute and oboe family that was particularly popular from the medieval to the baroque times and has been revived in the 20th century. They come in all different...

The music scales that are used in Lead Rock music differ from band to band, but predominantly the pentatonic, blues, major and natural minor scales are used. The only thing that really makes them...

A straight slide trombone has a chromatic range of E below the bass clef to B-flat above middle C. The addition of a trigger valve increases the range and flexibility of the instrument.

Buying a used flute can be a great way to save money, as new flutes are often marked up anywhere between 30 and 40 percent and lose their value the moment they leave the store. To find a used...

The advent of virtual software instruments has changed the playing field in the world of music. When it comes to virtual keyboards, whether they're synthesizers, organs, or pianos, there is no...

The basset horn and alto clarinet are similar instruments, so much so that they can replace each other in musical groups. However, there are some distinct differences.

Saxophone and clarinet reeds can both warp over time causing them to play badly. Reeds can often be warped straight out of the box, a frustrating experience. Learning to correct this in your...

The size of an upright bass makes it a challenging but fun instrument for beginning students. Young students in particular may experience difficulty due to their small hands. Choosing between a...

The saxophone can play smooth jazz, concert band pieces or solos over an orchestra. The four major types of saxophones (soprano, alto, tenor and baritone) increase the amount of people who can...

Antique bathtub prices have remained constant over the last 20 years. Old tubs sell at salvage yards for between $300 and $700, based on condition, size and desirability. In places where these...

Anyone who plays guitar should have a metal or plastic box to keep all their guitar stuff in. This is a breakdown of what I keep in mine. Just because I say to purchase this or that item, it is...

Musical instruments can cost hundreds of dollars. Anybody in the market for a new instrument should seriously consider selling his or her old instrument to recoup the price of the old instrument...

Mittenwald, Germany, is an important town in the history of violin production. The town was part of the Grafschaft Werdenfels (lands of the Counts of Werdenfels) until 1802, when it became a part...

Playing guitar quickly and well requires above average hand strength. It's not enough for your hands to have dexterity. They must also be strong enough to play fast. You'll also want the endurance...

Besides the extensive cleaning that you should do yourself several times a year, you need to do a basic, quick cleaning of your piano every day. It should only take about two or three minutes.

Playing guitar for a beginner is often painful because the fingers are soft. It takes time to build up callouses that allow new players to play guitar without feeling the irritation cause by the...

Rosin is essential to the care and performance of violin bows. The sticky powder made from hardened pine sap allows the bow to "grab" the strings of a violin and make them vibrate. Choose the...

The bamboo nose flute is a traditional instrument of the South Pacific. In Hawaii, it is known as "ohe hano ihu," and is made with a thin-walled length of bamboo. Played using air from either or...

As with any musical instrument, learning to play the guitar requires patience and a disciplined approach to practice. Although it's entirely possible for a beginner to learn to hold down a basic...

Making music should be a part of every child's life. However, musical instruments can be expensive and are not available to everybody. In fact, many types of music originated with homemade...

Walk into just about any music shop and you will quickly be confronted with a wall of guitar and bass amplifiers, each with different features and different sizes. It is no surprise that trying to...

Rosin is made from the simplest of substances, pine resin, but without it a violin would not be able to make the kind of beautiful music we are used to hearing. The use of rosin on a bow allows...

Whether you're a violin beginner, pro or somewhere in between, getting a brand new bow is exciting. It looks wonderful and you can't wait to hear how good it will make the violin sound. But of...

You can use any one of the three current Bass POD products in a live setting. Due to the products amazing flexibility, it can be used with any current gear you have. Whether you need it to...

The viola is a musical instrument that resembles the violin. It has a deeper timbre than the violin and is on average two inches longer. The viola gets its deeper sound from the extra length....

In order to play your guitar standing up you need a guitar strap. Most guitar straps have an adjustable length. Many new guitar players are uncertain how long to make their guitar strap. These...

Here is an article to help you familiarize your self with the working parts of a guitar.Before you go out and get that "first lesson", spend some time learning all of the parts for...

Double stops are just a fancy way of saying double notes. You play two notes together. Usually they are above or beneath one another. So instead of playing single notes, we double up on our...

The soprano saxophone was invented in 1840. It is one of the smallest of the saxophone family (only the sopranino and the new "soprillo" saxophone are smaller). Dave Koz and Kenny G are two...

Bows for stringed instruments such as violins, violas, cellos and basses vary in size, but all perform the same function. Bows are essentially sticks that the players rub against the instruments'...

One of the more difficult aspects of picking up a guitar for the first time, especially a bass guitar, is tuning the instrument. While the instrument is certainly playable without it being tuned,...

Putting a whammy bar, or tremolo bar, on a guitar is a simple task that will allow you to bend notes. When a whammy bar is installed on a guitar you can pull the bar toward the neck, thus...

Whether the beat of a song is kept on a single snare drum or a full drum set, the sticks a drummer uses can make a lot of difference in the sound. Drummers can experiment to get just the right...

Vacuum tube amplifier electrical circuits (also known as "valve amplifier" circuits) have been used to amplify alternating current signals since the 1930s. These amplifier circuits are known for...

Well if your going to use that guitar, you're going to have to tune up first! This should make it pretty simple and quick to use a tuner to keep your guitar in standard tuning.

To learn how to play the guitar, you need to primarily, have the interest to learn how to actually play it and another thing, you need to own one so you can learn to play it at your own convenient...

Violin is an instrument associated with elegant classical music. Playing the violin is a talent which can be honed at an early age and could lead you to fame if developed properly. There are a...

The bassoon and contrabassoon are the lowest members of the woodwind family of musical instruments. Though some student-level bassoons are made out of polypropylene or ebonite, most bassoons are...

Trombone mutes are bottle-shaped devices used to alter the volume and timbre of a trombone when inserted into the instrument's bells. Mutes are held in place by strips of gripping cork that can...

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Distortion is an important part of the rock guitar sound. It is used in every rock genre from classic rock to heavy metal. The type and amount of distortion you want depends on the type of music...