Musical Instruments

The traditional piano has 88 keys and covers a range of just over seven octaves. The piano, because it allows players to play chords and melody lines simultaneously, is a popular instrument for...

No matter what styles and genres of music you enjoy listening to, the power of this universally-loved art form is its ability to communicate ideas and feelings that might otherwise be...

The harmonica is a great instrument for children to start with even from a young age. Harmonicas are affordable and fairly simple to use at the basic level. Learning the harmonica will teach basic...

The ocarina is a simple wind instrument. Ocarinas can be made from wood, ceramic, glass or a number of other materials. They can have four holes, five holes or more. Ocarinas are keyed to produce...

One of the main challenges for hearing aid manufacturers is to create hearing aids that work well for both music and speech. Since it's more important for most people to hear speech than music,...

Creating your own music can be a fun, rewarding experience. Even if you've never played an instrument, you can still compose and play music electronically. The Nintendo Game Boy, for example, can...

Laptops dominate DJ booths around the world. Many DJs perform without turntables and often without CD decks. The computer adds a new dimension to the art form, turning DJs into true musical...

Every soul is laced together with musical melody. Few discover a way to release this "music within". Matching the music with the right instrument of expression is often an illusive...

Making music, either by singing or playing an instrument, is a very rewarding and enjoyable experience. To expand variety of music you're able to perform, you'll need to learn to read music. ...

Whether it's a gorgeous grand or an antique upright, an old piano is a beautiful thing. But selling an old piano can be tough. It's hardly an impulse purchase, and there is much to figure out...

If you change you guitar strings frequently or have several guitars, buying guitar strings in bulk can save you time and money. Not only do many retailers provide a discount for bulk purchases of...

So you've got music dancing through your head do you? But you don't play an instrument? You can learn to do both simultaneously. Play the piano by writing songs. This is how I learned to play the...

The benefits of playing and practicing music are well documented. Scientifically, it can stimulate brain function at any age. Psychologically, it gives you an opportunity to express yourself, and...

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...

A piano is a fun instrument to play and probably the best way to start your musical journey. From sleek, beautiful Grand Pianos to old wooden clunkers that have seen better days, they put out a...

If you or your child has an interest in music and wants to become a musician, chances are pretty good that you are going to need to buy or rent a musical instrument. Purchasing a musical...

This is aimed at the first time guitar buyer, in the market for their first electric guitar. A guitar can be an exciting purchase, so making sure you buy the right guitar is important. It's all...

My teacher always expected me to go above and beyond when getting ready for a competition or recital. I was not only expected to know the piece and play it well, but to have every measure...

So you have decided that you want to learn guitar, but you don't know what kind to get. Well answer these following questions and you will be on your way to rocking out.

If you know how to read sheet music but your bandmates can only read tab, you'll need to be able to convert the sheet music to tab for them. Another reason you might need to perform this...

A recorder is an instrument in the woodwind family. Most of us are probably familiar with the cheap plastic instruments we learned on in elementary school. Real recorders are made of fine woods...

This How-To will teach you the things you need to be successful to learn guitar!

If you are reading music and working on memorizing the music theory of the violin, you'll want to use the treble cleff. Find out the fastest way to memorize violin music with help from an...

The banjo is a fun, up-tempo instrument found frequently in bluegrass and country music, and even used in slapstick comedy music skits. There are several kinds of banjos, but the playing...

Music education is a specialized and often individualized branch of education, especially for students who are the most serious about their studies. For this reason, it presents challenges to a...

Playing a violin with your fingers instead of a bow involves a technique called pizzicato. With pizzicato, you use your right forefinger to gently pluck strings during specifically marked sections...

Soul music is an integral part of pop culture, its influence apparent in many different genres of music. From vocal harmony groups to rock bands, the style, emotion and instrumentation of soul...

What a person should look for when trying to find a piano teacher for themselves or their child.

Some tips for setting up a teaching business I've tried to share a bit of my own experience concisely - if you want to find out more about me and see my website, it's at...

The cello and the double bass share a few similarities, such as the fact that both instruments are members of the string family and have similar construction. On the other hand, there are quite a...

If you're a beginning clarinet player, learning to play "Mary Had a Little Lamb" is a good way to familiarize yourself with the instrument. It is a simple tune with easy rhythms, a short range of...

Chamber music is classical music written for small groups of musicians. It was created in the 17th century for the purpose of being performed in small spaces, such as palace chambers or private...

Pianos are versatile instruments and can be easily learned due to their relatively simple mechanism. There is no special skill set required to play a note--you just hit a key--though proper...

Becoming skilled at improvisation on any musical instrument takes serious practice. There are, however, several things you can do that will improve your improvisational abilities.

Teaching children how to play the piano can be very challenging because each child's learning abilities and structure of learning is different. However, it is not impossible to teach young...

Learning to play the piano at home involves practice, desire and an ability to catch and learn from your own mistakes. Learning to play an instrument does not require a teacher. Interest is the...

Blues music emerged in the mid to late 19th century as a form of expression for displaced African-Americans. Using an oral form of traditional African poetry, these songs were popular and could be...

Drums are the foundation rhythm instrument for almost every genre of music. Drums, which fall into the percussion category of instruments, include bass drum, toms, snare and cymbals. To be an...

So, you think you can play piano. Why not put your skills up to the test like Schroeder from the "Peanuts" comic strip? The fact is, playing the toy piano requires some musical sense as well as a...

The mountain dulcimer is a guitar-like instrument that rests on your lap and is fretted and strummed. This instrument is quite different from the hammered dulcimer, which is played with mallets...

Egg shakers are fun tools for teaching the basics of rhythm. Use egg shakers to teach the varieties of timing and tempo through challenging activities. Engage participants with playful and...

Chords are the foundation of music. Many piano teachers begin with a chord foundation, especially when teaching adults. Teaching chords on a piano can help students play songs sooner than teaching...

Almost all serious musicians have to do it at one time or another, I know that I did, It can also be quite intimidating once you first start out, but don't be scared, it's really actually quite...

A guitar is a stringed instrument that can be electric or acoustic. A typical electric guitar has between 20 and 22 frets, with some models reaching 24 frets. A typical acoustic has between 15 and...

The electric guitar is a staple of musical genres ranging from blues and jazz to country and rock. Every year, numerous teens pick up their first electric guitar with the hope of becoming the next...

Depending on your strengths, writing drum music can be a lot easier than writing the parts for the rest of band. Plotting out drum parts requires a good sense of rhythm and a solid understanding...

The recorder, that ubiquitous musical instrument in elementary schools for generations, is used as a simple, but effective introduction to reading and playing music. Its unmistakable flute-like...

Guitar music is generally written in one of two forms. The first is through the use of guitar tabs, which is a shorthand way to write and understand guitar music. The second is through standard...

Hand bells have are not just for Christmas carols. These instruments and their music have a rich history, and have been a part of our civilization for thousands of years.

Banjo music theory is no different than that of other instruments, and with a little study and practice, can bring your playing to levels you may not have thought possible. Music theory is often...