Musical Instruments

The Irish penny whistle is known by several names, such as the Irish tin whistle and the Irish penny flute. This instrument, which belongs to the wind family of instruments, descended from an...

Trumpet scales are the most basic notes learned with the instrument. They familiarize you with the fingerings as well as immerse you in the tonal basics for most types of Western music. They also...

Tuning is somewhat of an art, and is obviously among the most important skills to perfect. Whether you own a Gibson or other guitar brand, tuning procedures are identical. Electronic tuners are...

Reading piano notes and sheet music are tasks that takes some time and effort to accomplish. Some people play piano "by ear" meaning that they listen to a song and imitate it on the piano without...

"Bella's Lullaby" is a song from the "Twilight" saga. This best-selling series of books recently has been made into a global film franchise phenomenon. In the first film this song jumps from the...

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.

I am writing this with the assumption that you know the notes on the frets of a bass guitar. I have actually taught this pattern to someone who only knew the notes on the top string and they can...

The pan pipe is a traditional wind instrument that has existed since ancient times. Usually consisting of a set of five to eight pipes that each generate a single note, the instrument is...

Tablature, also known as TAB, is a system of music notation most often associated with the guitar or other string instruments. There is a special system of tablature for harmonica players as well....

The tabla is an Indian drum used a variety of musical genres. Musicians play the instrument with the palms and fingers to create many different musical sounds. You can change the pitch of the...

Many guitar players learn to play some common chords without ever really understanding the fretboard of a guitar. Playing by ear and muscle memory can sound great, but combining natural talent...

Super Mario Brothers is the best selling video game franchise in history. As a result, the Super Mario Theme song is one of the most recognizable songs ever created. Since its inception this...

Ever wanted to sit down and start playing a piano? Well, with a little instruction, you can.

Chords are the foundation of music. Piano teachers typically approach piano lessons by introducing chords early on and teaching students the fundamentals of building these chords. Learning how to...

This lesson is designed to help you find or enhance own playing style.

The piano is one of the oldest musical instruments and one that is seen in virtually every genre of music. Most people do not realize that a piano is actually a stringed instrument. A series of...

A harmonica is an free reed instrument dating back to Europe in the 19th century. It is a versatile music instrument that can be heard in music ranging from folk and country to jazz and rock, but...

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...

The thumb piano, or kalimba, is a southern African percussion instrument. Kalimbas use several metal tines of different lengths, which give different notes when plucked. The reeds are attached to...

Seiko produces a line of chromatic tuners primarily designed for use with guitars. These tuners can be used for electric guitars, acoustic guitars and other types of instruments. Most of the...

Most harmonicas are diatonic instruments, designed to play in one key. While it's possible to force the harmonica to play outside that key--by using bends--it is easier to use a harmonica for the...

Playing a fretless bass allows the bassist to make minor tone shifts that are not possible on a fretted bass. Musical techniques like vibrato and legato are easier to use. This allows for an often...

The following article will show you how to use an Ebow. The Ebow is a popular tool for guitarists to simulate the bow used with most classical instruments. Much like the violin or cello bow, an...

In order to play a B note on a bass guitar, use the second finger on the second fret to hold down the A string. Learn about playing notes on a bass guitar with help from a bass guitar instructor...

In order to play a C note on a bass guitar, use the second finger on the third fret of the A string. Find out how there's nothing between B and C with help from a bass guitar instructor in this...

In order to play an F note on bass guitar, place the finger over the first fret on the E string before plucking that string. Learn how to alternate fingers when playing a note on the bass with...

In order to play a G note on the bass guitar, use the third finger on the third fret to hold down the E string. Discover the importance of arching fingers when holding down notes with help from a...

Power chords, also known as fifth chords, are musical intervals that consist of the root note of the chord and the fifth. Power chords typically feature the electronic distortion that comes from...

Piano is one of the easiest musical instruments to begin playing; however, it is also one of the most difficult musical instruments to master. Understanding how to play piano is a good background...

The keyboard is arranged in a repeating pattern of notes that cover multiple octaves. This can seem quite intimidating, but the note locations are quite easy to remember once learned. The keyboard...

Korg is a well known electrical musical instrument and tuner brand based in Japan. Korg tuners come in a variety of different configurations, including standalone units, effect pedals and rack...

After choosing a musical instrument, learning it can be a life-long experience. Many students begin at a young age and continue to learn through college. However, anyone can learn to play an...

Bass guitar is one of the key instruments in almost any musical genre. Along with drums and often piano, bass guitar forms the rhythm sections in most bands. An effective bass line can be simple...

Slide guitar uses a slide (usually a metal or glass cylinder worn around a finger) to help create notes along the guitar strings. In many respects, the idea is similar to how a fretless guitar...

Guitar scales are an important part of guitar melody writing, including for solos. Choosing random notes off the scale is haphazard and will usually not make for a good melody. Alternatively, just...

The ocarina, also called the "sweet potato," is a small, oval-shaped wind instrument traditionally made out of wood. The ocarina comes in a variety of tonal ranges, from soprano to bass. Used...

The guitar is a versatile stringed instrument that has become ubiquitous in all forms of American music, from the blues to country to rock and everything in between. It's portability, combined...

Matth. Hohner AG, as the company is known in Germany, began manufacturing harmonicas in 1857. Hohner harmonicas are played by many high profile musicians including Mick Jagger of the Rolling...

The bass guitar is a vital instrument in most modern bands. In conjunction with the drummer, the bassist provides the rhythm section for the melody of the song, which is usually provided by the...

Guitar vibrato is an expressive technique that draws the listener's ear to a note. It is an effective method of keeping long, sustained notes from sounding flat and uninteresting, while at the...

The piano is one of the world's oldest known musical instruments, and can be dated all of the way back to 1700. Many kids today only associate the piano with classical music; however, the piano is...

Power chords are the staple chords of heavy rock music. Power chords, as demonstrated by guitar players ranging from Pete Townsend of the Who and C.C. Deville of Poison, have fueled the rock 'n'...

If you've ever had the chance to see and hear a fiddler play the violin, you know it's much different than a night at the symphony. Fiddle music is shorter and uses different rhythms and melodies...

The Steel Drum or Pan drum; as it's often called, is the newest instrument on Earth. Invented sometime in the 1930's, the Steel Drum has gained popularity at a remarkable rate. You can hear the...

Finger sliding on an organ is based off of the idea of modulating or changing key by sliding a finger from one note to another instead of using a different finger for the new note. Discover how...

Finger sliding on an organ is a good way to change keys up or down while playing a single note of a piece of music or a whole chord because all the notes in a chord can slide up or down to an new...

Number the seven-note scale when playing upright bass in Bb when playing swing music. Assign numbers to each note in a Bb scale with tips from an expert upright bass player in this free video on...

Number the seven-note scale when playing upright bass in F minor when playing swing music. Assign numbers to each note in an F minor scale with tips from an expert upright bass player in this free...

Playing the note intervals in A on the organ is great for learning how to navigate up and down the keyboard. Practice playing note intervals in A with tips from a music director in this free video...

Practice playing the note intervals in B flat on the organ slowly in order to improve technique. Play the note intervals in B flat with tips from a music director in this free video on the organ.