Articles about Musical Instruments
back to article indexHave you ever been scanning through a chord chart, only to come across two chords separated by the forward slash (/) symbol?
Whether you’re a self-taught beginner or a classically trained performer, you’re bound to run into these funny looking chords from time to time. And depending on your experience with them, a few questions might spring to mind …
When learning any new skill, you're bound to hit a few roadblocks that will leave you frustrated and demoralized. Learning to play the guitar is no exception and it comes with its own set of unique problems. Veteran players know them all too well but they'd also be the first to tell you that once you overcome them, it only gets better. Those beginning to learn to play the guitar will certainly experience these 7 problems, but with some practice, they thankfully won't last long.
Rock bass-guitar players incorporate numerous musical styles to create powerful bass lines that match the intensity of the drums. If you are a beginner bass player, find a music instructor who can teach you the fundamentals of bass playing. Once you have the basics down, use the following tips to improve your rock bass style.
If you're thinking of learning an instrument, consider the good, old, traditional violin. Take a minute to reflect on the unique combination of qualities this beautiful instrument has to offer. Some people will tell you the violin is hard to learn and will sound like a shrieking cat for the first year, and others may warn of high costs. But no instrument will sound marvelous in your first week of learning, and most can be hired at affordable prices, so don't be put off by such negative comments. Here are some of the many great reasons for ...
Sometimes, you just don’t have enough space to set up a full drum kit. Maybe you’re traveling, or you moved into a college dorm for your freshman year. It could also be that you want a small, inexpensive set of pads so that you can practice in your bedroom, instead of having to go all the way down to the basement to whale on the actual kit.
The piano is a beautiful instrument with a long history. First developed in Italy by inventor Bartolomeo Cristofori in the early 18th century, the pianoforte was a keyboard instrument based on the older harpsichord. The pianoforte was unique for its ability to play notes at different volumes, something earlier keyboard instruments could not do - hence its name, from the Italian words for "soft" (piano) and "strong" (forte.)
Tuning is a very simple process, but a requirement for any rehearsal, show or recording that - believe it or not - can often be overlooked. Depending on your instrument, you may even need to tune between songs at a show.
Despite the inroads made by the electric guitar into every area of modern music, acoustic blues guitar playing still has the power to stimulate the interest of audiences all over the world. The origins of this style of music lie in church gatherings of rural America in the early 1900’s. From these modest beginnings, Reverend Gary Davis, Robert Johnson, Big Bill Broonzy and other self-taught masters improvised their way into the hearts and minds of blues fans all over the world.
OK, so you’ve bought your first guitar and already your mind is dreaming about rock superstardom. Pretty soon you’ll be joining the likes of Jimi Hendrix, Jimi Page and Jack White in the pantheon of all-time rock gods. There’s just one problem though: you’re not entirely sure how to get your shiny new music-box in tune.
The pentatonic scales are the most important scales to learn for evolving guitar steps. The pentatonic scales are used in all styles of music, especially pop & rock. They serve particularly as a special gift for amateur guitarists with less experience. They are very easy to remember and apply to almost any music style with a little time to practice.
This article gives some tips on how to memorize them and use them.
Whether it's around the campfire, with family, or a personal jam session, playing the guitar is a fun and wonderful hobby to invest in. As a beginner, however, you'll need some tips to help you get started. Use these to help prevent the many pitfalls that can cause trouble for the new guitar player.
Guitar chord diagrams show you how play chords. At first they can look like confusing grids of lines, numbers, and circles. Soon, though, they become useful tools for learning and writing down finger positions.
This article provides some basic hints on how to read guitar chord diagrams.