New

There are quite a few factors that you need to look at when you are choosing the best guitar amplifier. The first thing that you need to know is that you can not choose a guitar amplifier based on what somebody says or on what the manufacturer says the maximum wattage is.

You need to to take into account a number of aspects:

• What guitars will you be using with the amplifier

• The style you play

• Effects you are looking for

• How much you are able to spend

• The tone you like best

For most people, buying an expensive big brand name amplifier is not as important as buying an amplifier that will do what you want and will fit your style. If you are buying your first amplifier, it might be good if you start small.

Wattage

If you are only practising at home, you should not need anything more that an 15W amplifier. A 15W amplifier still can be quite loud when turned up. A lower wattage means that at louder volumes, your sound will not be as clean as a higher wattage would be. If you use quite a dirty tone, this should not be too much of a problem for you

Amplifier Size

You also need to remember that you will have to store this amplifier somewhere. An amplifier with more watts will often be a larger amplifier. This larger size means that they are harder to transport, and harder to store out of the way.

Type of amplifiers

There are 3 different types of amplifiers:

• Tube amplifiers

• Hybrids amplifiers

• Solid-state amplifiers

The tube amplifiers are seen as the grooviest and have the best sound, but can often require more maintenance and be less reliable. The tubes can break or wear out. The solid-state amplifiers are often cheaper and the hybrids are a compromise between the two.

If you are planning to play live to a crowd, you might want to think about a tube or hybrid amplifier. This is because the solid state amplifiers do not usually have the type of tine that guitarists prefer for playing to a crowd.

Take into account the type of amplifiers you try out. Some will produce a tone that you like and others may not suit your playing style.

There are also different configuration:

• Combo - Where a single cabinet or box houses the circuits and speakers.

• Piggyback - Where a separate amp sits on a speaker box

• Stack - Combines a head and two cabinets

• Rack - Allows the mounting of many amplifiers and speakers. You should not have to worry about this type until you are doing serious / professional performances.

Features

There are quite a features you can look out of on amplifiers:

• A headphone jack so that you can practice without annoying neighbours

• Reverb control to set the amount of echo in the sound

• An on/off switch

• Volume control or post gain control

• Separate comtrols for controlling the treble and bass.

• Other built-in effects

 

Although it is not often seen today, the chalumeau has played an important role in the development of todays clarinet. Originally the chalumeau was created by placing a reed onto a old style recorder. As the technology to develop more complex key systems progressed, the chalumeau was slowly transformed into todays clarinet.

The chalumeau is a cross between a clarinet and a recorder. Like the clarinet, the chalumeau is a woodwind instrument with a single reed in the mouthpiece.

Unlike a clarinet, the chalumeau does not have a register key so it is mostly used within its fundamental range, just a bit over an octave.

There are 4 sizes of chalumeau:

• Soprano

• Alto

• Tenor

• Bass

History

It is unknown when, or who invested the chalumeau, but its first recorded existence was in from Germany in 1687. Uncertainty surounding the origins of the chalumeau is due to many versions of historical pipes with reeds stretching back to the 12th century.

The name chalumeau comes from a French word from the 12th century. It refers to various types of pipes. Some of these pipes are made from cane with a reed cut out of the cane pipe.

In the 17th century, the chalumeau was improved by Johann Christoph Denner of Nuremberg,. This improved baroque chalumeau is the historical connection between the recorder and clarinet.

Modern chalumeau

Due to the rare nature of this instrument, there are now only 8 known examples of original chalumeau in existance. Modern craftsmen who have studied the chalumeau now produce similar replicas

 

A harmonica can be defined as a small rectangular instrument consisting of free reeds that are set back in air holes, which are played by exhaling or inhaling into the air chambers. The instrument emits sound by the vibration of these reeds. A player changes the pitch and sound by either inhaling or exhaling through the hole.

Playing the harmonica is as simple as using the tongue to cover or uncover the holes while blowing into the instrument. The player can blow or draw over several holes at the same time. This is referred to as playing a chord. While playing this chord the player can cover one or several contiguous holes to avoid playing them.

More experienced players can take advantage of advanced techniques such as the overbend. The overbend is the process of playing a blade at a different and higher pitch than normal.

Harmonicas can have as many as 4 reeds for each air hole. A player selects which reed to use by moving a bar called a slide from side to side.

Harmonicas are categorized into two groups;

1. chromatic

2. diatonic

Chromatic harmonicas usually use a button-activated sliding bar to select between reeds in each hole. They can play any semitone over several octaves. These harmonicas are designed in a fashion that allows the player to play multiple notes. The diatonic harmonica is designed to play in only one key. This key is usually written on the top of the instrument.

History Of The Harmonica

Around 1820 harmonicas with a free reed design began being created in Europe and North America; however credit for the invention of the harmonica was not given until 1821 to a young man by the name of Christian Friedrich Buschmann when he registered the first European patent.

The harmonica first appeared in Vienna where harmonicas with chambers were sold before 1824. Richter tuning purchased a harmonica at an exhibition in 1824 and copied the instrument making some of the most important advancements in early harmonica design. He developed a modified harmonica that consisted of ten holes and twenty reeds in 1826. These harmonicas had separate reed plates mounted to a cedar comb. By 1827 they had produced hundreds of harmonicas.

Other countries soon followed to modify and create different variations of these harmonicas. As competition grew for harmonica makers, a clock maker in Germany surfaced with a new means to produce the instrument. Matthias Hohner used mass-produced wooden combs to construct his harmonicas making him the first mass-producer of the harmonica in 1857.

The harmonicas introduction to North America occurred shortly after Hohner started mass-producing his harmonicas. Hohner shipped some of his harmonicas to relatives that had migrated to the United States. The popularity of the harmonicas music grew rapidly propelling Hohner Company to its status as world leader in harmonicas. By 1887, Hohner was producing more than one million harmonicas annually and today produces over 90 different models with a variety of styles and tunings.

 

A wind instrument is defined in the Noah Webster's 1828 dictionary as an instrument of music, played by wind, chiefly by the breath. Sound is produced in one of two ways using a player’s breath;

1. Tone is produced by vibration of the lips as the player blows into the instrument

2. Tone is produced when air is blown against an edge of, or opening in an instrument causing the air to vibrate inside

These instruments have two primary parts; a long tube containing a column of air and a mouth piece. Air is set into vibration by the player blowing into or over a mouth piece. The pitch is determined by the length of the tube. Both methods of producing sound occurs by wind, however the vibration of that wind occurs in two separate areas of the instrument, either before the air enters the column or after. This type of sound production is used to assist in classification of the different types of wind instruments.

Two Types of wind instruments

Brass Instruments

Instruments that produce sound using the player’s lips to vibrate the air are categorized in the brass instrument family. Historically brass instruments were grouped together because the material used to make them was brass; however classification has come to more accurately be made by how the sound is produced. Common brass instruments include:

• Valved – trumpet, horn, tuba

• Slide – trombone and bazooka

• Natural – bugle, trumpet and horn

• Keyed or fingered – cornet, serpent and keyed trumpet

• Cylindrical bore – tenor trombone

• Conical bore – tenor horn, French horn and baritone

Woodwind Instruments

Instruments that produce sound by vibrating air inside the instrument are categorized in the woodwind family. As with brass instruments; woodwind instruments were historically grouped by the material used to make the instrument until a more accurate classification by sound production was developed. Woodwind instruments have a thin piece of wood called a reed that the player blows against to produce the air vibration leading to its sound. Common woodwind instruments include:

• Single-reed – clarinet and saxophone

• Double-reed (exposed) – oboe and bassoon

• Double-reed (capped) – bagpipes and crumhorn

• Open flute – transverse and end-blown flutes

• Closed flute – fipple based flutes

A viola is a stringed instrument of the violin family. It is slightly larger than a violin and tuned a fifth lower. It has a deeper, more sonorous tone than the violin. Many people mistake the viola for a violin because they are so similar in size, shape and playing position, however the viola is set apart by its rich, dark-toned timbre.

How Big Is The Viola?

A full size viola is an average of about 1 to 4 inches longer than that of the violin with an average length of 16 inches. The viola is proportionally wider and has a more resonant and mellower sound. It is often referred to as the middle voice in the violin family between the upper lines played by the violin and the lower lines played by the cello.

Sheet Music

The sheet music for the viola is read primarily in alto clef which is otherwise rarely used. It has four strings that are tuned in fifths. When tuning the viola, C is one octave below middle C and is the lowest note on the instrument. The next three strings are tuned G, D, and A exactly one fifth below the violin. Tuning to C, D, G, A is used for the vast majority of music, however other tunings are occasionally used in both classical and folk style music.

Use and Popularity

Use of the viola is primarily limited to classical music. In early orchestral music it was limited to filling in harmonies with melodic material. The viola was liberated per say after Mozart began writing music specifically for this instrument making it equally important to the violin in one of his concerts. Even in the field of classical music the viola was not popularly used for solo pieces. A rare example of a piece which features a solo viola can be found in the ‘Harold In Italy.’

In the 20th century more and more composers began to write specifically for the viola. They were inspired by the emergence of specialized violists that performed favored solo pieces. Some of the more well known composers to write for the viola include William Walton, Bela Bartok and Barhuslav Martinu. One of the few composers to write a substantial amount of music for the viola was Paul Hindemith, also a violist. With all of this music being written, the total amount of music in the viola repertoire remains quite small.

The viola can be used in contemporary pop music however it is quite unusual to see this take place. The viola saw more popularity during the period from 1890 to 1930 for dance orchestras and orchestras of pop tunes. The viola has also been used in folk music though not as commonly as the violin. Never the less it is used by many folk musicians across the world.

The ukulele originated in the 19th century as a Hawaiian interpretation of the Portuguese guitar called cavaquinho. It is a fretted, string instrument which is essentially smaller than the cavaquinho. Ukulele strings are commonly tuned to A, D, F sharp, and B respectively with the lowest note being D.

A Brief History of Ukuleles

The ukulele is commonly associated with Hawaiian music across the globe and with good reason. Portuguese immigrants traveled across the waters in Aug. 1879 aboard the Ravenscrag, destination Honolulu. This vessel was carrying 419 Portuguese immigrants from the island of Madeira to work in the sugar cane fields. Among these immigrants you could find Manuel Nunes, Jose do Espirito Santo, and Augusto Dias. It was said that soon after their arrival in Honolulu these 3 could be found entertaining the streets with their folk music each evening. King David Kalakaua was especially fond of the instrument, establishing the ukulele as part of the Hawaiian music and culture.

Where Did Ukulele Get Its Name?

The Hawaiian name for the ukulele was pila li'ili'i which translates as “Little Fiddle.” Queen Lili'uokalani thought it came from the Hawaiin words uku which means gift and lele which means to come, hence the phrase “the gift that came here.” Still other stories have different views.

One theory suggests that the name ukulele was derived from a continuous mispronunciation of the original name ukeke lele, which is translated to dancing ukeke. Another theory suggests the name derived from a nickname given to an English army officer by the name of Edward Purvis. He was called “ukulele” due to his small size and high spirited nature. This officer was very adept at playing the instrument so some believe this was the origin of the name.

Let us not forget the story of Gabriel Davian who was playing his homemade instrument at a housewarming party for Judge W.L. Wilcox when one of the guests approached him and asked what this magnificent instrument was. Davian replied, “Judging from the way one scratched at it, it was a jumping flea.” Wilcox offered the Hawaiian translation “ukulele.”

However the ukulele received its name it is easy to see why many favor the story of the immigrants. In Hawaiian ukulele means jumping flea. Hawaiians enthusiastically shared the tale of these 3 immigrants music talent and how they played. Graphic details of how the immigrants’ fingers moved across the strings reminded many listeners of “jumping fleas,” hence the name ukulele.   

The piano is a musical instrument that produces music by tapping keys which in turn hit the attached strings with a felt hammer. It is a chordophone among other instruments such as, the harpsichord and the clavichord. The distinguishing difference between these three instruments is the manner in which they produce sound. The harpsichord uses quills to pluck the strings and the clavichord strikes the strings with tangents that remain attached to the string and the piano's felt hammers immediately rebound leaving the key to vibrate freely.

History Of The Piano

The technology of the piano was derived from early instruments where attempts had been made to produce string instruments with struck keys. During the Middle Ages the development of these instruments started with the earliest being the hurdy gurdy. By the 17th century the clavichord and harpsichord were invented and were the primary foundation of the piano.

The clavichord plays very similar to the piano by striking the keys with a tangent; however it produced a soft tone much too quiet for playing in large halls or concerts. Its size in comparison to its relative the harpsichord is much smaller and simpler. These three characteristics made it a popular household instrument during the Baroque period. It could be found in the homes of many composers of that time including Bach.

The clavichord played using simple actions. After the suppression of the key it lifted a tangent which in turn strikes the string and lifts a damper. To sustain a vibration you would hold down the key. It is structured with one string per key and sometimes one for two keys. The fashion in which this instrument is constructed makes the clavichord a very quiet instrument; however it is the most similar to the piano in its ability to allow for Crescendos and Diminuendos and have some semblance of a dynamic range.

After the clavichord was the birth of the harpsichord. It is believed that the harpsichord was invented in the 15th century in Italy. This instrument was structured to produce sound using a quill to pluck the strings and like the clavichord contained a damper to stop the vibration when the key was released. The strings run parallel to the keys much in the same fashion as the grand piano. When it is played the key lifts a jack which in turn pushes the plectrum (quill) against the string plucking it to create the vibration.

The harpsichord also is a quiet instrument and not suited for large rooms or concerts. This didn't stop the creativity of the composers who would make up for the inability to sustain notes by putting a lot of ornamentation in their pieces. It was a common accompaniment to singers and other instruments. As pianos became more popular the use of the harpsichord faded out of popular use, however it is still alive today.

Next in line was a stringed instrument called the spinet. It can be described as a small harpsichord consisting of one or two key sets. Each key set is tuned with a 4-octave range.

As the love for stringed key instruments grew in popularity composers began to seek a way to produce a new instrument. They wanted one that had the ability to play both soft and loud making it more efficient in concerts and large rooms. Some expressed a desire to have a stringed instrument as powerful as the violin.

The First Piano Is Born

As musical technology advanced into the early 1700's the piano was born. A gentleman by the name of Bartolomeo Cristofori of Padua Italy invented the first piano. He was an experienced harpsichord maker and fully knowledgeable of the original string key instruments. The problem Cristofori aimed to solve was that the key must strike the string and not stay in contact. After successful implementation he named his first piano a gravicembalo col piano e forte (a keyboard instrument that can be played soft and loud). The name was later shortened to pianoforte (loud and soft) and finally to just piano.

The first piano contained one key, a felt hammer and an escape. Most importantly it did not have a damper or pedal. When the key was pressed it would strike the key causing a vibration very different from its younger cousins the harpsichord and clavichord. The escape played a vital role in the production of this new vibration by allowing the hammer to fall after being pushed. Without this escape the hammer would respond much like the clavichord and remain intact with the string which in turn would deaden it. As technology continued to advance a double escapement was designed preventing the hammer from falling all the way back making it possible for faster repetition.

The Growth of The Piano

The piano grew in its popularity during the end of the Baroque period and into the Classical period with its highest growth occurring during the classical era. The new concept of the Sonata was played beautifully on the piano and it became a favored instrument among composers.

Composers didn't restrict the piano to Sonatas though. It was often used in ensemble pieces such as the concerto. Composers found that the dynamics of the keyboard truly matched the violin as a solo instrument and so the piano took center stage.

The piano further proved itself a powerful instrument in the Romantic era when composers began expressing emotion with their music. A piece that had many ornaments, trills and fast beat was considered happy where a slow, minor expressed sadness. The piano was the perfect instrument in its ability to play wide ranges of music.

During the romantic era individual households began to favor the piano because of its ease to play melody and harmony together. Amateurs could produce music more readily on the piano. In addition to composing music, it was during this era that people could now make money simply by playing the instrument.

The modern instrument

Today you can find pianos in two basic types and several sizes. The two most common pianos are the upright and the grand.

Upright pianos: These are more compact with the strings placed vertically, extending both directions from the keyboard and hammers. It is harder to produce a sensitive piano action in the upright as the hammers in this style of piano have a return that is dependent on strings.

Grand pianos: These have the strings placed horizontally with the strings extending away from the keyboard. As a result the grand piano is a large instrument demanding a spacious room for display.

Two pianos that are seen less often include the square piano and the giraffe. A square piano has strings on a horizontal plane and the giraffe is similar to the grand piano with the exception that the strings run vertically up the keyboard.

The average piano consists of 88 keys across and is labeled from the far left as A to the far right being C. There are 7 octaves of repeated white notes, A, B, C, D, E, F, and G. The black notes are used to obtain sharps and flats. When you include the black keys on the keyboard your pattern becomes, A, A#, B, C, C#, D, D#, E, F, F#, G, G#.

Origin of the Lyre Harp

Although the exact origin of the harp is unknown, early discoveries have found harp-like paintings on rocks dating as far back as 1500 BC. Harps are depicted in multiple Egyptian tombs dating some 5,000 years ago including the tomb of Egyptian Pharaoh Ramses III; however the lyre harp began to appear more commonly in ancient Samaria around 2800 BC.

The lyre was held in different positions depending on culture for example, the Sumerians held the lyre vertically with the crossbar at the top and the Egyptians played with the crossbar pointing away from their body. Harps were equally popular in ancient Assyria, Mesopotamia and ancient Greek culture.

The lyre was wide spread and a common instrument in the ancient world. Today the lyre is limited almost exclusively to parts of Africa and Siberia. Ever changing cultures across time and geography has led to many changes in the lyre harp throughout history. Those changes include the number of strings, how the instrument was held, and whether it was plucked, strummed or played with a plectrum.

Description of the lyre

The typical lyre harp has a hollow body or sound-chest. It has an overall length of twenty-five inches and two raised arms extend up from the sound-chest that curve out and then forward connecting near the top by a cross-bar. The number of strings varies from 5 to 16 and passes over a bridge positioned diagonally on the soundboard. On either side of this bridge are rosette sound holes carved into the soundboard. These strings are tuned by turning the pegs. The vibration of the strings is transmitted by an additional cross-bar that forms a bridge on the sound-chest.

The ukulele originated in the 19th century as a Hawaiian interpretation of the Portuguese guitar called cavaquinho. It is a fretted, string instrument which is essentially smaller than the cavaquinho. Ukulele strings are commonly tuned to A, D, F sharp, and B respectively with the lowest note being D.

A Brief History of Ukuleles

The ukulele is commonly associated with Hawaiian music across the globe and with good reason. Portuguese immigrants traveled across the waters in Aug. 1879 aboard the Ravenscrag, destination Honolulu. This vessel was carrying 419 Portuguese immigrants from the island of Madeira to work in the sugar cane fields. Among these immigrants you could find Manuel Nunes, Jose do Espirito Santo, and Augusto Dias. It was said that soon after their arrival in Honolulu these 3 could be found entertaining the streets with their folk music each evening. King David Kalakaua was especially fond of the instrument, establishing the ukulele as part of the Hawaiian music and culture.

Where Did Ukulele Get Its Name?

The Hawaiian name for the ukulele was pila li'ili'i which translates as “Little Fiddle.” Queen Lili'uokalani thought it came from the Hawaiin words uku which means gift and lele which means to come, hence the phrase “the gift that came here.” Still other stories have different views.

One theory suggests that the name ukulele was derived from a continuous mispronunciation of the original name ukeke lele, which is translated to dancing ukeke. Another theory suggests the name derived from a nickname given to an English army officer by the name of Edward Purvis. He was called “ukulele” due to his small size and high spirited nature. This officer was very adept at playing the instrument so some believe this was the origin of the name.

Let us not forget the story of Gabriel Davian who was playing his homemade instrument at a housewarming party for Judge W.L. Wilcox when one of the guests approached him and asked what this magnificent instrument was. Davian replied, “Judging from the way one scratched at it, it was a jumping flea.” Wilcox offered the Hawaiian translation “ukulele.”

However the ukulele received its name it is easy to see why many favor the story of the immigrants. In Hawaiian ukulele means jumping flea. Hawaiians enthusiastically shared the tale of these 3 immigrants music talent and how they played. Graphic details of how the immigrants’ fingers moved across the strings reminded many listeners of “jumping fleas,” hence the name ukulele.

Over the last decade, more and more cheap musical instruments have been flooding the markets from Asia and other countries offering cheap labour. These inexpensive musical instruments are made in a way that maximises the quantity made, rather than the quality. A factory in China is known to produce over 15,000 guitars a month in addition to pianos, violins and many other types of musical instruments.

Some of these large manufacturers can produce superb quality musical instruments that are just as good as those produced in North America and Europe. Brands such as Jinyin and Eastman have factories in china and use tonewoods for instruments such as violins. They at least have a hand carved finished, even though they are produced on production lines. Jinyin states that "Jinyin's 800 employees make 15,000 Saxophones, 25,000 Flutes, 20,000 Clarinets , 7,000 Piccolos, 50,000 violins and many thousands of French horns, Trumpets and Trombones each year". In the US, these instruments are commonly sold as inexpensive student models.

Many of the cheaper musical instrument manufacturers are not as careful about the quality of the products that they are creating. With violins as an example, this can mean:

• Low quality materials

• Poor quality coatings and finishes

• Badly fitting parts

• Compromised tone quality

For brass instruments this can mean:

• Thin metal parts

• Poor quality coatings and finishes

• Cheap metal that breaks easily

• Misaligned keys

These types of instruments can be found under many unknown brand names. Many of the brand names try to give a European feel to the instrument. Even the descriptions that they are sold with can be misleading hype. Examples of such misleading advertising are:

• "German Engineered"

• "The Original"

Parents looking for a child's first instrument should look into the differences between brands that are available. If you do not buy a well known brand, the instrument may cost you more in the long term. You need to remember that unknown brands and cheap musical instruments are:

Harder to fix

If something goes wrong with your cheap or unknown brand musical instrument, you might not be able to do anything about it. Local repairmen might not be able to fix substandard instruments and the replacement parts may not be available.

Harder to play and have a lower quality sound

Instruments that are not produced with much care can lack the expected sound quality. This can frustrate students and cause them to give up.

Not an investment

Good quality instruments are an investment and should retain value. Poor quality instruments will not keep their value and will cost you more in the long run.

Choosing a musical instrument is not a decision to be taken lightly.  Playing any musical instrument requires a great deal of commitment in order to become a skilled musician and so you need to spend some time considering the kind of sound you enjoy listening to.

The first thing you need to do is to listen to various kinds of instruments, firstly to identify the right instrument group, whether you prefer to listen to woodwind, strings, brass or even percussion.  This will help you to narrow down your possible choices.  Having identified the musical instrument group that you enjoy the most, then it's time to look at specific instruments within that group.

Again, listening is your first step towards finding the right musical instrument for you.  Try to obtain a number of CDs which highlight each instrument in your chosen group.  Which of these do you enjoy the most?  These are the ones that you want to look at more closely.

Now it's time to visit the music store.  Ask the sales assistant if it's possible to hold the instruments that you're interested in.  Which of them feels as if it belongs in your hands when you hold it correctly?  Is there anything about it that makes it uncomfortable to hold - size, weight (brass and woodwind can get heavy to hold), required movement (especially with string section instruments), etc?  How is the sound made?  Does it require any specific technique that you may not be able to manage - larger woodwind and brass instruments need a lot of effort to create a good tone and so if you have any breathing related health issues, you may be better with a smaller version of these instruments if you would like to play an instrument in either of these instrument groups.

Identify which instrument seems to be the one for you from those you have looked at.  Now ask the sales assistant for more specific information about it.  How easy is it to assemble, and what "extras" are needed to play it (reeds, grease, strings, resin etc)?  What about tuition?  Is there anywhere local where you can go to learn to play from a qualified tutor?  Alternatively, are there any orchestras in your area that take on beginners?  Also enquire about maintenance of the instrument - how regularly should it be cleaned and how should this be done.

Finally enquire about how much this kind of instrument would cost.  You don't have to buy it at the music store if you have a limited budget; you could purchase it through a small ad in the newspaper, online or even in a second hand store if you're lucky.  However, some music stores have budget plans that will allow you make regular payments rather than paying the entire sum up front.  It's also possible that your music store allows you to have a trial period with the musical instrument of your choice so that you can try it out and see if it's really the right one for you - and which you can return if you find that it's not.

You are going to be making quite an investment in the musical instrument you purchase; not only in terms of money, but also in respect of the time you will spend playing it.  Therefore it's worth spending the time necessary to identify the right instrument before you commit to one particular instrument so that you're sure that this is something you will enjoy learning to play.

The first decision involves choosing between either an electric or acoustic guitar. Once you have made that choice, the next thing you have to do is to determine the budget that you are comfortable with. If you are really serious about learning, it is recommended that you avoid buying a cheap and low-quality instrument, as such guitars tend to impede your learning. When it comes to upgrading, you will also find that getting a good price for your guitar will be difficult.

Acoustic guitars are some of the most beautiful instruments and can produce tantalizing music when learned to play properly. Most people who purchase guitars buy them with the intention to learn how to play them, but very few go on to become masters of the instrument. If you're serious about learning how to play one, you should first learn how to buy one. Serious musicians just don't buy their instruments from any music store - they learn what the best brands are, evaluate the sound qualities of each, and try the instruments before making an investment.

When buying a guitar, take an experienced player with you if possible. This way, your "personal guide" can evaluate the selection of guitars available and help you pick one that's appropriate for your level of music education (you can always upgrade later as your skills improve). Without your own personal guide, you can ask for help from the store clerk. Music store clerks are hired based upon their knowledge of musical instruments. If you get help from a clerk, explain your skill level and price range.

Having a wide selection to choose from, try out different guitars by strumming them with a pick and wearing strap. If you're not sure how to use a pick or wear a strap, the store clerk can help you do both. While you strum and pick each string of the guitar, you want to listen for a good quality sound. If you hear buzzing or any sounds coming from the guitar that you did not intend to make, look for a different one. A good guitar sound is pure and hollow. And if you have your "personal guide" with you, he or she can help you gauge the sound quality of each.

In addition to buying a guitar, browse through the selection of beginning guitar lessons books if available. Most music stores offer lesson books or even classes for those who want to learn to play their new purchases.

Knowing how to choose the right guitar and how to identify a bad one, will save you from countless headaches, not to mention finger aches.

Acoustic guitar bodies come in basically the same hourglass shape, with some variations, but they do vary in size, colour,wood-type, style, and extra features. You can even buy an acoustic guitar so small that fits into a hiking backpack.

Guitars come in a very wide range of prices, but when it comes to instruments, in general, you get what you pay for, especially when you buy new. There's a real difference between getting a bargain on a site like eBay and buying cheap.

But whether you buy new or used may be determined by many personal factors including your budget, and each has their own pros and cons.

Buying new, gives you a warranty and, hopefully, a return period,if for some reason you're not totally satisfied with your purchase, or something goes wrong.

Under 'usual' circumstances, a used guitar can usually be purchased cheaper and has already gone through its "break-in"period.

Commercially built guitars are usually mass manufactured."Custom-made" guitars are exactly that. They are custom built and tailored to your specifications by a highly skilled guitar maker.

Prices for a custom-built guitar vary considerably, depending on the skill level of the crafts person you contract the job to, but,as a rule, they are generally quite higher than a commercially built guitar of "similar" quality. Each custom built guitar is unique and therefore hard to compare in price to a commercially built guitar.

For the "Techies"

Understanding some of the parts of a guitar will definitely help you when it comes to the Pre-Purchase Check-list.

Body

This is the part with the sound hole in the front. It is where the strumming is done, and it can vary in size. The actual size, shape, type of wood, coating, and general build of the body also affects how the guitar will "sound", whether it's a rich and warm sound, or a thin and 'twangy' sound. The body tends to be the part that also gets scratched, damaged, and generally banged-up the most.

Neck

This is the long piece extending from the body and ends at the 'head' of the guitar where the 'Tuning Heads' are, also known as 'machine heads'. The strings travel from the 'Bridge' on the body, across the sound hole, along the 'Fret Board', which is attached to the front-side of the neck, and finally arriving at the tuning heads where they are wrapped around tuning posts. The tuning heads are then turned by hand, which then turns the posts,making the strings tighter or looser, thus affecting their 'tuning'. Necks tend to warp and twist if not looked after, or if the guitar is left propped against a heat source.

Bridge

The Bridge is normally located on the front of the body,by the sound hole, and on the side of the hole opposite to the neck. The strings are usually fed through the bridge first before they cross the hole and travel up the neck to the tuning heads.The bridge is like an anchor-point for the strings. Metal bridges are best, but on most acoustics they are either hard plastic or wood. Bridges have a tendency to crack and split over a long period of time.

Fret board

The fret board is glued to the front of the neck.This is the part you press the strings onto to make chords or play individual notes. Because it's glued on separately, a fretboard can be made of a wood that's different from the neck.

The strings travel over the fret board and the distance they are above the fret board makes a difference to the playability of the guitar. If the strings are too far above the fret board, then they will be hard to press down, making the guitar hard to play.

When a beginner plays a guitar, initially his or her fingertips are very soft and need to be hardened. A guitar with the strings too far above the fret board, also known as having a 'high action', will cause the player's fingers to hurt so much that they are likely to put the guitar away in discouragement and possibly stop playing altogether.

Strings

Acoustic guitar strings, come in a wide variety of 'flavors'. They can be made out of nylon, brass, steel, or a combination. Nylon strings are usually only found on Classical guitars and Student guitars, because they're easier on the fingertips. They have a rich, warm sound to them.

Strings sets come in different 'weights', or sizes. Strings that come from a package marked 'Heavy' are usually quite thick in size and sound "beefy". Strings that are light, or extra light,are very thin and usually have a brighter sound to them, but are also quieter sounding than heavy strings.

String choices are purely personal taste. Light strings are easier to press than heavy strings but also sound quite different. The more often strings are played, the dirtier they get. If a cloth isn't run over and under them, from time to time,the sound becomes very dull

Pre-purchase check list

• Before you buy a used guitar, cost compare against the price of a new one, unless the guitar is quite old. You could also compare its used price to other used prices by going to an online auction and either searching for the same or a similar guitar.
• Check the overall condition of the wood for cracks, scratches, splits, dents, chips, etc.
• Also check the lacquer finish for cracks and splits.
• Check the neck/fret board for warping and twisting. You can do this by holding the guitar flat on its back, with the sound hole facing upward. Bring the guitar up to eye
• level, with the neck running away from you and the edge of the body almost touching your face. Let your eye-sight skim across the front of the body and down the fret board. You should be able to see if the neck is twisted or bowing.
• Tune the guitar, or have the seller tune it for you.
• If you know how to play about five or six chords then play them. If you don't know how to play, ask the seller to play them for you. This check ensures that the neck of the guitar is not warped, even though you couldn't physically see it. If the neck is warped, and the guitar is properly tuned, then some of the chords will sound good, but others will sound as though the guitar is not tuned. If this happens, check the tuning again. If it persists, then don't buy the guitar.
• Check the bridge of the guitar. If it's made out of wood or plastic, make sure it's not cracked or splitting. The bridge needs to be rock solid, as a lot of pressure is exerted on the bridge by the strings.
• Check the tuning heads. Do they turn easily, or are they very stiff and hard to turn. Even with the high tension of the strings, a quality guitar will have tuning heads that are fairly easy to turn.
• Check the 'action' of the guitar. Are the strings a fair distance from the fret board? Are they easy or hard to press down at various points on the fret board?
• If you are buying the guitar for yourself, and you know how to play, even if you're a beginner, then play the guitar.
• How does it feel?
• Is it easy or hard to play?
• Can you fit your hand around the neck/fret board comfortably to play chords?
• Is the guitar a comfortable size and shape for your body? Is it easy to hold?
• If you plan to play standing up, ask for a guitar strap.
• Do you like the sound, the colour, etc?
• If you don't play,have someone else play it for you so that you can judge what it sounds like.

Where to buy?

Buying a guitar from a physical retail music store allows you to 'test drive' the guitar and ask more questions up front. Buying online from a site like eBay or a catalogue may bring you more cash savings.

No matter where you buy your guitar, if you know what to look for, and spend a little extra effort in your search for that 'perfect' guitar, not only will your fingers thank you, but also your ears, and all those who will come to join you around the campfire, or even go to see you in concert.

Overview of the timpani

The timpani are a percussion instrument, also known as the kettledrum.  It is a kind of drum that has three main parts to it: 

1. A head, made of animal skin that is stretched over the top of the instrument
2. A bowl that is usually made of copper, and finally
3. A timpani mallet that is used to strike the head of the drum 

A percussionist who plays the timpani is called a timpanist. 

History of the timpani

The oldest timpani were used as European military drums.  They were about 16”-17” in diameter and about as deep as they were wide.  The military orchestras that played these drums were small.  The timpani were also small.  These small drums were used in many different classical orchestras during the 17th century.  Bach and Handel’s early orchestras had drums that copied the sound of these early, small old-style timpani.

As time went by, orchestras were beginning to add more wind and brass instruments.  Also, the string section grew as different types of new instruments were being added.  All of these changes in the orchestra affected the way the timpani were being made and played as well.  Instrument makers were creating timpani that were bigger in size and sound.  This matched the “growing” sound of the music that was being played in the bigger orchestras of the romantic period of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. 

Along with the historical changes in the size of the timpani, musicians were also using bigger spaces between the drums when they played.  For example, the spaces increased from 1” between the drums to 3” from the baroque period and Beethoven’s later symphonies.  Composers also wanted to hear more different note combinations being played.  So, instead of the original pair of timpani became three and four drums.

Composers Wagner and Strauss thought of more changes for the timpani.  They wanted to be able to change the sound of each drum in very little time.  In the middle of the 20th century, the timpani had changed so much and had become a standard size.  However, they became more complex because of the addition of special pedals to change the tuning and to create special sounds.  Also, instrument makers were making the drums from different types of skins.  The timpani was made in a bigger variety of ways than ever before.

Then, in the middle of the 20th century, something changed.  People began to be interested in the sounds of the original timpani.  They no longer wanted to hear the sounds that came from the larger timpani that modern orchestras were using.  So, over the past 500 years, instrument makers have been building timpani smaller and smaller so that they look and sound more like the original drums that were made for classical orchestras hundreds of years ago.

Today, the different kinds of timpani are played as part of several kinds of music ensembles and bands.

Brief description

• The name glockenspiel is a German term meaning “bell play”, referring to the sound made of small bells.
• At the end of the 17th century steel bars started to replace the bells.
• In the beginning only a substitute for real bells, this arrangement of metal bars soon developed into a musical instrument in its own right and retained the name "glockenspiel".
• Like the xylophone, the glockenspiel is a great popular instrument among children. Even Carl Orff had used the glockenspiel from the 1930s for his Method of teaching children music.
• The instruments for children have a smaller size, are diatonically tuned and also have bars displayed upon a frame like a trough. The lower-pitched glockenspiels usually have short resonators chambers and are also known as metallophones.

Predecessors of the Glockenspiel

The instrument now known as the glockenspiel is a mixture between the fusion of two other different instrument types, the actual glockenspiel with real bells and the metallophone. The actual glockenspiel is made of a set of bells of different ranges. One or more musicians play a number of overlapping melodic sequences. The exact number of musicians required for carillon’s mechanical playing action truly depends on the size of the instrument.

In Germany the fixed bells playing in churches or town hall belfries is known as Beiern. There are many places where the sequence of notes is played by an automatic mechanism performed by a clockwork device. This type of music is still very much an active and exciting part of local tradition in many areas in Germany and a great tourist attraction. Smaller glockenspiels worked on the same notes sequence principle.

Coming from bells to percussion bars

• In China, bells were part of the orchestra as far back as 4.000 years ago. In the 9th century hemispherical, pear-shaped bells had already been popular among western monks. These instruments, named cymbala, had small, round bells made of bronze which were suspended from a rail and struck by one or two musicians.
• In the 14th century there were two types of glockenspiel – large instruments in church towers and smaller ones for playing at home.
• In the 17th century smaller glockenspiels started to become adapted with a keyboard that made it possible to perform more difficult musical parts.
• The first step to the glockenspiel used in nowadays orchestras was made by the Dutch in the 17th century. They replaced the unhandy bells with a row of percussion bars following the fashion of the metallophone from eastern Asia.

The glockenspiel as an orchestra instrument

The first composer that wrote music for the glockenspiel in the orchestra was Georg Friedrich Handel who included the piece in his oratorio Saul (1738). He used an instrument called carillon that had a range of two and a half octaves and had metal bells – or bars – that were played througha chromatic keyboard. The final sound was supposed to be like of metal hammers beating on anvils.

For his Magic Flute (1791) Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart had a glockenspiel which was basically the same as the one Handel had used. He used the glockenspiel to define Papageno, the bird catcher with his magic bells.

The Dutch idea of replacing the complicated bells with simple bars was widely embraced in the first half of the 19th century as it was a more practical asset. The result was the keyboard glockenspiel where the bars were struck by small hammers controlled by keys. This new instrument made it possible to perform parts which had previously been written in keyboard style.

Today the keyboard glockenspiel or the celesta invented in Paris in 1886 by Auguste Mustel is used to play older parts containing chords and mostly difficult glockenspiel parts.

In wind bands the bell lyre is used, as this is a portable version of the glockenspiel created for marching bands that was already widespread in Germany in the 19th century. Today this instrument is used in many countries, but mainly in the USA.

French bagpipes cover a wide range and variety of styles of bagpipes and piping, from the Celtic piping and music of Brittany to the Northern Occitan's cabreta.

The Center-France bagpipes (called in French cornemuse du centre or musette du centre) are of many different types, some mouth blown, some bellows blown; some names for these instruments include chevrette (which means "little goat," referring to the use of a goatskin for its bag), chabrette, chabretta, chabreta, cabreta, bodega, and boha. It can be found in the Bourbonnais, Nivernais, and Morvan regions of France.

A distinguishing factor of most French bagpipes is the placement of the tenor drone alongside the chanter rather than in the same stock as the bass drone.

In the northern regions of Occitania:Auvergne, we find the (generally) bellows blown cabreta, and in Limousin the mouth blown chabreta. The cabrette is much played in areas of Paris where Auvergnats tended to settle; this bagpipe is in most cases played without a drone, and together with an accordion. The chabrette, while having a similar name, is a quite different pipe, with a triple-bored bass drone played across the player's arm rather than over the shoulder. The form of the chabrette chanter appears similar to early oboes, including a swallow-tail key for the lowest note which is placed under a fontenelle.

The Occitan names also refer to the goat. In the Occitan region of Languedoc, and especially in the Montanha negre (Black Mountain) area, the bodega is played. This is a very large mouth blown pipe made from the skin of an entire goat. In Gascony, a small mouth blown bagpipe called boha (from bohar meaning "to blow") is used.

There are a number of piping schools. One of the most important is the Conservatoire Occitan, located in the city of Toulouse (Occitania) but there are also important schools in Limoges, Aurillac, Belin, Mazamet, and other towns. There is also a school of cabrette playing in Paris, with around 50 pupils. Although Central French pipes are generally used to play traditional music, some Occitan pop groups use them as well. Such groups include La Talvera, Familha Artus, and Tenareze.

There are advantages to buying a used music instrument. For one, you can find a good quality instrument at a lower price than buying a new one. On the other hand, there are also some risks involved when buying a used instrument. One downside is you don't get any warranties, unless the used instrument is fairly new.

When buying a used musical instrument there are three things you should keep in mind:

1. Who and Where
A good factor to determine an instruments' condition is to know who previously owned it. If you're buying it from a garage sale, then you might be able to meet the owner and ask him why he's selling it, how long he used it, etc. If you're buyng it from an online shop, make sure they have a good customer satisfaction rating or better, a return policy. If you're buying it from a music store, ask the salesperson if it's possible to know the name of its' previous owner, how long it's been in the store, etc.

2.Overall Condition

If possible, ask someone who knows a lot about music instruments to accompany you. Maybe you have a friend who plays the instrument you want to learn or a music teacher in your area who's willng to help you. They can help assess whether the instrument is in good condition by playing it and listening to how it sounds and how it feels while they're playing it.

3. Value for your Money
Make sure that the money you're paying for the used instrument is worth it. Research first how much the instrument costs if it's brand new, go to different shops, compare prices, compare the condition of the used instruments and assess whether it is truly a good deal.

Having trouble finding and maintaining speed in your double-kicking? Here's a list of methods and techniques to improve speed.

Steps

1. Tension your kick pedals so that they give lots of response and spring, but not too tight that you can't push them down.
2. Try playing with both your heels up (ie. using the ball of your foot to kick down on the pedal, and using your calf muscles).
3. Try playing with your heels down (ie. using your ankle to kick down on the pedal, and using your hamstring).
4. Find the best or easiest and most effective method of these for you.
5. or you can start whereevery you are sitting right now and try this.
6. lay your right foot flat on the floor
7. raise the front of your foot off of the ground
8. raise your foot in that position off of the ground and back down
9. when your heel hits the floor roll the front half of your foot down until its flat on the ground also
10. continue rolling your foot until the heel of your foot is off of the ground
11. lift the front part of your foot off of the ground and back down
12. when your toes hit the floor roll back until your foot is float on the floor and repeat from number 7.
13. you are basically rolling your foot from front to back and lifting it up when you get to either side.

Tips

• Listen to death metal music, it is full of double kicking.
• Listen to Dave Mackintosh's (Dragonforce) kicking-his kicks are always perfect.
• Try to find a tension in your bass pedals that gives the most response without being too hard to push down.
• Start slowly, about 120 bpm, and gradually build up.

Warnings

• Always stretch your hamstrings, calves, quads, groin and rotate your ankles before playing double kicks on drums. This will prevent pulling muscles, cramping or tearing ligaments.

You have decided it is the right time to buy your son/daughter a drum set to encourage them to develop a love for music and hopefully learn to play well. There are many options available to the consumer that it becomes difficult to decide where to go. First rule of thumb, don't be fooled by the cheap toy drum sets. These are the sets that come in a box and run around $40. Even if you aren't sure your child will take a serious interest in playing drums, purchasing a quality drum kit is worth paying for.

Toy drum kits are of low quality and not put together in a manner that can withstand the hard playing that all drums inevitably sustain, especially when being played by smaller children. These kits are likely to become destroyed before your child has even had a chance to grow fond of the skill required for playing a good rhythm.

You can find beginner drum kits that will help to reduce your costs and last for years to come. Here are a few tips to get you started in the right direction.

Buy Brand Names

Drums that are made by popular brands are going to hold up against the wear and tear of any drum enthusiast and come with a warranty. Other benefits to buying brand names include ease of buying replacement parts, higher trade-in and resale value as well as competitive service. When you are considering which drum kit to purchase always consider your money spent as an investment, so be sure to purchase a quality case to protect it.

Buying Kits vs. Individual Pieces

There are many things to consider when you are going out to purchase your first drum set, especially for beginners. In most cases it is wise to purchase a kit rather than individual pieces. Kits are available in a variety of sets. The standard basic set includes 5 pieces however you can purchase 4 or even 3 piece sets to better suit your needs. Some kits come fully equipped with stands, cymbals, pedals, thrones, and everything you could possibly need while others are sold without hardware. If you are a beginner take advantage of the knowledgeable staff available to help you pick the right kit for your needs.

Getting Started With Your New Drum Set

When you first begin to play, whether you are a youngster or an older beginner there is a bare minimum you will need to get started. These include:

• Kick Drum (with pedal)

• Snare Drum (with stand)

• Tom Drum (usually mounted on kick drum by an arm)

• Pair of Hi-Hat Cymbals (on stand with pedal)

• Throne (a round seat allowing for height adjustment)

• Pair of Drumsticks

When considering your cymbal, some players may prefer two instead of the hi-hat mentioned above. This is due to having the ride cymbal used for continual rhythm playing and the crash cymbal used for the big bang during a song. Having two cymbals is ideal however one will do the job to get you started.

Buy Your Snare drums first

For those that are taking the plunge and buying a more advanced drum set be sure to purchase your Snare drum first. This is by far the most important drum in your set and is worth paying extra money to ensure a high quality drum.

Flashy displays can be dangerous

Stores are good for flashy displays that often lead consumers to purchase what looks cool over what sounds best. Enter your music store with your eyes closed and ears open. You are buying for sound quality not visual pleasure.

Get Quality Pedals and Stands

When you are purchasing individual pieces take the time to find good, quality stands. The sturdiest stands are double-braced and can withstand aggressive playing. The same goes for your drum pedal. Don't settle for cheap costs. It could lead to a cheap pedal.

Finding The perfect seat

When selecting your throne (seat) there are a few things you need to keep in mind. The seat needs to be adjustable to accommodate the player. If they can't properly reach the kick and hi-hat then they will be unable to play half of the drum kit. The use of a round padded throne gives the player the ability to pivot as they reach for higher cymbals. The padded throne also offers comfort for those long playing hours.