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Posts Tagged ‘instruments’

You invest a lot of money when you purchase high quality musical instruments. It is important to know how to properly care for and clean your equipment without causing harm or permanent damage. If you take care of your musical equipment, it can last you for many years and will continue to produce a high quality sound.

Musical instruments are made up of many different materials and as such, require different care. If you have a collection of various equipment, it can be a challenge to properly care for each instrument. Instruments that are made out of one material are the easiest to care for. These would include things such as the brass on trumpets or wood on violins. When you are dealing with mixed materials, that is when care can be a little bit more challenging to manage.

Certain coatings have been applied to instruments over the years such as varnish and lacquer. While these coatings can help to protect the instrument, they can also react with each other, too. It is important to keep your equipment clean and free of dirt as much as possible. Read the rest of this entry »

Drum building routines are discovered by pro drum makers after years worth of messing up, constant repetition and drum building experiments. Possessing the “drum building secrets” from years and years of practice would take… well… years and years of practice! Can’t we skip some of that and learn from others? That’s where our Guerrilla Drum Making DVD comes in; you can learn from 10 years of drum making mistakes, methods, and ideas.

In the DVD we steer away from the term “drum building secrets,” and practice these three “drum building philosophies” that are necessary to follow if you want a good looking and sounding drum set (who doesn’t?).

These are practices put to use by the big boys, so following these philosophies will not only help turn your DIY drum building project into a professional adventure, but also establish some great routines for future drum building projects.

#1: Save Time By Batching Your Drum Building Stages:

This is huge, people. Batching your drum building stages simply means to group similar activities together and do them all at the same time. This is the most simple drum building tip! Activities to batch in a drum building project could be the sanding stage of all your drum shells, glueing your drum wrap, staining all the shells, etc.

Batching the drum building stages are important for many reasons including time saving, the reduction of activity clutter, and finish consistency.

#2: Measure Twice, Drill Once:

I know? you’ve heard this a million times and drum building is no different: measure twice and drill your drum shells ONCE.

Drum building has a few crucial steps that are unforgiving and irreversible. One of them is the drilling stage. After you measure and mark all your hardware lines, you’d better do a quick double check before drilling.

#3: Set Your Drum Building Goals and Invest in Quality Products:

Drum building with poor products WILL yield poor results.

Think of the end goal and set your drum building budget accordingly. Do you, for example, want a studio kit or something to bash on the road and throw around every night without drum cases?

You get what you pay for, and you should be paying for products that are specific to your goals. If making a professional sounding and looking custom drum set is your goal? invest in the best.

If you’re band sounds like the Ramones and you want to trash your drum set every night like Dave Grohl did? I would recommend investing in something that is LESS expensive and lesser in quality.

A lot of people first getting into drum building want to make the coolest looking drum set and the baddest sounding kit ever for $300.00

Is it doable?

Of corse? it’s doable. There’s a million situations where this could work out.

Remember that drum building to save money is a byproduct of drum building to make a killer, 100% one of a kind drum set that is perfect for you and your musical situation. Saving money and having a unique sounding set go hand in hand? and one shouldn’t outweigh the other.

Author Bio: For more Drum Building Tips and to preview the Guerrilla Drum Making DVD, visit our site at:http://guerrilladrummaking.com

Learning how to make a drum set is easier than riding a bike. And believe me.. once you know HOW to ride that bike, you’ll never get off.

Grasping the simple art of drum making is easy… it doesn’t matter how much drum building experience you have or how good of a drummer you are, YOU can learn to make a drum set with barely any tools and build it practically anywhere. One of our clients that saw our Guerrilla Drum Making DVD built an entire drum kit in his apartment in Japan, another one is about 10 years old.

Here’s my 5 key reasons why YOU should take the DIY drums route and learn how to make a drum set.

#1. Make a Drum Set and Save Money: Saving money is a byproduct of knowing how to make a drum set; it’s like a mechanic working on his own car. Ofcorse he’s gonna save money, he’s not paying for labor!

And here’s a little secret that people hate to hear: both custom drum builders and major drum companies use drum supplies that YOU can get your hands on. Woops… it slipped. The cats out of the bag.

In fact, you could save up to 70% of your money by getting supplies to make a drum set rather than ordering a customized drum set from a notable drum company. I’ve seen company price quotes as high as $5,000… and you can make a drum set exactly like it for $1700 or less. In fact, if you have $5k, you can make a drum set, and then make another drum set, and then make another drum set. Not bad… 3 drum sets for the price of 1.

#2. Don’t Settle! Make A Drum Set Thats Perfect For You: Don’t settle on something when you can make a drum set that fits you like a glove. Nobody sees your dream better than you do, so take control and believe that you can make a kit that lives up to your dreams.

And you have the ability to hunt down all the products you want in order to make a drum set of the highest quality. Whether your aiming to make a kit for the studio, the rehearsal room or a kit that’s going to get the beating of life on tour, you can easily make a drum set to fit the drumming lifestyle you live.

#3. Make a drum set and Save a Ton of Time: How long would it take YOU to make a drum set? Great question. I’ve made a drum set in one day after getting the products a week after ordering them. Not bad. The first custom drum set I ordered from DW drums took about 8 months to get to me. Not Good. 240 Days for an ordered kit versus 8 days to make a drum set? I’ll take the latter… thanks.

#4. Drum Making is a Blast: Most do-it-yourself projects aren’t that fun. We’ve all helped a family member tile his own bathroom and it sucked. But make a drum set and challenge yourself… put some passion into the kit you’ll be sitting behind night after night.

In my opinion, the entire process to make a drum set is a blast…from seeing your vision to bringing it to life.

#5. Make a Drum Set Once… and Have Drums For Life: Once you find out how easy it is to make a drum set, you’re a drum maker for the long haul. You’ll retain the methods and know-how for the rest of your life. You can always hop right in and make a drum set or custom snare drum if you have the budget.

You’ll have the ability to add to your drum set whenever an extra drum needs to be used, build a snare drum for your upcoming studio recording, make a drum set for your colleagues, and more. And as I say in the title of this article, once you know how to make a drum set… You’ll never look back.

Author Bio: For more tips To Make a Drum Set and to preview the Guerrilla Drum Making DVD, visit our site at: http://guerrilladrummaking.com

No description for this product could be found, but have a look over at Amazon for reviews and other information.

Review
“‘an excellent traditional scale book’ Music Teacher”

Contains all the scales and arpeggios required for Grades 1-8. An accompanying table sets out the requirements by grade. Gives recommended minimum speeds and notes on the new forms of articulation required.

(more…)

Marimbas are wooden keyboard instruments in the percussion family of instruments. Players usually strike the keys with two – four mallets and one instrument may be played by one or two players; depending on the orchestral piece, you may even see three or more marimbists playing the same instrument. Marimbas are wooden instruments that resemble xylophones and they accentuate the unique harmonies and rhythms of the music. Other instruments in the percussion family include such instruments as cymbals, chimes, the triangle, bells, to name just a few. The marimba is a pitched percussion instrument. Other pitched percussion instrument examples include the timpani, the vibraphone, the glockenspiel, and chimes

Marimbas are used mainly for 20th Century music orchestral music, usually, as a sound effect or as a solo instrument. The marimba actually had long solos in the soundtrack to the film American Beauty.

The marimba keys are arranged like the keys of a piano and they may have as many as 4 ? 5.5 octaves of professional Orff-style marimba bars. The bars are tapped to play the notes, similar to the xylophone. Marimba bars are finely crafted from hardwoods such as rosewood, mahogany and padouk. The keys are fine-tuned to reflect the tones played in African societies.

For marimbas in the United States, the resonators under the wooden bars are usually metal and most likely aluminum. They are hollow metal pipes of different lengths with holes covered by thin cellophane (similar to the West African balafon). This is so that when the marimba is struck, you can hear the buzzing sound characteristic of these instruments.

The mallets generally have wooden shafts but may be made of fiberglass, as well. Rattan shafts are also available and they have a little bit of “give” to them while other materials do not. Depending on training and preference, a marimbist may like the flexible shaft better than the ones with no “give” or vice versa. The material that actually strikes the key is usually some type of rubber wrapped in yarn. The marimba keys themselves will define which type of mallet is used on which part of the keyboard. The harder mallets are usually used to strike the high notes and the softer mallets for the lower notes. This is particularly important in playing the marimba because a mallet that is too hard for the keys it strikes may damage the instrument.

Most marimba music calls for several mallets to be used in one composition. It is not uncommon to find 2-3 players stationed at the marimba during a performance. Because two or three people will wield four to six mallets, it is possible to hear beautiful chords coming from the instrument. Many marimba players also play with more than one mallet in each hand. Different methods have also been developed to hold the mallets necessary for a piece of music in one hand. The Burton grip and the Musser-Stevens grip are the two common methods of gripping multiple mallets and each has its advantages and disadvantages.

The repertoires of bands in the United-States tend to overlap, probably due to the fact that most of the marimba music is composed by the Zimbabwean musician Dumisani Maraire. He is one of the key people who first brought Zimbabwean music to the West, moving to and working at the University of Washington in 1968. He was a master at playing an instrument known as the mbira which greatly resembles a small hand held instrument known as the thumb piano.

A marimba is an expensive but beautiful instrument. Professional marimbas start in the $2,000 range for a used instrument. They add an open tone to many different compositions that makes them very unique and sought after in the instrument family.

Author Bio: FindSavings, Coupons and Deals for great merchants at FindSavings.com. Your home for the latest Music123 Coupons and discounts for Musician’s Friend.

The saxophone is a wonderful instrument that adds depth and variety to many pieces of music. It is a woodwind instrument and it uses a single reed attached to its mouthpiece. The reed vibrates as the air passes through it to allowing the saxophone to produce its great sound.

In the early 1800′s, Adolphe Sax noticed that there was a bit of a gap between the brass and woodwind sections of the orchestra. The gap was produced because of the relatively quiet sounds produced by the woodwinds and the lack of versatility of pitch range among the brass instruments. Therefore, he developed the saxophone which gave strength of voice to the woodwinds and flexibility to the brass. He developed the instrument in 1841 and actually developed two different groups of the instruments. Between the sopranino saxophone and the contrabass saxophone, the one group of these instruments could span the entire range offered by a piano. Many of these are transposing instruments which lend a whole different set of abilities to the saxophones.

The patent that was given to Mr. Sax in 1846 expired in 1866. After the patent expired, numerous other musicians and instrument makers adjusted and added to Mr. Sax’s original invention until it has evolved into the smooth handling instrument we have today. The original saxophone keys were very basic and simple but that made some of the passages difficult to play because of the way the fingering worked on the keys of the saxophone. Therefore, those improvements have added quality and simplicity to the instrument allowing saxophonists to be able to play difficult passages of music with relative ease.

The timbre of the saxophone, while originally intended as an orchestral instrument, lends itself, however, to many different types of music. Because of its intended and achieved musical versatility, the sax is a great instrument for jazz and blues music as well as rock and roll and big band music. Its size also makes it very easy for instrumentalists in marching bands to handle. The military band personnel play for many different functions and ceremonies including military funerals, welcoming dignitaries, swearing in of various political leaders, etc. This requires the versatility to be able to play those different types of music. The saxophone family of instruments actually has a “military band family” of saxophones such as the Subcontrabass saxophone, the baritone saxophone all the way to the sopranino saxophone. Many of these are used in orchestral pieces and particularly jazz pieces. Famous instrumentalists such as Kenny G have albums that feature his ability to play several different instruments in the saxophone family including the soprano sax primarily but also the alto and tenor sax, as well.

Students in grade school begin to learn to play the saxophone in about the fourth or fifth grades when they join the band at school. Because of size issues, most learn to play the alto sax because it is the right size for their fingers and their stature. The soprano saxophone, though much lighter, is considered a solo instrument and is more expensive that either the also or tenor sax. It is therefore not offered by most schools. However, alto saxophones and some tenor saxophones are can be purchased relatively inexpensively so many schools have both available. Once a student has learned to play the alto or tenor saxophone, it is usually fairly simple to move between the instruments in the saxophone family provided you understand the theory of transposition instruments and how that functions between the kinds of saxophones available.

If you want a smooth sounding instrument that lends itself to many different musical styles, you will not go wrong in learning to play the saxophone. Start with the alto or tenor sax, learn the notes and the way to hold and play the instrument. From there, you will be able to move to other types of saxophones, should you desire to do so. As it is, when you learn to play the sax, you will have an ability that will wow your friends and give you great pleasure at being able to pick up and play some of your favorite orchestral, jazz, or blues tunes anytime you wish.

Author Bio: Marketing professional working for FindSavings. Find Woodwind & Brasswind coupons and Instrument Pro discounts at FindSavings.com.

A digital piano is a modernized version of the electronic piano that was manufactured and sold from the 1950′s through the 1980′s. Electronic pianos were based upon synthesized sound as opposed to the mechanical sounds carried by the electric pianos which were sold for awhile in the 1960′s and 70′s.

When the digital piano appeared on the scene in the 1980′s, they began to take the place of the acoustic piano because they were less expensive than acoustic pianos. Comparing a digital piano and an acoustic piano of the same size, the digital piano generally costs much less. Today, the cost savings also continue to add up because the digital piano has no strings; this, in turn, means that it does not have to be tuned. Since the cost of tuning an acoustic piano can run between $75.00 to 175.00 each time the piano is tuned, usually at least once a year, obtaining a digital piano as opposed to an acoustic piano may also be desirable because of the savings in its continued upkeep.

The digital pianos were and are also a bit smaller than their acoustic counterparts making them easy to put into tight places. The feel of the key on the modern digital pianos compares favorably with the acoustic piano, as well. For a pianist, the touch of the keyboard is very important in how that musician plays the instrument. The digital pianos available now are able to simulate the weight of the keys on the acoustic keyboard making them an attractive alternative to the serious musician.

There are other features which make digital pianos very attractive to keyboardists as well. The ability to transpose is available at the touch of a button. For those who sing solos or who sing with other groups, that ability is a very attractive feature, especially when a lot of music is written for sopranos and the person who wants to sing a solo may be an alto or a bass.

Many of the newest digital pianos have the ability to link to a computer or they have a place for a disk on which the keyboardist can record the music for later use. With the advent of digital music players such as Ipods, Zunes, mp3′s, and other equipment, this can be seen as very advantageous for the person who wants to record his or her own playing so that it can be used later at a different venue.

The most important feature is the timbre of the instrument. Timbre has to do with the quality of sound that comes from an instrument. New digital pianos do not have the “tinny” sound that came with early electric and electronic pianos. The timbre of the instruments synthesized into the piano gives a beautiful tone that can even sometimes be deepened or lightened according to the whims of the keyboardist. This is very easily done at the touch of a control wheel or slider on the digital piano.

While most concert halls still used highly crafted acoustic grand pianos, the advent of the digital piano is a great help to people who desire to have pianos in their homes so that their children can learn to play the piano. Since learning to play the piano on an old upright piano of indiscriminate age, having a digital piano has been a delight. It provides for creativity and enjoyment in my home for the listener and the keyboardist. Having access to a piano in the home is one of the greatest joys of my life. I wish that joy for children and adults everywhere.

Author Bio: Find Savings, Coupons and Deals at findsavings.com. Save with Musician’s Friend Coupons and deals from Instrument Pros.

The Violin Family

The violin, viola, double bass (contrabass) and cello (violcello) are the (modern) members of the “violin” family of instruments. They are all characterised as being stringed instruments (or “chordophones” that also include guitars and harps) also played with a bow.

The Players

Someone who plays a violin is called a “violinist” such as Itzhac Perlman, while a viola player is a “violist”, such as William Primrose, and a cello player is a “cellist” such as Yo Yo Ma. A double bass player is a “double bassist” such as Edgar Meyer.

Origins of the Family

The Violin family was developed in the sixteenth century in Italy, and may well be descended from the Libra Da Braccio, of the Viol family.

The Viol

Viol’s are very closely related to the violin family, and are strongly suspected of being the ancestor of the whole violin family. Developed in the fifteenth century, they were most popular in the renaissance and baroque period. They are distinct from the Violin’s for having a different body shape (sloping shoulders and a flat, fretted neck), has six strings rather then four and gut strings rather than steel.

The Double Bass Controversy

All the “Violin” family instruments are almost identical in construction, just on different scales. Debate over the veracity of the double basses claim to be part of the violin family have been answered partly by its internal construction being almost identical (when scaled up) to that of a violin’s!

The Earliest Violin

The earliest incarnation of a four stringed violin (like the modern violin) was constructed by Andrea Amati in 1555, although that date is bound in speculation. Other violins have been documented earlier than that, but only had three strings.

The Golden Age of Violins

The Stradivari (Strateverius) and Guarneri del Ges?, are among the most sought-after violins by both collectors and performers. They were constructed during the eighteenth century during a time of great innovation of violin crafstmanship. The angle of the neck, and a heavier bass bar were introduced.

These instruments set the standard for all modern violins and remain to this day amongst the most valuable of historic instruments, with the same instruments (manufactured over 200 years ago) still being played by famous violists across the world.

Tones and Playing Ranges

Each instrument’s range and playing style overlaps slightly with other instruments in the family, but each instrument’s tone and size distinguishes it from the rest.

The violin (or “fiddle” as it is commonly known) is the smallest and highest pitched instrument of the group. It is the most commonly played of the family, and is usually tuned into perfect fifths.

The viola is similar in size to the violin, but has a much deeper and lower sound (a perfect fifth below the violin). It is frequently used for playing inner harmonies to the violin, and tends to be used less frequently for solos.

The cello being the lowest pitched of the group, and is typically found as an integral part of orchestras, quartets and chamber groups.

Author Bio: This article was written by Chappell of Bond Street’s stringed instruments department from their expertise in their range of high quality Violins, Violas and Cellos for adults, students and children.