A pianist is impressive and deemed highly skilled when playing the piano if the musical piece requires having his fingers fly over the keys as they go up and down the keyboard in a fast and dramatic manner. It never really occurred to those watching in awe how difficult or easy it is for the […]
What Are The Foot Pedals On A Piano For?
Several months ago, I joined a forum, and one of the questions frequently raised in that forum was about the function of the foot pedals of piano. What are those foot pedals? What are their functions? These questions seem easy to answer for a pianist like me. Yet, for someone who has not yet played […]
Glossary of Violin Terms
The Violin is a small wooden string instrument. It is also called a fiddle. Despite its size, there are a lot of terms that you need to know to understand how violin and playing it works. In this article, we will talk about the different violin terms and their meanings. Indeed, these violin terms can […]
How Long Does It Take To Learn Ukulele?
Being able to strum on the ukulele a few chords and play a song using a is easy. It does not take too much time to know how to play the instrument. That being said, it would still depend on your meaning of “playing.” If playing the ukulele would mean performing some easy songs to […]
What Is A Concert Ukulele?
Ukuleles come in different sizes, and the concert ukulele is a few inches bigger than the popular soprano ukuleles. To the untrained eye, it would be difficult to pinpoint the difference as most of them share the same traditional classic design. However, the slight difference with the size would determine its ukulele type. Many people […]
Best Violin Strings for Professionals & Advanced Players
Violinists are very meticulous when it comes to their instrument, and having the best possible strings is essential to their performances. Logically, if you have a high-quality violin, it normally comes with high-quality strings. However, the strings do not last that long to ensure perfect tonal qualities each time you play. It does not matter […]
Best Pickup & Microphone for Violin Recording
Stringed instruments, like the violin or ‘fiddle’ for some, have a uniquely beautiful sound that should be heard well in an orchestra or any string ensemble. It can be a challenging chore to capture the sound. Amplifying it through the use of microphones is the only way to do it. It would be an injustice […]
How Many Stradivarius Violins Are Left in the World?
Total Numbers of Musical Instruments Made By Antonio Stradivari: 1,116 How Many Stradivarius Violins Made? : 960 How Many Stradivarius Violins Are Left in the World? : Estimated 200 The exceptional craftsmanship that the Stradivarius violins are known for has made them one of the most valuable instruments ever made by man. Its ingenuity cannot […]
How Many Strings Are On A Violin?
A violin, referred to as a fiddle at times, is a wooden string instrument that is played mostly by drawing the bow hair across the strings (bowing) to produce sounds that are powerful enough to evoke almost any emotion from the listeners. The strings can also be plucked by the fingers (pizzicato) or struck by […]
How To Mic Violin Live
Sound engineers are careful when setting up microphones on live violin performances. These stringed instruments are quite sensitive, and more often than not, the microphone has the difficult job of capturing the true exquisite sound of the violin. Incorrect placement of the mic would not give justice to the violinist’s skills as it would sometimes […]
How To Clean Trumpet Mouthpiece
Just like anything that is in constant use, your brass instrument needs regular cleaning and maintenance. Bacteria, fungi, mold, gunk, and grime may accumulate in the different parts of your brass instrument, specifically, in the mouthpiece. Hence, you need to clean it regularly. Regular maintenance and cleaning, of course, can also prolong the usability of […]
Types of Microphones Used In Theatre
A good sound makes for a great theatre production. You might be staging an award-winning play, and the actors might be exceptional in their craft, but if the audio is substandard, it will not captivate the audience as much as you expect them to. The impact of the performance is highly dependent on the quality […]
Best Piano Keyboard Stands For Sitting
A great piano musical performance will depend not only on the piano player but also on the keyboard that is being used. More often than not, the keyboard piano stand is forgotten, and the performance will be compromised, especially if the musician is temperamental with a diva attitude. Decades ago, this would never be an […]
How To Mic A Grand Piano Live
A grand piano offers an extensive dynamic range from pianissimo to fortissimo, varied substantial tonality, and deep resonance with its 88 touch-responsive keys, long horizontal strings that extend away from the keys, large horizontally-mounted sounding board, and pedals for changing the volume and tone as well as sustaining notes. This acoustic, stringed instrument comes in […]
Grand Piano Microphone Mount
Looking at the numerous options of what is available today in music stores for a grand piano microphone mount is quite overwhelming. It would be better not to look at the choices if you do not know where to start or what should be considered. To avoid getting something that will not precisely fit your […]
How Does a Trumpet Work?
Trumpets belong to the brass family of musical instruments. You will often see trumpets in jazz and classical musical groups. They also come in different types. You will get hold, for example, of a piccolo trumpet—the highest register of all trumpets. You will also see bass trumpets whose range of pitch is one octave lower […]
Differences Between a Tuba and Sousaphone
There are some major similarities and differences between Tuba and Sousaphone. The tuba belongs to the brass group of instruments. As a brass instrument, it produces the lowest pitch among the brass instruments. It also produces sound by lip vibration made into its large mouthpiece. As an instrument, it belongs to the new kids on […]
Best Violins For Professionals
As you are progressing to a higher level in playing the violin, be it a professional or student, you will reach a stage where you need to upgrade your violin. When is it time to upgrade your violin? It is when your violin doesn’t produce the sound quality that matches your skill level; it doesn’t […]
Woodwind Instruments In The Orchestra
A basic orchestra today would consist of around 80 players, and it is divided into four families: Brass, Percussion, String, and Woodwind instruments. The origins of the orchestral music are largely credited to the musical era of the 1600s. However, it was not until the height of the classical period that the woodwind section was […]
Contrabassoon: Lowest Pitched Woodwind Instrument?
It’s not often that you hear someone playing a woodwind instrument. In fact, most people only see woodwind instruments being played in an orchestra. They are often on the second row or next to the string players. Woodwind instruments consist of five instruments. It includes flute, clarinet, oboe, saxophone, and oboe. Which instrument are you […]