How to Sell a Guitar – and Make Money In the 30-plus years I’ve been playing music, I’ve owned dozens of guitars. Sometimes a new guitar is something you’ve been dreaming of for years, sometimes it’s a guitar that scratches an itch, and sometimes it’s a deal that’s too good to pass up. That said, I don’t think I’ve ever owned more than eight […]
Saxophonist Prateek Thakur Triumphs Through Music At a young age, Prateek was diagnosed with impaired hearing, but that didn’t stop him from pursuing his dream of becoming a music teacher. He had to work twice as hard to make sure he was successful. Whenever one of his students feels discouraged, he always tells them that if he can accomplish his dream despite all the challenges he faced, anyone can do it.
Buffet Crampon’s New GALA Clarinet In 2020, Buffet Crampon decided to pursue the development a new instrument surpassing expectations both by the quality of its French manufacture and its particularly affordable price: the GALA clarinet. Its design takes full advantage of the latest research and is characterized by rich harmonics and an overall balance of the instrument’s range. This new […]
Jeff Stockham’s Past, Present & Future As a Horn Player Trumpeter/hornist Jeff Stockham is well-known to Upstate New York music fans. A graduate of the Eastman School of Music and a veteran of the renowned Eastman Jazz Ensemble, his performance credits read like a Who’s Who of the upstate New York music scene. He has performed with the Central New York Jazz Orchestra, Salt City […]
Distortion Packs a Punch! Amps Explained with Christopher Ames; Part 2 Making Music Mag visited with Christopher Ames at Guitar Center where he shares practical insights about distortion with the help of and Orange amplifier, a Marshall amplifier and a Les Paul.
Gideon Waxman’s Ultimate Guide to Buying Cymbals Cymbals play an integral part of a drummer’s set up, and they are a significant investment. With a cymbal purchase, you will have to be completely confident that sound is right for you and your music. They cannot be altered or tuned in the way that drums can. So it’s imperative to invest in cymbals that will compliment the styles of music you play! In this guide I aim to provide as much information as I can about cymbals to help educate you on how to choose the perfect cymbals that are right for you, and what you need to consider when looking to invest in new cymbals.
What’s in a Name: Is it a Violin or a Fiddle? Ask any violinist if there’s a difference between a violin and a fiddle, and they will say, “If I had a nickel every time somebody asked that!”
The Workings of the Piano: For the Up-and-Coming Pianist If you want to get into playing the piano, it’s a good idea to get a basic understanding of how the instrument works. Before you even sit down at the piano bench, or sign up for lessons, educating yourself about the instrument gives you a base to start from, and may even help you decide if it’s the right choice of instrument for you.
How to Prepare Your Voice for a Live Performance By Stefanie August In my numerous years of working as a nightclub and theater vocalist, I always had to keep my voice strong and focused. We singers must be able to keep from sounding winded while singing, especially if we are dancing or playing an instrument. Below are some best practices for strengthening one’s voice […]
Where Did the Banjo Come From? Here’s a Timeline of Its History The banjo has evolved from its African roots, first as a minstrel instrument, and later as a jazz, bluegrass, and folk staple. At the American Banjo Museum in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, you can see more than 300 banjos – the largest public display in the world. The timeline below includes just a few.
Buffet Crampon’s New GALA Clarinet In 2020, Buffet Crampon decided to pursue the development a new instrument surpassing expectations both by the quality of its French manufacture and its particularly affordable price: the GALA clarinet. Its design takes full advantage of the latest research and is characterized by rich harmonics and an overall balance of the instrument’s range. This new […]
Multi-Purpose Beginning Band Tool RS Berkeley’s Tri All is a new multiple purpose hygienic trial/training tool for beginning band students. Designed in the USA for individual use, the Tri All is one device that can be used to teach flute, trumpet, trombone/baritone, and clarinet/saxophone. The Tri All is made from non-toxic materials, includes individually wrapped/sealed reed, and promotes good […]
Cannonball 779 Professional Flugelhorn Cannonball’s 779 Professional Flugelhorn represents a hybrid of old and new. The French Tapered mouthpipe and unique wood bracing contribute to the vintage flugel sound. However, the extra-large bell allows for a huge sound on demand. Cannonball’s 779 flugelhorn is extremely responsive. Intonation is superb. Tone and feel are consistent from the lowest to the […]
German-style clarinet reeds Designed from thicker cane with a heel taper very similar to German-style reeds, the VanDoren Bb clarinet 56 rue Lepic reeds offer a rich and focused sound. Designed from thicker cane with a heel taper very similar to German-style reeds, the 56 rue Lepic emits a rich, centered, and extremely pure sound while providing maximum […]
Find Your Mute The Mute Caddy’s new “Longoria” model helps trumpet players keep track of their mutes. Lightweight and portable, it slides securely into the ledge of a music stand and has no moving parts. Organize your mutes and keep them at eye level. The Longoria can accommodate up to four mutes, and will also house three mouthpieces and […]
Win a Pair of JBL Reference Monitors Enter below to win a pair of JBL 104-BT Compact Desktop Reference Monitors with Bluetooth The giveaway is free to enter and runs until July 24. JBL 104-BT compact reference monitors with Bluetooth, the newest models in the 1 Series line, draw from seven decades of JBL Professional engineering. They’re perfect for recording musicians, producers, […]
Distortion Packs a Punch! Amps Explained with Christopher Ames; Part 2 Making Music Mag visited with Christopher Ames at Guitar Center where he shares practical insights about distortion with the help of and Orange amplifier, a Marshall amplifier and a Les Paul.
The Brilliant Bassoon Book of Christmas Trios for Three Bassoons 23 Traditional Christmas Carols arranged especially for three bassoons of Grades 3 – 5 standard. All in easy keys. The Brilliant Bassoon Book of Christmas Trios for Three Bassoons by Jemima Oosthuizen and Amanda Oosthuizen comprises of 23 familiar traditional Christmas carols arranged especially for three bassoon players of Grades 3-5 standard. Ideal for diving […]
Great Oboists on Music and Musicianship What do the world’s most prominent oboists have to say about their musical ideas, performance techniques, and teaching strategies? Authors Michele L. Fiala and Martin Schuring, themselves skilled oboists, undertook the project of asking 26 of them about their musicianship and pedagogy. The results are collected in Great Oboists on Music and Musicianship, which provides […]
Baroque Music for Clarinet This collection of Baroque music for clarinet by Dr. Norman Heim is arranged for the intermediate level clarinetist with the piano part being of equal skill level. The music is taken from keyboard, song, and chamber music sources and represents quality Baroque styles circa 1625-1775. Composers include Johann S. Bach, Jean P. Rameau, Alessandro Scarlatti, […]
A Duet for Our Time for Trombone, Bass Trombone, and Trombone Choir or Piano Accompaniment Eric Ewazen’s Palisades Suite (A Trio for Our Time), scored for flute, clarinet, and piano, was transformed into a suite for trombone choir for the New Trombone Collective (Mvt. 4 on YouTube). From its genesis as a four-movement outline of the seasons, A Duet for […]
Springtime For Elephants (For Two Tubas) Depicting the enthusiastic courtship of two elephants in springtime, Adolphus Hailstork’s romp for two tubas is a programmatic two-part invention in the composer’s own fresh voice. Springtime for Elephants is a must-have duet with many blues-inspired phrasings. The publication comes with two copies of the shared score. For intermediate to advanced tubists.
The Woodwind Player’s Cookbook Creative Recipes for a Successful Performance This valuable collection of quick-to-read yet deeply insightful strategies is like finding expert trade secrets all placed in one convenient source. Contributors to The Woodwind Player’s Cookbook were even eager to get a look at each other’s ideas! With outstanding records of performance, workshop clinics, recordings, research, composition, leadership […]
Dave Sanborn, Legendary Saxophonist, Presents the First Season of His New Show “Sanborn Sessions” Dave Sanborn, the veteran saxophonist, and six-time Grammy Award winner, has announced he will soon present the first episode of his new music show, Sanborn Sessions. The new series is hosted by Sanborn and features a diverse roster of accomplished artists from a variety of genres and generations. In its initial season, Sanborn welcomes Kandace Springs, […]
Going the Distance: Intro to Intervals To confidently identify intervals, you’ll first need to master your understanding whole-steps and half-steps—also known as tones and semi-tones. A half-step (semi-tone) is two different notes with the smallest possible distance between them—for example, B up to C, or E down to Eb. Think of two frets right next to each other on a guitar, or two keys (including the black keys) right next to each other on the piano. A whole-step (tone) is made up of two half-steps—for example, B up to C#, or E down to D…
Clip N’ Save: Understanding Enharmonics Enharmonics are notes that sound at the same pitch but have a different name, such as F# and Gb. Here are a few tips on understanding enharmonics.
Clip N’ Save: Types of Cadences Cadences are chord progressions that either break up or conclude a particular section or piece of music. Here are a few different types of cadences.
Piano History: What are the different types of pianos? The piano was invented around 1700 in Italy by harpsichord maker Bartolomeo di Francesco Cristofori, who worked with the Florentine Court of the Grand Prince Ferdinando de’ Medici. Cristofori named his invention gravicèmbalo col piano e forte, which means “harpsichord with loud and soft.” It was later shortened to “fortepiano” and finally to just “piano.” […]
8 Songwriting Tools for Recording Your Ideas Featured Article, Music Theory, Products June 26, 2019April 27, 2020 Becky Holton 0 Comments
9 Tools for Effective Composing Featured Article, How To, Music Tips June 18, 2019June 21, 2019 Becky Holton 0 Comments
Guitar Tips and Techniques to Enhance Your Playing Featured Article, Guitar March 12, 2019March 7, 2019 Becky Holton 0 Comments
6 Beautiful Quotes on Singing to Boost Every Singer’s Confidence Featured Article, Vocal March 4, 2019March 19, 2019 Becky Holton 1 Comment
