Award-Winning Indie Artist Talks Songwriting, How to Make Great Videos Alto Key, an independent London-based artist who makes indie/alt-pop music, is a musician whose work has the power to uplift your spirits, punch you in the gut, and squeeze a tear from your heart. He is also delightfully and hilariously funny on his various social media channels, and boasts over 6.7 million likes and 375,000 […]
Playing Well with Dr. Kertz — Returning to Play After an Injury In his newest video, Dr. Randy Kertz discusses how to return to playing your instrument after an injury. If you want to get back to playing without risking re-injury, this month’s column is for you. Dr. Kertz’s monthly column addresses how musicians can avoid injury, how they can identify things they may do to cause […]
NAMM Show 2021: Product Spotlight on the Yamaha YDS-150 Digital Saxophone Yamaha recently introduced the YDS-150 Digital Saxophone, a first-of-its-kind instrument that allows saxophonists of all levels and those new to playing a wind instrument to create great sounding music from the very start. The YDS-150 effectively emulates an authentic saxophone experience digitally—from the sound and key layout to feedback from the instrument—while maintaining the sense […]
World’s Smallest Guitar/Bass Multi-Tool GrooveTech Tools has released its newest guitar and bass multi-tool, the Mini-Multi. Based on the premise that some players don’t adjust truss rods using a multi-tool, GrooveTech concentrated on action, tremolo systems, intonation, pickup height, and most other adjustments on guitars and basses. The Mini-Multi consolidates 14 tools into a body that’s less than three […]
Diving Down the Rabbit Hole of Guitar Effects Pedals Danish electronic musician and author talks with Making Music about creating his ninth book, Pedal Crush How do you write a guitar effects encyclopedia that is exhaustive but not exhausting? You dive down the rabbit hole of guitar stompbox pedals and see where it takes you, said Kim Bjorn, Danish electronic musician and co-author of […]
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.
Sandra Wong: The Wonder of the Nyckelharpa As an enterprising force in the world of indigenous and exotic instruments, Sandra further engages in collaborations with a many musicians working with diverse genres of music. Sandra goes on to create and personally facilitate musical study trips to different countries — leading people into the heart of individual folk cultures through the music and dance of each country. She strives to nurture a deep love of music and the arts in both children and adults.
NAMM Show 2021: Yamaha Announces New DGX-670 Digital Piano During the 2021 NAMM Show, Yamaha unveiled the DGX-670, a new digital piano featuring a modern, attractive aesthetic and a simplified user interface. The new “Portable Grand” ensemble instrument is a full, 88-note weighted action keyboard with exceptional playability, superb sound and visual appeal, making it ideal for beginners and accomplished pianists alike. It replaces […]
Steph Johnson — Spiraling Upward To Bright, Musical Horizons Voices of Our City is an inspirational musical ensemble that has garnered plenty of headlines. The choir has been the focus of a documentary “The Homeless Chorus Speaks” that aired nationally on PBS stations. The group has performed with the San Diego Symphony, and opened a benefit concert at the historic Wiltern Theater in Los Angeles on a bill that featured Jason Mraz and founding members of the Doors.
Hal Leonard Bagpipe Method The Hal Leonard Bagpipe Method is designed for anyone just learning to play the Great Highland bagpipes. This comprehensive and easy-to-use beginner’s guide serves as an introduction to the bagpipe chanter. It includes access to online video lessons with demonstrations of all the examples in the book. Lessons include: The practice chanter The Great Highland […]
Koda Electro Acoustic Irish Bouzouki i Irish Bouzoukis are large relatives of the mandolin family, and are sometimes called octave mandolins or citterns. They evolved from the 1960s and 1970s Irish folk music revival, when Greek bouzoukis were used as background rhythm instruments and later adapted into a new instrument. The three main differences between the Irish bouzouki and Greek bouzouki […]
Harp Mandolin The harp mandolin appeared in the early 1900s. This modern replica exploits the sympathetic vibrations gained with the four additional harp strings to give the mandolin sound a built-in echo chamber reverb effect. The harp strings can be plucked along with the mandolin, extending the range of the instrument. Tuned diatonically starting below the G […]
A Musical Interface of Light and Sound The Tenori-On is a musical interface of light and sound. In testing an interface based on the tactility and lighting of a 16×16 grid of switches, Yamaha Designers sought to make playing a musical instrument an enjoyable experience for all. The 256 switches that make up the Interface are not reserved solely to output sound, […]
Yamaha YRS-312B Soprano Recorder Recorders are a fun and accessible first instrument that’s easy to learn and play, and millions of schoolchildren around the world learn the instrument every year. The Yamaha YRS-312B soprano recorder is a Baroque system in the key of C, with double holes: C-C#, D-D#; simulated rosewood finish; and three-piece construction.
“Forest Whisper” 12 Hole Ocarina The Forest Whisper 12 hole Ocarina was tuned to ensure that each tone reaches the standard before firing. The smoked Ocarina is burned in a high-temperature kiln with natural straw, so it will have a smoky smell, which is natural. In addition, straw fire craft can make the sound of the flute more gentle and […]
Paul Abbott’s Zen Approach to Mastering – Part 3 Paul Abbott is an audio mastering engineer, musician, and owner of ZenMastering (located in San Diego, CA). Paul established ZenMastering in the late 1990s — at a time when there were very few high-end independent mastering studios. Since then, Paul has mastered over 1,000 projects for clients throughout the United States and around the world, ranging from up-and-coming indie bands to award-winning artists and labels.
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.
Hal Leonard Bagpipe Method The Hal Leonard Bagpipe Method is designed for anyone just learning to play the Great Highland bagpipes. This comprehensive and easy-to-use beginner’s guide serves as an introduction to the bagpipe chanter. It includes access to online video lessons with demonstrations of all the examples in the book. Lessons include: The practice chanter The Great Highland […]
The Art of Vibraphone Playing This method for the study and performance of the vibraphone provides the fundamental techniques, musical concepts and performance practices necessary to excel as a vibraphonist. Featuring 2 and 4 mallets in accessible to advanced exercises, studies and solos and clear strategies for pedaling, dampening, and tips on how to practice, this book will help those […]
Handmade Electronic Music: The Art of Hardware Hacking Handmade Electronic Music: The Art of Hardware Hacking provides a long-needed, practical, and engaging introduction to the craft of making—as well as creatively cannibalizing—electronic circuits for artistic purposes. With a sense of adventure and no prior knowledge, the reader can subvert the intentions designed into devices such as radios and toys to discover a new […]
Junkyard Jam Band: DIY Musical Instruments and Noisemakers Making music doesn’t have to be about dropping big bucks in the guitar shop or endlessly fiddling with expensive software. You can make good noise out of bits of wood and wire, plastic and steel. When you build your own instruments, creating your own sound comes naturally. Junkyard Jam Band is a step-by-step guide to […]
How to Play the Accordion How To Play the Accordion, published by Santorella Publications, is an easy-to-follow guide which contains clear, logical lessons for beginners with helpful diagrams and photos. Designed for the adult beginner, Santorella’s easy method includes explicit instructions with diagrams and sketches that details basic music theory and a fundamental understanding of the accordion.
How to Read Music for Any Instrument Even if you beginner or are a more seasoned musician looking to brush up on your musical knowledge, this guide covers every notational aspect of music on the page needed to understand music for any instrument. It is designed to be easily understandable, with everything laid out in an easy-to-digest and step-by-step manner. This guide […]
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, […]
Tying It Together: Defining the Difference Between Ties and Slurs The difference between tied notes and slurred notes in music can cause confusion—which is not surprising, since they are both noted the exact same way! Both slurs and ties are indicated with arc-shaped lines placed either above a grouping of notes (if the notes’ stems are pointing down) or below a grouping of notes (if the stems are pointing up).
Musical Theory: Give It a Rest! Just like notes, rests have precise rhythms; every type of note value has a corresponding rest with the same time value. And although there is no sound, in order to play with rhythmic accuracy, rests must be carefully counted. The following chart breaks down the types of rests you are most likely to find in music…
Clip ‘n Save: Stepping Up and Stepping Down: Augmented and Diminished Intervals n our “Intro to Intervals,” we learned how to recognize major, minor, and perfect intervals—first, recognizing the distance between the two notes on the staff and then counting the precise number of steps between the two pitches. In addition to major, minor, and perfect, there are two other interval qualities that can come into play: augmented and diminished…
Libba Lives On: The Enduring Influence of Humble Folk Guitarist Elizabeth Cotten Elizabeth “Libba” Cotten had humble beginnings in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, but she would go on to launch a storied musical career that spanned four decades, gaining national renown and the title of oldest woman to ever win a Grammy.
Victor Wooten’s Music and Nature Camps Bass, Featured Article, Instruments, Musician Profiles June 22, 2020June 22, 2020 Freddy Villano 1 Comment
Taiko Drumming: Healthy Exercise for Music Makers Drums, Featured Article, Health, Instruments May 26, 2020May 4, 2020 Freddy Villano 0 Comments
Ukuleles that Aren’t Ukuleles Instruments, Other Instruments, Products July 30, 2019July 30, 2019 Freddy Villano 0 Comments
Roland Meinl: The Man Behind Meinl Percussion Drums, History, Instruments June 1, 2019June 5, 2019 Freddy Villano 0 Comments
America’s Capo: The Story of Kyser Capos Featured Article, Guitar, Products March 7, 2019March 29, 2019 Freddy Villano 0 Comments
How to Choose The Proper Keyboard Featured Article, Keyboards June 5, 2015July 22, 2015 Freddy Villano 2 Comments
Portable PA Systems & Their Components Featured Article April 9, 2015April 9, 2015 Freddy Villano 1 Comment
Fishman: The Man behind Acoustic Instrument Amplification Featured Article Sidebar, Guitar, Live Sound, Musician Profiles March 30, 2015May 31, 2019 Freddy Villano 0 Comments
Unique Guitar Techniques Featured Article, Guitar February 23, 2015February 23, 2015 Freddy Villano 0 Comments
Alex Skolnick: A Genre-Defying Guitar Hero Featured Article, Guitar January 1, 2015February 5, 2015 Freddy Villano 1 Comment
