6 Must Read
  • Features
    • Featured

      Mastering Process Explained with Alan Silverman – Part 1

      Alan Silverman is a Grammy nominated engineer and producer. He coproduced, mixed, and mastered “Winter Stories” by Judy Collins, named “The Best Folk Album of 2019” by Digital Journal. “Mountain Girl,” a single from the album, hit #1 on the Billboard Bluegrass chart. He mastered Catherine Russell’s “Alone Together” a Grammy finalist and the most played album on jazz radio in 2019, and the ground-breaking “SYSTEM EP” by DJ Delia Beatriz, listed in Pitchfork’s 10-Best EDM albums of 2019…

      • Community Video: altre di B — Salgado
      • Community Video: J.C. Andersen — I Go Out
      • Community Video: Galand — Storyline
      • Community Video: Hitha — We Will Last
  • How To
    • How To

      The Best Ways to Record Bass: Tracking All the Way to Mixing

      Musical Theory: Give It a Rest! 

      laptop recording

      Friday Flashback: Tips to Start Laptop Recording

      How To Create A Recording Studio For Just $100

      Recording Acoustic Guitar in Stereo for Beginners

      How to Set Up an Online Concert and Ticket It

      Want to be a better guitarist? Check out Steve Vai’s Guitar Workout

      Carmine Miranda: The Joy of Life as a Cellist

      How to Sell a Guitar – and Make Money

      clean a trumpet

      How to Clean A Trumpet

      A Guide to Playing Altissimo Saxophone

      24 Exercises at the Piano

      Previous Next
  • Video
    • Newest Video
      • Video

        Mastering Process Explained with Alan Silverman – Part 1

        Community Video: altre di B — Salgado

        Community Video: J.C. Andersen — I Go Out

        Community Video: Galand — Storyline

        Community Video: Hitha — We Will Last

        NAMM Show 2021: Product Spotlight on the Yamaha YDS-150 Digital Saxophone

        Community Video: Alto Key — Burning Up

        Community Video: Kendra Erika – Avalanche

        Community Video: The Moon City Masters – Over Now

        Paul Abbott’s approach to mastering – Part 1

        Paul Abbott’s approach to mastering – Part 2

        Playing Well with Dr. Kertz — Posture Review for 2021

        Previous Next
    • Product Spotlight
      • Product Spotlight

        NAMM Show 2021: Yamaha Announces New DGX-670 Digital Piano

        NAMM Show 2021: Product Spotlight on the Yamaha YDS-150 Digital Saxophone

        Making Music Product Spotlight: The Mute Caddy with Jeff Stockham

        akg lyra

        Making Music Product Spotlight: AKG LYRA Ultra-HD Multimode USB Microphone

        Making Music Product Spotlight: Balu Musik horn mutes and mellophone

    • Community Videos

      Musical performances submitted by readers.

      • Community Videos

        Community Video: altre di B — Salgado

        Community Video: J.C. Andersen — I Go Out

        Community Video: Galand — Storyline

        Community Video: Hitha — We Will Last

        Community Video: Alto Key — Burning Up

        Community Video: Kendra Erika – Avalanche

        Community Video: The Moon City Masters – Over Now

        People’s Choice Winner TemperMental — A New Generation of LA Rockers Rising Up

        Pick the Fall 2020 Community Video Contest winner!

        Community Video: Sarah C. – My Safety

        Community Video: Jennifer B & the Groove – Down Dark Waters

        single by sunday

        Community Video: Single By Sunday – Debbie

        Previous Next
    • Travel
      • Travel Video

        Mile of Music

        Wisconsin’s Fox Cities: More than a Mile of Music

        Alabama Gulf Coast Feeds a Musician’s Heart

        Inside Cash’s Boyhood Home

        crooked road

        The Crooked Road: A Journey Steeped in Music Traditions

        moab concert

        Moab Music Festival

        America Meets the Beatles! at Bethel Woods

        Discovering Music Destinations South of Nashville

        Cumbia: The Sound of Colombia

        Previous Next
    • How To Videos
      • How-To Videos

        Recording Acoustic Guitar in Stereo for Beginners

        Carmine Miranda: The Joy of Life as a Cellist

        clean a trumpet

        How to Clean A Trumpet

        Bass Guitar Lesson with Dan Hawkins – Using Scales To Create Killer Grooves

        restringing your guitar

        A Guide to Restringing Your Guitar for Beginners

        f major

        How to Play Clarinet Scales: F Major

        g minor

        How to Play Clarinet Scales: G Minor

        The No. 1 Thing Songwriting Guitarists Don’t Think About

        Teaching Jazz and Musical Creativity to the Classical Piano Student – Part 2

        Teaching Jazz and Musical Creativity to the Classical Piano Student – Part 1

        c minor

        How to Play Clarinet Scales: C Minor

        The Problem All Pianists Need to Overcome (But Many Don’t Even Know About!)

        Previous Next
    • Instrument Video
      • Instrument Video

        NAMM Show 2021: Product Spotlight on the Yamaha YDS-150 Digital Saxophone

        Recording Acoustic Guitar in Stereo for Beginners

        Tracy Silverman: Defying Dogma with Electric Violin (Interview part 2)

        Jeremy Cohen’s Historic Prized Violin

        Serious About Fiddling Around with Sara Watkins

        Like a Butterfly Smashing Glass: Taking Flight with Cellist Tina Guo

        Defying Dogma: Violinist Tracy Silverman Redefines What “Proper” Is

        Playing Well with Dr. Kertz — String Player Health

        Master Musician Jeremy Cohen Talks Violin, Jazz & Teaching

        Strings Attached — The Accidentals on Their Terms

        Carmine Miranda: The Joy of Life as a Cellist

        The New Frontier of Violin According to Bridgid Bibbens

        Previous Next
  • Health
    • Health

      Playing Well with Dr. Kertz — Posture Review for 2021

      It’s the start of a new year, and Dr. Kertz reminds you this month of the basics of good posture habits to help prevent potential injuries and problems caused by tension from things like hunching over the laptop, holding the cell phone too often, or holding your instrument incorrectly. Dr. Kertz’s monthly column addresses how […]

      • Things Vocalists Should and Shouldn’t Eat (Before Performing)
      • Playing Well with Dr. Kertz — Bring Your Instrument to the Doctor With You
      • Pilates for Musicians – What is it?
      • Playing Well with Dr. Kertz — String Player Health
  • Instruments
    • Woodwinds/Brass
      • Wind

        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 […]

        • Buffet Crampon’s New GALA Clarinet
        • Jeff Stockham’s Past, Present & Future As a Horn Player
        • Saxophonist Prateek Thakur Triumphs Through Music
        • Peruvian Saxophonist Lucia Sarmiento Follows Jazz and Finds America
    • Bass
      • Bass

        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 […]

        • Jeff Stockham’s Past, Present & Future As a Horn Player
        • French Horn Basics with Michael Manley
        • Jazz, Trumpet & Nick Fields
        • Six Lessons for Playing Funk Bass – with Dan Hawkins
    • Guitar
      • Guitar

        Recording Acoustic Guitar in Stereo for Beginners

        Chuck Schiele takes you through the beginning steps on how to record an acoustic guitar in stereo. Part one is a general overview for beginners on the basic thinking and process of recording, what a signal chain is, and a thing or two about microphones and mic’ing technique.

        • Slash “Victoria” Les Paul Standard Goldtop Joins the Gibson Slash Collection
        • BOSS Pocket GT Guitar Effects Processor
        • Want to be a better guitarist? Check out Steve Vai’s Guitar Workout
        • Stereo Desktop Amplifier Designed For Acoustic Guitarists
    • Drums
      • Drums

        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.

        • Taiko Drumming: Healthy Exercise for Music Makers
        • 12 Ways to Improve Your Drumming
        • Exploring the History of Playing Timpani (Kettle Drums)
        • Money Beats with Rich Redmond
    • Strings
      • Strings

        Tracy Silverman: Defying Dogma with Electric Violin (Interview part 2)

        The first thing violinist Tracy Silverman did was to earn his degree from Julliard. The second thing he did when he graduated was to throw it all out the window and join a rock band…

        • Jeremy Cohen’s Historic Prized Violin
        • Serious About Fiddling Around with Sara Watkins
        • Writing Well for the Modern Harp
        • What Are Strings Made Of? The Basics of Orchestral String Construction
    • Keyboards
      • Keyboard

        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 […]

        • The Workings of the Piano: For the Up-and-Coming Pianist
        • Yamaha Announces New Portable Keyboards
        • Adjustable Padded Piano Bench
        • On-Stage LED Piano Lamp
    • Vocal
      • Voice

        9 tips to avoid a hoarse voice

        9 Tips to Avoid A Hoarse Voice During the Holidays

        The holiday season is a time for numerous music events, late nights, and celebrations. Here are 9 tips to avoid a hoarse voice during the holidays:

        • Feliz Navidad Celebrates 50 Years of the Christmas Spirit
        • Star Composers Featured in New Solo Vocal Collection
        • How to Prepare Your Voice for a Live Performance
        • Vocal Tips: Understanding Head Voice, Falsetto, and Whistle Register
    • Other Instruments
      • Other Instruments

        The Harp: A Global Story of Music, Man, and Medicine

        In simplest terms, the harp is a plucked string instrument where the plane of the strings is perpendicular to the soundboard.

        • Where Did the Banjo Come From? Here’s a Timeline of Its History
        • Western Contemporary Music: A Musical Melting Pot
        • Dulcet Tones: The Hammered and Mountain Dulcimer
        • The Harp: How Does it Work?
  • Products
    • All Products
      • Products

        ProSoCoustic Wave Pro Series Acoustic Panels

        Take Control of Your Room Announced at the 2021 NAMM Show: The ProSoCoustic Wave Pro Series offers a unique blend of absorption and diffusion in one product. Their unique diffusor pattern inside each panel allows greater absorption efficiency in the same amount of space. Wave Pro panels also include convenient machine screw inserts that provide […]

        Rupert Neve 5059 Satellite Summing Mixer

        Announced at the 2021 NAMM Show: The Rupert Never 5059 Satellite Summing Mixer features 16 channels with individual level, pan, inserts, stereo-2 sends, and master texture controls, providing easy integration with outboard equipment, complete control for two separate stem mixes, and the ability to dial in analogue mojo in two modes. With the same sonic […]

        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 […]

        Yamaha MSP3A Powered Monitor Speaker

        Just announced at the 2021 NAMM Show: The Yamaha MSP3A Powered Monitor Speaker features a 22-watt built-in amplifier and Twisted Flare Port for clearer bass, the MSP3A reference monitor produces sound that is faithful to the original. With a variety of inputs, controls and optional support brackets, the MSP3A is ideal for small studios, post-production, […]

        Senneheiser HD 200 PRO monitoring headphones

        The Senneheiser HD 200 PRO monitoring headphones deliver powerful studio sound wherever you are. Record your own tunes, practice silently, or simply enjoy your favorite music at home. The HD 200 PRO’s ambient noise attenuation enables you to fully concentrate on your job. Soft ear pads ensure outstanding comfort during long creative sessions (e.g. electronic […]

    • Audio Recording
      • Audio Recording

        Mastering Process Explained with Alan Silverman – Part 1

        Alan Silverman is a Grammy nominated engineer and producer. He coproduced, mixed, and mastered “Winter Stories” by Judy Collins, named “The Best Folk Album of 2019” by Digital Journal. “Mountain Girl,” a single from the album, hit #1 on the Billboard Bluegrass chart. He mastered Catherine Russell’s “Alone Together” a Grammy finalist and the most played album on jazz radio in 2019, and the ground-breaking “SYSTEM EP” by DJ Delia Beatriz, listed in Pitchfork’s 10-Best EDM albums of 2019…

        • Step By Step Mixing
        • ProSoCoustic Wave Pro Series Acoustic Panels
        • Rupert Neve 5059 Satellite Summing Mixer
        • Paul Abbott’s approach to mastering – Part 1
    • Live Sound
      • Live Sound

        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.

        • Radial Engineering Hotshot 48V Condenser Microphone Switcher
        • Zen and the Art of Acoustic Guitar Amplification, part 2
        • That Clean Sound! Amps Explained with Christopher Ames: Part 1
        • Zen and the Art of Acoustic Guitar Amplification, part 1
    • Books/Sheet Music
      • Books and Sheet Music

        Step By Step Mixing

        How to Create Great Mixes Using Only 5 Plug-ins Learn a proven step-by-step mixing process that’s helped thousands of musicians make amazing mixes in their home studio, using only EQ, compression, reverb, delay, and saturation. Step by Step Mixing by Bjorgvin Benediktsson will help you make better mixes immediately in your home studio that translate […]

        Classical Recording: A Practical Guide in the Decca Tradition

        Classical Recording A Practical Guide in the Decca Tradition is the authoritative guide to all aspects of recording acoustic classical music. Offering detailed descriptions, diagrams, and photographs of fundamental recording techniques such as the Decca tree, this book offers a comprehensive overview of the essential skills involved in successfully producing a classical recording. Written by […]

        Modern Recording Techniques, Ninth Edition

        Modern Recording Techniques by David Miles Huber is the bestselling, authoritative guide to sound and music recording. Whether you’re just starting out or are looking for a step-up in the industry, Modern Recording Techniques provides an in-depth read on the art and technologies of music production. Using its familiar and accessible writing style, this ninth […]

        Understanding Audio: Getting the Most Out of Your Project or Professional Recording Studio

        Understanding Audio by Daniel M. Thompson explores the fundamentals of audio and acoustics that impact every stage of the music recording process. Whether you are a musician setting up your first Pro Tools project studio, or you are a seasoned recording engineer or producer eager to find a reference that fills in the gaps in […]

        The Mixing Engineer’s Handbook, Fourth Edition

        Mixing music —the process of combining and shaping the component parts of a song into a polished, completed recording —was once considered an unteachable art. The first edition of Bobby Owsinski’s The Mixing Engineers Handbookdestroyed that myth forever, breaking the craft of mixing down into discrete, understandable steps and showing musicians, audio engineers, and producers […]

        The Recording Engineer’s Handbook, Fourth Edition

        Bobby Owsinski’s The Recording Engineers Handbook has become a music industry standard, and this fully updated fourth edition once again offers the most comprehensive and up-to-date introduction to the art of audio recording. Written with special emphasis on today’s technology and the evolving marketplace, The Recording Engineer’s Handbook Fourth Edition includes a complete overview of […]

  • Music Theory
    • Music Theory
      • Music Theory

        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, […]

        • The No. 1 Thing Songwriting Guitarists Don’t Think About
        • The Importance of Chord Knowledge for Pianists
        • How Musicians Incorporate Artificial Intelligence into Their Songs
        • Transcription Errands – Chord Charts and the Nashville Number System
    • Clip N’ Save
      • Clip N’ Save

        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…

        best piano websites

        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

        Clip N’ Save: Types of Cadences

        Previous Next
  • History
    • History

      A complete history of Tom Petty in Los Angeles

      When Tom Petty arrived in Los Angeles in 1974 in search of a record deal for his band Mudcrutch, the Gainesville, Florida native found one almost immediately. While he thought he had found exactly what he was looking for in L.A., it would take years for Petty and his subsequent band, the Heartbreakers, to break […]

      • The Winter Solstice in Song: A Short List for the Longest Night
      • The Harp: A Global Story of Music, Man, and Medicine
      • What Are Strings Made Of? The Basics of Orchestral String Construction
      • The Cello Suites: J. S. Bach, Pablo Casals, and the Search for a Baroque Masterpiece
  • Nancy Wilson, The Go-Go’s, and More to be Honored at 2021 She Rocks Awards
  • Worldful of Pianos to Gather Global Pianists for NAMM’s Believe in Music Week
  • New Partnership Helps Struggling Musicians
  • Ford Musician Impact Fund to Announces Grant Program
  • D’Addario Receives State Grant to Continue Manufacturing PPE Face Shields 
  • Sweet Relief Raises More Than $9,000 for Musicians  
  • Last Call to Register for the 2021 Marvin Hamlisch International Music Awards
  • Hit Like A Girl Announces Marching Percussion Contest

Tag: learn to play

bass lines

Top 5 Bass Lines & How to Play Them

Bass, How To, Instruments, Making Music June 28, 2019June 28, 2019 Ryan Connors 3 Comments

Top 5 Bass Lines & How to Play Them The bass is often an overlooked instrument, but it shouldn’t be. The bass provides powerful bass lines, which hold a song together or can even take the lead. Bass lines and grooves give the song its rhythm and help give the other instruments freedom to roam. […]

Learn How to Use Chord Voicing

Featured Article, How To, Keyboards June 7, 2016April 17, 2019 Debbie Gruber 0 Comments

This video teaches you a beautiful chord voicing (arrangement of notes in a chord) that uses both hands.

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