Types of woodwind instruments

Main article: List of woodwind instruments

• Single-reed instruments use a reed, which is a thin cut piece of cane or plastic that is held against the aperture of a mouthpiece with a ligature. When air is forced between the reed and the mouthpiece, the reed vibrates, creating the sound. Single reed instruments include the clarinet and saxophone families of instruments.
• Double-reed instruments, use two precisely cut, small pieces of cane joined together at the base. The finished, bound reed is inserted into the top of the instrument and vibrates as air is forced between the two pieces of bound cane. There are two sub-families:
  • Exposed double-reed instruments, where the reed goes between the player's lips. The oboe, cor anglais (also called English horn) and bassoon make up the more popular instruments within this family.
  • Capped double-reed instruments, where there is a cap covering up the reed with a hole in that the player just blows through. This family includes most bagpipes, the crumhorn, and the cornamuse.
• Flutes produce sound when air is blown across an edge. There are two sub-families:
  • Open flute family, where the player's lips form a stream of air which goes directly from the players lips to the edge, such as transverse flutes and end-blown flutes. Modern concert flutes are usually made of pure metal or a combination of metals including nickel, silver, and gold.
  • Closed flute family, where the instrument forms and directs the air stream over the edge. This family includes fipple based flutes like whistles and the recorder family.

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How to Buy Your First Bass Guitar on a Budget

A musical instrument is a big investment, especially if you're just starting out. This guide gives some recommendations on how to buy the best starter bass guitar you can afford.

Steps

1. Set your price range. A new bass guitar can cost anywhere from $200 to $5000 depending on the brand, quality, and finish. Used basses tend to range from $100 to $1500 and are often just as good, although pricing and selection will vary from one locale to another.
2. Shop around. Over the last year or two, some department stores (such as Target and Wal-Mart) began carrying "starter" instruments that are far less expensive than you might find in a guitar shop. For example, a starter bass currently listed at Target.com is priced at $129. However, your best bet is to check guitar shops and pawn shops frequently for a good deal. Also, check the classified ads. Most people have no idea what they are selling, and you can get a good deal.
3. Try before you buy, whenever possible. Most guitar shops will let you plug in and play around with any instrument right in the store. See if you like how it sounds, looks, and feels in your hands. Do not buy something used without playing it first unless it comes from a reputable dealer and has some sort of return policy if it turns out you do not like it. Be very cautious about buying instruments on internet sites such as eBay. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
4. Bring someone along who is an experienced bassist. Let him/her play any instruments you are considering buying. If you are a parent buying an instrument for your son or daughter, find someone who can try instruments for you. Your child will thank you later.
5. Consider buying a used bass. Most used equipment drops in price over the years and can offer much better quality and sound for the same price as a new bass. Always check a used instrument for damage, and play it (or have someone else play it) before buying it. If you are buying remotely and you cannot have physical access to it, use your judgment and make sure you can have it returned. Peavey is one of the best brands to go for, new or used. Their prices are typically much lower than Fender or Gibson, yet can often play and sound better. A vintage Peavey T-40 made from 1978-1989 cost around $160-$220 on eBay. You will may never need an upgrade as it is a very high quality bass, and can almost always produce the high quality sound because of its configurability. A vintage Fender can cost much more than $800 and does typically not offer nearly the same versatility.

How to Buy a Drum Set

Component Parts of a Drum Set

Step1

Bass Drum: This instrument uses one head to be struck. The open side of the bass drum allows the user to place a "sound absorption" blanket to kill lengthy resonation.

Step2

Support Rods: Four of these metal rods keep the drum in place as it is hit by the mallet head on the end of the foot pedal.

Step3

Foot Pedal: This attaches to the floor side of the head-rim to allow the foot maximum flexibility of tempo and dynamics of soft and loud.

Step4

Snare Drum: This circular shell is 5 1/2" deep and 14" in diameter. It fits on a stand and sits between the knees of the seated player. It is encased by 2 skin or plastic heads secured by clamps and screw-bolt devices called "lugs". The top head is struck with the drum sticks or brushes. The bottom head has a 1 1/2" wide collection of adjustable parallel metal wires. These are the "snares" and can be loosened or tightened by a threaded bolt device called a "strainer". These snares vibrate sympathetically when the top head is struck. They can be disabled using a "trigger switch" located on the side of the snare shell.

Step5

Sticks: Two round sticks 12 - 14" in length each with a small and a large end. The "tip" is the small end. The "butt" is the large end. The tip is used to produce sound more often than the butt.

Step6

Brushes: Six to eight inches of "fan-shaped" wires extend from the end of a storage tube. These produce a very light weight sound when used on the snare drum or the cymbal.

Step7

Adjustable stool: The drummer uses this for seating comfort and height adjustment. It's often called a "throne".

Step8

Ride Cymbal: This can be as large as 19" in diameter and $260 in cost.

Step9

Crash Cymbal: This can be a 10" diameter cymbal and $160 in cost.

Step10

High Hat Cymbal: A floor-stand holds two horizontal cymbals that are brought together using a foot pedal.

Step11

Cymbal Stands: Most stands rest on the floor.

Step12

Toms: These are like a drum without snares. A floor tom can be 14" in diameter and 14" deep. Two smaller toms are often attached to the top of the hoop-rim of the bass drum.

Caring for your Guitar

Whether you are a professional musician or a person who likes to sit around the house and play, taking care of your guitar is very important. Guitar manufacturers today take great care in building their products, and they actually handpick different types of wood to craft an instrument which is visually appealing. This also provides a resonance that can be unique to the particular type of guitar. This is true of electric guitars, as well as acoustic guitars. My review will deal with the care of an electric guitar, but many of the points that I raise will apply to the acoustic guitar also.

A guitar player should maintain his instrument with two things in mind: first, to preserve the beauty that is inherent in a well-crafted guitar that was built from quality woods, and second, to keep the instrument in the best possible playing condition.

Here are my suggestions for caring for your guitar:

• Clean and polish the top, sides and back of your guitar regularly. You can use a top-of-the line furniture polish to apply to your guitar, or your can buy any number of polishes offered by guitar companies specifically for the guitar application. If you establish a regular clean and polish regimen, your guitar will always look good. The beauty of the woods will be enhanced, and if you should ever decide to part with your guitar, it will bring a premium price because of your efforts.
  
  
• Dress the frets every time you change strings. If you play often, a lot of dirt, grime and oils from your hands can build up on the fret board. This isn't good for the strings and probably affects the sound also. I use a very soft-bristled toothbrush and a little soapy water, and I make sure to wipe the fret dry after cleaning. Use this routine when your change strings and your fret board won't ever have that "soft" feel.
  
  
• Wipe down the neck with a dry cloth after every use to protect your fret board and to prolong string life. Sweat, oils, dirt and grime can accumulate very quickly, and if you wipe the fret board frequently, you can make dressing the frets a much simpler task. You will also prolong string life by removing some of the elements that cause strings to deteriorate.
  
  
• Never expose your instrument to excessive heat or cold for prolonged periods of time. Heat and sunlight can cause premature finish checking, and can make the finely crafted woods in your guitar look old and faded almost overnight. Cold weather might not affect the finish so much, but it can cause damage to binding, inlays and the neck, often requiring unnecessary work with the truss rod. Guitars need a cool, dry environment, so try to keep your guitar in that type of setting.
  
  
• Protect your guitar when it's stored in the case. I'm talking about humidity here, and it can be one of the most insidious enemies to the health of your guitar. You can buy a capsule from your local guitar store that will stabilize the humidity in the case; just put it in your case and it will provide the protection that you need.
  
  
• Regularly check and tighten all screws, strap-pins and tuning machines. This just makes good sense, because you don't want any unneeded rattling or jingling when you're playing your instrument, either at a gig or at home for your own pleasure.
  
  
• Make it a point to regularly clean all metal parts of your guitar with a good metal cleaning compound. Chrome and nickel are notorious for corrosion and tarnish, particularly in certain environments, so setting up a regimen to clean your pickup covers, bridge, and tuning buttons will help in maintaining the visual appeal of your instrument.
  
  
• Avoid things that can cause scratches, dings and other scars on your instrument. Don't wear a belt with a buckle when you have your guitar strapped on; I have seen many beautiful vintage instruments which have been ruined by belt-buckle scratches on the back. Also, buy a stand! Never leave your guitar propped up against the wall or your amplifier-I've seen irreparable damage done to some quality instruments because they fell from being propped up. Spend the money and buy a stand--consider it an investment.
  
  
• At least once a year, carry your instrument to your local guitar technician for a complete look-over. No matter how well you take care of your instrument, the truss rod will need adjusting regularly, and the intonation screws on the pickups will need to be adjusted to ensure that your are getting the balanced sound that you want from your guitar. Your guitar may need bridge adjustments also, so it's always good to take it in annually to let the expert make the fine adjustments that will give you the maximum in playability.
  
  
• My last tip-PLAY YOUR GUITAR!!! There is no better way to keep your guitar in tip-top shape than to play it every day. I have always been dismayed to see how they "go down" from lack of use. Play your guitar, take care of it, and it will take care of you.

How To Play Electric Guitar

How To Play Electric Guitar - Learn To Play Guitar

Are you interested in learning how to play electric guitar? If so, welcome. I remember my days as a child trying to learn to play the guitar and how much of a challenge it was. I admit it was fun, but I had to figure so much on my own. I'd be so much better off if the Internet had existed then. You see, today there are so many how to play the electric guitar courses online. I'd probably be a better player and have learned much faster. To me nothing beats having an expert take you by the hand and actually teach you how to play electric guitar. That way you get to avoid many bad guitar playing habits from the start. Habits that only serve to keep you back.

While I've come across many ebooks, videos and audio lessons on playing the guitar there's one that stands out for me. I recommend it highly for anyone looking to take their playing to a higher level. In my humble opinion it's the best on the net. I consider it to be very good for beginners, intermediate players and even professional players. You can check it out yourself and see if it's right for you but it's my heartfelt view.

I particularly like the fact that the Jamorama how to play electric guitar course comes with a video. I have found that it can sometimes be hard to pay attention to stuff that's written down without actually seeing or hearing. So I give them a big thumbs up for adding this feature.

Jamorama comes with as many as 148 step by step video lessons, two course books and 26 high quality jam tracks for you to play along with. There's so much advice in there and everything is done in a fun way, encouraging you to learn. I found that they deliver everything they promise on their sales page. I congratulate them on this because in my experience most sales letters fail to deliver what they promise. Anyway, I think I better let you check out Jamorama for yourself so YOU can decide whether it meets your needs. I think they do so much better of a job at explaining what this how to play electric guitar course is all about at their site. Click here to check them out yourself.

How to buy your first guitar

Acoustic, Classical, or Electric?

There are three main types of guitars, and the type you choose will depend on the style of music you want to play.

Acoustic and Classical guitars look pretty similar, but they feel and sound different. Acoustic guitar strings are made of steel, and produce a big, bright, brash tone. Classical strings are nylon, and sound mellow. Mellifluous. Muted, even. If you want to play acoustic rock, or sound like Bob Dylan or Neil Young or Jack Johnson, you probably want an acoustic guitar. If all the songs in your iPod's playlist have Italian names, or you're Sergeant of Arms in the Andres Segovia Fan Club, you'll want a classical guitar. You'll also want a different guitar teacher--my classical music education is limited to dancing to my mom's Peter and the Wolf record when I was 8. OK, maybe 28.

Also, acoustic guitar necks are narrower and longer than classical guitar necks. This means that it's a little easier to fingerpick on a classical guitar (those strings aren't as crowded), and easier to fret some common folk/rock chords on the acoustic.

Electric guitars come in two main flavors, depending on the kind of pickups they have. Pickups are like microphones that "pick up" string vibrations. They're the lipstick- or matchbox-shaped things under the strings in the area where you strum the guitar. You may want to choose a guitar that has pickups that match your style of music. Or choose the guitar with the palm trees painted on the front. Whatever.

Single-coil pickups are the narrow, lipstick-shaped pickups. They tend to have a brighter tone, and are generally considered to be the best-sounding pickups for clean (un-distorted) guitar playing. They're also sort of noisy, especially if you're near a computer monitor or light fixture, or when you're using a lot of distortion. Fender Stratocasters and Telecasters (and their cheaper cousins, made by Squier) usually have single-coil pickups. Most of my beginning electric guitar students buy $150 Squier Stratocasters, but if you can afford $300, the Fender Stratocasters sound a lot better and don't fall apart in two years.

Humbuckers are the matchbox-shaped pickups. They got their name (it's trademarked, actually) because they "bucked the hum" that single-coil pickups were susceptible to. Humbuckers sound great with distortion, so they're the pickups of choice for the hard rockers. Most Gibson (and the cheaper Epiphone) guitars have humbuckers.

Check out my electric guitar comparison chart.

What about size?

Buying a guitar is like shopping for a coat--you'll want one that fits your body type. Guitars that are too big feel awkward when you drape your strumming/picking arm over the top of the body. Guitars that are too small make you feel like Don Ho.

Little people need little guitars, so there are 1/2 and 3/4 sized guitars for kids.

Ask a salesperson to help you decide if your guitar fits.

What about color? It's better to look good than to sound good, right?

Looks are important to most people, myself included. I want my guitars to entice me to play them. They should at least look as attractive as whatever's on TV.

Kids are especially concerned with looks, and I think that's fine. Luckily, guitars with blue paint jobs or bodies shaped like skulls aren't necessarily more expensive, so if you're shopping for a child, encourage them to pick a guitar that they think looks cool. Just make sure they like the sound of it, too.

How much should I spend?

More expensive guitars have better tone, are easier to play, and are more durable. Even so, I bought my first guitar, a Japanese-made Fender Stratocaster, for $250 in 1983, and it held together, more or less, through two years of high school and five years of college. It even survived my brief flirtation with electronics tinkering, when I used my dad's 100-watt soldering iron to install a new pickup. When the smoke finally cleared, half the electronics were melted, but that guitar held on.

If you're shopping for a child, I'd recommend getting a guitar in the $150 to $300 range. They won't be able to hear much difference in tone, and by the time the guitar wears out, they'll have saved their paper route money (do kids even do paper routes anymore?) for a nicer one. Keep in mind that if you're buying an electric guitar, you'll also need a practice amplifier ($100), cable ($15), and strap ($20).

If you're shopping for yourself, follow your instincts. If you're in love with that $2000 Martin shining in the store window, and can afford it, heck, there are worse ways to spend your money. Playing a really nice guitar can be inspiring.

But if you're on a budget like most people, find a guitar in the $250-$500 range that looks good and feels good.

Check out my electric guitar comparison chart.

How cheap is too cheap?

Don't buy a guitar whose strings are high above the fretboard. This condition, called high "action," is often correlated with other conditions, like "Carpel Tunnel Syndrome" and "Guitar Homicidal Tendency". Cheap used acoustic guitars often have high action. If you're a total beginner shopping for a screaming deal on a used acoustic, ask a salesperson to find you one with good action.

Where can I buy my guitar in Seattle?

Tip: Remember to ask, "What price can you give me for this?" Music instruments are almost always marked high.

Acoustic Guitar Stores

Dusty Strings Duck into a doorway on a busy sidewalk in the heart of Fremont, and descend a flight of stairs into a vast underground acoustic instrument smorgasbord! Pluck "Mary Had a Little Lamb" on one of the $15000 harps! Play "Stairway" on a $5000 Martin! You'll never want to leave.

Dusty Strings also has moderately priced guitars, and a friendly, knowledgeable staff, but in general, you'll pay a bit more for guitars here.

Guitar Emporium Funky little acoustic guitar shop in old Ballard. Robb, the proprietor, is a nice guy and always eager to talk shop. Good mix of used and new guitars starting around $350. I got a great deal on a 1978 Alvarez here. It's meant to be my beach guitar, but I like it so much I don't want to bang it up!

Acoustic and Electric Guitar Stores

American Music These are the people I go to for strings, tuners, cables, etc. They've got a wide selection, but they still have a small-shop feel. Located in Fremont.

Trading Musician Used equipment galore! If you're looking for a cheap used guitar, this might be the place to find it.

Guitar Center When I can't find it anywhere else, I get it at Guitar Center, the Costco of music equipment stores. If you don't mind being addressed as "dude", you can get rock-bottom prices on new guitars and amps here.

Classical Guitar Stores

Rosewood Guitars Pardon me, do you have any Gray Poupon? Seattle's finest new classical guitars are here.

Online Options (bargain hunters, this is for you!)

Craigslist The popular, free online classified website. If you really want a screaming deal, you don't have to buy a guitar immediately, and you have a friend who can inspect your prospective purchase, trawl the musical instrument section of Craigslist every day and when you see a promising listing, jump on it. I prefer Craigslist to Ebay or Instrument Exchange because I can inspect the equipment before I buy it.

Ebay The online auction site. You can get some great deals on Ebay (I bought my Les Paul there for half the retail price) but you can't preview the goods.

Instrument Exchange Guitar Center's version of Ebay is a great place for used and vintage gear, but again, it's risky.

what to look for new guitar

Most new guitarists aren't sure of what kind of guitar they should buy when they decide to purchase. Myself, I spent months and thousands trying to find the right guitar. Here is a list of things to look at when trying to decide which guitar to choose.

Tone

This is probably the single most important thing to look at in a guitar. Whether you are playing electric or acoustic, country, rock, blues, or jazz, you need to have a tone that fits your musical genre. You wouldn't want to play a guitar that is perfect for country music in a heavy metal band. Which guitars have the right tone for you?

Blues

If you are playing blues, you need a guitar that has a bluesy tone. That being said, there are a few guitars that are perfect for that style: Semi-acoustic electric guitars with "soapbox" humbuckers sound great, as do Fender Stratocasters. The other important thing to achieve a blues tone is your strings. In blues, the heavier the string, the better the sound. You can't achieve the right sound using extra light gauge strings. They won't have the resonance, the bottom end or the mid range of the heavier strings.

Also playing electric guitar blues, your amplifier will make a difference on your tone. If you are using a vintage amplifier, preferably tube amp, you will notice a BIG difference in the tone.

Country

Country music needs a brighter tone from the electric guitar. To get the brightest tones, it is best to use a guitar with single coil pickups. The two best guitars for this category are Fender Stratocasters and Fender Telecasters. Using a Tele, it is as easy as plugging in and playing really. On the Strat, there is a secret that a lot of guitarists don't know that I am going to share with you.

A lot of Nashville guitarist call it the 'Nashville Sound'. Simply put your toggle switch all the way to the bridge pickup. Then start sliding it back to the next position toward the neck. In between the bridge position and the second position, you will find a sweet spot. The switch will not be locked into place on either pickup but the sound is awesome. It takes only a minute to find it and when you do, the sound is incredible.

Again, the amplifier plays a big key on the sound of an electric guitar as well. A lot of Nashville musicians use a Peavey Classic VT/Series Tube amplifier or the newer Peavey Classic. Behringer also makes a great amplifier that is used in country music.

Jazz

For jazz guitarist, a good semi-acoustic electric guitar is almost vital. The pickups on these guitars are usually humbuckers. For tone, a medium gauge set of strings is suggested.

As far amplifiers go, just about any 'natural' sounding amplifier will work. My personal recommendations are Mesa Boogie, or Peavey. They recreate a good sound.

Rock

Last but not least, let's look at rock and roll. Getting the right tone for rock and roll is tricky. Maybe you want a heavy sound that a standard 6 string can't give you so you get a 7 string guitar. The best 7 string guitars are made by Ibanez. Since the conception in the late 80's or early 90's, Ibanez has perfected the tone from the instrument.

If you don't want a 7 string but want that same tone, you can get the same tone from a 6 string using heavy gauge strings. The guitar should have humbucker pickups to get better tone as well. Guitars recommended for this are Gibson Les Pauls and Ibanez.

For a more modern top 40 rock style, the sound would vary. For the retro sounds heard in a lot of today's alternative music, Fender Stratocasters and Telecasters are used. Sometimes, the Fender Jaguar is played as well. For the heavier sounds, you would need a guitar with the humbuckers and probably two of the best guitars for this would be the Gibson Les Paul and Paul Reed Smith.

To get the tone at the amplifier, it is important to have a good tube or solid state amplifier that can model a tube amp. Mesa Boogie has the leading edge on tone in rock music as does Marshall. Other good amplifiers are made by Peavey, Crate, Behringer, and Fender.

Playability

The way the instrument plays determines a lot on your happiness with it. You can have a guitar that makes the most beautiful sound but you hate to play it. It is said that the perfect guitar will be like an extension of your body. I have found this to be true with my number 1 axe. Whenever I pick it up and play, it feels like a natural extension of my body.

After you pick the guitar that you want for tone, play it and see if it frets right. If the strings are too high, adjust the torsion rod and intonation. This in itself could make the world of difference on your guitar. If you don't know how to adjust these yourself, call your local guitar shop. It usually costs no more than $15 and takes about 30 minutes to do it.

Think about these things before purchasing your first or next guitar. It may save you a lot of headache and money in the long run.

Scott Daugherty is a performing guitarist and studio engineer. For a free guitar lesson visit http://www.superguitartab.com or for purchasing a new beginner guitar visit http://www.superguitartab.com/store/

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