Archive for the ‘Musical Instruments’ Category

Flute Maintenance

Monday, February 16th, 2009

If you want that your flute to be with you for a long period, you should take care of your flute. Here are some tips on caring for your flute.

  1. When handling your flute, make sure your hands are clean and dry.
  2. During installation, be sure to always hold the parts of the flute on the edge, never hold, where the keys are.
  3. If you do not use your flute, disassemble and store it inside the case. If you do not have time to disassemble, place your flute, which  will be protected from damage.
  4. Always make it a point to clean your flute after using to avoid deterioration of the pads. Use a cloth to clean the inside of the exterior of your flute.
  5. Never use metal polish on your flute.
  6. Do not grease or oil your flute.
  7. Do not attempt to adjust the setting of your flute, if you have a good idea of what you do.
  8. Contact an expert flute repair if you have problems with your flute.
  9. Keep your flute at room temperature. Do not store in damp or heated.
  10. Have your flute checked once a year (or more if you play often) by  flute serviceman to make sure your flute is in tip-top shape.

Indian Flute: Bansuri

Monday, December 8th, 2008

The bansuri is a flute used in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Nepal. It is  a single length of bamboo with six or seven open finger holes that is 14 inches long.

The wikipedia states that ” the word comes from the Sanskrit bansuri bans [bamboo] + Swar [notes]“.

Two kinds of bansuri are widely known and used in India. The first is the cross, and  the second type is the fipple which is usually played in folk music and isimilar to a whistle when held and played.

Gibson Epiphone Guitar

Sunday, July 20th, 2008

Guitar fans tend to have very strong opinions on what sounds they want. Many people are in Fender guitars. Wings traditionally have a single coil pick-up which leads to a thinner, sharper, and your sale. It has great definition, and sound good in certain types of distortion of rock ‘n roll. However, I have always been a fan of Gibson guitars. They are thus the main rival Fender. My guitar Gibson Epiphone uses bold, double coil pick-up. What this does is to magnify the sound. He pointed to weak high harmonics, which gives it a softer, more healthy. It cleans the tone a bit and gets rid of some electromagnetic interference. In my opinion, it gives you the best sound of rock ‘n roll.

I wanted to get a custom Gibson guitar. In fact, the only reason I got my Gibson Epiphone guitar because I could not afford to get something more expensive. Epiphone, you see, are the starting line Gibson. They are cheaper, less showy, and tend to be manufactured abroad for lower prices.

I planned to play my Gibson Epiphone guitar for about a year and then invest in a more expensive Gibson Les Paul custom or ax. After playing for a little over a month, however, I get used to it. I was very impressed by the quality. I could only get the sound I wanted, the action was almost perfect, and instrument air good. I know Epiphone Gibson guitars are supposed to be inferior to all Gibson instruments series, but honestly, I can hardly make a difference. Perhaps one day when I’m an expert, I update, but until then I’m fine with what I have.

Honestly, with electric guitars, personal preference is just about everything. I had a lot of time with my Gibson Epiphone guitar, but I know that many people who do not really enjoy playing Gibsons. It depends on your guitar, how it is implemented, what type of speaker you play through, the effects you use, that the channels you use and what type of playing style you have. There are so many factors at work that it is unlikely that two people have exactly the same experiences, good or bad, on the same guitar. The best thing to do is go to a music store where they take care of their guitars and try a few . Purchase a Gibson Epiphone guitar, but also collect Fenders, Gretsch guitars, and anything you want. You know when you have the right guitar in hand.

Brass Musical Instruments

Tuesday, June 3rd, 2008

Probably the loudest instruments of the orchestra without amplification are brass. You can not ignore the musical instruments of brass. In the hands of a beginner, they sound terrible, but they produce beautiful music played by a virtuoso. They are used in many forms of music and are heard in symphonic works, rock, reggae and soul. These are instruments that are difficult to play well and need constant practice. Many children begin their musical studies by taking up the cornet. It takes a long time to get anywhere near the Louis Armstrong standard.

Dixieland style of New Orleans was popular in the early 20th century. Marching bands contain a trombone, cornet, clarinet, tuba, banjo and drum. Trombone, solos are not used as much as other musical instruments, brass instruments, developed with Jack Teagarden and Tommy Dorsey’s swing band. Everyone is familiar with the great jazz trumpeters and their cheeks swollen with all efforts. The Be Bop then the genius of Miles Davis and Dizzy Gillespie, two beautiful whistle. The saxophone is another element of jazz, especially when Charlie Parker strutted his stuff.

The saxophone also find a home in the rock and roll, often heard in pleasing solos. Brass musical instruments that make a big contribution to the music of the soul in the form of funk. The era of funk was dominated by the Godfather of Soul, James Brown and George Clinton and Sly Stone and the family. Musicians such as trombonist Fred Wesley and Maceo Parker on saxophone defined sound. Miles Davis created his brand of jazz fusion in the 1970s with the merger of jazz and funk.

Classical music has also benefited from the brass section, especially in the use of the trumpet and French horn. These musical instruments brass appearing on the classical records also influence modern writers. When Paul McCartney heard a recording of Bach’s Brandenburg Concertos, he was intrigued by the sound of the piccolo trumpet and has included a series of his hit Beatles, Penny Lane. Another wrote McCartney Beatles track, For No One from the album Revolver, has a horn.

Reggae often makes use of a brass section, normally a three-part combination of saxophone, trombone and trumpet. The songs often begin with an introduction by the brass and horns, because they are covered, go through a play-against melody. Whatever the genre, the brass is here to stay and will be sorely missed.