A dulcimer is a fretted instrument that most commonly includes three or four strings. The fretting is usually diatonic and spreads along a fingerboard attached to the instrument’s body. It became popular in old-time American music in the 1800s. It is believed to have been brought over from Scotland or Ireland and then caught on [...]

Continue reading → A Little About Dulcimers

There can be absolutely no doubt that for the original forty years worth of Jazz, the clarinet was one of the major lead instruments for nearly every single jazz band along with the trumpet. Later on, the same was true as well for the swing orchestras, which embraced the clarinet for the rich tone that [...]

Continue reading → Sax in the Jazz Band

Basically, a violin is just a more specialized type of fiddle. A fiddle can be any type of stringed instrument that is played with a horsehair bow. The main distinction between a fiddle and a violin generally refers to the different styles of music played on each. Fiddles are more commonly used for folk music, [...]

Continue reading → Confused About the Difference Between a Fiddle and a Violin?

Virtually any type of tube, some even without having sustained any modification can be used as a music instrument simply by sounding it as a horn. A series of notes can be produced in this way through the use of the harmonic series. Here is a look at some of the world horns that exist [...]

Continue reading → World Horns 101 pt 1

The Irish drum known as a Bodhrán is an open ended frame drum, which allows the player to place their hand inside the drum. Having the hand inside the instrument provides a way to control the pitch and timbre of the drum. Generally, the Bodhrán ranges in diameter from between 25cm and 65cm, or 10 [...]

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The Harmonica was not originally developed in America, but rather saw the beginning of life in Germany. However, the Harmonica has a rich history in North America, and contributed heavily to the history of music in America as well. Hohner began to manufacture harmonicas in 1857, and shortly after this he began to ship some [...]

Continue reading → The Harmonica in American History

There are a range of different metal percussion instruments that can be found in the modern western orchestra, even though many of them have origins that are not only ancient in nature, but also global as well. The Triangle – The triangle is a two piece instrument that is comprised of a steel bar that [...]

Continue reading → Triangle 101

The saxhorn is an instrument that belongs to the brass family of instruments. It is a valved instrument. The saxhorn is a brass instrument that features a tapered bore and a mouthpiece that is shaped like a deep cup. The sound that the saxhorn creates has a quality that is characteristically mellow, allowing for it [...]

Continue reading → A Look at the Saxhorn

A traditional Irish instrument, the Bodhrán is an open frame drum. The head of the drum is traditionally made out of goat skins, but other animal skins as well as some synthetic materials can be used. The head of the Bodhrán is tacked to one end of the frame and the other end of the [...]

Continue reading → Introduction to the Bodhrán pt 2

A member of the brass family, the trombone is a wind instrument that is played much in the same way as other brass instruments. The lips are pursed and the musician blows into the mouthpiece in order to create sound. The trombone is unique in that it features a slide that is used to change [...]

Continue reading → The Trombone – a Jazz Instrument that Slides