The term banjo actually refers to a family of instruments rather than just a single instrument that fits into another family. The banjo instrument family makes use of a membrane made of hide or vellum that is used as a sound board. The first banjo instruments were brought to the United States from Africa by [...]

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• Brief History of the Mandolin A mandolin is a musical instrument that belongs to the lute family meaning that it can either be plucked or strummed. It is a direct descendant of a instrument called the Mandore, which is a soprano member of the same family. The mandolin instrument has a body that possesses a......
• Wind Instruments Guide 101 pt 2 Here is a guide to some of the more common and more interesting wind instruments. Some of these instruments are common place in the United States and others have a decidedly more worldly origin. Bugle The bugle is a type of wind instrument that does not actually contain any valves......
• A Brief History of Banjos The banjo was originally developed and used by African Americans enslaved in the South. The slaves used gourd to create makeshift instruments that looked like the ones they used in Africa. In fact, the word "banjo" is believed to have evolved from a Kimbundu term for a similar musical instrument.......
• Manufacturers: Gibson Orville Gibson started the Gibson Guitar Corporation by making specialized mandolins in 1894. From the beginning, Gibson established himself as a quality instrument builder who added his own innovations. His mandolins were modified in such a way that they had a richer sound. Eventually, Gibson mandolins became the instrument of......
• Buyer's Guide for Banjos There are a number of elements to consider when buying a banjo. The main thing to look for is a banjo that is comfortable, easy to play, and does not hurt your hands. Push down on the strings up and down the neck to make sure they have enough give......

Continue reading → Introduction to the Banjo Instrument

A mandolin is a musical instrument that belongs to the lute family meaning that it can either be plucked or strummed. It is a direct descendant of a instrument called the Mandore, which is a soprano member of the same family. The mandolin instrument has a body that possesses a teardrop shaped soundboard, though it [...]

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• Introduction to the Bodhrán and Bouzouki Instruments There are musical instruments that you hear a lot about, and then there are many that do not find their way into the limelight much at all. The Bodhrán and Bouzouki instruments are examples of unique musical instruments that are still being played but that do not get a lot......
• Introduction to Stringed Instruments, pt 2 In the last post in this series we started talking about stringed instruments and the different varieties. We listed plucked stringed instruments, and will now talk about instruments that are played by bowing, striking and other methods. Bowing is a method that is used with some string instruments, including the......
• Introduction to the Bass Instrument The bass is also known as the double bass or the doghouse, and it is both the largest as well as the lowest pitch instrument in the violin family. Just like the violin, the double bass instrument evolved from the viol in Europe. Fine bass models are made out of......
• Some Background on the Acoustic Bass Guitar The acoustic bass guitar is an instrument which provides the heavy tones and harmonies associated with good Jazz. Somewhat of a mixed past, the acoustic bass guitar was born in the 50's but was developed in the 60s by Ernie Ball. It came after it's cousin, the electric bass guitar,......
• Styles of the Ukulele In the simplest sense, the ukulele is a very small guitar like musical instrument that originally came from Madeira, an island in Portugal. This instrument was originally known as Braguinha in Portuguese, until travelers left Portugal in 1879 bound for Hawaii, showing craftsmen the unique instrument. Hawaiian craftsmen were quickly......

Continue reading → Brief History of the Mandolin

The Hammered Dulcimer What the dulcimer is, is a stringed instrument that has perceived to be an ancestor to the modern piano. It possesses a number of courses of between two and five strings for each note, and they are stretched across a shallow trapezoid shaped box that is made out of wood. Players are [...]

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• Introduction to Stringed Instruments, pt 2 In the last post in this series we started talking about stringed instruments and the different varieties. We listed plucked stringed instruments, and will now talk about instruments that are played by bowing, striking and other methods. Bowing is a method that is used with some string instruments, including the......
• Brief History of the Sitar The sitar is a plucked string instrument that uses sympathetic strings and a long hollow neck along with a gourd resonating chamber in order to produce a very rich musical sound along with a complex harmonic resonance. The Sitar is predominantly used in Hindustani classical music, but has been used......
• A Little About Dulcimers 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......
• Brief History of Cellos or Celli The cello (short for "violoncello") is a bowed string instrument, similar to a larger violin that is held upright instead of on the chin. It originated from the three-stringed bass violin created by Jambe de Fer in 1556. The first composer to use the bass violin is thought to be......
• The History of the Harpsichord The history of the Harpsichord can be traced back to the 15th century, but the instrument actually got its start from the psaltery, which was a stringed instrument that the player held upright to pluck its strings (unlike the dulcimer which rested on the player's lap so the strings could......

Continue reading → Hammered and Lap Dulcimer Instruments