Instruments Articles

Cheat Sheet / Updated 04-27-2022

Guitar theory is an area of study that explains how you can play, improvise, and compose popular music on the guitar fretboard — and why certain elements of music go together the way they do. Dive into guitar theory by exploring a fretboard diagram showing notes along the 6th and 5th strings; some major scale patterns; Roman numerals and the major/minor chord sequence; and mode names.

Cheat Sheet / Updated 04-13-2022

When you first start thinking about taking up the trumpet, finding an instrument that’s right for you is at the top of your to-do list. You need a mouthpiece as well — one that’s a good size and design for your needs. Of course, when you have a trumpet and mouthpiece, you need to know how to take care of them so that they last a long time and stay in good working order. Finally, you need a map for your journey, so a fingering chart is essential information, telling you which of those three valves you need to push down for the notes you want to play.

Cheat Sheet / Updated 04-05-2022

The saxophone has influenced many styles of music. Saxophonists have left their indelible mark on music, whether it’s in the big bands of Count Basie and Duke Ellington, Bill Haley’s legendary rock ’n’ roll band, or the funk master James Brown. And in the bossa nova song “The Girl from Ipanema,” the breathy sax is the icing on the cake. This Cheat Sheet provides some basic information to help you start playing the saxophone: buying or leasing a sax, sax parts and their functions, practicing with your sax, and playing a new sax song.

Cheat Sheet / Updated 03-15-2022

This Cheat Sheet has some handy tips that you can keep in your practice area for quick reference. Use these techniques to review your basic rhythms and warm up your hands at the beginning of a playing session. Before you begin, trim and file the nails on your fretting hand so that nothing comes between your fingertips and the strings. Also, you may need a warm up before your warm up. Make sure your shoulders, arms, hands, and fingers are loose and warm. Stretch and massage yourself to get the blood flowing if need be.

Cheat Sheet / Updated 03-14-2022

Playing classical guitar starts with figuring out the notes, noting major and minor keys on the circle of 5ths, and knowing what situations in classical guitar call for playing the free stroke or the rest stroke.

Cheat Sheet / Updated 03-10-2022

Learning to play the guitar is a lot fun. Use this cheat sheet to help you get started with your guitar finger placement and guitar chords. If you need help with finger placement on your guitar, use tablature (tab) and fingerboard diagrams. Practice playing the most common open-position chords on your guitar to get that “jangly” sound, and make sure you know the notes on the neck of your guitar to change starting notes in scales, chords, and arpeggios.

Cheat Sheet / Updated 03-10-2022

Every guitarist seeks to produce an expressive and distinctive tone, but trying to figure out what kind of gear you need to create your sound can be baffling. This Cheat Sheet explains the three main equipment categories that comprise your music-making rig: your electric guitar, guitar amps, and effects pedals and units. These components all work together to create your sound. And because you can swap out equipment and change settings, the creative possibilities are virtually limitless.

Cheat Sheet / Updated 03-10-2022

They say that practice makes perfect, and playing the fiddle is no different from other disciplines. Your fiddle playing will improve if you work on various drills and techniques during your practice sessions, including setting up your instrument and preparing to play, maintaining proper posture, positioning your fingers correctly, practicing left- and right-hand techniques, and establishing good bow movement.

Cheat Sheet / Updated 03-04-2022

To play blues guitar, first you have to know the basics of guitar in general, which means identifying the parts of a guitar and being able to translate a chord diagram. Then, you can get familiar with common open and moveable chord forms and create your own blues guitar style.

Cheat Sheet / Updated 02-25-2022

Becoming a great percussionist is more difficult than just hitting drums with sticks. Developing your own fluid and easy style on the drums involves practicing rudiments (sticking pattern exercises) in one of two ways: with a metronome or drumming at various tempos.