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Bagpipes Bagpipes have what might euphemistically be referred to as a characteristic sound. This sound comes from the double-reed melody pipe, which produces the melody, as well as the drone pipe, which produces the constant background sound. Although a taste for bagpipe music is something that needs to be acquired, there is no problem acquiring bagpipe information on the Net. Web:
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Banjo Africans brought the banjo all the way to America before 1688, just so people could go to bluegrass festivals and jam. And now that the banjo is well-established within our modern culture, it's time for you to start practicing. Remember, the only way you can get to the Grand Ole Opry is to practice, practice, practice. Web:
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Brass The brass is a family of instruments, made out of metal, in which sound is produced by blowing into a metal mouthpiece. The most common brass instruments are the trumpet, trombone, tuba, cornet and horn (which used to be called the French horn). There's something rich and regal about the sound of brass instruments. Trumpet trivia: When I was in junior high school, I played the trumpet for a year. (The music teacher is still recovering.) Web:
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Drums and Percussion Percussion involves striking objects together to produce a sound. But that's only the starting point. There's lots of ways to strike things together and lots of different sounds you can make. To be a good percussionist takes a strong sense of rhythm, above-average manual dexterity and many hours of practice. If you tend toward the loud and rowdy, percussion may be for you (and there is plenty more where that came from on the Net). Web:
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Guitar I first played guitar when I was a 13-year-old kid at camp. That summer, I was inspired to learn by watching other people play and noticing how much fun they were having (and how cool they looked). So, I borrowed an instrument whenever I could and began to teach myself. When I got back to the city, I got my own guitar and, every summer from then on, I took the guitar to camp with me, where I was able to improve my skills by watching and practicing. Over the years, I discovered that, if you play guitar well enough -- and you are willing to wait long enough -- you will, eventually, have all the women you want. (For me, it works out quite nicely, as I can get a lot of writing done while I am waiting.) Web:
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Musical Instrument Construction What a satisfying feeling to be able to drag out a toolbox and some supplies and craft yourself a musical instrument. And what would be even better is if you can play it when you are finished building it. People who are good with their hands gather to discuss the design, building and repair of musical instruments. Usenet:
Piano I have been playing the piano ever since I was a little boy. Although I took lessons and I can read music, I mostly play by ear, or by looking at the names of chords and figuring out what the notes as I am playing. I like the piano because it makes me feel as if I am in another world. As a matter of fact, I think I'll take a break right now and go play for a few minutes. Hold on...okay, I'm back. If you want to learn how to play the piano, here is the secret: you have to practice at least one hour every day. Web:
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Strings The strings are those instruments in which sound is produced by either bowing (and sometimes plucking) a set of strings. The most common stringed instruments are the violin, viola, cello and double bass. String music can be among the most beautiful music in the world. The next time the world becomes just too much to bear, listen to a recording of a string quartet playing Pachelbel's "Canon in D Minor", and you will calm down within minutes. I just tried it, and it works. (By the way, a canon is a composition in which a single melody is played in an overlapping manner by several instruments.) Web:
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Unusual Instruments What do you do when your teenage daughter comes home with her new boyfriend and announces that they are going to her room, where he is going to teach her how to play with his theremin? Don't panic. Take a moment to check with the Net. You'll find out that the theremin is a strange electronic musical instrument invented in Russia in 1919, and you don't even touch it when you play it. Moreover, there's no need to worry if you hear strange noises coming from the room. That's what theremin sound like (think of the weird sounds in the Beach Boys' song "Good Vibrations"). While you're at it, you might as well read about other unusual instruments, such as the didgeridoo, the armonica, the gravikord, the sarrusophone, and more. Web:
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Woodwinds A woodwind is a wind instrument in which you produce sound by blowing across a mouthpiece or through a reed that vibrates. The most common woodwinds are the clarinet, saxophone, flute, oboe and bassoon. When I was in medical school, I had a friend named Tim who was an accomplished saxophone player. At one time, he loaned me a tenor sax, which I kept in my locker and played between classes. I never took lessons, so I had to figure it out for myself. I had a lot of fun, and I even got to the point where I could make a sound like an inebriated cow with a bad cold. Eventually, Tim took back the sax, but if he hadn't, who knows where I'd be today? Web:
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