Blog | page 2

Most people know the classical guitar as the first one they learned on. It is also called a Spanish guitar and music schools still start on it. We go through what size a child and an adult need, and which strings you are allowed to fit.

You have the kit and the sticks, and the whole thing still sounds cheap. Nine times out of ten the cymbals are to blame. They are the most expensive pieces of metal a drummer buys and the first thing an audience hears.

You are sitting at the computer with a project open in your DAW, clicking notes into the grid with a mouse. It works, but it takes forever and the result sounds like clockwork. This is the exact point where most people buy their first MIDI controller, also known as a MIDI keyboard.

A tuner is the first thing a guitarist needs. Before the first chord. We compare clip-on tuners, pedal tuners and phone apps so you know what to buy first.

Did you know the first chorus in the world rang out in a church four hundred years before the first pedal? The chorus effect dominated the music of the 80s so strongly that it became the signature of the whole decade. Its story runs from pipe organs through a tape trick at Abbey Road to the blue box on the pedalboards of Prince and The Cure.

Have you always been drawn to the deep, singing tone of the cello and finally want to learn it? You can start at any age. We will tell you where the cello comes from, which one to choose, what accessories you need and how to make the first steps so you play sooner than you think.

Living in a flat and want to play, but not to go to war with the neighbours? You do not have to stop or play in secret. Just pick an instrument you can play at full volume through headphones, or quieten the one you already have. We show you the top quiet instruments for a flat and a few tips that keep anyone from hearing you through the wall.

A harmonica is a cheap, pocket-sized instrument on which you can play your first melody within minutes. The catch is that there are two completely different types, and the wrong choice will slow you down. We explain the difference between a diatonic and a chromatic harmonica and advise which one, and in what key, to pick to start.

The concert flute is one of the most beautiful and versatile wind instruments, but it is easy to get lost among the models on your first purchase. We explain how it differs from the recorder, what to watch for in the keys and material, and which concert flute suits a beginner or a child.

If you are a beginner choosing your first keyboard instrument, you have several options. Beginner musicians most often choose a keyboard or a digital piano. When choosing the right product, price and quality matter, but so do functions and intended use. Although a keyboard and a digital piano may seem identical, there are several important differences. We will help you choose the instrument that fits your needs.