All About String Musical Instruments – Things You Should Know as a Pianist

Since stringed musical instruments like viola, bass, cello and violin create music with strings vibrating to a certain pitch; they are known as the cousins of piano. What makes them distinct from each other is that the violinist or other string players pluck the strings with their fingers (which is instructed as pizzicato in music) while the strings of the piano are hit by the hammers to produce sound. Bass, viola cello and violin are not entirely instruments in the orchestra. Country, jazz, bluegrass and other types of music can also be created with the use of these wonderful and flexible instruments.

Piano in a way can be compared similarly to that of hammered dulcimer since the strings of the piano are being hit with the hammers for the tones to be created. Every single string of the hammered dulcimer is easily accessed by the musicians since they are exposed not like the piano. In creating chords, around four strings can be struck all at the same instance. Playing the strings in combination to create chords and melodies, the player makes use of two and at times four shaped hammers made of wood. Popular for its distinct sound, a hammered dulcimer is found widely in folk music.

The harpsichord, having the keyboard and notes produced by plucking (hitting) the strings is even more alike to the piano. Although the sound as well as the style is entirely dissimilar for both instruments, a good deal of music written for the piano can be played on the harpsichord and vice versa.

Harp, ukulele, banjo, mandolin and guitar are also classified as stringed instruments. In similar way and the same key, all of these instruments are tuned just like the piano. Unlike other instruments like the saxophone and trumpet, the pianist needs no transposition at all when using these instruments. Since the range of the piano is over eight octaves, all the notes created by these instruments can be found on it. Just like the guitar, since it only has four and a half octaves, the notes it makes can still be found on the piano’s range.

Loosening or tightening the tension of the particular string is the method of tuning all stringed instruments and piano is included in the group. The string vibrates faster and at a higher frequency as it is tightened and made shorter. The pitch will be higher as the string gets thinner. The brass, bronze and other metals wrapped tightly around the piano core are the components of the lower sounding strings whereas piano wire alone is the component of higher pitched strings. The strings of piano cannot be used as guitar strings and guitar strings cannot also be used on banjo, ukulele and mandolin even though they are created of similar materials.

The strings themselves are not the only ones creating the sound of the stringed instruments, but they also are responsible for making vibrations on other parts of the instrument. A good example is the guitar. More than its back and sides, the guitar’s top makes a lot of contribution to the entire sound. This also proves to be true to mandolin and other stringed instruments. Creating the beautiful melody of the piano is made possible by the important parts which are the soundboard, harp and its basic framework. The tone of the instrument will be of good quality if the components are also great. The biggest contributor to the quality of sound of the instruments is the age and type of wood being used.

James Hill: Get to Know One of the Best Ukulele Players in the World

James Hill is among the best-known serious ukulele players in the world. What sets him apart from most of his peers is that he’s not from Hawaii. In fact, he’s from about as far away from a tropical Pacific island as one could hope to get: Nova Scotia, Canada. Ironically, it is largely because of where he’s from that he became a famous ukulele player. Canada uses the ukulele as a way to teach elementary school children the basics of music, much in the fashion that recorders are used in the US. Hill’s love of the instrument started in those early years of his life.

James Hill is one of the ukulele performers who actively seeks to redefine the ukulele as a serious instrument and who, at the same time, doesn’t mind referencing that fact for a bit of humor. Among his recordings, for example, is 2002’s “Playing it like it isn’t…”. Hill has collaborated with numerous other musicians, including cellists and other performers. In addition to being introduced to the instrument in elementary school, Hill was able to participate in a ukulele performance group from a young age, thus cementing his playing it as a serious instrument, ensemble or solo.

James Hill has toured extensively, throughout the United States and Canada. Of course, he’s also played a lot in Hawaii, and is respected among other accomplished and serious ukulele players. His music is largely original, having influences that span a wide range of musical genres. Hill includes among his influences everything from folk to classical. His composition skills have won him wide acclaim, both for their contributing to the body of serious music for the instrument and on their musical merit, itself. He has been called a virtuoso performer and is considered among the best currently performing.

James Hill is active in promoting his instrument, making recommendations to beginners about what types of instruments may suit their needs and other tips. He offers private lessons, but those hoping to learn to play the ukulele on a beautiful beach should be aware that he still lives in his native Nova Scotia. Since the 1990s, the ukulele has become more popular as a serious instrument and the success of artists such as Hill are both the result of that and partially to credit for it being the case. This artist’s albums are widely available online, at his site, and off.

NXNE Personals: Get to know Brit & The Cavalry, Afterparty and My My My

NXNE Personals: Get to know Brit & The Cavalry, Afterparty and My My My
To help acquaint you with the multitude of acts playing North by Northeast Festival this weekend in Toronto, The Ampersand has invited this year’s acts to each write their own personal ad, in hopes of courting a few new fans, or reigniting an old flame

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Michael Franks cover-Lady Wants To Know

Trying to play the song “Lady Wants To Know” by Michael Franks

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I want you to know picking ukulele/Kekai Boyz

This is my first picking vid. Please comment on more details of the vid or ask for any more ukulele songs that I amy know. Sorry for the short video, My digital camera has a time limit so I was trying to make it as detailed as possible. Enjoy and wait for more

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How easy is it to learn to play plectrum banjo if you know how to play ukulele?

I play ukulele and I want to take up banjo. I was thinking of plectrum banjo because it only has 4 strings like the ukulele, but do you think this would make it easier for me to learn?

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Does anyone know any websites that teach ukulele for beginners and that is free?

I am buying a ukulele and I would like to know if there are any websites that teach ukulele for beginners: eg. Youtube.

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“You Don’t Know Me” — Electric Ukulele

Friends of Old Puppy play “You Don’t Know Me”. “You Don’t Know Me” was written by Cindy Walker and Eddy Arnold in 1955.Friends of Old Puppy features Steven Strauss on (Risa) electric soprano ukulele, Mal Sharpe on trombone, Ed Johnson on wash-tub bass (“gutbucket”), and Cynthia Wilson on drums. Jan. 2, 2010 Videographed, sound engineered, and edited by Pip R. Lagenta. The Friends of Old Puppy band plays at the Nabolom Bakery in Berkeley, every Saturday morning (starting at 10 am). It’s-Not-Much Productions — Recorded LIVE! — Berkeley, California

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Does anyone know if soprano ukulele chords are the same as the tenor chords?

I just bought a new soprano ukulele and i’ve been looking up chord charts and watching tutorial videos. It seems to me that all the videos I watch are taught on a tenor ukulele.

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Fretboard Roadmaps – Ukulele: The Essential Patterns That All the Pros Know and Use

• 80 Pages
• Published by HL
• Softcover with CD

Product Description
Take your uke playing to the next level with this great package that will teach you how to: strum backup chords all over the fretboard, in any key; play chord solos up and down the fretboard; solo in any key using first-position major scales, chord-based licks, and moveable major and blues scales; understand chord progressions; increase your chord vocabulary; and more. Tunes and exercises that illustrate each technique are written in standard notation and tablature … More >>

Fretboard Roadmaps – Ukulele: The Essential Patterns That All the Pros Know and Use