Musical Instruments


Feature Writer: Marcy Paulson
Writer Marcy Paulson, Photo by Lisa Connor

Whether you’ve begun learning a musical instrument or are an experienced musician, you’ve come to the right place. Here you’ll find information on guitar, bass, piano, flute, violin, and drums. From French horns to harmonicas—if it makes noise and is fun to play--we’ll cover it.

You’ll find tips to improve your sound, helpful lessons, comparisons of musical instruments, and reviews of equipment like amps, pedals, strings, and bows.

You’ll read interviews with makers, discover ideas for crafting your own authentic instruments, and find profiles of musicians.

If you have a question about an aspect of playing or a product on the market, pass it along. I’ll find someone with an answer. Also, check out my blog for musicians while you're here.

feature articles
Marcy Paulson

Jake Shimabukuro's Thoughts on Beginner Ukulele

In: World Instruments

According to Jake Shimabukuro, tenor ukulele is a great beginner instrument. Read about his first ukulele lessons and his encouragement to all musicians playing ukulele. more...

Chord Voicing and Fingering for Tenor Ukulele

In: World Instruments

Jake Shimabukuro outlines advantages of tenor ukulele tuning and offers tips for playing the ukulele with fresh fingering and unexpected chord voicing. more...

Playing the Tenor Ukulele Without a Pick

In: World Instruments

Jake Shimabukuro covers the reasons he prefers playing fingerstyle tenor ukulele and how the technique impacts his music. He also discusses his unique strumming style. more...

Shimabukuro Takes Playing Ukulele to New Levels

In: World Instruments

Jake Shimabukuro discusses techniques that transformed the world's image of the tenor ukulele and offers tips on playing ukulele outside the box. more...

Playing Flute With a Little Beatbox Flare

In: Flute

Playing flute and beatboxing are separate feats on their own, but Greg Pattillo manages to perform both simultaneously. Here are his flute tips for musicians. more...

Greg Pattillo Shares His BeatBoxing Flute Tips

In: Flute

Over 20 million visited You Tube to see Greg Pattillo beatbox while playing flute. With these flute tips, musicians learn to play and make percussion with their mouths. more...

What Happens When Classical Flute Meets Beatbox?

In: Flute

Millions of flute players logged onto You Tube and were blown away by Greg Pattillo's fusion of flute and beatbox. Here's how the seeds of that sound took root. more...

Meet Pattillo, You Tube's Beatbox Flute Player

In: Flute

Greg Pattillo's You Tube videos and persistence in the New York subways breathed new life into a classic instrument and launch his beatbox flute playing career. more...

All feature articles in Musical Instruments

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