Musical instruments - Topics

Is the guitar solo a relic or the only thing that still separates rock from everything else? Why do some churches ban instruments entirely Electronic instruments blur the line between playing and programming Learning an instrument as an adult is harder but not hopeless A piano needs tuning twice a year whether you play it or not What is the real difference between a synth and a sampler Solo piano recitals survive because one person can fill a hall with nothing but a Steinway Why does a cheap violin sound so different from a good one Why do some frontmen sound naked the moment they play alone Every orchestra tunes to the oboe for a reason Is it ever too late to start learning piano as an adult Graded music exams shape how millions of kids learn an instrument A conductor is the only musician who makes no sound himself Is instrumental music allowed inside a mosque A touring drummer's life is airports and soundchecks and borrowed kits Are analogue synths still worth the money in a digital studio Standard notation terms predate the instruments we now play them on A peal of bells can run for three hours without repeating a single row Church bells are tuned to a minor third and that is why they sound so haunting The hook is what you hum and the riff is what you air-guitar Tuning a full set of tower bells takes days and a very steady hand A saxophone is a woodwind that thinks it is brass Vintage gear sounds better partly because it was recorded that way Humidity will undo a guitar setup faster than playing ever will Casting a bell is one of the last crafts still done over an open fire Legato means slightly different things on a violin and on a piano Picking your first instrument matters far less than actually practicing it A Stradivarius costs more than a house and nobody fully agrees why The gap between a two-hundred and a two-thousand dollar guitar is mostly the neck Teaching yourself guitar from YouTube can skip the bad habits of formal lessons