Category: Instruments

Instruments

Santoor Facts: Shop for Instruments, Accessories, Gifts

by musician on August 29, 2015

Santoor Facts

The santoor is an ancient stringed instrument, a hammered dulcimer with origins in Mesopotamia. The Persian santur is played with a pair of lightweight wooden mallets that are held between the thumb, index, and middle fingers. The instrument is delicate and sensitive and produces an exotic sound.

Similar string instruments have been present since medieval times. The Indian santoor is wider and more rectangular with a higher number of strings. The mallets, or hammers, are held and played with a different technique.

The Chinese yangqin and the Greek santouri also derived from the Persian santur. The cimbalom, a larger Eastern European version of the santur, is used as an accompanying instrument in gypsy music. In many countries including the United States, the instrument is called a hammered dulcimer.

More Santoor Facts

Fun Fact
A person who performs on this string instrument is called a santoorist.

Notable santoorists include Tarun Bhattacharya, Rijram Desad, Aryan Ezoji, Hossein Farjami, Varada Khadilkar, Parviz Meshkatian, Abhay Sopori, Bhajan Sopori, Rahul Sharma, Shivkumar Sharma, R. Visweswaran, and Satish Vyas.

Arnold Van Westerhout

High Quality Vintage Art Reproduction

Dulcimer by Arnold Van Westerhout (1723)

Listen to the Santoor

Performed by Parviz Meshkatian

Iranian musician and composer Parviz Meshkatian studied at the Tehran Academy of Arts, where he was introduced to radif, the Persian classical music repertoire. He produced some of the most beautiful recordings of contemporary Persian traditional music, collaborating with Mohammad-Reza Shajarian, a highly respected master of traditional Persian music. Meshkatian toured Europe and Asia, performing on the santur (santoor) and the setar (a member of the lute family). An avid researcher, Meshkatian went on to teach music at Tehran University.

Best Gifts for Music Lovers

We’ve created more than 2,000 products for string instrument players and music lovers. Find a unique gift for your favorite santoor player or enthusiast. Beware of inferior copycats! Our original designs are available here and in our String Kings Music Santoor collection.

Find a Santoor Online

Quality Persian Santoor

Product details:

Walnut wood body
Brass, steel strings
Pair of hammers
Hard carrying case
Extra set of strings
Tuning wrench

Persian Quality Santoor Santur Dulcimer Package Includes Hard Carrying Case

Santoor Gift Ideas

If you need to find a gift for your favorite santoor player, you’ve come to the right place. We’re always creating new products and sharing our favorites from other designers.

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Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. This means that–at zero cost to you–we will earn an affiliate commission if you click through the link and finalize a purchase.

Learning Book For Persian Santoor – Santur, Dulcimer – ABS-310 – Language is Farsi Mezrab for Santoor – Santor, Santour, Santur – High Quality – Ships from USA Persian Santoor Strings – Santor, Santour, Santur – 43 Yards – High Quality – Red Teeburon I Love Santoor Colorful Hearts T-Shirt – 100% High Quality Cotton – Black

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Psaltery Facts: Shop for Instruments, Accessories, Gifts

by musician on August 29, 2015

Psaltery Facts

The psaltery is a stringed musical instrument belonging to the zither family. Psalteries are often depicted in the manuscripts, paintings, and sculptures of 12th to 15th century Europe. The psalteries of Ancient Greece resembled small harps. Modern psalteries are based on the guitar zither and the autoharp.

Psalteries have appeared in a variety of forms and styles throughout history. On the earlier instruments that resembled harps, the strings were plucked. On subsequent versions, the strings could either be struck or bowed.

The bowed psaltery was introduced in the early 20th century and is the style most frequently seen and played today. Modern psalteries are triangular in shape, played with a bow, with strings running down both sides of the soundboard. This unique triangular shape allows the end portion of each string to be bowed.

Here are a few more interesting psaltery facts. When playing modern bowed psalteries you don’t need to learn fingering positions. Each string produces a single note. The bow plays just one note at a time, so the psaltery is primarily a melody instrument. Its haunting sound is well suited to folk songs, hymns, and carols.

More Psaltery Facts

Fun Fact
A person who performs on this string instrument is called a psalterist.

Notable psalterists include Satis Coleman, James Jones, Rick Long, Lowell Mason, Eric Meier, Donna Missigman, Ann Tucker, and George James Webb.

Strangeling Angel with a Psaltery

Jasmine Becket Griffith

Strangeling Angel with a Psaltery 11×14 Unframed Fantasy Print Poster

Listen to the Bowed Psaltery

Introduction by James Jones

James Jones has been building custom musical instruments in his rural Bedford, Virginia shop since 1978. He produces an entire line of fine string instruments, including bouzoukis, hammered dulcimers, Appalachian dulcimers, harps, mandolins, zithers–and of course, psalteries. Visit his website, James Jones Instruments to see what’s available now. This introduction to the instrument is played on one of his 2-1/2 octave alto bowed psalteries.

Best Gifts for Music Lovers

We’ve created more than 2,000 products for string instrument players and music lovers. Find a unique gift for your favorite psaltery player or enthusiast. Beware of inferior copycats! Our original designs are available here and in our String Kings Music Psaltery collection.

Find a Psaltery Online

Zither Heaven Black Walnut Bowed Psaltery

Product details:

Black walnut with a contrasting cherry stripe and bridge
Black walnut frame rails with a hard maple pin area
22 strings, starts on G4 ends on F6
Includes bow, rosin, tuning wrench, fleece drawstring bag
String chart with note lay out and stick on note letters
Overall dimension: 21.5 x 7 x 2 inches (L-W-H)
Ideal instrument for anyone interested in learning music

Black Walnut Bowed Psaltery with 22 Strings Zither Heaven Psaltery – Made in the USA

Baltic Psalteries

Since 2012 Baltic Psalteries has manufactured more than 2,000 unique handcrafted instruments. Sharing music is a passion–more than 200 psalteries have been donated to orphanages, music institutions, and large families.

Baltic Psalteries
Our psalteries are designed for both professional musicians as well as people with no special musical education. We have had some fabulous reviews from folk groups and famous musicians.

Psaltery Gift Ideas

If you need to find a gift for your favorite psaltery player, you’ve come to the right place. We’re always creating new products and sharing our favorites from other designers.

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Roosebeck Baritone Psaltery Strings RBSPSB – Set of 37 – Phosphor Bronze – String Gauge .012 Roosebeck Psaltery Bow – Mongolian Horse Hair – Solid Walnut Wood – Very Light – Easy to Play D’Addario Violin Rosin – Natural Light – For Violin, Viola, Cello – Made with All-Natural Ingredients Teeburon I Love Psaltery Colorful Hearts Women’s T-Shirt – 100% High Quality Cotton – Black

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Piano Facts: Shop for Instruments, Accessories, Gifts

by musician on August 24, 2015

Piano Facts

The piano is a musical instrument played by way of a keyboard. The typical acoustic piano has a protective wooden case surrounding the soundboard and metal strings. Strings are sounded when the keys are pressed. There are 88 keys in all (52 white and 36 black). A greater touch on a key produces a louder sound of the corresponding note. By using pedals, notes can be sustained even when the keys are released.

The piano was created in Padua, Italy in 1709. Harpsichord maker Bartolomeo Cristofori is credited with development of the instrument, which he called a pianoforte—piano meaning “soft” and forte meaning “loud.” Unlike the harpsichord, the piano allowed for variations in volume depending upon a pianist’s touch on the keys.

Many improvements have been made over the past 300 years, yet the modern instrument remains true to Cristofori’s earliest designs. His oldest surviving pianoforte was built in 1720 and is on display at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.

There has never been a better time to acquire and learn to play the piano. Not every home has the space or budget for a grand or upright model, but there are many other options. Digital pianos and keyboards are extremely popular and affordable.

More Piano Facts

Fun Fact
A person who performs on this string instrument is called a pianist.

Notable pianists include Leif Ove Andsnes, Martha Argerich, Claudio Arrau, Vladimir Ashkenazy, Daniel Barenboim, Ludwig van Beethoven, Alfred Brendel, Frédéric Chopin, Glenn Gould, Myra Hess, Vladimir Horowitz, Stephen Hough, Lang Lang, Franz Liszt, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, John Ogdon, Murray Perahia, Maria Joao Pires, Maurizio Pollini, Sergei Rachmaninov, Sviatoslav Richter, Arthur Rubinstein, Clara Schumann, Jean-Yves Thibaudet, and Mitsuko Uchida. Source: Classic FM – The 25 Best Piano Players of All Time

Piano Scales & Keyboard Chart

Full-Color Piano Chords Poster

Piano Chords Chart – Keyboard Note Chart Full-Color Piano Chords Poster 24×36

Listen to the Piano

Don Grusin & Friends

Songwriter, producer, and keyboardist Don Grusin performs Catwalk, from the album “The Hang.” Also performing are Alex Acuña (drums), Charlie Bisharat (violin), Abraham LaBoriel (bass), and Sadao Watanabe (alto saxophone).

We Love Pianos

Looking for more piano facts? Here are some of our favorite pages about pianos for you to enjoy:

Business Cards for Performers and Teachers

Best Gifts for Music Lovers

We’ve created more than 2,000 products for string instrument players and music lovers. Find a unique gift for your favorite piano player or enthusiast. Beware of inferior copycats! Our original designs are available here and in our String Kings Music Piano collection.

Find a Keyboard Online

RockJam 61-Key Electronic Keyboard Package

Product details:

True full-size 61-key keyboard piano with standard key sizes
LCD screen, record and playback functionality
100 keyboard sounds, 100 rhythms, 50 demo songs
Strong, adjustable stand designed to hold keyboard securely
Padded stool is comfortable for pianists of all ages
LCD display shows correct keys to press for demo songs
Power supply for home, backup uses six size D batteries
High quality, over-ear headphones for quiet play
Free Piano Course for Simply Piano by JoyTunes!

RockJam Full-Size 61-Key Electronic Keyboard SuperKit Includes Adjustable Stand, Padded Stool, Headphones and Power Supply

Piano Gift Ideas

If you need to find a gift for your favorite piano player, you’ve come to the right place. We’re always creating new products and sharing our favorites from other designers.

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Practice Keyboard Note Chart – Training Tool – Measures 48 inches Wide – Fits Across All 88 Piano Keys Bonnlo Adjustable Duet Piano Bench with Storage – Black Faux Leather – Wooden Legs – Cushioned Seat Grand Piano on the Moon – Astronaut Pianist – Funny Music T-Shirt Gift for Piano Teachers and Players VTech Zoo Jamz Zebra Piano – Light-Up Keys – Microphone Lets Kids Sing – 100+ Songs, Melodies, Sounds

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Oud Facts: Shop for Instruments, Accessories, Gifts

by musician on August 24, 2015

Oud Facts

The oud is a pear-shaped stringed instrument similar to the lute. It can be distinguished from the lute by its smaller neck and lack of frets. Both of these string instruments are regarded as ancestors of the guitar.

Ouds are commonly used in Arabic, Greek, Turkish, Persian, Jewish, Byzantine, Armenian, North African, Somali, and Middle Eastern music.

Modern day ouds are categorized as Arabic or Turkish, though the distinction has little to do with geography. Turkish ouds are popular in Greece and other parts of the Mediterranean. Iraqi, Egyptian, and Syrian ouds are popular throughout the Arab world, and are classified as Arabic ouds because of their similarities.

Lightly constructed Turkish ouds can be distinguished by their string courses, which are placed closer together. Turkish ouds are tuned a step higher than Arabic ouds, producing a sound that is taut and shrill. Arabic ouds are typically larger with a longer scale length. This produces a fuller and deeper sound.

More Oud Facts

Fun Fact
A person who performs on this string instrument is called an oudist.

Notable oudists include Rahim Alhaj, Ahmed Alshaiba, Amer Ammouri, Anouar Brahem, Hamza El Din, H. Aram Gulezyan, Aarif Jaman, Saad Mahmood Jawad, Yuval Ron, Alan Shavarsh Bardezbanian, and Scott Wilson.

Turkish Oud

Framed Canvas Wall Art

Turkish Oud Poster Artwork on Canvas 23×34 Wall Art With Black Aluminum Frame

Listen to the Oud

Performed by Ahmed Alshaiba

An instrumental interpretation of Michael Jackson’s “Smooth Criminal” was arranged by Ahmed Alshaiba, a young musician from Yemen who now makes his home in New York City. The talented player is self-taught and likes to create a mix of eastern and western styles.

Best Gifts for Music Lovers

We’ve created more than 2,000 products for string instrument players and music lovers. Find a unique gift for your favorite oud player or enthusiast. Beware of inferior copycats! Our original designs are available here and in our String Kings Music Oud collection.

Find an Oud Online

Turkish Quality String Instrument Oud

Product details:

Mahogany bowl, spruce face, ebony pegs
High quality, beautiful instrument
Great tone, deep resonation, easy to tune
Plectrum and extra set of strings
Soft case for storage and portability
Two-year warranty certificate

Turkish Quality String Instrument Oud Spruce Face and Mahogany Bowl

Oud Gift Ideas

If you need to find a gift for your favorite oud player, you’ve come to the right place. We’re always creating new products and sharing our favorites from other designers.

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D’Addario Arabic Oud Strings EJ95A – Set of 11 – Silver-Plated Copper – Medium String Gauge Oud Abstract Design T-Shirt – Middle Eastern Music – Great Gift for Oud Teachers, Students, Players Zaza Percussion – Portable Aluminum Oud Stand – Foldable Design with Crab Body and Footrest Folkways Records – Music for the Classical Oud – Khamis El Fino – Oud Virtuoso – 1964 – Audio CD

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Mandolin Facts: Shop for Instruments, Accessories, Gifts

by musician on August 23, 2015

Mandolin Facts

A mandolin is a stringed musical instrument in the lute family. It’s usually plucked with a plectrum or pick. Mandolins evolved in Italy and first appeared during the 15th century. Deep-bowled mandolins were produced mainly in Naples, and became popular during the 19th century.

Similar string instruments around the world include the traditional Russian balalaika, the Greek bouzouki, the Puerto Rican cuatro, the Brazilian bandolim, and the Arab dambura.

The mandolin’s sound is popular in many types of music, including bluegrass, country, folk, rock, ethnic, jazz, and classical. Ludwig van Beethoven composed music specifically for the mandolin and also enjoyed playing it.

Players are drawn to the mandolin because it’s versatile, accessible, and relative easy to learn. It also offers an excellent introduction to the world of music. Mandolin playing skills can easily be applied to many other folk instruments.

More Mandolin Facts

Fun Fact
A person who performs on this string instrument is called a mandolinist.

Notable mandolinists include Carlo Aonzo, Dave Apollon, Avi Avital, Jethro Burns, Jacob do Bandolim, Ry Cooder, David Grisman, Caterina Lichtenberg, Andrew Marlin (Mandolin Orange), Mike Marshall, Bill Monroe, James ‘Yank’ Rachell, Johnny Staats, Andy Statman, Adam Steffey, and Chris Thile.

The Mandolin

French Impressionist Artist Berthe Morisot (1889)

The Mandolin by Berthe Morisot

Listen to the Mandolin

Avi Avital and the Venice Baroque Orchestra

The sights and sounds of Venice, Italy come to life in an homage to the beloved Italian composer, Antonio Vivaldi. Joined by the Venice Baroque Orchestra, mandolinist and composer Avi Avital performs Vivaldi’s Mandolin Concerto In C Major from his album Vivaldi. The young musician is well known for his renditions of Baroque and folk music, much of which was originally written for other string instruments.

We Love Mandolins

Looking for more mandolin facts? Here are some of our favorite pages about mandolins for you to enjoy:

Business Cards for Performers and Teachers
Left-Hand Chord Charts

Best Gifts for Music Lovers

We’ve created more than 2,000 products for string instrument players and music lovers. Find a unique gift for your favorite mandolin player or enthusiast. Beware of inferior copycats! Our original designs are available here and in our String Kings Music Mandolin collection.

Find a Mandolin Online

Vangoa A-Style Mandolin Sunburst

Product details:

Made of quality tonewood with popular sunburst color, shiny finish
Mahogany neck and bridge
Played by picks, no more pains on your fingers
Relatively wider range of 20 frets is suited to beginners or experienced players
A-style mandolin makes a great gift or first instrument
Ready to play straight out of the box!

Vangoa A-Style Mandolin in Sunburst Color (Also Available in Redburst)Includes Pick-up, Picks, Strap, Extra Strings, Durable Soft Bag, and Tuner

Mandolin Gift Ideas

If you need to find a gift for your favorite mandolin player, you’ve come to the right place. We’re always creating new products and sharing our favorites from other designers.

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D’Addario Mandolin Strings EJ74 – Set of 8 – Phosphor Bronze – Full Tonal Spectrum – Medium String Gauge Hal Leonard Mandolin Method Book – Rich Del Grosso – Easy-to-Use Beginner’s Guide – Paperback The Practical Mandolin Chord Chart + Mandolin Fret Board, Tuning & General Info – Two-Sided Chart Evergreen Mandolin Music for Christmas – Butch Baldassari – Holiday Standards – Audio CD

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Lute Facts: Shop for Instruments, Accessories, Gifts

by musician on August 16, 2015

Lute Facts

The lute is a plucked string instrument with a long neck bearing frets. The instrument is characterized by a rounded body and a flat front that is shaped somewhat like a halved egg. Lutes have been used in a great variety of instrumental music from the Medieval to the late Baroque eras. Indeed, they were the most important instrument for secular music during the Renaissance.

Lutes have been popular in Europe since the 13th century, though the earliest surviving compositions date from the late 15th century. Many composers published collections of their music during the 16th and 17th centuries. Sadly, much of the music is still lost. In the second half of the 17th century, lutes and similar stringed instruments declined in popularity. Very little music was written for the instrument after 1750. It wasn’t until the second half of the 20th century that music historians prompted a renewed interest in lute music.

More Lute Facts

Fun Fact
A person who performs on this string instrument is called a lutenist.

Notable lutenists include Peter Croton, John Dowland, Jacques Gallot, Joachim Held, Hubert Hoffmann, Lutz Kirchhof, Nigel North, Valéry Sauvage, and Christopher Wilson.

China Wind Classical Lute

High Quality Canvas Wall Art

HXX China Wind Classical Lute Poster Canvas Prints are Handmade With Care

Listen to the Lute

Performed by Valéry Sauvage

Accomplished string musician Valéry Sauvage plays the timeless classic “Greensleeves” on an instrument constructed by Stephen Murphy. Initially he plays the anonymous version from William Ballet’s Lute Book (late 16th or early 17th century). Valéry believes this to be the first known version for solo lute of “Greensleeves.” He segues into a version by Renaissance period composer and lutenist Francis Cutting, then back to the first version. Visit his YouTube channel, Luthval.

Best Gifts for Music Lovers

We’ve created more than 2,000 products for string instrument players and music lovers. Find a unique gift for your favorite lute player or enthusiast. Beware of inferior copycats! Our original designs are available here and in our String Kings Music Lute collection.

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Roosebeck Tenor Lute-Kulele Ukulele

Product details:

Design is based upon the Renaissance Lute which was prevalent in Europe in the 16th and 17th century
Back is made in the traditional manner of lute making, with alternating staves of walnut and lacewood (Platanus orientalus)
Neck and pegbox are solid walnut
The second (E) and third (C) strings are doubled providing a rich full and balanced tone
Ideally suited for classical and fingerstyle music
European spruce soundboard
Features the famous Leonardo Knot rosette, a favorite of Renaissance lute makers
One of the sweetest sounding ukuleles in the Roosebeck collection

Roosebeck Tenor Lute-Kulele Ukulele Variegated – Walnut Back is Crafted With Alternating Staves of Walnut and Lacewood

Lute Gift Ideas

If you need to find a gift for your favorite lute player, you’ve come to the right place. We’re always creating new products and sharing our favorites from other designers.

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Roosebeck 8-Course Lute Strings RBSLT8 – Traditional Renaissance Tuning Recommended for this Set First Coffee Then Lute Baroque Music Lover Musician Lutenist Cotton T-Shirt – Lute Player Humor I’m Only In It for The Lute – Funny Lute Player Cotton T-Shirt- Baroque and Medieval Instrument Humor Berkin Arts Leonardo Da Vinci Stretched Giclee Print On Canvas – Angel in Red with Lute – 7.4 x 15 inches

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Lap Steel Guitar Facts: Shop for Instruments, Accessories, Gifts

by musician on August 13, 2015

Lap Steel Guitar Facts

The lap steel guitar is a string instrument derived from and similar to the guitar. On a conventional guitar, players create sounds by pressing strings against the fretboard. When playing a lap steel or lap pedal guitar, players alter the pitch by pressing a bar against the strings. The instrument is typically placed on the player’s lap. It can also be placed on a stool in front of the player.

Lap steel and pedal steel guitars are associated with many types of music including bluegrass, blues, country, Hawaiian, jazz, and rock. How does it work? The player holds a metal or glass slide in one hand, which is moved along the strings. The other hand is used to pluck or pick the strings.

More Lap Steel Guitar Facts

Fun Fact
A person who performs on this string instrument is called a lap steel guitarist.

Notable lap steel guitarists include Jeff Beck, Chuck Berry, John Fogerty (Creedence Clearwater Revival), Jerry Garcia (The Grateful Dead), George Harrison (The Beatles), James Kerr, John Lennon (The Beatles), Barbara Mandrell, Jimmy Page (Led Zeppelin), and Ron Wood (The Rolling Stones).

Flaming Hands in Motion

Julie Turner Gallery Premium Stretched Canvas Print

Flaming Hands in Motion Originally Created in Acrylic by Julie Turner High-Resolution Photograph of the Artist’s Original Painting is Printed on 9×12 Canvas

Listen to the Lap Steel Guitar

Learn the Basics of Sliding and Picking

Andrew Defrancisci walks you through the basics of sliding and picking. Learn a few general playing techniques for the lap steel guitar.

Best Gifts for Music Lovers

We’ve created more than 2,000 products for string instrument players and music lovers. Find a unique gift for your favorite lap steel guitar player or enthusiast. Beware of inferior copycats! Our original designs are available here and in our String Kings Music Lap Steel Guitar collection.

Find a Lap Steel Guitar Online

Ash Electric Lap Steel Guitar

Product details:

Full-size 36-fret lap steel guitar
American swamp ash body with rosewood fretboard
Diecast chrome tuners plus volume and tone knobs
Removable lap steel stand and padded carry bag
P90 pickup
Perfect for Blues, Rock, Hawaiian, Country, Bluegrass, and Western Swing

SX Lap 2 Ash 3TS Electric Lap Steel Guitar Includes Padded Carrying Case and Legs

Lap Steel Guitar Gift Ideas

If you need to find a gift for your favorite lap steel guitar player, you’ve come to the right place. We’re always creating new products and sharing our favorites from other designers.

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Batking 6-String Slotted Head Stock Electric Lap Steel Slide Guitar – Solid Poplar Body – Sunburst – Gig Bag S.I.T. Strings BEC6th Chromatic Tuning – Buddy Emmons Signature Series Pedal Steel Strings Alnicov Stainless Steel Tone Bar for Lap Steel Guitar – Chrome Plated on Polished Steel Body – Easy to Hold Fender Frontman 10G Guitar Amplifier – Closed-Back Design for Heavier Bass Response – Quality Tone

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Harpsichord Facts: Shop for Instruments, Accessories, Gifts

by musician on August 13, 2015

Harpsichord Facts

The harpsichord is a musical string instrument, somewhat similar in appearance to a piano. Both instruments are played by means of a keyboard. However, when a key is pressed on a harpsichord keyboard, a corresponding string is plucked to create a sound.

Similar plucked keyboard instruments in this family include the archicembalo, clavicytherium, ottavina, spinet, and virginal.

Replaced in popularity by the piano at the beginning of the nineteenth century, the harpsichord has enjoyed a renewed interest in recent times. Its unique sound is appropriate for historical music as well as contemporary compositions.

More Harpsichord Facts

Fun Fact
A person who performs on this string instrument is called a harpsichordist.

Notable harpsichordists include Tori Amos, Francesco Baroni, Michele Benuzzi, Michael Borgstede, Elizabeth Farr, Ketil Haugsand, Kim Heindel, Anthony Newman, Trevor Pinnock, Jean Rondeau, Andreas Staier, and Peter Watchorn.

Johann Sebastian Bach

Etude Magazine Poster Print (1944)

The Etude Music Magazine (1944) Johann Sebastian Bach at the Clavichord 24×36 Poster Print

Johann Sebastian Bach

The harpsichord was widely used in Renaissance and Baroque music. Johann Sebastian Bach (1685–1750) was perhaps the most celebrated composer to write music specifically for the instrument. His solo works continue to be performed widely, though often on the piano. Bach was a pioneer of the harpsichord concerto, and featured the instrument in his Fifth Brandenburg Concerto.

Chaconne, The Novel

by Joseph C. Mastroianni

Chaconne: The Novel Author Joseph C. Mastroianni

Johann Sebastian Bach lost both of his parents at an early age, then outlived 10 of his 20 children. His beloved wife died while he was away on a brief assignment. Chaconne, the Novel takes you back to the early 1700s when the legendary composer created what many consider his most emotionally raw piece of music. The story alternates between Bach and Brooklyn-born Milo Damiani, whose earliest memory is of his estranged father playing Chaconne on the violin. Though the characters are separated by two and a half centuries, their stories are woven together as both men deal with tragedy, pain, love of family, and joy.

Listen to the Harpsichord

Performed by Jean Rondeau

French harpsichordist Jean Rondeau plays Johann Sebastian Bach’s Chaconne for his debut album Imagine. Born in 1991, Rondeau is an accomplished musician with impeccable credentials. An award-winning master of the harpsichord, he is also proficient as an organist, a choral conductor, and a pianist. Rondeau co-founded Note Forget, an ensemble that features his jazz-oriented compositions and piano improvisations.

Best Gifts for Music Lovers

We’ve created more than 2,000 products for string instrument players and music lovers. Find a unique gift for your favorite harpsichord player or enthusiast. Beware of inferior copycats! Our original designs are available here and in our String Kings Music Harpsichord collection.

Build a Piece of Music History

The Art of Making a Harpsichord

by Darryl Martin

For nearly three centuries the harpsichord was a commonly played musical instrument, as well as a fashionable piece of furniture. This book gives readers an opportunity to learn some interesting harpsichord facts, and perhaps discover the challenging and rewarding pursuit of building an heirloom quality musical instrument.

Art of Making a Harpsichord

Harpsichord Gift Ideas

If you need to find a gift for your favorite harpsichord player, you’ve come to the right place. We’re always creating new products and sharing our favorites from other designers.

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Christophe Moyreau – Complete Harpsichord Music – Performed by Fernando De Luca – Audio CD Johann Sebastian Bach Musical Signature Notation T-Shirt – Impress Friends with Your Musical History IQ Johann Sebastian Bach Composer Musician Retro Style T-Shirt – Great Gift for Lovers of Music and History J.S. Bach: Goldberg Variations – Harpsichord Performed by Trevor Pinnock – Audio CD

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Harp Facts: Shop for Instruments, Accessories, Gifts

by musician on August 13, 2015

Harp Facts

The harp is a stringed musical instrument with a number of individual strings running at an angle to a soundboard. The strings are plucked with the fingers. Harps are generally triangular in shape, and are usually composed of wood. Modern harps have nylon or metal strings.

Harps vary greatly in terms of size. Smaller harps can be played in the lap. Larger, much heavier harps are designed to rest on the floor.

Harps are found all over the world–in Africa, Asia, Europe, North and South America. They’re closely related to lyres, which have been popular in nearly all cultures.

Harps have been used as a political symbol of Ireland for centuries. Their likenesses have appeared on Irish coinage since the Middle Ages, including current Irish imprints of Euro coins.

More Harp Facts

Fun Fact
A person who performs on this string instrument is called a harpist.

Notable harpists include Nancy Allen, John Roy “Jon” Anderson, Alice Chalifoux, Alice Coltrane, Vincent Fanelli, Sidonie Goossens, Marcel Grandjany, Alphonse Hasselmans, Juan Hidalgo, Ursula Holliger, Pierre Jamet, Camille Kitt, Kennerly Kitt, Jean-Baptiste Krumpholz, Marco Marazzoli, Harpo Marx, Loreena McKennitt, Joanna Newsom, Carlos Salzedo, Marcel Tournier, and Nicanor Zabaleta.

Harpo Marx with Giant Harp

Retro Marx Brothers Poster Print

Harpo Marx (1941) 28×22 Poster Print

Listen to the Harp

Played by Courtney Kania-Young

Harpist Courtney Kania-Young plays Led Zeppelin’s popular 1971 tune, Stairway to Heaven. Courtney is classically trained and studied at the Cleveland Institute of Music. She loves playing rock, country, and Latino style music in addition to the classics.

We Love Harps

Looking for more harp facts? Here are a few of our favorite pages about harps for you to enjoy:

Business Cards for Performers and Teachers

Best Gifts for Music Lovers

We’ve created more than 2,000 products for string instrument players and music lovers. Find a unique gift for your favorite harp player or enthusiast. Beware of inferior copycats! Our original designs are available here and in our String Kings Music Harp collection.

Find a Harp Online

Aklot 15-String Beginner Harp

Product details:

Mahogany body with a satin finish
15 nylon strings (spare strings not included)
Blue and red strings help players recognize them
Every string has a ball end and steel string post
Harp stands approximately 22 inches high
Tuning wrench
Black carrying bag and strap

Aklot 15-String Beginner Harp and Accessories – Carrying Bag, Strap, Tuning Wrench Blue and Red Color Strings Help Players Recognize them Better While Learning the Harp

Harp Gift Ideas

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Guzheng Facts: Shop for Instruments, Accessories, Gifts

by musician on August 13, 2015

Guzheng Facts

The guzheng or Gu Zheng is a Chinese string instrument. Sometimes the name is shortened to zheng. No matter what you call it, the large, slender instrument functions as a plucked zither with 18 or more strings and movable bridges.

According to musicologists, the guzheng was inspired by early bamboo tube zithers. Today’s guzheng is quite different from the instruments made centuries ago. Modern players use picks–called DaiMao–which are often made from hawksbill turtle shells. Ancient picks were carved from ivory or tortoise shells.

Western musical styles have inspired a more modern playing technique where the left hand is used to provide harmony and bass notes. This allows for greater flexibility in the instrument’s musical range, but tends to limit subtle ornamentations provided by the left hand in more traditional music. Students at the Beijing Conservatory are required to learn a repertoire of both traditional and modern pieces.

Here are a few more interesting guzheng facts. Centuries ago the strings were made from silk. Today they’re nearly always metal-nylon, which increases the instrument’s capabilities, volume, and timbre. The strings are capable of creating graceful sounds that mimic a cascading waterfall, or stronger sounds like thunder and trotting horses.

Guzheng Music

Indeed, well known pieces for the guzheng suggest a connection to nature. For example, Yu Zhou Chang Wan (Songs of Fishing Boats at Dusk), Gao Shan Liu Shui (High Mountains Flowing Water), and Han Gong Qiu Yue (Autumn Moon Over the Han Palace).

More Guzheng Facts

Fun Fact
A person who performs on this string instrument is called a guzhengist or Chinese harpist.

Notable guzhengists include Bei Bei He, Shirley Wang, Melody Yan, and Wang Zhongshan.

Chinese Girl Playing Guzheng

Hand Painted Oil Painting on Canvas

Hand Painted Beautiful Young Chinese Girl Playing Guzheng (Zither)

Listen to the Guzheng

Performed by Wang Zhongshan

The musical piece is called “Fishermen’s Song at Eventide.”

Best Gifts for Music Lovers

We’ve created more than 2,000 products for string instrument players and music lovers. Find a unique gift for your favorite guzheng player or enthusiast. Beware of inferior copycats! Our original designs are available here and in our String Kings Music Guzheng collection.

Find a Guzheng Online

Dunhuang Burmese Rosewood Guzheng with Master Signature

Product details:

Single-piece professional grade paulownia soundboard and backboard
Frame is made by Burmese rosewood with wood carving in the famous Banana Panel Night Rain design
Professional grade rosewood bridges
Accessories include guzheng picks and tape, tuning wrench, soundboard cleaning brush, soft carrying case
Professional Guzheng chromatic tuner
Two-piece matching stands
English and Chinese manual included
Dunhuang’s professional model is top seller in the market

Dunhuang 694KK Burmese Rosewood Guzheng with Master Signature Includes Everything You Need to Learn and Play this Beautiful Chinese String Instrument

Guzheng Gift Ideas

If you need to find a gift for your favorite guzheng player, you’ve come to the right place. We’re always creating new products and sharing our favorites from other designers.

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Lovermusic 1-21# Steel Wire and Nylon Guzheng Strings – Chinese Zither Accessory – Pack of 21 LANDTOM 16 Pieces (2 Sets) General Level Guzheng Finger Picks – Chinese Zither Finger Picks (Adult) ARTIBETTER Guzheng Rosewood Musical Bridge for Chinese Zither – Replacement Parts – 21 Pieces Gazechimp 87.5cm Guzheng Bridge Position Schematic Diagram for Beginners – High-Quality Paper