Instruments have always played an essential role in music since their advent, tens of thousands of years ago. As much as music can be done with simply the human voice, there is just a magic about instruments accompanying the human voice that only your heart can understand. Much of the knowledge behind older instruments is…
History can be a hard thing to discuss, because, inevitably, you probably weren't there to see the events unfold as they did. This is especially true when we're talking about the history of one particular musical instrument with a somewhat checkered past - the banjo. The banjo, as we know it, dates back 400 or…
Before I get to my talk with Some Dude's Pesopicks creator, Stuart Brady, I want to say a few words about the humble guitar pick. If you play guitar, you probably know there are picks of all shapes, sizes, colors, thicknesses, designs, etc. You might even keep several guitar picks handy, and stop by the…
Mandolins are a popular instrument with a long, rich history, which are played in innumerable styles across the globe. The fans of this instrument are dedicated and passionate, and so it's no surprise that the mandolin has been growing in popularity as of late, especially on the 'net. If you are new to the world…
We review the best mandolin brands on the market for 2018. It is exciting, buying a new instrument, but it is an investment that is worth taking some time to research before making a final decision. For our list of the best mandolin brands, we looked at age and reputation of each company, as well…
David “Dawg” Grisman is a living mandolin master, and today we celebrate his contributions to bluegrass and newgrass music, as well as acoustic composition. He is so revered in the bluegrass scene to have invented his own genre of music called Dawg Music, into which we shall delve further along in this article. Dawg has…
Sam Bush is a pioneer of the newgrass style, a style of bluegrass that incorporates sometimes electric instruments and uses inspiration from genres like rock n roll. Bluegrass music traditionally takes song structure from old jazz music, where individual players take turns improvising over the main rhythm to show off their virtuosic skill. The tempo…
Bill Monroe is a very important figure in the world of mandolin. He helped create bluegrass music, earning him the title Father of Bluegrass. A Bit About Bluegrass Style Bluegrass is encompassed by the genre of country music, taking root in Irish, Scottish and English music while incorporating elements of jazz. These traditional music styles…
The Deering Goodtime Americana Banjo has a grand 12 inch rim and a beautiful Renaissance head. These combine to give the instrument an incredible bass response with a warm tone. From the peghead with the Americana name all the way down to the blonde rim, this banjo will look great while you're learning to play…
Mandolin takes 20th century root in American bluegrass and jazz style, both of which utilize tight improvisation and quick movement. With this article we take a look at five famous mandolin players who make/made significant contributions to the jazz mandolin style. 1. Jethro Burns Kenneth Charles Burns earned the name Jethro after touring as comedic duo…
