I have a feeling that we’ve been a little too “band” biased over the last few weeks so this week, to mark my own personal foray into the world orchestral instruments (I’ve bought myself a double bass) I thought we could have a look at what has to be the most popular orchestral instrument – the violin.

What is a violin?

The violin is a four-stringed acoustic musical instrument that is played with a bow. It heads up the violin family of instruments that also features the viola, cello and double bass. Sound is usually generated by pulling the bow, which consists of a stick featuring a strip of horse hair, across the strings, although plucking the strings by hand – known as pizzicato – is also a commonly used technique to create a different tone and resonance. Rosin is rubbed on the bow hair to ensure its smooth progression across the strings.

Most often violins are played in a right-handed fashion, with the instrument placed on the left shoulder and the left hand providing the fingering, while the right hand controls the bow. A chin rest, located either to the left or in the middle of the violin depending on the player’s preference, allows the instrument to sit comfortably under the chin, while a shoulder rest ensures that the left shoulder does not become sore. Some shoulder rests can be moulded to better fit the shoulder of the player.

Violins on the market

Violins can vary wildly in price, with beginner models available for less than £50 while extremely rare Stradavari and Guarneri instruments are worth millions. The influential designs of these latter violins, created 400 years ago, are often imitated by today’s manufacturers in their own models.

One example of a violin designed for learners is the £44.99 Student 4/4 Violin which is made from maple and Canadian spruce. The instrument is hand finished and produces a warm tone with a light and easy response. The bow is made from brazil wood and it is sold ready strung in a lightweight hard case.

For the more ambitious, the £68.99 Student Plus 4/4 Violin is available. It is of a similar design to the basic Student model but is built using some of the same methods as the very best violins found in concert orchestras.

A step up from this is the £119.99 Deluxe 4/4 Size Violin, which is of a superior quality and has been designed to accommodate players progressing through their grades. It is made from Canadian spruce and features an ebony pattern Guarneri chin rest. The bow is constructed using pernambuco.

Players looking for a better instrument to enhance their sound will find a range of other instruments in the price brackets above this. For would-be virtuosos, there is the Yamaha V7SG Intermediate Acoustic Violin for £519.20, which has a bow made from Brazilwood. It is capable of a producing a sound big enough to fit a concert hall and has a sweet, strong and refined tone.

Away from acoustic violins, electric versions are available. These work in a similar way to electric guitars in terms of sound production. Popularised by the likes of Vanessa Mae, these instruments are typically used for pop music due to their electronic sound. Such violins can be purchased for as little as £129.99 for the Electric 4/4 Violin & Amp Pack.

Choosing the right size violin

When purchasing a violin, particularly for children, one of the most important aspects to bear in mind is size. Using a violin or bow that is too big or small can make playing difficult and as such different sizes are available to suit the proportions of the player.

• Half sizes: typically for children aged between six and ten, with an arm length of around 20 to 22 inches.
• Three-quarter sizes: geared towards the nine to 11 age bracket for arm lengths of about 22 to 23.5 inches
• Full / adult size: for those with arms of 23.5 inches or longer.

Getting started with the violin

Beginners looking to get started playing straight away can purchase everything they need for £129.99 with the Deluxe 4/4 Violin & Accessory Pack. As well as the violin, bow and case, the package features a music stand, rosin, a spare set of strings, violin polish and a shoulder rest.

So, if stings are your thing, The Music Superstore.co.uk is here for you.

Lord Andy

A beginner’s guide to the bass guitar

So, you’ve got your axe man, and you’ve got your drummer but you still need to complete that essential rhythmn section. Step up Mr Bassman.

How is the sound of a bass guitar created?

As with the electric guitar, the two main parts of a bass guitar are the strings and the pickups. Vibrations from the strings are received by the pickups, which turn them into electronic signals. These are then transmitted to an amplifier, which creates the sound.

All bass guitars generally work in the same way, although the materials from which they are made and their shape can have a sizable impact on what type of sound they produce and what genre of music they are best suited to playing.

The effect of wood on the bass sound

The majority of basses are solidbody, meaning there is no space inside the body of the guitar to allow sounds to reverberate naturally as with acoustic instruments. The cheapest solidbodys are typically made from softer woods such as ply or plastic, with hard woods like maple, rosewood and mahogany used on more expensive models.

As far as solidbodys are concerned, mahogany produces a dense and woody sound and fits in well with the country and blues style of music. Rosewood on the other hand is generally considered to create a more metallic sound that is rich and complex in both the high and low registers. Meanwhile, maple has a flatter tone that can work particularly well when playing at a loud volume.

Hollowbody bass guitars are used, but are mostly for those who enjoy jazz and folk music, as they create a quieter, more acoustic sound better suited to this type of playing.

Famous bass guitars

One of the most popular manufacturers of bass guitars, as with electric guitars, is Fender, which pioneered the Precision Bass. This instrument is heavily associated with rock music and has been used over the years by the likes of Black Sabbath’s Geezer Butler, Metallica’s Cliff Burton and The Who’s John Entwhistle.

After more than 50 years of production, there are a wide variety of Precision Basses available, although the most commonly found will either be made of alder or ash, with four strings and a fretted fingerboard.

Affordable alternatives

Having four strings and frets is generally considered to be the best option for those looking to start playing the bass as it makes them less complicated for beginners to learn. However, Fender basses can sell for upwards of £400 and there are much cheaper models on the market that offer a similar style, such as the LA Bass Guitar, which costs £89.99.

Like a typical Fender, this model has frets and four strings, as well as the familiar split coil humbucking pickup. This enables the guitar to produce a crisp clear tone with good low end depth, punch and sustain. It is also available as part of the LA Bass Guitar & Amp Pack for £125, which includes a practice 15-watt bass amplifier, a guitar lead, spare strings, a pick and a strap – everything needed to start playing right away.

Technique

There are three main ways of playing a bass guitar – using a pick, plucking with fingers or ‘slapping’’. Picks are generally used in order to play more quickly, although some musicians simply prefer them to plucking. Slapping is a more advanced technique popularised by the likes of Flea from the Red Hot Chili Peppers and found commonly in funk music.

Beyond these three, it is possible to use two-handed tapping techniques similar to those used in electric guitar playing. This style is generally used by virtuoso bass players – such as Billy Sheehan – who forego the traditional role of the bass guitar as simply a rhythm section instrument.

As well as trying out different playing techniques, beginners can advance their sound by upgrading to a better bass guitar, amp or using effects pedals, such as a Boss GT10B Bass Guitar Effects Processor.

Have fun,

Lord Andy

Organisers of next year’s Bearded Theory Festival have announced they will be offering a chance for unsigned bands to appear at the next event.

Fans of the festival, which has moved this year to a new venue, will be invited to choose which acts are selected to appear on the stages.

The event, which takes in May next year, has moved to Catton Hall in South Derbyshire and the ‘Bearded Breakthrough Competition’ will be run through the festival’s Facebook page.

Two winners will be chosen – one to play its Main Stage and one for the Tornado Town second stage.

The contest is open to acts in all genres who have not appeared at Bearded Theory previously.

Bearded Theory spokesman John Atkin said: “Throughout the history of Bearded Theory we’ve taken pride in mixing great name acts with the best in new and up-and-coming acts, and in letting our festival goers have their say in who appears.
For 2014, we’re offering unsigned acts the prospect of exposure before a great audience, with slots on our two biggest stages.

“Already for 2014, we are working closely with local venues to support live music year-round, and the Bearded Breakthrough competition is an extension of that commitment.”

Joy Division and New Order main man Peter Hook and his band The Light, Oysterband, The Blockheads and Fishbone are among acts already confirmed for Bearded Theory 2014, with headliners still to be announced.

The move to Catton Hall, home of Bloodstock Open Air and the Big Session festivals, means organisers can take full advantage of a four-day event, with music starting on Thursday, May 22 and continuing through the Bank Holiday weekend until late on Sunday 25.

Tickets are now on general sale, with the price of a family ticket cheaper than it was in 2013 and a the audience can take their own drink into the concert areas.

Bearded Theory weekend tickets are now on sale, with adult tickets priced at £87 plus a booking fee. No day tickets will be made available.

21st November 8pm til late

The Old Town Hall, Hemel Hempstead

There will be a little blue box landing in Hemel Old Town as the Acoustic Cafe goes all timey wimey wibbly wobbly. With the 50th anniversary of Dr Who just around the corner we will be celebrating all things sci-fi and fantasy. Where it’s the good doctor himself, Star Wars, Lord of The Rings, Star Trek or Game of Thrones, the 21st November will be a geeky paradise. So come and join us on a breathtaking musical journey through time and space! Featuring:

Ian Bourne – all the way from Coventry, a troubadour performing quirky covers and moody original songs
Rob Finlay – a heady mix of elegant folk and classic rock
Rosie Shy – a not-so-shy musical storyteller
Oka Vanga – a high octane guitar duo with superhuman music powers
Alex Lilly – Lady Dynamite from Middle-earth

The Music Superstore.co.uk, Run by musicians, for musicans

If rhythm is your thing and you see yourself as a modern day Keith Moon or Rigo Starr you’ll be needing a drum kit. So if you want to know your snares from your hi-hat or your crash from your floor tom read on.

What is included with a drum kit?

There are many different parts to an acoustic drum kit, with a standard rock configuration shell pack typically consisting of a bass drum, a floor tom, two rack toms and a snare drum. Crash cymbals and hi-hats are common additions found in larger sets, while a complete starter pack, such as the GD-5 5 piece drum kit, will also come with a set of drum sticks, a pedal for the bass drum and a height adjustable stool, or throne.

What different kinds of drum kit are available?

The drums and cymbals make different sounds when hit depending on their size. There are two main configurations for the way drum kits are set up based on this – rock and fusion. Generally with the rock configuration, the bass drum will be the biggest piece with a diameter of 22 inches, with the floor tom the next largest at 16 inches. The rack mounted toms will probably be slightly different in size, with one measuring 12 inches and the other 13 inches, while a normal snare drum is around 14 inches.

Fusion drum kits do not generally feature a floor tom, instead having three rack toms that are ten inches, 12 inches and 14 inches in diameter respectively. The bass drum is also sometimes smaller than 22 inches, with 20 inches a fairly common size.

Junior sets are smaller to accommodate younger players, with the Junior 5 Piece Drum Kit – which is designed for five to ten-year-olds – consisting of a 16-inch bass drum, a 12-inch snare drum, a 13-inch floor tom and rack toms that are ten inches and 11 inches.

How do kits differ in sound?

Rock and fusion drum kits differ in sound and whether a drummer decides to use one or the other is often down to a matter of preference. Rock kits tend to create a more booming sound, while fusion sets – which evolved from jazz fusion – are considered to have a brighter resonance. The types of wood used in each is often a key factor, with fusion strongly associated with birch and rock kits more closely identified with maple or poplar.

Other things to consider

While some drum kits come with cymbals, these are often bought separately and some professionals use upwards of half a dozen in order to be able to create the kinds of sounds that they want. A Zildjian GEN 16 AE 12” Splash Cymbal, for example, is an acoustic cymbal that sound and respond just like a traditional cymbal but play at less than a quarter of the volume, while a Zildjian ZHT 15″ Fast Crash cymbal is bright and responsive and perfect for providing clean accents. A full Zildjian ZXT R4P Rock 4 Cymbal Pack containing 14” rock hi-hats, a 16” 20” rock ride and 18” rock crash is available for £299.

While drums have a reputation for being loud (and seriously upsetting your neightbous), it is possible to reduce the sound they make significantly in order to practice quietly through the use of silencing pads. The Drum Kit Silencing Pad Set, for example, can reduce the noise of a drum kit by up to 90 per cent. It contains a bass drum pad, a 16-inch plus cymbal pad, a 14-inch hit hat pad, a 14-inch snare drum pad and 12-inch, 13-inch and 16-inch tom pads.

The Music Superstore.co.uk has a fantastic selection of drums and percussion for all agaes and all levels.

 

Enjoy,

Lord Andy

The Music Superstore.co.uk run my musicians, for musicians

 

 

 

Partnership brings The Agency Group’s 2,000 artists to the Bandsintown concert tour promotion platform

Bandsintown, the world’s largest concert discovery application with a monthly reach to over 30 million fans, today announced a partnership with The Agency Group (TAG), the world’s leading independent talent booking agency. The partnership aims to give TAG’s roster of nearly 2,000 artists – which includes a hugely diverse group of artists ranging from Paramore to The Black Keys to George Benson to Tegan and Sara to Muse to Guns N’ Roses to Nickelback to Dolly Parton to Macklemore & Ryan Lewis to Foals to Wiz Khalifa and many more leading international acts – direct access to the Bandsintown Artist Platform, a best-in-class platform that allows artists to promote their live concerts and to sell tickets and merchandise.

“The Agency Group is focused on being the most career-building, taste-making artist development powerhouse in the industry, and by partnering with our friends at Bandsintown, we are now able to better geo-target and promote our artists’ shows,” said Eddie Clemens, Director of Tour Marketing at The Agency Group. “By incorporating Bandsintown into our marketing mix, we will increase tour awareness for all of our performers, ultimately driving ticket sales to our artists’ shows.”

Bandsintown powers the tour dates for half of all touring artists today and is growing at a rate of 2,000 new artists a week. Talent supported includes Skrillex, Alabama Shakes, Maroon 5, Tim McGraw, David Guetta, Bruno Mars and more. Half of Billboard’s Top 40 charting artists use Bandsintown’s Artist Platform, the No. 1 source of traffic to its participating artists Facebook pages, driving more traffic than Google Search.

“Bandsintown is committed to serving the artist community by streamlining the process of event promotion so it’s incredibly rewarding to be recognized by a major talent agency, such as TAG,” said Julien Mitelberg, CEO of Bandsintown. “We’re solving the tour promotion problem by growing our platform that allows any artist to better connect with their fans before, during and after the show.”

About Bandsintown
Bandsintown is the largest concert discovery app in the world with 8M registered users, powering the tour dates for over 180K artists and reaching 30M unique fans per month. It was designed with artists and fans in mind by gathering information from a user’s music library to create a customized Concert Cloud that visually represents a music fans DNA. For fans, Bandsintown provides a personalized way to track their favorite artists and to discover new touring artists, based on their musical preferences and location, so they never miss another live show. For artists, Bandsintown provides a best-in-class platform that allows artists to promote their live concerts and to sell tickets and merchandise, leveraging Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, MySpace and more. Bandsintown is owned by Cellfish Media, Inc. For more information, visit Bandsintown.com, our blog at blog.bandsintown.com, @Bandsintown or facebook.com/Bandsintown.

Got a band? Visit The Music Superstore for all you musical instruments and equipment. Run by musicians, for musicians.