Category: Articles

Guitar Maintenance: Tips and Advice

Guitar Maintenance: Tips and Advice

So, you’ve taken the plunge and purchased a guitar. Whether it’s brand new or just new to you, the proper care and maintenance of your guitar is essential for its longevity and quality of performance. You’ll want to do everything you possibly can to keep it in tip-top shape; if you do, you’ll be able […]

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Repair Tech Interview: John Blythe

Based out of Burlington, North Carolina, John Blythe is the South District Repair Manager for Music & Arts. He’s been a repair tech with Music & Arts for 11 years and oversees 8 repair shops and 25 repair techs.  Read about the man who may be doing the body work on your next sax repair. […]

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What Are the Differences Between the Viola and Violin?

What are the Differences Between a Violin and a Viola?

While the two words may sound quite similar, there are quite a few differences in the sound, design, and construction of the violin and viola. While they’re both orchestral stringed instruments that originated in Italy and are played with a bow, there are quite a few differences in size, sound, and playing technique between the […]

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Proper Care and Maintenance of a Flute

Proper Care & Maintenance of a Flute

The way you treat and care for your flute directly affects the quality of sound and longevity of the instrument, which is why knowing how to clean a flute is so important. Having an instrument that’s in good working order is essential for your child’s musical progress and success, and the flute is no different. […]

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Making Your Practice Time Count

Making Your Practice Time Count

Wouldn’t it be great if you could pick up a stringed instrument for the first time and immediately play like an experienced pro? One can only dream – of course, the greatest musicians of all time weren’t born virtuosos: it took years of hard work and dedication to their stringed instrument of choice before they […]

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Sizing Your String Instrument

Sizing Your String Instrument

For no other class of instrument is correct sizing more important than it is for orchestral strings. When a young player picks up a violin, viola, cello or bass for the first time, it’s critical for the instrument’s size to match the player so that learning proper positioning and playing technique will be possible. And […]

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6-String vs 12-String Guitars – Which Should You Choose?

When it’s time to select an acoustic guitar, you may notice that you can choose from a 6-string or 12-string guitars. There are several differences in these two types of instruments. Let us explain. By far the more prevalent choice is the 6-string guitar. Played by guitarists of all styles, both strummed or finger-picked, the […]

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Stringed Instruments: Rent or Buy?

Stringed Instruments: Rent or Buy?

Learning how to play a stringed instrument is an enjoyable and exciting experience. It can also be a time of uncertainty, especially if the musician is a student. And as you begin your research, you’ll find there are many factors to consider before even beginning to play – the most important perhaps being whether you […]

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Know Your Chicago Musical History Before Attending Midwest Clinic

A chorus of women singing at the city’s music hall was all the talk in 1876 Chicago.  Only four years earlier the great fire had destroyed the business district and left over 100,000 people homeless.  The attention paid to such news of women performing for the first time in public was emblematic of a town’s […]

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Star Wars a musical saga

Star Wars: A Musical Saga

Shop the Star Wars collection today! A Musical History of Star Wars’ Iconic Sound While Star Wars is the most successful series of films ever, thrilling decades of audiences and capturing the imagination of kids all over the world, the music that was composed by John Williams for the films has never been overshadowed. This […]

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