zZounds Music Gear
Join over 150,000 happy customers

Discount Musical InstrumentsDiscount Musical Instruments
Buy bass guitars, guitars, pianos, drums from zZounds
Super Low Shipping Costs on Musical Instruments

Posts Tagged ‘musical instruments’


 Powered by Max Banner Ads 

The Xotic Effects EP Booster

Saturday, July 24th, 2010

Xotic Effects are famed for pedals as BBPlus, Robotalk and the AC and RC boosters. The EP booster is perhaps their most effective product, however. It is essentially a FET-based volume booster providing a 20db of volume boost. It occupies very little space, fitting on the pedal board with ease. Some of its other features work towards enhancing tonal functionality.

Basing it on the Maestro Ep-3 Echoplex was never going to be a bad move with the preamp circuit’s fans including Jimmy Page and Eddie Van Halen. You only have to see it to notice one its core benefits in its mere 1.5 inches taking up the smallest amount of room. It fits on the most decorated of pedal boars. It boosts volume with ease due to its no-frills make-up.

Once it has been relieved of its black plate, two miniature DJP switches can be spotted in the right corner of the unit. These switches control the top, bottom and end response. One provides an increase in the low-end spectrum whilst the other switches flips right between a high-end frequency boost and a flattened EQ.

The EP Booster is perhaps in most impressive form when providing shape to the overall tone. It not only serves to boost volume but it also enhances the definition and thickness of sound. With minimal loss of its smooth definition to be heard in full humbucking mode, its boosted tone rears a grittier head on this coil-shaped device.

This is not just a regular volume boost as you have undoubtedly fathomed. It is also a first-class tool for tonal shaping and the frequencies which can be heard are a joy to be heard. Its size also gives it top marks in the usability category. All-in-all, the EP Booster is incredibly tough to beat.

Find out more about Xotic Effects

The Taylor Guitar – A Special Brand Of Electric

Thursday, July 22nd, 2010

If you are passionate about music and if you are seeking the right guitar for you that can bring out that passion and take it to the next level then you should seriously consider the Taylor electric guitar. Their guitars are of great quality and can bring to life your quest to perform the music inside of you. The industry is currently awash with numerous guitar makers but the Taylor guitar is surely at least a level of most, if not all, its competitors.

The T33, T5 and solid body are far and away the most popular models form Taylor. The T3 actually possesses some features which are quite unique which are lacking in other models. The partial hollow sound, which is a trademark of a range of models from Taylor . They also have the pull-push button for tone making it easier to control the guitar’s sound. Further, they allow the right vibrato bars without the usual problems with pitch control.

Another superb range from Taylor is the solid body. It comes in standard, classic and custom types. The classic model has a vintage and retro look whilst the standard type has an ash top with tamo figure, blending into an amazing golden hue. It also had a smooth satin finish. Each model can produce a rich and aggressive sound.

The T5 is the latest addition to the Taylor family and already it comprises three different models; the T5C, the T5S and the T5012. The electric and acoustic tones in this range use every magnetic pickup.

If you invest the time to investigate, you will surely find your musical playmate among the Taylor electric guitar range. Even as you progress, you will never need look no further than the brand that have made the electric guitar their own.

Find out more about Taylor Guitars

About The Tanglewood Guitar

Sunday, July 18th, 2010

Established back in 1991, the Tanglewood guitar company began an era of acoustic notoriety. During 2006 and 2007, they were responsible for producing the best-selling brand of acoustic guitar in the UK and Ireland. Initially they only served those two countries but they later expanded into the American market. In 2007, 2008 and 2009, they were the best-selling acoustic guitar brand according to a survey by MI Pro.

The Tanglewood guitar has some of the finest luthiers in the UK working on designing their models. And going into those models are some of the highest-quality tone woods available as well as being crafted with a meticulous attention to details. Each guitar is set-up and checked in the UK with a re-check carried out by BBZ Guitars. This is all before they are put on sale so they are truly the finished product when being used for the first time by their new owner.

The Tanglewood family comprise acoustic, electro acoustic and bass guitars in various shapes and sizes and each one are of superb quality. Included in their range are Folk, Super Folk, Dreadnought and Jumbo. They come in series such as Sundance, Premier, Heritage and Evolution and are available to suit all budget and levels of experience.

Acoustic guitars are the core of the company and they are the only Tanglewood guitar currently available in the US. They do, however, manufacture a diverse range of acoustic guitars from entry-level to professional all-solid. They also come in a variety of finishes, adornments and body shapes etc.

The company has a solid reputation for responding positively to customer feedback and this has meant that their guitar has made continuous improvements throughout the years. Even though they are most famed for their range of acoustic guitars, this feedback has meant that they have also made strides in a range of electric and bass guitars also.

Find out more about Tanglewood Guitars

Your First Boring Guitar Lesson

Tuesday, July 13th, 2010

You can see it, can’t you, as you head into your first guitar lesson? The future star, making their entrance! And then the fantasy vanishes and you drop to earth with a big thud. You don’t get to play a note, but spend that whole first lesson learning “the basics.” If you’re wondering whether you really need to spend so much time on those, the answer is a resounding yes. Before you learn to play a note, you need to lay a solid foundation of knowledge about your guitar, to prepare for all that glory that comes later.

The Guide for Learning Guitar series of lessons at www.about.com is a perfect example of the correct process in action. Take the first lesson, which starts out with all sorts of important information about the guitar itself: what the parts are, how to tune it, and even how to sit down and hold it correctly. You learn how to hold and use a pick, and how to press your fingers on the frets properly. It isn’t until almost the end of the first lesson that a few simple chords are mentioned and a sample scale is taught.

Your initial and less than glamorous guitar lesson may be easier to take if you think of it as laying the groundwork for those spectacular musical moments you eventually want to produce. This is like setting the stage; plugging everything in and building the set for that great future performance. It’s also something like healthy eating and exercise, because as you’re learning guitar basics, you’re also learning to prevent repetitive strain injuries from holding the guitar or placing your hands incorrectly.

It may be hard to believe that a boring initial guitar lesson will actually help you play better and more creatively later on, but it’s absolutely true. If you understand the dynamics of your guitar, then you will learn to play it much better, and will know exactly what it’s capable of. You and your guitar will eventually partner in creating some solid and substantial work together if it’s not a mystery to you, but becomes a friend that you know inside and out.

You may not have signed up to take a boring guitar lesson, but for your first session or two, that might just be exactly what you get. But believe it or not, that’s actually a good thing. What you hoped for, in starting your acoustic lessons, was undoubtedly something a lot more interesting and perhaps even a tad glamorous. Yet you won’t really be able to produce those great musical feats you have in the back of your mind if you don’t first learn the foundational things about your guitar and how to use it.

A properly tuned guitar is essential and the best way to get that is with a guitar tuner. Click here to read guitar tuner reviews on the most popular brands and models, like the Rocktron X-Tune Guitar Tuner, and compare how well they perform.

Piano For Beginners – Chords

Tuesday, June 8th, 2010

Learning chords is a great way to improve your piano skills. The basic chords are actually very easy to learn and will allow you to play quite a lot with them. But it’s never a good idea to simply memorize them. You should instead try to understand them. In this article we’ll try to show you what chords really are and how to make sense of them.

There are many chords out there, theoretically thousands. And that, of course, is the main reason why it’s not really a good idea to try to memorize them. True, not all of theoretically possible chords are actually usable in real life, but still.

Instead, you should learn how they are made. In this article we’ll focus on triads, especially major and minor. Triads, as the name implies, are chords made of three notes that are played together.

We’ll take a closer look at a C major. You’re probably familiar with it, it’s on of the most well known chords. C major consists of three different notes – C, E, and G. The starting note, the root note (after which it is named) is C. Remember that all chords have roots in a specific note.

Nothing is random here and there is actually a formula which tells you not only how C major is made, but how all the major chords are made. Wouldn’t it be nice to know this formula? Here it is: major chords are made up of the 1st, the 3rd, and the 5th note of the major scale. Take a look at C major scale: C (root note), D, E(3rd note),F,G(5th note),A,B,C. There you have it – C major or C,E,G.

It’s practically the same with the minor chords, the only difference is that the second note is not the third note of the scale, but the lowered third note. The formula is: 1st, lowered 3rd, and the 5th note of the scale.

There you have it, this is how they are made. So learn the formulas and become the master of the chords.

For more info and a diagram of basic chords, see how to read piano chords. The best way to learn any instrument is by playing your favorite songs. Check out how to play A Thousand Miles on piano.

Guitar Tips – How To Tune An Acoustic Guitar

Monday, June 7th, 2010

Tuning a guitar is very important, especially if you want to sound good. It doesn’t matter how good of a guitarist you are, if you play an out of tune instrument, you will sound bad. Even a great guitarist will sound terrible on an out of tune guitar. In this article we’ll talk about why tuning is important and how to learn this essential skill.

We pretty much already answered the importance bit. If you want to get a decent sound out of your guitar, you will have to tune it properly. It’s as simple as that. Have you ever got the chance to experience an out of tune guitar? Then you know what I’m talking about.

Guitars must be tuned on a regular basis. The best thing is to do it before every playing session. This is a great habit and also the reason why you should learn it yourself. You don’t want to be dependant on others, do you?

To a beginner it may seem as a difficult thing to learn and I won’t lie to you – it’s not easy, you won’t learn it overnight. But it’s not rocket science either. You just need a little practice, that’s all. As with any skill, the more you do it, the better you are.

So how do you tune an acoustic guitar? First, you must identify the strings. Then you readjust the pitch of the strings so that they produce the correct notes. You do this by tightening or loosening the tuning peg on the head of the guitar. Usually a reference note is needed. This may be a string that is in tune or a note from another instrument.

Let me mention at this point that if the string is too worn out, you won’t be able to tune it correctly. Over time strings wear out and you have to replace them.

In the end you can be sure of one thing – your guitar will get out of tune. And the sooner you learn how to fix this, the better.

Click the following link for videos on how to tune an acoustic guitar. Also take a look at how to play Love Bug on guitar.

Drumming Essentials – Tuning Drums

Monday, June 7th, 2010

No matter how good of a drummer you are, you won’t sound good, if your instrument is out of tune. An out of tune drums have the ability to make even great drummers sound terrible. If you ever had the chance to experience this, you’ll know it’s absolutely no fun. In this article we’ll try to explain why tuning is important and what do you need in order to learn it.

Let’s start with why – why is tuning so important? The answer to this question is rather simple. You will, of course, sound better. That is the number one reason. You will also get much more out of playing. Not to mention the prolonged life of your drums.

So, you want to tune your drums, what do you need? You’ll need a drum key (goes without saying), a good ear, and some patience. It will take time to learn how to do it properly, no doubt about it, but always remember – practice makes perfect. And the sooner you start doing it, the better.

When tuning you have to be careful. It is quite a delicate process. You have to know what you’re doing, because it’s pretty easy to permanently damage your instrument. Let’s take new drum heads, for example. Most beginners believe that when you first put on a new head, you must tension it down in order to seat it. But if you overdo it, you can easily damage it. If you do that, no amount of fine tuning will help you.

The best practice is to do it slowly. You must break it in naturally. Again, patience is important. Learn the opposite lug tuning sequence. This is a technique where you don’t go around in a circle, but you move back and forth across the drum, so that the head is tightened more evenly.

Now, I won’t lie to you, tuning a drum set is not going to be learned overnight. But it’s definitely worth your time and with the right instructions it’s really not that difficult.

If you want more detailed instructions, take a look at tuning drum set videos. Also see drumming lessons for beginners.

Acoustic Covers – Hear Or Play Any Genre A New Way

Saturday, June 5th, 2010

Most people have a soft sport for acoustic covers in one way or another. Songs that are otherwise awful can be turned into something all new by being played with an acoustic guitar.

No genre of music is immune to being made into a instantly loved acoustic guitar cover. Metal, punk, and even rap have all had some sort of acoustic cover at some point.

For many new guitarists, playing acoustic can be a great way to get your name known. Playing local bars with a play list of recent chart toppers in acoustic forms can be a real crowd pleaser. If you do opt for a set of amazing acoustics be sure that you pick your songs from a handful of genres so you can address everyone’s different musical tastes. Not everyone will enjoy hearing an hour of rap gone acoustic. Skill and the songs you play will be a big part in how quickly people take to your music.

Another good use for a compilation of amazing acoustic covers would be a nice CD for special moments with your significant other. Throw together a few acoustic cover songs that have sweet and mellow lyrics and keep it on hand to play while stargazing with your loved one or as light background music during dinner. Mix tapes or CDs have always been popular for this use, and they always make that someone special feel like they are truly special, without you having to spend too much.

Whether you are looking for this type of music to perform, listen to or create a CD with you can rest assured that you will be able to find a good amount from several sources. Your normal taste in music doesn’t matter when it comes to acoustic covers, as you will be able to get your fill almost instantly, and without trouble.

Don’t be shocked when you hear an acoustic cover of a song you didn’t like before and actually like it. Acoustics have the power to even turn the worst into the best.

Everyone has their own musica preferences, but acoustic cover songs seem to go past genre and entrance people with their unique and pure sound.

Piano For Beginners – Learn Piano Tabs

Saturday, June 5th, 2010

If you want to play a song on a piano, you must know which key to hit and when. Because you can’t remember this for all the songs, people have devised ways to write the instructions on paper. Piano tabs are one way to notate a piece of music. In this article we’ll show you the basics of how to understand them.

Tabs are easier to read and learn than standard sheet music, so many beginners start with them. But you have to understand that they are not a substitute for sheet music. Yes, they are easier to learn, they definitely have some advantages, but they also have serious limitations.

OK, with that out of the way, let’s begin. We’ll start with something that everybody knows – Mary Had a Little Lamb. Here is how a piano tab for Mary Had a Little Lamb looks like: 4|e–dc-d-|e-e-e—|d-d-d—|e-g-g—|. There are letters, numbers, and some symbols. There are no notes here. Ready to decipher it? It’s not as hard as you might think.

Most tabs that you will come across will probably consist of several lines. Our simple example only has one. Every line starts with a number – in our case 4. What does the number mean? It indicates an octave in which the notes on the line are in. The notes in our example are in the fourth octave.

What about the letters? Yes, the letters are the meat of all this. They correspond to the notes that you have to play. Lowercase letters are natural notes (white keys on a piano), uppercase letters are sharps or flats (black keys on a piano).

There are also some symbols in our example, what are those? The vertical lines are there to separate measures. The dashes indicate timing. And that’s about it.

There you have it. This covers the basic of basics. Now go and practice, because only practice makes perfect. And remember, tabs are not a substitute for traditional notation.

If you want to learn more, please visit how to read piano tab. Probably the best way to learn is to play your favorite songs. Take a look at how to play A River Flows In You on piano.

Guitar For Beginners – Changing Strings

Wednesday, May 26th, 2010

One of the most basic maintenance skills that every guitarist should learn is – how to replace strings. This is actually quite easy to learn. All you need is a little knowledge and some simple tools. In this article we’ll discuss why, when, and how to change your strings.

We shall begin with why – why change your strings? The answer is very simple. It’s because strings wear out over time. There is pressure from playing, there is dirt, there is oil from your hands, and there are many other factors as well.

How does all this effect the strings? It’s definitely not good for them. They become overstretched, rusty and greasy, which all means that they don’t sound the way they should. So how often and when do we replace them?

Of course you will replace a string, if it breaks. But you should never wait this long. Most beginner guitarists wait too long before they change their strings. You never wait for a string to break in order to change it.

It’s a good habit to do it every few months or so. Note that even if you are not actively playing, strings can still wear out. If you see rust on them, if your guitar doesn’t sound right, no matter how carefully you try to tune it, it’s time to change your strings.

What do you need in order to do that? Not much, it’s quite easy. You will of course need a set of replacement strings, pliers, and a great little tool called a string winder. You can do it without a string winder, but it’s so much easier with it.

Then you remove the old string by unwinding it from the tuning peg and removing the bridge pin from the guitar bridge. Insert the new one, stretch it a bit and tune it. The last part of this procedure is actually the most difficult one. If you are a beginner you’ll probably need some help.

For more details visit changing guitar strings. Also take a look at how to string a acoustic guitar.

Drumming Essentials – Holding The Drumsticks

Monday, May 24th, 2010

So, you want to learn how to play drums, but do you know how to hold your drumsticks correctly? To most beginners this question sounds a bit silly. Sure they know how to hold their drumsticks. There is nothing special about it. There are, of course, wrong. This is actually extremely important and in this article I’ll try to explain why.

You are probably aware that playing drums doesn’t mean just hitting something with a stick. Drums are a complex instrument and one of the most overlooked parts of learning how to play them is understanding how to properly hold the sticks.

Yes, it does matter, quite a lot actually, and if you don’t learn this, you will be handicapped in a way. What can a correct grip give you? A lot. Here are just a few things: better sound, more control, more speed, flexibility, endurance, and so on. It’s also a prerequisite, if you want to learn more advance techniques. As you can see, it can help you tremendously.

It’s important to learn this early on, because you will be much more effective in your learning process and you won’t acquire any bad habits connected with this. It’s also important to understand that improper ways of holding your drumsticks can do damage to your hands or wrists.

How to know that you are not doing it correctly? If you have problems with speed and control and if you tire quickly, you’re probably not doing it right.

There are different ways of holding your drumsticks. I will mention the two most commonly used techniques. The first one is the easiest to learn and most widely used. Almost all drummers use it. It is called the matched grip. It’s called matched because both hands hold the drumstick in the same fashion – with palms facing down.

The second most commonly used technique is called traditional grip. In this grip palms are facing up. Traditional grip is used by marching bands, in Jazz, and other softer styles of drumming.

For more details about this two techniques, go to how to hold drum sticks properly and watch the videos. Also see how to practice drum beats.

Investigate The Kinds Of Acoustic Guitars Before Choosing One

Sunday, May 16th, 2010

All acoustic guitars are exactly the same. Isn’t that what many people think, particularly if they aren’t that knowledgeable about the guitar world? But even if you are eager to pick up and figure out how to play an acoustic guitar on your own, things may not be as easy as you anticipate. There are as many differences in these guitars, whether on account of construction or style of play, as there are for any other kind of musical instrument. And these variations may make all the difference in whether you will be able to teach yourself to play or will need a teacher.

Playing a classical style, for example, will involve a complex type of acoustic lessons, which means you’ll be unlikely to be successful at teaching yourself. You would have to learn to read music, and the style involves learning an intricate technique for finger picking. There are even rules about the way to hold the guitar.

In contrast, if you use an acoustic guitar to play folk music, it means you can learn how to play it more easily, learning the chords so you can accompany songs quite successfully.

The general conception of classical acoustic guitars is pretty truthful: mid-sized, hollow instruments having a sound hole in the front, a fairly wide neck, and guitar strings of nylon. The deepest guitar string or two may be lightly wrapped in steel, but for the most part, the nylon strings create a rich, melodious sound as the vibrations are captured and magnified in the hollow body. This mellow quality is part of the richness of the classical style, since the strings are normally picked with fingers rather than guitar picks.

Acoustic guitars are obviously more complicated and varied than a lot of people appreciate. Some add additional strings, such as harp guitars in which any added guitar string is in a higher range than the standard ones, or extended-range guitars which add strings in the lower register. Others have differently shaped necks or bodies, or are tuned differently for certain music styles. If you’re thinking about trying to teach yourself acoustic guitar, then you clearly need to narrow things down first, and decide which style you want to learn, and even which guitar you would like to play it on.

A properly tuned guitar is a necessity and the best way to get that is by using a guitar tuner. Click here to read guitar tuner reviews on the most popular brands and models, like the N-Tune On Board Chromatic Electric Guitar Tuner, and compare how well they perform.

Piano Essentials – Understanding Notes

Monday, May 10th, 2010

Is understanding piano notes really as difficult as most people believe? Well, it’s not exactly something that you learn in a few minutes, but it’s definitely easier than most people think. You didn’t learn how to read in few minutes either and look how natural it feels now. In this article we’ll go through the basics of how to read piano music.

A standard piano keyboard has exactly 88 keys – 52 white and 36 black. You will probably be relieved to learn that you don’t have to learn 88 notes. In fact, musical alphabet only has seven letters – A, B, C, D, E, F, and G. That means you only have to learn these seven notes. That’s it.

Natural notes – A, B, C, D, E, F, and G are the white keys on the piano. They repeat themselves over and over. The black keys are called either flats or sharps. 5 black keys and 7 white keys form 12-note patterns which repeat themselves.

Music for piano is written on a staff. That is where everything happens. You basically have two staves – treble staff, which you play with your right hand, and bass staff that is played with your left hand. Joined together you have the grand staff.

Staff is made of lines and spaces, five lines and four spaces to be exact. The notes lower on the staff have lower pitches. The higher the note is, the higher the pitch.

Now comes the tricky part. How do you know where on the staff a certain note is? When you go through the natural notes – A, B, C, D, E, F, G, every second note will be either on a line or a space. The easiest way to remember this is by learning some sayings. This is called mnemonics.

Let’s take a look at the treble staff. Remember, there are four spaces on the staff, so there will be four different notes in those spaces. Read from bottom to top the notes form a word – FACE. Notes on the lines are E, G, B, D, F. You can remember this by a phrase like Every Good Boy Does Fine.

For more information, see how to read notes on piano. One of the best ways to learn is with the help of learning piano dvd.

Learning Guitar – Reading Music

Monday, May 10th, 2010

Many beginner guitarists ask if reading music is really necessary. Is it really that important? That actually depends on who is asking. Is it someone who wants to become an all round good guitarist or even a pro, or someone who just wants to play around a little? You know, learn a few camp songs, a few chords and that’s it. In latter case, it’s not necessary.

There you have it. It all depends what you want to achieve. But reading music can give you a whole new perspective. If you want to grow as a guitarist, it can most certainly help you a lot. Why, you ask?

For a multitude of reasons. It’s important for you to understand that standard notation, or staff notation, is the most accurate way of describing music. It tells you everything you need to know in order to play a particular song. Remember, tabs are not standard notation. They can be helpful sometimes, but this is not what we are talking about here.

If you understand the instructions that standard notation can give you, you will be able to play any song you want, without even listening to it first. Just imagine how great that would be. And you won’t have to memorize everything anymore. It’s all on paper.

You will also get a much better picture of musical expressiveness. Not only will you better understand how your guitar works, you will better understand music in general.

It all comes to this – if you want to become a proficient guitarist, maybe even a pro, then the ability to read music is simply a must. There is no way around it, there are no shortcuts. You can never rise above the amateur level, if you don’t understand this.

If you ask me, I would most certainly say it’s worth your time and effort. Don’t be discouraged by many who say how difficult it is. It’s actually not. It’s not easy, but it’s not rocket science either. Try it and see for yourself.

Quality lessons can get you very far very fast. For more details see best way to learn guitar. Also take a look at how to learn acoustic guitar.

Learn How To Set Up Your Drums

Sunday, May 9th, 2010

Drums are not easy to learn. If you ever tried them, you know what I mean. It is therefore important for beginners to use every opportunity to get more familiar with them. Get to know them, learn how they work. Assemble them, set them up properly, and so on. In this article we’ll go through some tips on how to properly set up your drum set.

Today, drums can be ordered by mail. But they don’t come preassembled, do they? If you think about it, this is actually good. You will have the opportunity to see how it all fits together. It’s important to understand that assembling must be done correctly, so if you are new to this, it’s good to have someone who knows its stuff to watch over your shoulder.

When drums are correctly put together, it’s time to set them up. This is a personal, subjective thing and there are no universal rules on how to do it. Everyone has its own preferences. What is crucial here is your comfort.

First, focus on your seat. You must make sure that you are comfortable. Adjust the height in such a way so that your feet lay flat on the ground. Your knees should be bent at about 45 degree angle and your thighs should be fairly parallel with the floor. You should feel balanced and stable.

Unfortunately, many beginners don’t think that this is very important. But it is. Trust me, it is much better to be comfortable than to look cool. Take your time and find your comfort zone.

While sitting you should be able to touch every piece of your drum set with your hand. Everything has to be in reach. You know it’s too far away, if you have to reach for it.

Try to experiment with different settings. As said before there is no right or wrong way to do this. The only thing you have to make sure is that you are comfortable.

To learn more about this subject, visit setting up drums. Also take a look at learn to play drums dvd.

bass guitars amps and effects


© 2010 Discount Musical Instruments | Powered by Yahoo! Answers

All rights reserved 2010.