Instruments
Psalm 108:1 “My heart, O GOD, is steadfast. I will sing and make music with all my soul.”
PIANO
The piano was invented by Bartolomeo Critofori (1655-1731) of Italy.
Throughout history, the piano has developed changes to its appearance. For example, the damper pedal came in the 1700s and the sostenuto pedal was originally invented in 1844.
This beautiful instrument boasts an extensive range of repertoire. It is also a brilliant instrument to begin with as a first instrument as it helpful in understanding music theory. It can also be used as a foundation to add a second instrument.
Although easier to begin with compared with other instruments, to master piano is as Vladimir Horowitz puts it the “hardest” in the “end”.
HARP
The harp, although part of the string family, differs greatly to violin and its counterparts. A grand stave instrument like piano, beginners love this instrument because it sounds beautiful from the start.
The harp comes in different types. There is the 10-string Davidic harp, the 22 or 26-string lap harp, the lever harp and the pedal harp used in orchestra.
Harp uses only eight fingers compared with piano’s ten. It’s famous for its beautiful glissandos and arpeggios.
CLASSICAL GUITAR
A few famous classical guitarists in history include Francisco Tarrega, John Williams and David Russell.
The classical guitar is also known as a nylon-string guitar or as Spanish guitar.
The strings somewhat mimic the grand stave with the top 3 being base strings and the bottom 3 being treble strings.
Masters of this instrument can make it sound like a harp at times or a piano at times with its clean sounds.
It has versatile repertoire and it is a very emotional instrument that one can really connect with.
PIANO ACCORDION
Sound on the accordion is controlled by the bellows.
Players use their right hands to play the keyboard and their left hand to play the buttons which operate predominantly using the circle of fifths.
The accordion was invented in 1822 by German instrument maker, Christian Friedrich Ludwig Buyschmann.
The accordion is an instrument that is more than meets the eye. Typically known in band music, it’s capable of playing a lot more diverse repertoire.
CELLO
The violoncello or cello as it’s known is smaller than a double bass but bigger than a violin and viola.
It is played in seated position.
This instrument can play the most beautiful melodies and bass lines.
Mastering the tonal sound of the instrument takes time but it makes the learning journey fun to see how one’s sound develops and grows as time passes.
The cello originates from Northern Italy, emerging in the early 16th century.
MUSIC THEORY
Music theory is critical to learn not only part of mastering a chosen instrument but also towards one’s overall development as a musician.
It is also important for those who are interested in pursuing composition. It is also wonderful to be able to have the ability to make arrangements when perhaps struggling to find repertoire for an instrument or wanting to play something that is written for a different instrument.
Music is not merely audial. It is visual too as well as sensory.