Kraakdoos: History and Key Facts
A kraakdoos or cracklebox is a custom-made instrument, in the form of a noise-making electronic device.
#music-instruments
48 articles
Keyboard instrument: History and Key Facts
A keyboard instrument is a musical instrument played using a keyboard, a row of levers that are pressed by the fingers.
I-CubeX: History and Key Facts
I-CubeX comprises a system of sensors, actuators and interfaces that are configured by a personal computer.
Hit Stix: History and Key Facts
Hit Stix is a toy electronic musical instrument manufactured by Nasta and Radio Shack in the 1980s.
Guitar: Picking and Plucking: An Open Learning Guide
There are two major methods of right hand (for right handed players) techniques namely, either by using a pick (also called a plectrum) or fingers. The plectrum is very common in rock, count
Guitar: Open Chords: An Open Learning Guide
Open chords are chords that include unfretted strings of the guitar. Open chords contain one or more open strings. For example the Em chord diagram on this page shows 4 open strings but the
Guitar: Muting and Raking: An Open Learning Guide
Muting a string is simple: with the fretting hand, touch the string with a finger, but do not press it down, and strike the string. It is usually best to do this where a harmonic will not re
Guitar: Movable Chords: An Open Learning Guide
Because of the relative tuning of the strings on a guitar, it is very easy to play a variety of chords that can be moved up and down the neck. The most basic types of movable chords are the
Guitar: Metal: An Open Learning Guide
Metal is a genre of music that stemmed from rock in the late 70's. Today, there are many sub-genres of heavy metal that share similarities and differences. Guitars in heavy metal are almost
Guitar: Major Patterns: An Open Learning Guide
In the following lessons we want to deal with the major scale and scales derived from the major scale (especially the natural minor). The major and minor scales cover a wide range of music.
Guitar: Learning Songs: An Open Learning Guide
Now that you've got a few chords under your belt, you're ready to start learning some songs. Great! There are several ways to learn songs, and some are more accessible than others. There are
Guitar: Lead Guitar and Rhythm Guitar: An Open Learning Guide
The terms lead guitar and rhythm guitar are mildly confusing, especially to the beginner. Of course, a guitar should almost always follow some sort of rhythm, whether loose or tight. Plus, m
Guitar: Jump between Em-D and Am-G: An Open Learning Guide
Up to now, larger chord leaps have been avoided. There is always a risk that you will use up valuable time sorting your fingers. The change between G and Am, as well as the change between Em
Guitar: Jazz: An Open Learning Guide
Early jazz bands used the banjo as an accompaniment instrument because its loud volume gave it the ability to be heard, unamplified, against brass and percussion. As an acoustic instrument,
Guitar: Intervals and Power Chords: An Open Learning Guide
Intervals are named with reference to scales. For example, the interval from the root of the major scale to the second note of the major scale is called a "major second"; the interval from t
Guitar: How to Continue Learning: An Open Learning Guide
Learn a new genre or style of guitar. If you have reached a high level in rock guitar, for example, you could try learning blues, jazz or country guitar, as all of these styles will add new
Guitar: Harmonics: An Open Learning Guide
Harmonics are fun sounds to produce. They can be quiet and bell-like on an Acoustic or they can be loud and squeally on an overdriven Electric. When you strike a note on the guitar, the soun
Guitar: Harmonica and Guitar Combo: An Open Learning Guide
The harmonica is an instrument that has found favour with many guitarist. The idea evolved from the blues and country and western musicians of the early part of the 20th century. The role th
Guitar: Hammer-ons, Pull-offs, and Trills: An Open Learning Guide
Hammer-ons and pull-offs are two closely related techniques. They are used to play legato, that is, in a smooth manner, and are also used to help the guitarist to play faster. They are most
Guitar: Guitar Tabs Song Library: An Open Learning Guide
Almost as soon as you start playing guitar, you will learn a handful of songs or riffs. But often after a while, you can't think anything new or interesting to play. Learning songs can be to
Guitar: Guitar Maintenance and Storage: An Open Learning Guide
Properly maintaining a valuable guitar keeps it valuable. Guitars can take a lot of abuse, especially if you play live shows and tour, and even if it pretty much "sounds the same," lack of m
Elektron Monomachine: History and Key Facts
The Elektron Monomachine is a synthesizer and music sequencer by Elektron.
Electronic sackbut: History and Key Facts
The electronic sackbut is an electronic musical instrument designed and first built by Hugh Le Caine in 1945.
Electronic drum module: History and Key Facts
An electronic drum module is an electronic or digital music device in an electronic drum kit that serves as the central processing unit and sound module.
Electronic bagpipes: History and Key Facts
The electronic bagpipes is an electronic musical instrument emulating the tone and/or playing style of the bagpipes.
Electronic drum: History and Key Facts
Electronic drums are an electronic musical instrument that replicates the sound and appearance of a drum kit or other percussion instruments.
E-mu Proteus X: History and Key Facts
E-MU Proteus X is a Virtual Sound Module produced by E-MU Systems that is a software-based audio sample-based synthesis product that includes the complete library soundest of the popular and lega
Electro-Theremin: History and Key Facts
The Electro-Theremin is an electronic musical instrument developed by trombonist Paul Tanner and amateur inventor Bob Whitsell in the late 1950s to produce a sound to mimic that of the theremin.I
DrumIt Five: History and Key Facts
The DrumIt Five is an electronic drum line produced by 2box, a Swedish company started by former employees of ddrum.
Drum kit: History and Key Facts
A drum kit, acoustic drum kit or drum set (also known as a trap set or simply drums in popular music and jazz contexts) is a musical instrument consisting of a collection of percussion instrument
Guitar: Guitar Accessories: An Open Learning Guide
Picks are probably the most frequently bought guitar accessory. There are several reasons, but mostly it is because there are so many types of picks, and picks are so easily lost. When you g
Guitar: General rules for fingering: An Open Learning Guide
The fingerings that are taught here for the individual chords did not come about by chance. They are based on the classical guitar schools and are intended to prepare you now if you want to
Guitar: G without pinky: An Open Learning Guide
This article is only intended for guitar players who have already learned a little guitar and have perhaps learned a chord (especially G major) with a different fingering. Unfortunately, peo
Guitar: G Em C D: An Open Learning Guide
By the way, memorize that E minor (written "Em" for short) is the minor parallel of G major. In many songs you don't necessarily have to change to the minor parallel, you can simply continue
Guitar: Forming the D chord: An Open Learning Guide
There is more than one way to form the chords, set the fingerings and determine the tones. Here I will introduce you to a method that is particularly suitable for simple chords in song accom
Guitar: Folk Guitar: An Open Learning Guide
Folk music is considered to be music that originates from the people. It is not the preserve of professional composers because its themes and melodies are derived from the experiences and li
Guitar: Flamenco: An Open Learning Guide
Flamenco is one of the folk music genres of Spain. In Spain the word flamenco is not just associated with the guitar but also the people, songs and dances of Spain. The history of flamenco f
Guitar: Expand your repertoire: An Open Learning Guide
You may not believe it at this stage, but with just the four chords G - Em - C - D you now have hundreds of songs open to you, so you can slowly start to build up a repertoire of songs for e
Guitar: Effects Pedals: An Open Learning Guide
Effects pedals are electronic or digital devices that modify the tone, pitch, or sound of an electric guitar. Effects can be housed in effects pedals, guitar amplifiers, guitar amplifier sim
Guitar: E-bow: An Open Learning Guide
The E-bow is a device that causes your string to vibrate without it being plucked, almost like a violin bow makes a violin string vibrate. It requires a dramatically different technique to p
Guitar: Different Types of Guitars: An Open Learning Guide
Playing different guitars in a music shop is a great way of familiarising yourself with each model's unique qualities but don't forget to take off any objects that could scratch the guitar.
Guitar: Country and Western: An Open Learning Guide
Country music is an American genre of music that can trace its roots back to earlier European folk songs that the arriving immigrants brought with them. It developed in the Appalachians and
Digital piano: History and Key Facts
A digital piano is a class of electronic keyboard or synthesizer (rompler) designed to serve primarily as an alternative to the traditional acoustic piano, both in how it feels to play and in the
Controllerism: History and Key Facts
Controllerism is the art and practice of using musical software controllers, e.g.
Croix Sonore: History and Key Facts
The Croix Sonore is an early electronic musical instrument with continuous pitch, similar to the theremin.
Cloud harp: History and Key Facts
The cloud harp, also known as the Keplerian harp, is an open form sound installation which converts the forms of clouds into audio and musical sequences in real time.
Composer-Tron: History and Key Facts
The Composer-Tron was developed by Osmond Kendal for the Canadian Marconi Company in 1953.
Clavecin électrique: History and Key Facts
The clavecin électrique (or clavessin électrique) was a musical instrument invented in 1759 by Jean-Baptiste Thillaie Delaborde, a French Jesuit priest.