String Instruments

Advantages: great sound, unusual
Disadvantages: more expensive than a similar standard guitar

...hand. The Tanglewood banjo is a great budget instrument; it cost me £120 and came with a book, a spare set of strings, set of metal finger picks, an electronic tuner, shoulder strap and a soft case. I was impressed with the tuning keys, they don't jump like some cheap guitars, and the banjo stays in tune for a long time. Now that I have acquired a hard case for my banjo it stays in tune almost indefinitely. The way to tell the quality of a banjo ...
...ones have twelve. The Tanglewood has 18, which seems plenty to me. The vellum should last the life of the instrument, provided you take care and don't poke holes in it or bash people over the head with it. Keeping it in a hard case is a good investment. It's a bit different to playing a guitar, after all, almost everyone has a guitar but you don't see many banjos in this country. If you want to cheat, there is a six string guitar banjo, which is ... Read review

Advantages: Good value, nice instrument
Disadvantages: Bow lets the outfit down a little

...Stentor. I purchased the Stentor Conservatoire and so far I have not been disappointed in any way whatsoever. Although it is not the highest quality instrument, it is certainly good value for money and has a nice look and feel to it. Although I bought it as a beginner instrument, it is often recommended for the advancing student. Stentor does produce one or two cheaper models but I found that the quality was far less both in sound and build. I was ...
...produced in China, especially as the Primavera I used had a permanent smell of super glue! However this appears a well constructed instrument that is comfortable to play. From what I have seen I would say it has t be up there for the best beginner outfit on a budget. The outfit means you get the bow, case and Rosin included, which is obviously convenient, as you need these items to play! The bow seems to be of a slightly reduced quality to the violin ... Read review

Advantages: Beautiful instrument, creates a wonderful sound, highly recognised.
Disadvantages: Hard to learn, lots of practise needed

...learning the 4/4 (full size) violin for 3 years now. The reason i decided to start leaning this instrument is because, it can, in theory produce a beautiful sound and is an instument which i've seen decline in popularity. I began by leaning the notes of the 4 strings before starting fingering and bowing. I think that it helps to have a good ear to play the violin as it is essential that you can hear when you play a wrong note, as if you move your ...
...To play the violin you need dedication and the ability to practise often. After 3 years, i've come a long way and would recommend learning this beautiful instrument to everyone. A word of warning however-from experience i found that when starting out, the E string is one to be avoided! ... Read review

Advantages: Great fun
Disadvantages: Very large to store and transport

...I decided to buy a double bass. In his younger days my partner had played the electric bass in various bands and had always said one day he would like to have a double bass. Well now he has. ♫ ♫ What is a double bass? ♫ ♫ Well I suppose the short answer is that it looks like a giant violin, although it’s actually descended from an instrument called the viol. It dates as far back as the 16th century and is the largest and ...
...suggests it is because the double bass is approximately twice (or double) the size of a cello and plays an octave lower. The first thing you notice about the double bass is its size. Ours (which is a ¾ size) measures 72inches high and that is without the endpin extended! It has a tonal range of just over two octaves. Like all the string instruments you can rub the hairs of a bow across the strings to make the sound. Different notes are made by stopping ... Read review

Advantages: fun, social opportunity, stimulating, rewarding
Disadvantages: big, difficult, not suited to the tone deaf

...and I have taught the cello since passing grade 8 in 1994 and still practice regularly. I have taken on pupils of different ages and abilities including a child with special needs who loves his cello lessons. It has also inspired me to learn more instruments myself such as the bassoon and clarinet. Best cello recording has to be J. Du Pre with the Elgar cello concerto - timeless! I have two cello's one is called Charlie and the other is Pablo, ...
...not be the right instrument for you, yet. Strings can be expensive (for decent ones) but most city libraries will have an abundance of cello music available so you would never be short of something to play. So what are you waiting for - go and get one! ... Read review