Amy Richardson
Amy grew up in Cambridge surrounded by choirs and college music, and never lost her fascination with how music is taught and learned. She's spent years helping beginners find their footing. She writes about classical music, learning and getting started on an instrument.
Sousaphone for Beginners: A Complete Guide
Big, unfamiliar and a little daunting: here's the sousaphone for beginners, broken down into manageable, honest steps.
A Beginner's Guide to Future House
A step-by-step introduction to future house: the beat, the bass, the origins, and how it differs from the styles sitting right next to it.
A Beginner's Guide to Garage Music
Garage rock, garage house and UK garage are three different traditions sharing one confusing name — here's how to tell them apart.
Smoke Machine for Beginners: A Complete Guide
Setting one up correctly the first time is simple once you follow the steps in the right order. Here's exactly how, one step at a time.
Yamaha P45 for Beginners: A Complete Guide
Most of the complexity disappears once you know what actually matters. Here's a step-by-step start on the Yamaha P45.
Tuning Fork for Beginners: A Complete Guide
A patient, step-by-step introduction to the tuning fork for absolute beginners, from your first tap to your first successfully matched pitch.
Kalimba for Beginners: A Complete Guide
No music reading, no calluses, no rush. Here's a gentle, structured way into the kalimba for anyone starting from absolute zero.
Electronic Bow for Beginners: A Complete Guide
A no-assumptions beginner's guide to the electronic bow, walking through your first sustained note step by step, with no prior knowledge needed.
The Ultimate Guide to Abrsm Exams
ABRSM exams offer one of the most structured musical progression routes in the world. This guide explains every pathway, grade, and what good preparation looks like.
Gibson Explorer for Beginners: A Complete Guide
A step-by-step look at whether this distinctive shape actually makes sense as a first proper electric guitar.
Cowbell for Beginners: A Complete Guide
A calm, step-by-step start on the cowbell: grip, a steady first pulse, finding the sweet spot, and adding simple accents.
A Beginner's Guide to Rocksteady
Slow bass, offbeat chords and close harmony singing: here's what rocksteady actually is, broken down step by step for anyone hearing the word for the first time.
A Beginner's Guide to Synthwave
A clear, logical introduction to synthwave: its sound, its 1980s roots, its breakthrough moment and its main branches.
Common Musical Notes Mistakes to Avoid
Most beginners make the same errors when learning to read music. This guide covers the six most common mistakes — and how to correct each one before it becomes a habit.
The Ultimate Guide to Ear Training
Ear training turns what you hear into something you can use — here's a complete, practical guide to developing your musical hearing from the ground up.
A Beginner's Guide to Techno Music
A clear, patient walkthrough of what techno music actually is, what to listen for, and how it differs from the genres it gets confused with.
The Ultimate Guide to Sight Reading
Sight reading is the skill of performing music you have never seen before — and with the right approach, it is entirely learnable. This guide covers everything from the pre-reading scan to building a...
U 87 Neumann for Beginners: A Complete Guide
Everyone speaks about it with reverence, but do you actually need one yet? Here's the step-by-step beginner's answer, no assumptions made.
Cort for Beginners: A Complete Guide
A logical, patient walk-through for a first proper instrument: what to choose, how to settle in, and what to expect along the way.
The Ultimate Guide to Fake Books
A fake book hands you a melody and some chord symbols, then trusts you to do the rest. Here's exactly what's on the page and how musicians use it.
A Beginner's Guide to Soundtrack
Score, source music, underscore — the words can sound technical, but the ideas behind them are simple once someone walks you through them slowly.
Vocoder for Beginners: A Complete Guide
Carrier, modulator, and your first working patch: a calm, step-by-step introduction for anyone who has never touched a vocoder before.
The Ultimate Guide to Scales and Modes
Scales and modes are the bedrock of music theory — once you see how they connect, the whole harmonic system clicks into place.
What Amy Richardson covers
Gibson Explorer
The gibson explorer combines bold styling with powerful electric tone for rock and metal players.
Harley Benton
Budget-friendly guitars and basses covering many styles, ideal for beginners, hobbyists and value-focused players.
4 topics
Native Instruments
Discover Native Instruments’ software, virtual instruments and creative tools for production, sound design and live perf...
1 topic
Novation
Explore Novation gear for electronic music production, live control and flexible keyboard-based workflows.
3 topics
Sequential
Sequential is a specialist choice for synthesists and producers seeking expressive sound design and hands-on control.
1 topic
Yamaha Clavinova
Refined digital pianos offering realistic touch, home-friendly design and modern practice features for serious players.
Yamaha Hs5
Compact and accurate, the Yamaha HS5 is ideal for small studios, mixing, editing and critical nearfield monitoring.
Yamaha P45
An affordable 88-key digital piano for beginners and home practice, offering a weighted action in a simple portable desi...
