Joanne Hall

The Best Mandolin Strings for the Money

Mountain Dulcimer: A Complete Guide

The mountain dulcimer is one of the most beginner-friendly folk instruments. Here's what it is, how the diatonic fret system works, the main tunings, and the different playing styles you'll encounter.

Bouzouki: A Complete Buyer's Guide

Decoration tells you nothing about how a bouzouki plays. Here's what to check before you buy one, from tuning system to scale length.

Common Electric Fiddle Mistakes to Avoid

The instrument rarely lets you down — it's usually the setup around it that does. Here are the mistakes worth watching for.

A Guide to Electric Mandolin

Solid body, floating pickup, or electrified acoustic — here's what distinguishes different electric mandolin formats and where each suits different playing contexts.

Dulcimer: A Complete Buyer's Guide

Two instruments share the name, several tunings and a lot of jargon. Here is what genuinely matters before you buy one.

The Best Accordions for the Money

Reed quality, bellows airtightness and keyboard action are the benchmarks that separate good value from poor — this guide covers the standout options at every price point.

Didgeridoo Explained: Features, Types and Tips

The didgeridoo is one of the world's oldest instruments, still played in living Aboriginal tradition. Here's how it works and what the different types offer.

Makala Ukulele: A Complete Buyer's Guide

Buying a Makala ukulele is one of the simpler instrument decisions available. This buyer's guide covers size, model, starter packs, and what to check when the instrument arrives.

Celtic Harp for Beginners: A Complete Guide

Persistent resonance is the first thing to understand about the harp. Get damping right and the rest of the instrument follows naturally.

The Best Concert Lightings for the Money

There's no single best rig, only the right one for your venue and budget — here's how concert lighting setups break down by scale, from pub gig to arena tour.

The Best Harps for the Money

No fake benchmarks here — just an honest, tier-by-tier look at which harps genuinely suit which player, and where your money is best spent at each level.

Kala Ukulele for Beginners: A Complete Guide

Starting from scratch with a Kala ukulele is straightforward when you know the right sequence — this guide covers tuning, technique, the first chords and how to build a practice habit.

Common Tabla Drumming Mistakes to Avoid

Small, repeated habits, not dramatic errors. Here's what quietly works against a beginner, and against the instrument itself.

The Ultimate Guide to Banjo

The banjo's true history, the difference between five-string and tenor, open-back and resonator, and how to choose your first instrument by the music you want to play.

Tabla: A Complete Buyer's Guide

Choosing a tabla means more than picking a price point — shell wood, puri craftsmanship and bayan material all determine whether your new drum will actually sing.

Bluegrass Subgenres, Explained

There's more than one way to play bluegrass, and the differences matter. Here's an honest map of the main strands and what separates one from the next.

The Best Folk Rock Artists to Know

This sound only really makes sense once you know who's singing it — here are the folk rock artists worth knowing first.

Mandolin Strings Explained: Features, Types and Tips

5 String Banjo for Beginners: A Complete Guide

The 5-string banjo's two main playing styles — clawhammer and Scruggs-style three-finger picking — both reward patient, consistent practice. Here is where to begin.

Harp Explained: Features, Types and Tips

From the chordophone basics to Sébastien Érard's 1810 pedal mechanism, here's what actually separates a lever harp from a pedal harp — and where each one turns up in music.

Ukulele Strings: A Complete Buyer's Guide

Buying strings is more than walking in and picking a set. The right choice depends on your instrument size, playing style and budget. This guide cuts through the noise to show what actually matters.

The Ultimate Guide to Sitar

There's far more to the sitar than its famous drone. A grounded guide to how India's great long-necked lute makes its sound, where it comes from, and how to start.

Tenor Banjo: A Complete Guide

Four strings, two tuning traditions and a history that spans jazz, Dixieland and Irish sessions — the tenor banjo is one of the most versatile and distinctive instruments in folk and traditional music...