Laura Mitchell

Banjo Ukulele for Beginners: A Complete Guide

Whether you're new to stringed instruments or transferring skills from ukulele, the learning curve here is modest. Here's what to know before you start.

Melodica: A Complete Buyer's Guide

Colour and case design tell you nothing about how a melodica actually plays. Here's what genuinely matters before you buy, and what to skip.

Kala Ukulele Explained: Features, Types and Tips

Kala makes ukuleles across a wide range of sizes, materials and budgets — this guide explains the features that matter and how to read the catalogue.

The Best Ukulele Strings for the Money

The best ukulele strings are not one product—they depend on your instrument, playing style and what you are chasing in tone. Here is what works for each path.

Shamisen Explained: Features, Types and Tips

Three strings, no frets and a sharp percussive attack — here's what a shamisen actually is, and how its three neck types differ.

The Best Dulcimers for the Money

There's no single best dulcimer, only the right tier for the player you are now. Here's how to find yours.

5 String Banjo Explained: Features, Types and Tips

The 5-string banjo's short fifth drone string creates re-entrant tuning — higher in pitch than all the others — and gives the instrument its characteristic, unmistakeable sound.

Bouzouki Explained: Features, Types and Tips

From the rebetiko tavernas of Greece to Irish folk sessions, the bouzouki comes in more than one form. Here's what sets them apart.

Tabla Explained: Features, Types and Tips

Two small drums, a language built from spoken syllables, and centuries of refined technique — the tabla is one of the world's most expressive percussion instruments.

Electric Mandolin for Beginners: A Complete Guide

G, D and A — the three starting chords. Tremolo, double courses and amplifier setup — here's the complete first-steps guide for new players.

Melodica Music Instrument: A Complete Buyer's Guide

Key count, mouthpiece or tube, build quality and trusted names: everything worth weighing up before buying your first melodica.

Koto Explained: Features, Types and Tips

A long plank of paulownia with thirteen strings that rewards patience — here's what a koto is, where it came from, and how it actually works.

Darbuka for Beginners: A Complete Guide

A genuinely welcoming instrument to start on — here's exactly how to begin with your first darbuka, from holding it to your first dum and tek.

Common Erhu Mistakes to Avoid

Most erhu trouble isn't a lack of talent, it's a handful of small habits working against the instrument. Here are the ones that come up most often.

Banjo Ukulele: A Complete Buyer's Guide

The market is smaller than for conventional ukuleles, which means fewer choices but also less confusion. Here's what to look for and which brands are worth your money.

Jaw Harp: A Complete Buyer's Guide

From toy shop novelties to precision handmade instruments — what to look for in tongue quality, frame alignment and materials, and what to spend at each level.

The History of Folk Rock

One electric guitar plugged into a folk song in 1965 changed everything that followed — here's the whole story, in order.

Common Banjo Strings Mistakes to Avoid

A beautiful banjo can be let down by tired or badly fitted strings. Here are the small mistakes almost every player makes at least once.

The Best Celtic Harps for the Money

Value in the lever harp market comes from matching instrument capability to actual use. Here is how the field breaks down by price level.

Button Accordion for Beginners: A Complete Guide

A Guide to Ukulele String

The four strings of a ukulele carry far more complexity than they first appear. Understanding size, tuning, material and gauge is the key to finding your instrument's true voice.

Common Mandolin Strings Mistakes to Avoid

Oud Instrument: A Complete Buyer's Guide

What actually matters when choosing an oud, from body construction and bridge placement to the tradition it's genuinely built for.

Tuning a Fiddle Explained: Features, Types and Tips

That quiet ritual before a session starts, explained properly: how fiddle tuning actually works, and why it's built on fifths.