Hints & Tips
Clarinet
Tips for buying clarinets There are a lot of cheap Clarinets on the internet coming out of china that are cheap for a reason. They are generally made quickly to a poor standard and out of cheap materials. You may find these instruments to be in tune on the higher notes but not on the lower notes. All the big branded instruments such as Buffet, Jupiter and Yamaha have many years experience producing and developing their Clarinets which not only sound better but also last a lot longer and hold their value. A lot of technicians refuse to repair these cheaper instruments because they are generally a lot more difficult to repair and cause more problems making them also more expensive to repair. If you don't want to splash out the money on a new branded clarinet you can pick them up a second hand instrument a lot cheaper and if you buy them second hand from a music shop like ourselves they are serviced and checked over. Be careful when buying a second hand instrument on Ebay usually a seller doesn't know much about the clarinet let alone how they work and you will most likely end up having to get it serviced. We have also had people bring instruments they have bought on Ebay which have been either very expensive to repair or beyond repair.
How often should I have my Clarinet Serviced? It is a good idea to have a service or at least a check over on your clarinet yearly to make sure all the pads are seating correctly and the regulation is correct. If this isn't done then the clarinet might not be playing correctly and some people especially children can get quite annoyed and then give up the instrument.
How do I clean my Clarinet? To clean the inside of your clarinet you should use a clarinet pull though to pull a specially treated cloth though the clarinet and to clean the outside of your clarinet you should use a silver cloth which will also help bring the shine back out on the keys. You should never use any chemicals to clean your instrument this can damage the pads and the silver plating the keys. It is very important to clean your clarinet because not only does it make your clarinet look nice but if you don't clean it your clarinet wont sound properly.
Cello
What are Cello's Tuned to? C G D A
Flute
Tips for buying Flutes There are a lot of cheap flutes on the internet coming out of china that are cheap for a reason. They are generally made quickly to a poor standard and out of cheap materials. You may find these instruments to be in tune on the higher notes but not on the lower notes. All the big branded instruments such as Yamaha, Jupiter and Trever James have many years experience producing and developing their flutes which not only sound better but also last a lot longer and hold their value. A lot of technicians refuse to repair these cheaper instruments because they are generally a lot more difficult to repair and cause more problems making them also more expensive to repair. If you don't want to splash out the money on a new branded flute you can pick them up a second hand instrument a lot cheaper and if you buy them second hand from a music shop like ourselves they are serviced and checked over. Be careful when buying a second hand instrument on Ebay usually a seller doesn't know much about the flute let alone how they work and you will most likely end up having to get it serviced. We have also had people bring instruments they have bought on Ebay which have been either very expensive to repair or beyond repair.
Open/Closed Hole Closed hole flutes are most common for begginner as they are usually found to be easier to play. Most professionals will used a open hole flute as it allows for greater functionality such as Quatertones & a louder & clearer lower octave. Some teachers do prefer a student to start on a open holed instrument as it will avoid the transition period but this is uncommon.
Bb Footjoint A Bb Footjoint is sometimes used in place of a regular C Footjoint as it has a extra key which can give the player the ability to reach a bottom Bb which is half a tone lower than a regular flute. This option is only realy available on more advanced flutes and will inncurr an extra cost.
offset/Inline G A offset G is where the G keys are on there own rod where as with inline they would be on the same rod as most of the other notes. Offset is generally most popular as it provides a more comfortable and natural positioning with the hands where as an inline G can cause uncomfortability and tendonitis.
Materials The materials of a flute can be something which is very dependent on the preferences of the user. Most Flute are generally the cheepest material used for flutes. It is only usually found on student flutes because of its value for money and also its quite strong
Nickel Flutes are the most common flutes for students because of the lower price and the durubility of the metals.
Silver is generally used by intermediate students, it has a richer tone than nickel and its sound travels very well but is a softer metal.
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Gold Usually considered to produce the best sound and can range in density in 5k 10k etc. The sound is warm, bright and rich and its used by most professional flautists. It is known for the sound not to be aswell travelling as a silver flute.
Platinum is uncommon but is said to have quite a cold sound.
How often should I have my Flute Serviced? It is a good idea to have a service or at least a check over on your flute yearly to make sure all the pads are seating correctly and the regulation is correct. If this isn't done then the flute might not be playing correctly and some people especially children can get quite annoyed and then give up the instrument.
How do I clean My Flute? To clean the inside of your flute you should use a very soft Flute cloth on the end of a flute rod and to clean the outside of your flute you should use a silver cloth which will also help bring the shine back out. You should never use any chemicals to clean your instrument this can damage the pads and the silver plating of your flute. It is very important to clean your flute because not only does it makes your flute look nice but if you don't clean it your flute wont sound properly.
The Joints on my Flute are to Tight/loose This is a very common issue and occurs because flutes are constantly being put together and taken apart. This is quite a straight fix and we can solve this problem in store. If this does happen do not put any liquids or chemicals on the joints as this can damage the flute and make solving the problem more difficult.
What not to do with your Flute Do not leave your flute on a radiator, not only could it knocked off but because of the heat it can cause the flute bend and end up looking like a banana. This can be a very pricey repair because not only will the flute have to be straighten but so will the keys and the seating off all pads have to checked. If you don't want to put your flute away in its case every time you want to put it down a really good purchase is a flute stand this not keeps your instrument much safer but also encourages you or your child to practice the instrument because having to get the instrument out every time can be a bit of a pain.
Do not leave your on your music stand. A lot of music stand are very feeble and are easily knocked over. If your flute is knocked off your stand it can be very pricey to remove any dents, straighten keys, straighten the flute, check the seating of the pads and regulate.If you don't want to put your flute away in its case every time you want to put it down a really good purchase is a flute stand this not keeps your instrument much safer but also encourages you or your child to practice the instrument because having to get the instrument out every time can be a bit of a pain.
Do not leave your Flute on a bed or settee, they are easily not seen an sat on which again can be another pricey repair to straighten the flute, straighten the keys and check the seating of the pads.If you don't want to put your flute away in its case every time you want to put it down a really good purchase is a flute stand this not keeps your instrument much safer but also encourages you or your child to practice the instrument because having to get the instrument out every time can be a bit of a pain.
Guitar
Tips for buying Guitars If your looking to buy a guitar and are very serious about it your better off buying a guitar about around £150. A lot of the cheap guitars that are on the market are made to a very poor standard, with the Fret board just being painted black, dodgy machine heads which don't hold there tune, bridge pins you cant get out when you want to change a string and cheap strings which feel horrible to play. You may not notice these things when you start playing the guitar but after a few months of playing if you havn't given up and looking at other guitars you will notice why they are so cheap. The best thing to do is to visit a store and try out a few and see what you like. You don't have to spend £1000s on a good sounding guitar, a lot of the customers prefer the feel and sound of a £200 compared to an £800 its a lot to do with personal preference.
Whats the difference between a Solid and Laminate Top? The top of a solid top guitar is made out of a single solid piece wood like Cedar, Spruce and maple while a laminate top is made out lots of different pieces of wood a lot like plywood. The sound produced by a solid top guitar gets better over time as the wood learns to vibrate the correct frequencies but a laminate top doesn't.
How often should I restrings my Guitar? There is no rule on how often you should change your strings but there are many factors which can effect how long your guitar strings will last. The more you play your guitar the quicker your strings will start to build up dead skin cells between the groves and If your sweat is acidic you will notice that your strings will lose their shininess and eventually snap. Also if you expose your guitar to the elements and don't carry it a gig bag the strings can oxidize and begin to erode, once oxidation occurs the sound quality lessons. It is recommended that of you are gig-ing a lot you should re-string your guitar about once a month if your not playing everyday then you should change your strings about every three months. Elixir and Daddario EXP strings are coated in different chemicals which can prolong the life of your strings 3x - 5x longer. A good way to test your strings is to run your finger along the strings and if you feel any kinks, nicks or inconsistencies its time to change your strings. If you need help re-stringing your guitar we do provide this service in store, see our Repairs Page
How often should I tune my Guitar? You should always tune your guitar every time you practice or perform.
What are guitars tuned to? The standard tuning for all 6 string guitars is E A D G B E. There are various over tuning as well such as Admiral: C G D G B C, Dropped D: D A D G B E, Hendrix: Eb Ab Db Gb Bb Eb
How long will it take me to learn the Guitar? This is a regular question we get asked and it always depends on how much you practice and how you define playing the guitar. Some people might consider playing the guitar as being able to play 3 chords which you could learn over a few weeks or being able to play like some awesome Van Halen solos which takes many many years of practice.
Piano
How often should I have my piano tuned? Pianos are made of many different types of materials such as top quality woods, iron, steel, copper, brass, plastics, felts etc., all of which are affected differently by age, wear and use, temperature and humidity. All pianos vary to how long they stay in tune, but generally a piano should be tuned at least twice a year. This is important as tuning a piano not only keeps it in tune with itself, but also prevents the whole pitch from dropping flat which will happen if tuning is neglected. We don't provide piano tuning services but can recommend piano tuners such as Dave Steel at nicepianos.co.uk who tunes our pianos in store on a regular basis.
Viola
What are Viola's tuned to? C G D A
Violin
What are Violins Tuned to? G D A E
Ukulele
What are Soprano (Standard) Ukuleles tuned to? The most common tuning is G C E A