One of my first jobs was setting up a Spanish nylon string guitar, which I would guess was made some time in the '50s or '60s. There were signs of previous repairs and partial refinishing. The original nut and saddle were installed in a hurry, and it was never a fancy instrument - probably one of thousands made by local craftsmen all over Spain and Latin America. But I was struck by this guitar's graceful proportions and its quiet but well-balanced tone. ...more

In the 1880s, John Philip Sousa wrote 'A Book of Instruction for the Field Trumpet and Drum'. This book was used by the armed services and civilians, as it contained all of the drum rudiments. Sanford (Gus) Moeller's book 'The Moeller Book' was published by the Ludwig Drum Company in 1918. From this, the National Association of Rudimental Drummers (NARD) was created. Their 1933 meeting brought about the organisation of the 13 basic drum rudiments, plus 13 more to create the 'Twenty-Six Essential Drum Rudiments'. ...more

On a recent trip to Sydney I realised something about why certain singers sing. Some sing because they want to be known as 'good singers' to have an audience compliment the beauty and dexterity in their voice. And some, truly, madly, deeply mean it! These are the story tellers, the ones whom you hear and mysteriously connect with what they're singing. Even if you've heard that song a thousand times before, when they sing it, it all makes sense. ...more

Many guitarists think that practicing scales and arpeggios is very boring, but hopefully that view could be about to change for you. Playing drones is a great way to have fun with scales and arpeggios while also getting the sound of them in your ear. It is easy enough to do, but you need to take the time to learn and memorise the scales and arpeggios and their associated fingerings first. ...more