I want to learn to play the clarinet. How do I choose a clarinet to buy? I have no experience with wind instruments (I'm 26). While I've got no aspirations of becoming a jazz legend, I want a clarinet with reasonably good sound quality. Are more expensive ones generally easier to play? Are used as good as new, or do I have to worry about identifying and replacing worn out parts? What other supplies will I need right off the bat? Also, I live in Mexico so I think I will have to buy online and not try it out beforehand.
posted by lockestockbarrel on Sep 13, 2009 - 11 answers

I have just been gifted a beloved and much missed late relative's 8-string banjo mandolin. The relative bought the instrument (used) in the early-mid 1970s and died soon after. Despite googling the universe I cannot find out anything about the instrument or maker. On the head it says "Wayne" in a horizontal scroll and then vertically underneath, "Dixie". I'd love to know more about the instrument. Anyone heard of Wayne Dixie banjo mandolins?
posted by Kerasia on Jul 13, 2009 - 7 answers

How do I avoid annoying the neighbors while I practice a musical instrument? [more inside]
posted by realpseudonym on Feb 15, 2009 - 25 answers

I need to rent a Guitar (acousitc or electric) in Washington D.C., is it possible? [more inside]
posted by thankyoumuchly on Jan 31, 2009 - 9 answers

Searching for Weight Lifter Music Instrument Stand [more inside]
posted by KRS on Aug 15, 2008 - 4 answers

I recently purchased a used autoharp, and it's been languishing in a corner as I try to figure out how to get started with it. [more inside]
posted by quatsch on Aug 5, 2008 - 10 answers

Help me find an antique dealer/auction house in the Southern California area that specializes in vintage musical instruments and/or country music memorabilia. [more inside]
posted by InfidelZombie on Jun 12, 2008 - 1 answer

Is it reasonable to expect to be able to try a wind instrument before buying it? I just bought a 'Gill' Wooden Sopranino recorder (Baroque fingering, of course) from a store in Boston without doing so, and got back to find that the lowest G and B notes (eq. to D and F# on C-tuned instruments) are so out of tune as to be unusable. I'll try to request a replacement since it was a $40 investment, but since I'm looking to purchase other such instruments in the future I'd like to know more about the ground rules.
posted by The Confessor on Apr 3, 2008 - 17 answers

How long does it take to learn the guitar? [more inside]
posted by CarlRossi on Mar 24, 2008 - 27 answers

Bass player. Long time pizzicato, first time arco. What do I need to know about my bow, specifically regarding rosin? [more inside]
posted by gnutron on Mar 17, 2008 - 14 answers

AskMe Musicians - I'm buying a drum set for the first time. What advice would you offer me? [more inside]
posted by Afroblanco on Feb 15, 2008 - 14 answers

I haven't played trumpet since I was a senior in high school in 1994. Recently, I picked up a good used student horn on eBay and am excited to start practicing again. Trumpet players of the green, I ask you- what are your favorite websites? [more inside]
posted by bobot on Dec 19, 2007 - 13 answers

Does anyone have experience with a Boss DR-5 sound module? Are there other sound modules worth checking out that are in the same price range/usability/portability scale? [more inside]
posted by sleepy pete on Dec 7, 2007 - 3 answers

I wanna learn the drums... [more inside]
posted by Neonshock on Nov 24, 2007 - 23 answers

Crazy idea for a modified guitar - has this been done? is it feasible? [more inside]
posted by primer_dimer on Oct 9, 2007 - 24 answers

Can anyone who has experience learning, buying or listening to a Kora (musical instrument) please share it? [more inside]
posted by takeyourmedicine on Aug 3, 2007 - 4 answers

Singer Linda Ronstadt appeared on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson years ago (20 or more?). She sang a song that was accompanied by a strange looking instrument. My faulty memory bank says it looked like a ceramic pot turning on a horizontal rotisserie! Can you help me identify it...show me a picture...let me hear it?
posted by rdauphin on May 24, 2007 - 13 answers

The great musical-instrument-on-plane paradox. How do you prepare (what case[s] do you buy and what strategies do you develop) when you need to travel on many different kinds/scales of airlines, with a delicate wooden instrument that MAY or MAY NOT be allowed as carry-on baggage (depending on circumstance, how full the plane is, and how much or little the inspectors care that it looks large, solid and "middle eastern")? [more inside]
posted by allterrainbrain on Dec 26, 2006 - 14 answers

What little things separate a hack guitarist from a decent one and how does one make the transition? [more inside]
posted by bondcliff on Jan 10, 2006 - 24 answers

Any drummers out there? I've been wanting to learn to play the drums for a long time. I have a solid musical background - years of piano, saxophone, and guitar - and a good sense of timing. Without much spare cash for lessons, I'm wondering if it's possible to teach yourself to play. If so, any good instructional books/CDs/techniques? And what about a starter kit - features, brands, models, price range?
posted by gottabefunky on Jan 7, 2004 - 9 answers