Published documents by Victor Epand

2008

The battente guitar is also known as the chitarre battente, which in Italian, translates literally as "beating guitar." (One can only assume that the verb in this translation refer to the action used to play the guitar rather than the instrument's use as a club.) At first glance, the battente guitar is very similar to the common classical guitar. However, a careful observer will note that this...

Seven-String Guitars: A Niche Instrument Published on 16/09/2008

The most common number of strings on a guitar is six. This number is simply the result of the natural evolution in the instrument, which has undergone an unknowable number of transformations over the past 5000 years or so. Of course, while six may be the most common number of strings on the modern guitar, it is hardly the only number. Guitars of the 21st century are available in an almost...

The Acoustic Bass Guitar: A Relative Newcomer Published on 16/09/2008

If you find out someone is a guitarist and you ask them what kind of guitar they play, chances are that the answer will not be "the acoustic bass." In the world of guitars, this instrument does not have an overly large following. It lacks the historical tradition of the classical acoustic guitar and the sexiness of the electric bass. However, the acoustic bass should not be discounted, as it...

Double Neck Guitars: A Two In One Scenario Published on 16/09/2008

A double neck guitar looks like a set of Siamese twins. With two separate and distinct necks and a single, wider-than-average body, the instrument really does appear to be two independent entities joined by a common body. This description is, in fact, not too far from the truth. The benefit of the double neck guitar is that it essentially allows the musician access to more than one instrument...

Tenor Guitars: More Common Than You Realize Published on 16/09/2008

At first glance, a tenor guitar does not appear to differ greatly from a standard classical acoustic or electric guitar. The tenor's shape is (usually) similar to the more standard models, and so is its size. Upon closer inspection, however, a careful observer will note that this instrument has only four strings, as opposed to the six usually sported by guitars. Such an observer will also...

Video Gaming Goes To Brand New Heights Published on 16/09/2008

With all the advancements in technology, video games and video gaming systems have changed over the past couple of decades. In fact, if children today were given the very first video gaming system that hit the market they would most definitely think that it was a dinosaur. The graphics of these new video games are so intense that gamers have a very hard time pulling themselves away their...

Being Obsessed With Video Games Published on 16/09/2008

It really seems as if children have become obsessed with all the video games they have been playing. Each day children are engulfed with the excitement that these video games bring to their lives, but parents are becoming truly concerned. Many children are becoming obsessed with video games. They spend all the money they get for an allowance or birthday gifts on video games, accessories, and...

The Bodhran: The Unofficial Drum Of Ireland Published on 16/09/2008

I was recently listening to the soundtrack to River Dance. I find that the lack of lyrics in the music makes it useful to listen to while writing. I've listened to the music dozens of times, yet for some reason, I was struck by something new this time: namely, the prevalence and importance of the drums in the music. Perhaps I never picked up on it before because the sound of all those clogs...

The Drumhead: From Rawhide To Kevlar Published on 16/09/2008

If you're anything like me, you think of a drum as a single entity, an easily definable instrument of simple construction. Yet the fact is that drums really consist of at least three separate and distinct parts: the shell, the "hoop" or "rim" and the drumhead. And it is this last component that produces the sounds we all associate with the drum, the rolls and resonances that so strongly...

Drum Kits: Not Just About The Drums Published on 16/09/2008

The drum kit is one of the defining symbols of rock and roll. A set of usually four or five drums, these instruments are as memorable for their look as for their music. Yet when listening to a drummer rip through a drum solo, it is not just the sounds of the drums that stand out, but the sounds of other percussion instruments as well. Drum kits can include a number of other percussion...