Archive for Musical Instruments
It’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas…Again!
Posted by: | CommentsWell once again it’s beginnig to look a lot like Christmas.
Not much in the way of winter weather, but the specials are arriving on the Santa Express at Ryson’s. Twinkling Christmas decorations are up, students are playing the sound of good cheer and our staff are in a holly jolly mood.
Looking for that special musical instrument? Or perhaps rare piece of music for your favorite musician? Order now to fulfill your musical gift list for Christmas.
This year Santa’s brought some terrific holiday specials including; Typhoon Electric Guitar Amplifier bag strap and guitar, with picks and our exclusive Rysons 2 year warranty.
Everything you need to be a rock star for $225.00.
Rudolph and the gang are prancing over the specials on all brass and woodwind instruments. “Look Santa they even have jingle bells, drums sets, hand drums, celtic drums, bass guitars and amplifiers as well as mandolins, violin with cases and bows sets, all at super Holiday Savings!
Christmas Elvs are reminding us not to forget all the great accessories for your favorite musician; strings, picks, reeds, pedals, drum sticks, metronomes, tuners and much more.
Mrs. Claus is having a great time in the music book section with all the new Christmas books from “White Christmas”, “Readers Digest Christmas”, “Hilarious Christmas Books” , even Taylor Swift and Hanna Montana. Other books to make great gifts include Frank Sinatra, Beatles, Rock, Pop, Blues and many more. “Santa this is a large book store”, says Mrs. Claus.
This year’s annual Christmas Concert at Silver Spire Dec. 20 at 1:00 in the afternoon. All proceeds go to Silver Spire “Out Of The Cold”. Just $10.00 per family and if you would like to bring a toy for the needy that would be gratefully appreciated.
The short story; “The Day the Welland Canal Monster met Santa”, is a Child’s delight and available at Ryson’s Studios . It is a great book during the festive season, written by local author Frank Proctor who can also be found on AM740 Toronto. Join Tiny, Clarence, and the Welland Canal in a must read story for the holiday season.
Lots of stuff going on with our teaching staff;
- First, we’d like to welcome back Matthew Therrian who has joined our teaching staff as a piano instructor. Matthew is also acting as the Music Director at Silver Spire. As a Music Graduate from Brock University Matthew received his BA in Music, he also earned his Accredited Registered Certified Teacher certificate, (A.R.C.T.), at a early age.
- Danielle Oegema, one of our violin teachers has just released a new Cd called ‘Zusters” with all original music.
- Lauren Gasbarini one of our voice instructors is arranging several of our students in a choir for the Christmas concert. Lauren will also be finishing her broadcasting course at Niagara this year, and will be hosting the Santa Claus parade in Niagara Falls for Niagara College on November 28 airing on Cogeco.
- Dave Tufford, Torry Doyle, Jordan Phelan and Tim Popek will be putting band groups together for our Christmas concert.
If you’re looking for some great music for your Holiday Season event The Golden Hammers and The Rockin Daisies are available for your music needs. Call Anne at 905 682-6832
A large shipment of Beaver Creek guitars arrived today including the backpackers guitars, a great Christmas gift.
Speaking of great gifts, music lessons are a gift, that last a lifetime.
Our Rysons Gift Cards are available in all amounts and can be redeemed for musical instruments, instrument repairs, or music lessons and books.
Ryson’s Studio of Music is open Monday to Friday 9 to 9 Saturday 9 to 5.
If I can be of service please give me a call at 905 682-6832 or anne@rysonsmusic.com
Best Wishes,
Anne.
P.S.
Ryson’s is Home of the 2 year Warranty…don’t take chances on your new musical instrument.
“The Richest Child is Poor Without a Musical Education”
Fiddler Wins Beaver Creek Guitar!
Posted by: | CommentsThe winner of the Beaver Creek Backpacker guitar, donated by DAddario was 
won by a very talented young lady named Ainsley Porchak from Woodstock.
Ainsley is a great little fiddler, and I’m sure she’ll master her new guitar very guickly.
Congratulations Ainsley
Is It A Violin or A Fiddle?
Posted by: | CommentsMany people say a fiddle is a violin with attitude. 
Fiddle has two syllables; violin has three. The goal of violin music is beauty and power and the goal of fiddling is dance ability. Violin music is hard to play, fiddle music is usually improvised in part and violin music is rarely improvised. Violin is for orchestra in a classical setting where as fiddle is usually country, pop and celtic. Fiddle is a violin played as a folk instrument.
Itzhak Perlman said “it’s a compliment to tell another violinist - ‘that’s a pretty fiddle.’”
Many fiddlers hold their instrument down on the arm rather than under the chin which frees up the jaw. This can be useful for calling square dancing. This is NOT acceptable in classical playing. Many fiddlers have discovered the benefit of classical training in the speed of their playing and note reading skills as well as learning to improvise at studios, like Rysons Music.
There’s actually no different between Violin and Fiddle except for the attitude of the musician playing the instrument. The instruments are the same but different techniques are used to create the sound.
There are a few physical differences. 
- The fiddler’s bridge may be cut so that it is slightly less curved. The reason for this is that it reduces the range of right arm motion required for the string crossing found in some styles. It also makes it easier to play double stops, shuffles and makes triple stops possible, allowing one to make chords.
- Classical violinists prefer a more rounded curve to the top of the bridge allowing them to articulate each note easily and clearly.
- Violin players usually use gut strings wound with silver to acquire a rich full quality for orchestral playing.
- Fiddle players most often use steel strings for bright tone and playing mobility.
Either way, layers of rosin binding with varnish, whether violin or fiddle is a no-no as it destroys the quality of sound.
Here’s a well-known stereotype about violins and fiddles: “if it’s over $50, it’s a violin”.
Whether you play a Fiddle or a Violin enjoy the love of music.
Kiwanis Classical Violin competition is taking place on May 4th and 5th.
Kiwanis Fiddle competition is on May 1st.
St. Catharines Downtown Fiddlefest and Car Show is on July 11th.
String Cleaner Solves Guitar Player Problem!
Posted by: | CommentsWhen you play your guitar your fingers transmit dirt debris, oils, and 
perspiration to the guitar strings. This particularly happens when sliding along, or bending the strings, although even just touching the strings will produce a certain amount of oil and debris.
The dirt and debris will cause oxidation and rust of your guitar strings which causes them to lose their strength, tone, and brilliance, leaving you with a non responsive string and a dull sound. Not only will this make it more difficult to play, but you simply won’t get as good a sound from your guitar, and the only way to correct the sound is to change the strings.
So what can you do to keep your strings in top quality condition?
It’s important to the life of your strings to wipe them clean after every use. This will go a long way to extending the life of your guitar strings. You can also use cleaning materials such as alcohol to clean the strings, but you need to be careful not to get that material on the guitar as it will damage the finish.
Over the years, guitar players have struggled with this dilemma. It’s not unusual for professional guitar players to change their guitar strings on a weekly basis, depending on how frequently they play. This adds up to quite an expense. But all great guitar players know that in order to get the sound they want, the strings need to be responding and transmitting a brilliant sound.
The “String Cleaner” Solution
Dave Chiappetta is a guitar player, arranger, producer, and composer of music. Dave, like most professional guitar players was frustrated with trying to clean his guitar strings with alcohol, rags, and his fingernails. So he invented the “String Cleaner”.
The “String Cleaner” is a simple device that surrounds the guitar strings in a specially selected micro-fiber cloth material. The material is made up of thousands of tiny material loops which are semi-coated, and totally surround the strings when the string cleaner is in the closed and secured position. When the string cleaner is slid up and down the length of the strings, the material first loosens dirt and debris and then collects and removes it from the strings. The string cleaner also has “fret ramps” on the bottom part of the device which makes it easier to slide the device up and down the fret board, and easier to get into the hard-to-reach areas such as at the top of the neck.
The “String Cleaner” is a great solution to a problem that guitar players have struggled with for years.
Right now we have a special price on the “String Cleaner”, and a bonus offer on another little problem solver for guitar players, which helps keep track of your guitar picks.
Go here to learn more about the “String Cleaner”
Guitars For Beginners
Posted by: | CommentsIf you’re still looking for the perfect Holiday Gift for a guitar student, here’s a little video about our great line of Beaver Creek guitars. These are perfect guitars for beginners and particularily those of an early age.
This is an acoustic guitar for beginners that’s worth checking out. These guitars are not toys. They’re real quality musical instruments that can be enjoyed for years to come.
Musical Instruments:History of the Saxophone
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The Saxophone.
Music and music lessons have become very popular and one of the musical instruments that has gained a lot of call for is the saxophone.
Saxophones vary in size and are named as follows: soprano, alto, tenor, and baritone, which are most commonly used, but their is also Bass, C melody,
C soprano, F mezzo soprano, Conn-o sax, and F baritone.
The Soprano sax musically has the highest pitched key (B flat) and is gaining popularity for background music. A Soprano sax can have a curved or straight bell.
Music students will come into contact with the Alto Sax at school bands. This musical instrument has range up to an E flat and has a curved bell.
Tenor Sax is larger than the Alto and Soprano Sax and has a larger mouthpiece, rods and tone holes. The tenor is most often used for jazz.
The largest of the commonly used Saxophones is the Baritone; a very expensive musical instrument often used for bass and countermelody.
Where did the saxophone originate?
In 1840 a man named Adolphe Sax was working at his father’s shop in Brussels. Adolphe combined the brass body of ophiclude (large conical bass instrument similar to a woodwind), the conical bore of the oboe and fingering of the flute with single reed mouthpiece like a clarinet. He applied for a patent for l5 years which covered 14 versions of the design from soprano to contrabass. After the patent was finished improved designed were formed such as adding one more key to extend the range downwards and the extension of the bell. A substantial advancement in saxophone key work for music students was the development of a method by which both tone holes are operated by a single octave vent to assist in playing of the upper register just as modern instruments do.
Although many composers have written solos for the saxophone their late invention leaves a great void in literature. For many years the Saxophone was confined to military bands and occasionally the orchestra. Saxophone didn’t become a solo instrument until the l920’s and most of its solo literature has been composed since then. Music students who wish to perform Classical and Romantic periods must turn to
transcriptions.
When Adolphe Sax built the saxophone symphony orchestras were already well established; Mozart had died 50 years earlier, Haydn 32 years and Beethoven l4 years. Musicians were none too eager to accept new instruments. The clarinet had come in a century and half before the sax and had been well established in the orchestra. Fortunately, the instrument was eventually accepted and today, we are the beneficiaries of a beautiful sounding instrument for orchestras, jazz groups, rock groups and all types of enjoyable music at our disposal.
Once you have chosen the saxophone that you wish to play, you need to assemble it. Remove the reed from the case and put it in your mouth to soak.
Put the neck strap around your neck, lubricate the cork on the neck with cork grease, remove your instrument from case put the strap on it, remove end plug, put the neck into the top of instrument, tighten neck screw, gently twist on the mouthpiece so that half of the cork is covered and align the flat side of the mouthpiece with the octave key. Now rest the saxophone on your knee, place the ligature on the mouthpiece, slide the reed behind the ligature, keeping the flat side of the reed against the flat side of the mouthpiece. Centre the reed on the mouthpiece and position it so that a hairline of black mouthpiece can be seen above the reed and gently tighten the ligature screw.
How to hold your sax - Place your right thumb under right thumb rest, place your left thumb diagonally on left thumb rest to operate octave key lever and place the fleshy part of your fingertips on the keys.
Forming the embouchure- Open your mouth so that your teeth are 3/8 of an inch apart and cover your bottom teeth by rolling your lower lip over your teeth. Place the mouthpiece in your mouth where the reed separates from the mouthpiece. Ask your music teacher to check this position. Now your music teacher will instruct you with air games to produce proper musical sounds. You are now on your way to learning how to play the saxophone. Who knows, you could be a musician, lawyer, or president of the USA like Bill Clinton. Have fun and treat your musical instruments carefully.
Before putting the instrument back in the case remove the reed, wipe off moisture, remove the mouthpiece and neck. Put the soft end of the neck cleaner into the large end of the neck, draw it back and forth to wipe the inside of the sax. Drop weight of swab into the bell and pull it out of the other end. NEVER USE METAL POLISH ON YOUR SAX.
Please practice and get ready for your next music lesson.
Niagara Music Drum Tips
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Niagara Music award winner for Jazz Group of the year and Rysons drum teacher Tim Popek shares some music tips for students.
Music Lessons in Niagara: Drummers are cool. Drummers are usually the focal point of a musical group. Knowledge for new drums students: If you want to be a good drummer don’t talk about it, don’t think about it, don’t read about it. Find a drum teacher for private music lessons in Niagara, put the sticks on the drums and let the fun begin.
“Sticks” What about sticks? Names on sticks can be confusing like 5B, 7A or 2S. Long ago, size A was for orchestra, B was for band and S was for marching. A sticks were smaller and lighter, B were thicker and S sticks were like small baseball bats. Nowadays drum sticks are labelled jazz, funk, rock, and powerhouse etc.
Beginning music students are usually advised by private music teachers to start with 5A, which is middle of the road. For example, Lucas Venneri of the Golden Hammers uses 5A, so does his teacher Tim. Heavy sticks can cause tiredness, cut practice time and can cause damaged muscles if you’re not careful. Thin sticks may cause cramps because you have to squeeze harder. Niagara music teachers who are professionals will always advise you to choose the sticks that will enrich your playing.
Drum sticks are made of hickory, maple and oak. Hickory is more flexible and will absorb shock whereas maple is harder but doesn’t flex as well. Oak stands up to harder play but doesn’t absorb shock. Synthetic sticks are designed to withstand breakage, but shock can be transferred to wrist or arm; sometimes if you’re doing a rimshot, it’s better to break an inexpensive stick than hurt yourself.
Drumsticks also have different beads or tips such as acorn, teardrop, oval, round or barrel. Acorn beads on sticks are more versatile; by angeling the sticks you can obtain different sounds from your ride cymbals. Nylon tips rebound better than wood, so they are favoured by musicians who employ a lot of double strokes or buzz rolls. Furthermore, Nylon tips won’t wear down or splinter like wood tips, but can sometimes become unglued.
Point of interest - the neck is the portion right below the bead; the thinest part of the stick. If you play hard and loud, choose a stick with a thick neck.
Always ask the music store owner and your music teacher for advice as you progress as they may recommend drum brushes, mallets, coloured sticks and other items to enjoy the gift of music. Your sticks will soon become part of your hands, allowing you to get every possible sound out of your instrument .
Now that you have proper knowledge of sticks, your teacher will take you through matched grips, traditional grips and making the strokes to play on your drum kit.
Thanks for stopping by. If we can help you just visit the store.
Musical Instruments: How To Choose Wisely
Posted by: | CommentsNow that you’ve decided to take music lessons, let’s talk about some points to keep in mind when choosing a musical instrument.
Choose an instrument of good quality. Cheap musical instruments are normally harder to play, won’t last as long, and won’t provide the playability or sound results you want to achieve.
It is always best to choose a musical instrument that you have an interest in. This will increase your learning ability and long term interest.
Make sure that the instrument fits you properly. A violin, as an example is available in 1/4, 1/2, 3/4, and full sizes. The proper size depends on the length of your arm. Seeking professional advice from your teacher or a qualified music store is wise.
If you’re interested in guitar, what type of guitar? Classical, acoustic, electric? What kind of music do you want to play? Again, a qualified music teacher, and music store can advise you on these decisions and explain the differences.
Know the qualifications of the music store you’re buying from. It’s important that you get the right advice when buying the instrument, which means that the store needs to understand their product and know how to properly fit you with the right instrument. But it doesn’t stop there. After sales service for your musical instrument is vital to your long term pleasure. So you want to find a music store that is an established business, with qualified staff, a variety of instruments, and experience and knowlege of product. Be sure that the music store will provide you with a guarantee on the instrument. And what will they cover? In addition, make sure the music store properly sets up the instrument so that it will play properly and stay in tune.
What accessories are important to you? Buying a musical instrument is only the beginning. There are certain accessories that you will need right away, and others that can wait till later.
Accessories you need for guitar: a protective case, guitar strap, and a tuner. You can also get a variety of guitar pedals for electric guitars that will provide several different sounds which will enhance your playing. These can wait till later as well.
Violins require a good protective case, a properly fitted shoulder rest, and rosin.
If you’re taking piano, obviously you’ll need an instrument to practice on. If there’s a piano at home, it should be properly tuned. A metronome is a great idea as well.
Woodwind instruments need reeds and cleaning rods. Pofessional advice on buyng the right ones for you is wise.
If you’re buying drums, you will need cymbals. They don’t always come with the set. Be careful here. All in one kits at a cheap price are not usually of good quality in terms of durability and sound. You’ll also need drumsticks and perhaps brushes. A metronome is a must for drum lessons.
Now you knew that I wasn’t going to leave out the part where I tell you that Ryson’s provides all of the above for you. We’ve been in the music business for 70 years and we are the home of Ryson’s exclusive 2 year warranty.
I hope this information is helpful.
Anne.
Music Lessons|Music Instruments|Vintage Guitars
Posted by: | CommentsBack to school registration is well under way at Ryson’s!
Be sure to call and reserve your music lessons time while there’s still room.
Music lessons:
Have been proven to be a terrific benefit
to the growth and well being of a child.
“It’s no coincidence that success in music is success in life”.
photo credit: eflon
It’s also a great time to take a close look at your musical instrument and make sure it’s in top playing condition.
An instrument that is in need of repair can adversely effect the tone quality, ability to stay in tune, and generally make the instrument more difficult to play.
A vocal student of course is fortunate to possess their own natural instrument. Our qualified vocal teachers ensure that proper technique, and vocal exercise, is practiced in order to keep the voice in good condition.
Brass and Woodwind instruments must be properly maintained for performance. These instruments can leak air and require pad or valve repair or replacement, or key adjustment. They also require lubrication and general cleaning on a regular basis.
Ignoring this type of regular check up can result in the student becoming frustrated with trying to play
proper notes and get good tone quality.
Brass instruments are just that. Brass. This is a very soft metal which can be dented and damaged very easily. Dents can be and should be promptly repaired.
photo credit: strbn
Classical violin, cello, viola and string basses require proper care as well. Things such as neck adjustments, bow re-hairing and proper set up are imperative to the performance of these instruments. These are of course string instruments and so the strings themselves need to be changed periodically as well.
Classical Guitars, Electric Guitars, and Acoustic Guitars need to be regularly checked as well. Guitar strings don’t last forever. In fact, they need to be changed on a regular basis depending on the frequency of use.
Guitar necks are made of wood and as such most require adjustments from time to time in
order for the instrument to stay in tune. Fret wear needs to be monitored as well. If the frets are showing small grooves from the strings, they need to be dressed. In addition to proper bridge alignment and tuning pegs checked for proper operation.
Musical Instruments are a valuable investment. A good quality instrument can, and should provide musical pleasure for years. But they must be taken care of properly. Most instruments are fairly fragile and need to be handled with care and maintained on a regular basis.
Finding a good musical instrument repair person can be a challenge these days. Most music stores don’t have the proper facilities or expertise to do many of the maintenance and repair tasks required to keep your instrument in top working condition.
We at Ryson’s are very fortunate in that regard. Don has been doing musical instrument repairs since 1965. We can usually provide same day service, and all repairs are done right here on our premises. And what’s most important is that it’s done right…the first time!
We are proud to be the musical instrument repair facility used by the Niagara Instrumental Program and Ridley College.
By the way. Have you got an older musical instrument in the closet, or stashed in the attic? Vintage Fender Guitar, Gibson Vintage Guitar, or maybe a vintage Les Paul? Vintage guitars, can be worth quite a tidy sum of money as can other vintage instruments.
If you need an appraisal for your vintage instrument, for estates, or insurance claim purposes, bring it in to us. We are authorized and will provide you with a written value of your instrument. Don will check the condition of the instrument, and the guitar serial number in the guitar vintage reference guides we have and give you an accurate value appraisal. Although I’ve made specific reference to vintage guitars, you’re welcome to bring in all instruments.
New Musical Instruments;
If it’s time for you to upgrade to a new instrument, come on in and see us. We will ensure that your new instrument is just right for you, properly set up before you take it home, and we’ll provide you with our exclusive 2 Year Warranty.
Hope to see you soon!
Anne.
Ph: 905-682-6832
Email: anne@rysonsmusic.com
Get Your Very Own “Natalie Purple Violin”
Posted by: | CommentsWe have had a tremendous amount of interest in the “Natalie Purple Violin” since we introduced the original purple instrument at Fiddle Fest.
Why do we call it the “Natalie Purple Violin”?
We wanted to offer a special prize to the participants of the St. Catharines “Fiddle Fest”. When we received the original purple violin, it was so unique with it’s beautiful colour that we decided to approach Canadian Fiddle Icon, Natalie MacMaster, to see if she would autograph it for us. We were very excited when she accepted our request and signed the front of the violin. This was a very special prize indeed. Although Natalie has no connection with the violin, to us here at Ryson’s, it will always be affectionately known as the “Natalie Purple Violin”.
Great News!
If you are in the market for a violin, and you want your very own “Natalie Purple Violin”, we can now get a limited supply!
This is an amazing quality instrument at an equally amazing price.
What is the “Natalie Purple Violin”?
Natalie Purple Violin Articles;
http://rysonsmusic.com/?p=26
http://rysonsmusic.com/?page_id=69
If you have questions about this beautiful instrument, or you want to order yours, please contact me at;
Ph: 905-682-6832 or Email: anne@rysonsmusic.com
Anne.
