Musical Instruments Specs Explained

The alto sax is pitched in E flat and the tenor in B flat; Yamaha points beginners to the alto as easier to play, and its fingering carries over to every sax.

Acoustic guitars make their sound with a hollow body and electric guitars need an amplifier; size follows the player's reach, and electric is our top type.

A mixer combines microphones and instruments into one output; count every source you will plug in at once, then add spares, to know how many channels you need.

A brass mouthpiece name like 7C pairs a number for cup diameter with a letter for cup depth, but each maker runs its own scale, so read its chart.

The Bb clarinet is the standard instrument for students and bands; reeds run soft to hard on a scale of about 1 to 5, and beginners often start at 2.0 or 2.5.

A digital piano has 88 weighted, touch-sensitive keys like an acoustic piano; hammer action copies the feel most closely, and semi-weighted keys feel lighter.

Coated heads sound warmer and softer, clear heads brighter with more attack; a single-ply head rings longer, while two plies add durability and cut overtones.

Overdrive, distortion and fuzz all clip the guitar signal; overdrive is mildest, fuzz most extreme, and gain pedals go early in a chain, delay and reverb last.

Violin sizes run from 1/16 for small children to 4/4 for adults; pick one by measuring the outstretched arm from the neck to the middle of the palm.