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Portable PAs: Big Sound in a Small Package
Recitals: A Little Something for Everyone
Maximizing Your Practice Time
NAMM 2016: Roland - New Analog and Digital Synths
Data Driven Fretwork
8 Thing You Need to Know Before Starting Music Lessons
Are you looking to find your start in music as an adult? Maybe you're rekindling a long-forgotten hobby. Find out what you should know before getting started!
Read More CommentsMaximizing Your Practice Time
Have you ever got stuck while practicing - that feeling like you're just not getting any further with a piece of music, or a section in a song? Here are a few tips for hacking your own brain and maximizing your learning curve to get the most out of your practice time.
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Learning Series 2021 - Virtual Edition
With national and international legends poised to present these live-streamed clinics, this year's offerings will be like no other!
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For the Love of Learning
How do you foster success for students who are learning at school, for adults who are going back to an instrument, or any other person who is early in their musical career? Here are a few time tested ideas that can help!
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Improvisation for Everyone
The dictionary offers us this definition: “Improvisation: to compose or sing without preparation....” This definition is misleading and potentially discouraging. Without preparation? If that’s true then what were iconic improvisers like John Coltrane and Sonny Rollins doing during the marathon practice sessions they are known for?
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Giving the Gift of Music Lessons
Giving the gift of lessons makes a great present for your loved one, no matter their age or stage. Whether you know someone who wants to improve their existing skills, who wants to pick an instrument up again after a long hiatus, or who has never touched music in their life, lessons as a gift are a perfect place to start.
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6 Things to Consider BEFORE You Sit Down to Practice
It's the new year and you've made some resolutions. Maybe one of them was to start learning a new instrument or to play your instrument a bit more. Here are 6 things you should consider before sitting down to practice.
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A Simple Way to Learn a Song in Half the Time
Most of us learn songs from the internet these days, using a combination of lyrics with chord symbols posted above the words, and YouTube videos of someone teaching the song by breaking down the various sections and demonstrating how to play them on the appropriate instrument. While these may work, here is a more simple way to learn a song in less time!
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Rhythmic Vocabulary
Harmony, melody, rhythm; these are the three fundamental ingredients that make up the music you hear. Whether it be beautifully complex, or downright simple, it all comes down to how the musician uses these ingredients to express his or her musical ideas.
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Long & McQuade
Performance Assurance
Buying a new instrument is an exciting event and we want to ensure that every instrument we sell comes exactly how the manufacturer intended it to be. That is why Long & McQuade performs a quality control check for every stringed, brass, and woodwind instrument over $99 ordered online at Long-McQuade.com.
Our team of experienced staff will unbox your instrument and perform a detailed inspection to ensure it leaves our warehouse looking and playing great with our QC card signed and dated for your peace of mind.
We work hard to source the best instruments from around the world from the finest brands. It is important to us that you are completely satisfied with your new instrument purchase from day one onwards.
Stringed Instrument Performance Assurance Checklist
Unlike our free set-up, which is included within the first year of purchase, this process is done to have the instrument set to the factory specs rather than to each player's feel or preferences.
We look after the following:
- Inspect finish and hardware.
- Check electronics to make sure everything is in working order. Check batteries on active pickups.
- Inspect strings.
- Inspect frets and fretboard.
- Check truss rod. Adjust for bow and relief.
- Tune instrument to manufacturer’s specified tuning.
- Check/set action height.
- Stretch strings and re-tune instrument and ensure machine heads are working well.
- Check for fret buzz by playing every note.
- Check/set intonation.
- Check/set pickup height.
- Cleaning and professional repacking.
Band and Orchestral Performance Assurance Checklist
We look after the following:
- Proper lubrication of valves and keys.
- Inspect pads.
- Proper fit of tuning slides.
- Proper fit of tenon joints.
- Lubricating corks for ease of set up.
- Inspecting the case.
- Safe removal of any shipping corks.
- Ensuring all accessories function properly.
- Inspecting bow hair and test tension.
- Ensuring soundpost and bridge are set correctly.
- Testing tuning pegs.
- Tuning strings to correct pitch.
- Cleaning and professionally repacking.