Himalayan News Service

Kathmandu

Do you love music? Why not utilise this vacation to learn some musical instruments. It’s always fun to pick up an instrument and hum some tunes.

How to start You can see many musical instruments, many music training centres in your town. You have many choices to learn particular musical instruments. The foremost thing is your interest. If you don’t have any interest in music, forget it, learning can’t be forceful. If you have keen interest, you can learn everything in music. Let’s take a look at some instruments that you can learn during this vacation.

Guitar: This is a musical instrument of the lute family, having a flat, weighted body with a round sound hole and a fretted neck along which run six strings (commonly). The strings are fastened at the top of the neck to tuning screws and at the other end to a bridge glued to the instrument’s soundboard or belly. The top three strings are usually made of gut or nylon; the others are Meta. The player’s left-hand fingers stop the strings at the appropriate frets to produce the correct pitches; the right-hand fingers pluck the strings. Some metal-strung guitars are plucked with a small flat plectrum or pick.

Guitar can be six stringed or 12-stringed and also could be Hawaiian or Spanish. There are hollow guitars as well as electrical. But you don’t have to worry, learning process for each is almost the same.

Violin: This is a bowed stringed instrument and is the highest pitched member of the violin family. Other members of the violin family are the viola, cello and double bass. The bow is a narrow, slightly incurved stick of Pernambuco about 75 centimetres long, with a band of horsehair stretched from end to end of the bow stick. The violin has four strings. Violin is one of the most melodious musical instruments and used all over the world. Tabala: A pair of Indian tuned drums, one cylindrical, one bowl-shaped. Played with the fingers and are used to accompany other instruments such as the sitar. Tabla produces a clear, ringing sound and is responsible for maintaining the music’s rhythmic identity or tala. Tabala seems quite popular among mature people in Nepal and India, but new generation has other ideas. Most of the institutions are providing this training with high priority.

Keyboard: It a musical instrument played with a musical keyboard. Keyboard instrument can be wind instruments, string instruments, percussion instruments or electronic instruments. The most popular keyboard instruments are probably the piano and the synthesizer. Asian Himalayan Music School, Kalanidhi Indira Sangeet Mahavidhayala and some other institutions provide training. How to learn The foremost thing is interest. There are many who have learnt playing musical instruments by themselves but the best way will be to join an institute to learn. You can find many institutes around. Shrad Joshi, a trainer of guitar at Do Re Mi Sangeet Pathshala, Jamal, says, “Progress or success of the students is determined by the interest and determination of learning.” A book on guitar may be useful while learning. AH Fenduwa, Jupiter Music Centre, Lagankhel shares, “Theory and practical both are important in learning any instrument. Those who want to learn can join an institute and must have one instrument at their home to practice.” Nature of learning also plays a vital role. Joshi feels that the children can easily learn keyboard rather than other instruments.

How long does it take Music institutes are aplenty in town. Those who want to learn instruments of their interest can visit institutes and can join suitable to their timing. Joshi says, “It all depends on students’ interest and zeal to learn. Some pick up quite quickly whereas others might take bit longer but there is nothing that you cannot learn.” How much to pay Most of the institutes in Kathmandu have similar fees structure. Everest Culture Academy charges Rs 500 to Rs 1,000 per month. How much does an instrument cost Guitar seems more popular instrument among the teenagers. Raj Kumar Niraula, Shankar Sports and Music House, Khichapokhari, says, “Teenagers are the main customers of musical instrument such as guitar, keyboard and violin. There is no limitation of the price in market. But cost of the cheapest instrument is around Rs 1,000.”

There are so many cheaper and smaller keyboards in the market. For the beginners,

books and online courses may be useful

Training institutes Asian Himalayan Music School, Kathmandu, 4252733

Do Re Mi Sangeet Pathshala, Jamal, 4247600

Everest Culture Academy, Lagankhel, 5550662

Kalanidhi Indira Sangeet Mahavidhayala, Pulchowk, 5532423

Jupiter Music Centre, Lagankhel, 5524781

Musical instruments shops

Manjushree Music Centre, Sat Ghumti, 4439650

Shankar Sports & Music House, Khichapokhari, 4223363

Climax, Super Market, 4228368

Saroj Instrumental Shop, Chhetrapati, 4258372

Online help

www.Violinonline.com

www.Gibson.com

www.guitar.com

www.eyeneer.com

www.keyboardplayer.com