Chances are, you color-coordinate your outfits and home décor. But do you ever wonder whether the instruments you play (or listen to) are well matched? In other words, are they compatible and get along well together, or is there discord among them?
Okay, so we may sound overly persnickety, but bear with us. What you read here may not change your life, but in the very least you will learn something new and, who knows, maybe one day it will prove to be useful! Now, it’s important to know that there is no such thing as mismatched instruments – true, the sound they make together may not be very smooth or ear-pleasing (in the same way as wearing bright orange and lime green together could bring on a killer headache). But the bottom line is that matching instruments is not an exact science – it depends on your personal preference and the style of music you are playing. For instance, a jazz combo would have a different set of instruments than, say, a chamber music ensemble . Having said that, some combinations of instruments just naturally go well together. After all, creating beautiful music – sounds that relate to each other – should not be haphazard. Think of your favorite music genre and musicians who perform it – we can guarantee that they didn’t choose their instruments on the spur of the moment!
Musicians have been experimenting with instruments and sounds for centuries – they tried different variations and, through trial and error, came up with combinations of sounds best suited to the kind of music they wanted to play. Obviously, we can’t cover all the possible matches here, but let’s have a look at combinations that sound best for various genres (keep in mind that these combos are not set in stone; there is quite a bit of flexibility): Jazz lineups usually include the guitar, piano, clarinet, sax, and brass instruments. Folk musicians play mainly the acoustic guitar, banjo, harmonica, violin, string bass, flute, recorders, and drums. Rock. Electric and bass guitars, along with drums, are the basis of rock groups. As we said, we can’t list all the possible matches, but these three examples give you a good idea – all these combinations sound wonderfully together!
As we mentioned, there is no such thing as a “bad” combination of instruments, unless they all play off-key. All instruments are “good” by nature, but they always work best when selected to complement each other. When they come to your Manhattan, Brooklyn, or Riverdale home or office, our Hey Joe Guitar teachers will not only tell you which instruments go well with the one you are currently playing, but also show you how to produce harmonious sounds – whether on one instrument or several. This way, you will be able to live in total harmony!
