musical instruments
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Upgraded Self-Playing Piano Can Talk Like a Human and Play the World’s Most Impossibly Complex Songs
Encountering a self-playing piano for the first time is enough to blow a six-year-old’s mind. But as Mark Rober demonstrates, Chopstix, a self-playing piano featuring more modern upgrades, can do things like actually speak words just like a human can, which is enough to blow an adult’s mind too.
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The Fender Mustang Micro Puts a Tiny Amp In Your Pocket
Most guitar gear is pretty simple: You plug a cable designed in the 1950s into a jack that’s just as old and start playing. The electronics inside the various amps and pedals are where things get interesting, which is why Fender has created the $219 Mustang Micro.
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This Keytar Learns The Chords So You Don’t Have To
I am not a musician. In fact, I’m the only one of my siblings incapable of playing an instrument. So Yamaha’s Sonogenic SHS-500 is ostensibly intended for me. It’s a neat keytar that, in addition to letting you live out some 80s hair band dreams, should help you play better—even when you know nothing.
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A Violin’s Warm, Mellow Sound Comes From Its Varnish
Violin makers routinely finish their instruments with a thick coat of varnish, the better to protect and preserve the wood. Now Swiss scientists claim that this varnish also plays a role in the overall sound quality of the instrument.