Musical Instruments
Alvino Rey’s Musical Legacy
As the father of the electric guitar and grandfather of two members of Arcade Fire, Rey was a major influence on rock for decades
Scanning a Stradivarius
Medical 3-D imaging makes it possible to study the world's greatest stringed instruments – and uncover the secrets of its makers
Lester Young Turns 100
Billie Holiday’s favorite musician, jazz great Lester “Prez” Young brought a hip, freewheeling sensibility to his saxophone playing
Benny Goodman's Clarinet
Late in his career, jazz musician Benny Goodman favored a Parisian “licorice stick” as his instrument of choice
Colombia Dispatch 7: Turning Guns into Guitars
Musician Cesar Lopez invented a new type of guitar, made from the shell of an automatic weapon
Colombia Dispatch 6: Accordion Rock Stars in Valledupar
Andres 'Turco' Gil's accordion academy trains young children in the music of vallenato, the folk music popular across Latin America
Squeeze Play
A new Smithsonian Networks Film brings alive the upbeat music of Colombia's cowboy country
Ivory Merchant
Composer Irving Berlin wrote scores of hits on his custom-built instrument
Last Page: Strings Attached
"You want the greatest guitar ever?" Dad asked
Harp Hero
Endangered instruments tug one musician's heartstrings
Paderewski's Piano
When Polish pianist Ignace Paderewski toured America, he became a celebrity—and boosted Steinway
Sharing the Gift of Music
An endowment accompanying rare instruments lets them be heard in performances and on recordings
Pipe Dreams
The royal instrument is the most complex and powerful yet devised by the human mind
Sure the Piano-Violin Can Do Two Things At Once—But Can It Do Them Well?
Sure the piano-violin can do two things at once—but can it do them well?
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