Joanne Hall
Joanne grew up in Belfast, where traditional music and a fierce independent streak sit side by side, and both left their mark on her. She's drawn to music with roots and grit. She writes about folk, traditional music and the acts keeping it alive.
Shamisen for Beginners: A Complete Guide
You don't need to master a whole tradition on day one — just your first honest sound. Here's a gentle, step-by-step start on the shamisen.
Kala Ukulele: A Complete Buyer's Guide
The right Kala ukulele depends on size, construction and budget — this guide works through each decision in order so you buy the right instrument the first time.
Fiddle Explained: Features, Types and Tips
A fiddle is a violin played in folk and traditional music — here is how it differs in technique, tuning and regional tradition from classical violin playing.
Koto: A Complete Buyer's Guide
A good koto is judged by its wood, its bridges and how honestly every string responds — here's exactly what to check before you buy.
Tuning a Fiddle: A Complete Buyer's Guide
You don't need much to tune a fiddle properly, but the little you do need matters. Here's what's actually worth spending on.
Tenor Ukulele Explained: Features, Types and Tips
The tenor ukulele offers more room to play, richer tone and greater volume than smaller sizes — here is what you need to know before picking one up.
Cuatro: A Complete Buyer's Guide
Buying well here is about matching the instrument to the music, not spending more. A grounded, practical guide to choosing a cuatro.
Ukulele Chords for Guitar Players
A ukulele is tuned like the top four strings of a guitar with a capo at the fifth fret. Once you see that, every shape you know transfers, with one catch.
Essential Folk Music Albums Explained
Not chosen by chart position, but by how much each one changed what an acoustic record could do. Five essential folk albums, explained.
Concertina for Beginners: A Complete Guide
Nervous about taking up the concertina? This beginner's guide walks you through your first steps, from holding the instrument to playing your first tune and finding community in folk sessions.
The Ultimate Guide to Fender Ukulele
Fender applies the same hardware standards from its guitar range to ukulele — warm, balanced instruments with geared tuners and clean finishes.
Ukulele Case: A Complete Buyer's Guide
The right ukulele case depends on your budget, how often you travel and how much the instrument is worth. Here's how to make the right call.
What Joanne Hall covers
Accordion
The accordion is a versatile folk instrument with rich tone, expressive bellows and many layouts for traditional and mod...
2 topics
Banjo
The banjo offers bright, rhythmic attack and wide stylistic range across folk, bluegrass and traditional acoustic music.
3 topics
Didgeridoo
Resonant Australian drone instrument with powerful sustained tone, circular breathing and distinctive rhythmic effects.
1 topic
Fiddle
Choose a fiddle for folk, traditional and acoustic playing, with lively response and comfortable handling.
3 topics
Harp
Harps offer resonant, expressive sound for folk, classical and contemporary acoustic playing.
3 topics
Sheet Music & Learning
Your guide to sheet music, scores, music theory books, and graded exam resources for UK musicians — from beginner method...
54 topics
Sitar
Iconic South Asian plucked instrument with ringing resonance, bends and rich sympathetic strings.
1 topic
Ukulele
Popular portable instrument with a bright sound and several sizes for folk and acoustic playing.
14 topics
