Laura Mitchell
Laura found her way into music through the folk sessions of Edinburgh's Old Town, where she learned that a song can hold a room without a single amplifier. A festival city upbringing gave her a taste for everything from fiddle tunes to fringe experiments. She writes about acoustic instruments, folk and the craft of songwriting.
Guitar Effects Compressor: A Complete Buyer's Guide
Choosing a compressor means understanding compression ratios, attack and release times, and which circuit design matches your tone. This guide demystifies the specs so you can buy with confidence.
The Best Concertinas for the Money
The best concertina depends on your budget and commitment level. This guide reveals which instruments punch above their weight at every price tier, from GBP 500 to GBP 5000+.
Folk Rock Subgenres, Explained
It was never one fixed sound — here's how to tell folk rock's closest relatives apart.
Dulcimer Explained: Features, Types and Tips
One name, two instruments. Here is what actually separates the mountain dulcimer from the hammered dulcimer, and how each one works.
Tenor Banjo for Beginners: A Complete Guide
The tenor banjo is genuinely accessible for beginners with some musical background — this guide helps you choose your tuning tradition, get your first sounds and build a practice approach that works.
Essential Bluegrass Albums Explained
Bluegrass began as a singles-and-radio tradition, not an albums one. Here's a considered, honest path through the records that explain how it grew.
How to Set Up and Use Electric Fiddle
Get the signal chain right once, and you can stop thinking about electronics and just play. Here's the setup, step by step.
Common Hang Music Instrument Mistakes to Avoid
Small, ordinary decisions cause most handpan disappointment. Here are the mistakes I hear about most often, and the gentle fix for each.
The Best Cuatros for the Money
There's no single best cuatro — only the build that matches your commitment. Here's where the real value sits, tier by tier.
The Best 5 String Banjos for the Money
The Deering Goodtime leads a short list of instruments that actually live up to their price. Here is what to buy at every budget level, and why.
Common Didgeridoo Mistakes to Avoid
Most didgeridoo problems come from a short list of common errors. Recognise them early and progress accelerates significantly.
The Best Shamisens for the Money
There's no single best shamisen — only the right one for your repertoire, climate and stage of learning. Here's how the categories break down.
A Guide to Tabla Drumming
The first time you hear it played properly, tabla drumming stops sounding like percussion and starts sounding like speech. Here's why.
Concert Ukulele: A Complete Buyer's Guide
Laminate, solid top or fully solid? Spruce or mahogany? Here is what each choice means for a concert ukulele in practice.
Kalimba: A Complete Buyer's Guide
Key counts, body materials and price tags can make buying a kalimba feel confusing. Here's what genuinely matters, in the order to think about it.
The Ultimate Guide to Ukulele Lessons
Ukulele lessons shape the quality of your progress more than almost anything else. Here is how to find the right format, what good tuition covers, and how to make the most of every session.
Balalaika Explained: Features, Types and Tips
The triangular Russian lute is more than a souvenir shop curiosity. Here is what a balalaika actually is, how its family of sizes works, and why it never quite lets a note ring.
Darbuka: A Complete Buyer's Guide
Egyptian or Turkish, ceramic or metal, natural skin or synthetic — here's how to actually choose a darbuka rather than buying by looks alone.
Oud Instrument for Beginners: A Complete Guide
No frets, a deep bowl-shaped body and a plectrum instead of bare fingers, broken down into steps that actually make sense for a complete beginner.
The Best Kotos for the Money
A beginner's koto, a student's koto and a performer's koto are solving different problems — here's how value actually breaks down by tier.
Melodica for Beginners: A Complete Guide
Your first melodica doesn't need to be intimidating. Here's a calm, step-by-step start for absolute beginners, from your first note onwards.
Common Mandolin Mistakes to Avoid
Most problems players encounter with a new mandolin come from setup issues, worn strings or technique habits formed early and never corrected. Here is what to watch for.
Bass Ukulele for Beginners: A Complete Guide
Everything a newcomer needs to start playing confidently — from understanding the strings and tuning to fretting position, muting technique and how to use amplification effectively.
The Best Balalaikas for the Money
From a first entry-level prima to a bespoke concert instrument, here's what each balalaika price tier honestly delivers and who it actually suits.
What Laura Mitchell covers
Accordion
The accordion is a versatile folk instrument with rich tone, expressive bellows and many layouts for traditional and mod...
2 topics
Bagpipes
Bagpipes are powerful traditional instruments with strong regional identities, used across Scottish, Irish and wider fol...
Didgeridoo
Resonant Australian drone instrument with powerful sustained tone, circular breathing and distinctive rhythmic effects.
1 topic
Harmonica
Harmonicas are compact, expressive instruments ideal for folk, blues and acoustic performance.
Kalimba
Kalimba instruments are compact thumb pianos with a soft, melodic tone, ideal for beginners and atmospheric playing.
2 topics
Mandolin
Mandolin instruments deliver a bright, ringing tone with strong folk and acoustic appeal across many styles.
2 topics
Ocarina
Compact vessel flute with a clear, haunting tone and simple, portable appeal.
Ukulele
Popular portable instrument with a bright sound and several sizes for folk and acoustic playing.
14 topics
