Folk Music
Everything published on Viyolens under Folk Music — reviews, buying advice and how-tos written for players and producers in the UK.
Folk Music for Newcomers: Where to Start
Nobody starts out knowing the difference between a ballad and a lament. A gentle, pressure-free path into folk music for total newcomers.
Five String Banjo for Beginners: A Complete Guide
A complete beginner's guide to the five string banjo—why it's friendlier than you think, how to get your first sounds, and how to build steady progress from your very first practice session.
The Best Folk Music Songs Right Now
Not chart hits of the moment, but songs that keep being rediscovered, covered and passed on. The essential, defining tracks in folk music.
The History of Folk Music
An oral tradition became a recorded, revived and endlessly reinvented genre. Here's the long road folk music travelled to get here.
Common Mountain Dulcimer Mistakes to Avoid
Most mountain dulcimer mistakes are avoidable with a little knowledge. Here are the most common errors — from playing a badly set-up instrument to jumping between tunings too early — and what to do in...
Bodhran for Beginners: A Complete Guide
A beginner's roadmap to bodhran: no prior experience needed. Learn what to buy, how to hold it, basic technique, and a month-by-month practice plan to get you session-ready.
Fender Ukulele: A Complete Buyer's Guide
Size, top construction and whether acoustic-electric matters are the three decisions. Here's how to make them clearly.
Bluegrass for Newcomers: Where to Start
It almost never starts with a history lesson. It starts with a banjo break that makes you sit up. Here's a gentle way into bluegrass, built for beginners.
Mountain Dulcimer: A Complete Buyer's Guide
Buying the right mountain dulcimer comes down to a few key decisions. Here's what actually matters — wood, string count, budget, and what to check before buying.
Fender Ukulele for Beginners: A Complete Guide
Three chords, four strings, and regular short sessions — here's how to start learning the ukulele and actually make progress.
Concertina: A Complete Buyer's Guide
Choosing your first concertina feels overwhelming—Anglo or English, new or vintage, how much to spend. This grounded guide cuts through the confusion and helps you find the right instrument.
The Complete Guide to Zydeco
Zydeco is Louisiana's joyful, polyrhythmic Creole music tradition. Rooted in African, Caribbean, and French influences, it remains one of America's most authentic folk traditions.
Common Concertina Mistakes to Avoid
Learning concertina means making mistakes—but some are easier to avoid than others. Discover the pitfalls that catch beginners and how to sidestep them on your path to mastery.
Pan Flute Explained: Features, Types and Tips
The pan flute is a simple yet profound instrument: tubes of graduated length bound together, each producing a single pitch. Across millennia and continents, regional traditions have shaped it into the...
Mountain Dulcimer for Beginners: A Complete Guide
The mountain dulcimer is one of the most accessible folk instruments for beginners. Here's how to set up, play your first notes, find good resources, and what to work toward in your first month.
The Best Folk Music Artists to Know
Some artists don't just perform folk music, they carry it. A gentle tour through the names most worth knowing, old and new.
Jaw Harp for Beginners: A Complete Guide
An inexpensive instrument that produces results quickly. Here's everything a complete beginner needs — from choosing an instrument to getting your first melody in your first few sessions.
Common Tuning a Fiddle Mistakes to Avoid
Every one of these mistakes made at least once, usually by someone in a hurry. None are complicated to fix — they just need saying out loud.
How to Set Up and Use Mountain Dulcimer
Setting up a mountain dulcimer correctly from the start makes it easier and more enjoyable to learn on. Here's how to tune it, check the action, position it, and play your first notes.
The Complete Guide to Mandolin Guitars
Mandolin guitars combine mandolin's distinctive bright voice with familiar guitar playability. These hybrid instruments offer an accessible gateway to mandolin music.
The Best Mountain Dulcimers for the Money
From budget entry-level options to premium luthier builds, here are the best mountain dulcimers at each price point — with honest picks and what makes each one worth considering.
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.
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Acoustic Bass Guitar
Acoustic bass guitars use bass tuning and hollow-body construction to add warm low end to rehearsals, gigs and recording...
Bodhran
Find bodhrans for folk, Celtic and acoustic performance with the warm tone of a traditional Irish frame drum.
Button Accordion
Traditional bellows instrument with button rows, valued for dance music, regional styles and lively folk performance.
Concertina
Compact bellows instrument with a bright, nimble voice, widely used in British, Irish and maritime folk music.
Fender Ukulele
Fender ukuleles combine easy playability, dependable build quality and broad appeal for players of all levels.
Jaw Harp
Jaw harps are compact folk instruments with a buzzing, rhythmic tone and centuries of tradition.
Pan Flute
The pan flute delivers a warm, airy tone for folk, world and solo music, with a distinctive sound and simple layout.
Ukulele Strings
Choose ukulele strings for the right size, tuning and tone, from warm traditional sets to brighter modern options.
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