World Music
Everything published on Viyolens under World Music — reviews, buying advice and how-tos written for players and producers in the UK.
A Beginner's Guide to Fado
One voice, two guitars, and a feeling the Portuguese call saudade — here's the gentlest way into fado, step by step.
Samba Music Instruments: A Complete Guide
Samba music instruments aren't really one thing — they're an interlocking system, a whole ensemble built from parts that only make sense together.
Claves for Beginners: A Complete Guide
Claves are simple wooden sticks that teach profound rhythm literacy. This beginner guide covers holding technique, the son clave pattern, and how to progress from day one.
Djembe Explained: Features, Types and Tips
The djembe is a West African goblet drum prized for its warm tone and three distinct sounds: bass, tone and slap. Learn its construction, playing techniques, cultural roots and how to select one.
Everything You Need to Know About Jaws Harp
One of the world's oldest instruments, found in musical traditions across Asia, Europe and the Americas. Here's what it is, how it works and where it appears.
A Guide to Percussion Box Drum Cajon
The cajon percussion box drum is a versatile hand-struck instrument with roots in Peru. Learn about its tones, playing technique and why musicians across genres love this authentic percussion box drum...
Nose Flute: A Complete Guide
The nose flute is older, more musical, and more widespread than most people realise — this complete guide covers its history, mechanics, and the forms you can play today.
The Complete Guide to Steel Pan Drum Instrument
A steel pan drum is a melodic percussion instrument from Trinidad offering warm, distinctive tone. Learn its history, how it works and what it takes to play.
The Best Bhangra Songs Right Now
Forget trending for a fortnight. The best bhangra songs earn their place on the dance floor for years, not a single chart week.
Cantopop for Newcomers: Where to Start
Here is where to begin with cantopop: one song, one artist, and a practical sequence that will take you from zero to genuinely understanding the genre.
The Complete Guide to Qawwali
Explore Qawwali, the ancient Sufi devotional music tradition that has captivated audiences for centuries. Learn its spiritual significance, key performers and how to experience authentic Qawwali.
How to Set Up and Use Jaw Harp
Four steps from picking it up to producing a clear, melodic tone — covering grip, lip position, pluck technique and using the mouth cavity to shape the harmonics.
The Ultimate Guide to Djembes Drums
A clear, practical rundown of the djembe: where it comes from, how it's built, and the three distinct sounds it's designed to make.
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...
The Complete Guide to Klezmer
Klezmer represents a rich musical tradition emerging from Eastern European Jewish communities, characterised by joyful energy and expressive melodies. Discover its fascinating history and contemporary...
Didgeridoo for Beginners: A Complete Guide
The first drone on a didgeridoo is achievable in minutes. Here's what to buy, how to set up and the order to learn in.
How to Set Up and Use Nose Flute
From first breath to first melody — a detailed, step-by-step guide to setting up and playing the nose flute, including how to fix the most common early problems.
Bodhran Explained: Features, Types and Tips
The bodhran is a traditional Irish frame drum with distinctive two-handed playing technique. Understand how its construction, tuning, and hand technique create its expressive sound in folk and contemp...
A Beginner's Guide to Latin Music
There's no such thing as a single Latin sound. Here's a clear, logical foundation for understanding the many traditions hiding under that one label.
The Best Jaw Harps for the Money
Budget, mid-range, professional and bamboo — specific recommendations at each tier, with honest assessment of what the price difference actually buys.
Enka for Newcomers: Where to Start
Enka's catalogue can feel vast and unfamiliar. This guide maps the clearest path in — starting with one song, then five listens that cover the genre's full range.
Maracas for Beginners: A Complete Guide
Maracas are accessible but not trivial. Here is how to build the wrist technique, timing, and hand independence that make the instrument work musically.
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.
The Complete Guide to Folk Guitars
Folk guitars encompass a rich diversity of acoustic instruments spanning centuries and continents. From Spanish flamenco to Irish traditions, folk guitars remain central to cultural musical heritage a...
World Music is filed under
All topics
Bagpipes
Bagpipes are powerful traditional instruments with strong regional identities, used across Scottish, Irish and wider fol...
Bodhran
Find bodhrans for folk, Celtic and acoustic performance with the warm tone of a traditional Irish frame drum.
Cajon
Portable box drum with bass and snare tones, ideal for acoustic gigs, rehearsal spaces and compact percussion setups.
3 topics
Didgeridoo
Resonant Australian drone instrument with powerful sustained tone, circular breathing and distinctive rhythmic effects.
1 topic
Djembe
Djembes offer a lively hand-played sound with strong bass and sharp tones, suited to lessons, sessions and performance.
Maracas
Maracas add bright rhythmic texture and easy-to-use percussion colour for studio, school and live performance.
2 topics
Pan Flute
The pan flute delivers a warm, airy tone for folk, world and solo music, with a distinctive sound and simple layout.
Percussion Instruments
Percussion instruments add rhythm, texture and colour across live, studio and educational settings for UK musicians.
