Musical Instruments

Reviews

We had a jazz and blues themed birthday party and I used the guitar and note shapes to make appetizers. I used pita bread, cut out these different musical instrument shapes,spread a little olive oil on them and baked them. Used them as crackers with different dips and everyone thought they were great! There would be lots of uses for these cutters if you use your imagination. Great product!

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The Crystal Violin has some very fine details and makes a very lovely addition to a picture that has a violin with a poem of the Masters touch. Very please with the crystal violin.

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I'm so happy with this purchase, he's a virtuoso violin player. No problem with the reception it came on time. Thank you.

I loved this CD. First heard the artist on a PBS program and found him to be incredibly entertaining. Had to have a CD and will in all probability buy another.

Bravo, to David Garrett. A great selection that demonstrates Mr. Garrett's versatility and power. I highly recommend it for anyone looking for a strong performance.

David Garrett is great with his flashy style. However, the CD case arrived with a big crack on the front because the packaging was insufficient to protect the plastic. I will think twice before I order anything from ImportCDs again.

After seeing David Garrett for the first time on PBS Television I was a new fan. I immediately ordered the CD from Amazon. Several of my friends are now new fans of his also after hearing his music. I am planning on attending his concert next week and can't wait to see him in person. He is really an exciting and talented young man. I highly recomment this CD of David Garrett.

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I was excited to purchase this cd because my son really likes the BE videos. I was quite disappointed when I put it on the first evening I brought it home. The songs are fast tempo and very "chimey" sounding. I found myself not at all relaxed and found that he actually got wound up by the cd. This might be fun to play around the house but is not really soothing for us. I'll stick to the piano classics cd we've been using as he drifts right off to that.

When my son was 6 weeks old we tried everything to help him sleep. My favorite book suggested playing a cd EVERYTIME he went to sleep. We tried several different ones from a women singing lullabies (Husband said get rid of it) to the rainforest nature sounds. This is the one we stuck with. MY son is now 4 1/2 and still he listens to the cd. We just had a baby girl. I play this now for her and she sleeps great. I highly recommend.

I have used this CD with both of my kids in helping them go to sleep and I love it. It's great, mellow music and it helps them go to sleep. I highly recommend this CD to anyone looking for some peaceful classical music.

This Cd is wonderful. we put it on for baby to sleep with very relaxing for her.

My daughter was born 6 weeks early and is in NICU. The staff have this cd in a cd player near her bassinet and I play it on repeat the entire time I'm there visiting. Even on low volumes I feel it gives both of us something else to focus our listening on (instead of all the bells and alarms). It definitely helps to keep her calm and when its on she engages in "quiet alert" for longer periods of time. It has been a blessing to get to use this cd in the NICU and I plan on ordering it to have it at home.

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These 2 cds are the best collection of classical music that I think I will ever own.

I was impressed from the selection of the songs in the album. I advise everybody who are willing to relax by listenning these masterpieces. (Shut off the lights while listenning)

I have always sought a classical masterpiece and this product is truly amazing. The seller also delivered it on time and in great condition. It sure is a great deal. Thank you so much.

Perfect for a relaxing evening...just grab a glass of wine and sit back and enjoy this crisp, clear sound of the real Classics.

oops posted the wrong review for the wrong CD :). This one of course was a great CD, how can it not be - it's classic.

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I may be a bit biased, because in my heart I am a collector--of time, stamps, of bits of past. So, I kind of understood the drive one feels when one comes across a piece like a 350 years old violin. Before commenting on the story, I should say, the script was beautiful, the sequence of scenes were very skillfully done. This is what I call craftsmanship of directing and producing. It's not a masterpiece possibly, but a very well made movie--sophisticated, yet not boring. It was able to transmit emotion, or should I say generate emotion in the audience, without any effort of dictating or contaminating the experience, which is very common for Hollywood movies. The story was also very sentimental. I liked its rendition of muse as an energy form, and how sensuality, desire and music, beauty are like elements of a set that governs the universe, only if we are open to it. It shows money and power and pomposity, yet it also shows an aspect of humanity that makes us human, our desire to touch the divine, our connectedness--through beauty of past and present. A scenes can be symbolic of one's love and devotion to his/her vocation, his/her calling.The violin master loved his wife no doubt, and she deserved to be immortal through the best piece he ever created. As if he gave birth to her through that violin. her spirit, her soul became transmitted through the blood into the violin. In a nutshell, this movie has a mythical appeal, and will vibrate your inner self a bit. Try it.

A friend suggested this movie to me and I remember thinking "Violin movie? Yeah, that sounds just so ... gripping .. " But I watched it anyway and owed my friend many thanks. The story is interesting and finely woven, the script carefully edited to remove everything but the essentials. This violin is definitely on my watch-again list. Subtitles? I watch so many foreign films, I am only vaguely aware of subtitles. They just seem normal.

Well, it would be nice if I had even received this CD. Supposedly it was shipped January 14, 2010, to my office address. Today is February 1st and I have NOT received this order.

The movie was quite interesting to see how the Red Violin began it's historic travels and through the many hands from violin players to auctioneers. It held my interest throughout the movie.

great movie, well worth the time to watch for any musicians who care about their instruments.

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I bought the violin, then bought this product. Very good product for beginners that need the basics.

This is a very good video. Even though I have over 25 years of experience on the guitar, Jim Tolles' explanations were captivating and prevented me from assuming things that would lead to bad habits. He is clear, articulate and addresses the important points that a personal instructor would provide.The video itself is well done, with a time frame in the upper right of the video so that you can rewind and play sections over and over for practice purposes.The "Fiddler Primer" book by Jim Tolles is a recommended companion to the video, and is also available here on Amazon.com.

I like this video on Introduction to Violin & I have Introduction to Mandolin & a violin is like a mandolin except for a mandolin, you use a pick & for a fiddle, violin or cello you use a bow but, for a Bass Fiddle you don't use a bow but you use you're fingers for the bass fiddle and you pick on the bass fiddle with you're fingers.The songs I like to hear from Jim Tolles play on the violin on T.V. including Mary Had A Little Lamb, The Alphabet song, Sunday Waltz, When the saints go Marching in & Red River Valley which I am going to try on my violin & practice those 5 songs on the violin & I will play both violin, mandolin, piano & harmonica. Someday I will buy a guitar, banjo & dobro & I will be a recording star & a singer & I will become a star.I loved this video!!!!!!

I would HIGHLY reccomend that you get the Jim Tolles book/cd package that goes along with the video.The video is great, nice and slow, Jim is a great instructor for those teaching themselves! Best thing I've found is to watch and play along with the video for a few sections. Then spend the rest of practice time with the book/cd to fill in the gaps, and to get some extra practice.Alone they are both fine products, but together is ideal!

While the best way to go is, of course, private instruction, this is a good place to start for beginners. The tape starts with how to hold the violin, and bow, and even how to rosin the bow, before moving on to playing. While I had to rewind a number of times to understand exactly what notes the instructor wanted me to play in the beginning, it gets (a bit) easier as you go. There's no way to make playing the violin "easy", but this tape, and *lots* of practice, is a good starting place.

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The product information advises that a combination of honing and a little practice will result in nice fluffy shavings. Well, honing took me all of about five minutes. Then I put this little hummingbird of a plane on a piece of black walnut and took a gorgeous fluffy shaving on the first pass! I put it to work straightaway on some curved walnut pieces shaped to match the bottom of a cello and it performed perfectly. This is more than a great tool. It is a little work of art. This is my first purchase from these guys. Most surely not my last.

I have many planes from Zen Toolworks, and they are all well made and patently useful. This plane is no exception. This is a compass plane; the sole is convex in shape, and allows the working of curved surfaces. It is an instrument plane, and the size is well suited to that use. The blade is sharp upon receipt, and the tool cuts effiently from the first pass. It is a great tool; imminetly functional and elegantly beautiful. I am very happy with it.

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The movie is great, keeps your attention. The story and voyage of this instrument is fascinating, We enjoyed it and watched it twice the first week.

I bought this after seeing a music video on Tv, as with most great movies with a thought provoking story line, the promotion wasn't out there. I never heard of this movie. I loved every second of it & watch over & over. When is our country going to start promoting more good films than the junk thats out there. I don't want to say much about the story because I don't want to give it away, but that little violin gets everywhere. A MUST SEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This drama tracing the history of a musical instrument through five countries and three centuries. To tell much more would ruin the beauty and surprise of this movie. The Amazon description is lame and only focuses on the last part of the movie. It is as though they never watched it. Don't even consider the review of the person who gave it one star. This is a genuine 5 star movie guaranteed. You will love it start to finish.

This review is for those who have already seen The Red Violin, loved it, and are now wondering whether the 2008 Meridian Collection DVD is worth the extra cost over the bare bones 2003 Lions Gate DVD. My short answer is a resounding yes. The commentary track with co-writer/director François Girard and co-writer Don McKellar is informative and entertaining. The give and take between the two commentators works well for the most part. They discuss the production, the locations, the actors, the music, and scene-specific details. Although I came to the DVD having already seen and loved the film, I came away from the commentary track with an even greater appreciation for both the film and its creators. With the things I learned about this film from the commentary track, I know my next viewing of the film will be that much more enjoyable. There are two featurettes on the DVD. I found both featurettes informative and entertaining. 1) "The Oscar-Winning Chaconne" -- approximately 15 minutes in length and features composer John Corigliano and violinist Joshua Bell. 2) "The Auction Block" -- approximately 17 minutes in length and features Elizabeth Pitcairn and her Red Mendelssohn Stradivarius which was the inspiration for the fictitious Bussotti Red Violin. As an aficionado of good music, good film, and good film commentary, I am very pleased with this Meridian Collection DVD. For me, the extra cost was well worth it.

I got this for my friend's birthday, at his request. He was very happy with it.

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We sparked our five year old son's interest through this DVD and he was SO excited to get an instrument after watching. After starting lessons, we still went back to this DVD to address the questions we had in between lessons - so many things will go wrong at first with all you have to remember about posture, where your elbows are, how to hold the bow, the feet, etc.,etc. The pace is perfect for both of us - I am a professional pianist and am learning alongside my son. The selected works make for realistic performance aims for people just starting out, rather than being too difficult and frustrating for the younger student. We do some things differently at lessons (ie without the marking tape) but there is something to be learned from every teacher in a chosen field. The adult learner could always supplement getting this DVD along with DVDs of Oistrach, Milstein, et al for even more inspiration. But as Leopold Mozart in his treatise says, without mastering the very basics and getting the first position notes really under your belt, you're not going to get very far. And it is amazing how much a beginner student can forget things or develop a new bad habit in the course of a week. I would highly recommend this series. Rhoda speaks very clearly and you will have confidence after practicing alongside her performances. There are actually slight variations of technique at this stage going from one teacher to another but here is a concise method in one neat package that will set you off to a great start. I have found many teachers to be less organized and have temperaments to boot. For my son the squeaky weeks were short-lived and he has survived through the 'straighten that bow!' stage with a love of the instrument still remaining. I heard many parents complain that's about when they all quit.

The reviews posted are hype, not for real. This is a piece of trash, not worth the packaging it came it. The instructor is straight out of the 30's if you ask, talks soooooooo slow, assumes everyone who's watching here is a complete idiot, and the best part, teaches you ABSOLUTELY nothing about proper violin technique and how to play. I've easily found better lessons free on the web and YouTube than anything found in this DVD. I'm sorry I wasted my money on it. But the marketing hype is really great, sure suckered me into buying it.

great to see a beginning violin video. If you are interested in violin this is a great introduction. Makes all the difference to see the examples. Of course eventually you should get with a live teacher but this is a great introduction.

This is superb for young violin players. Everything is explained in great detail & then shown on the violin. Highly recommended.

Thanks to this DVD, I can now hold a violin and bow in a way that at least looks right, play pleasing, robust notes, set up my shoulder rest properly, and maintain my violin and bow. I can also play "Mary Had a Little Lamb" in a way that's only slightly annoying. I wish the DVD were more information-dense (especially that it taught more than one song), but I may not be the target audience, since my background in guitar makes some of the lessons easier for me to learn. The big down side to any DVD that teaches you to play an instrument is that the instructor can't correct you when you're doing it wrong. I think this DVD teaches violin about as well as a DVD can, but I would recommend taking lessons, if you can manage it, so you don't turn any mistakes into habits.

Reviews

other than the wrong zoning ( I didn't make sure before buying we wanted to see the next season so badly at the itme) still was an awesome buy! would trade again!

If you have any interest in a well made enticing TV show, this is the one for you. You can relate with almost all of the characters in some way and find a way to love each of them in their own way. It is a masterpiece.

I absolutely love this show. As always Amazon has excellent shipping and arrival time.

This series is awesome. Especially if you are a frequent Vegas visitor. The strips are awesome and the story lines are actually good as well. This series starts off very good all the way to season 5's final cliffhanger. Each and every episode was awesome.

This series should run forever !!!!....Great cast, great writing and awesome acting and directing !!!!...Congratulations to all !!!!!

Reviews

These clippers have great leverage for us with arthritic fingers, but the plastic guard around the cutters makes application awkward and slightly hazardous. So, I had to break the guards off to get proper results with trimming.

These clippers just shredded my nails. I liked the idea that I could hold the clippers better than the all metal ones. Unfortunately they don't cut well at all. I've gone back to struggling with the small metal clippers.

Yes, I bought these cutters, also. They are best for little thin straight nails, ...like most clippers. The thicker or more curved the nails are, the more slowly you have to go, very slowly nibbling away at the nail edges that stick out. The jaws do not open far enough, which makes it very frustrating when trying to cut thicker or curved nails. The mechanical advantage or ergonomic value of these is good for either lefties or righties, and my pair were sharp enough. They just don't take a good bite on thick or damaged or curved nails.

I bought this product because I have difficulty holding on to the usual style of fingernail clipper. I thought these would be ideal; the picture showed them being used on a woman's fingernails. BUT the cutting blades are so thick that I couldn't get them under my nails and they removed parts of my fingertips instead. These might work better as toenail clippers but I use nail scissors for that task. I'll put these in the Chinese auction at my reunion. I gave one star because they are easy to hold.

I am very pleased with the nail clipper. Since I have pain in my thumbs, the cushioned handles of this clipper make it more comfortable to cut my nails. Would recommend.

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This album is among the most enjoyable in my entire disc collection of classical music, opera, song, popular, etc. It's definitely not highbrow, just top artistry (4 string musicians and pianist) applied to accessible beautiful music in several genres, best characterized as "parlor music". However, this phrase doesn't begin to express the beauty of this album. Unfortunately, it's virtually impossible to find for sale. Perhaps the highlight is an almost 13 minute cut from the film music of Nino Rota who wrote music for a number of Fellini's movies. I have another of "I Solisti"'s discs "And the Band Played On", also superb and highly recommended.