Instruments

All of our instruments get set-up upon arrival with us, this is to ensure they're in perfect condition when you take them home. My name is Frances, I work in the Instrument Department here at Forsyth and in this post I'll take you through the process of setting up a Stentor Student Violin so you can see exactly what's involved! The violins arrive with bags covering their cases to ensure they arrive in pristine condition. So the first step is to unwrap them! Opening up the case reveals the violin, which is carefully padded to protect it during delivery. This is then removed so I can begin inspecting the violin. The first job is to have a peak through on of the f holes and make sure the soundpost is still standing. You can just see it below, to the left of the bridge inside the f hole closest to the camera. The soundpost rarely falls in delivery, but it's always a good idea to check just in case! Next up I check the bridge is in order, starting by moving it into the correct position. On this one the bridge was slightly to far to the...

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We kicked off the summer season with a busy month of events this June. From workshops to large scale concerts featuring over 40 performers! See all upcoming events here On the 5th June we welcomed Paul Harris as part of his 'How to Sight Read' book tour. His books are available to buy here --- We welcomed Benjamin Frith and Heidi Rolfe back for another wonderful concert of piano duets --- If you didn't get enough jazz from the manchester jazz festival, then we hosted an evening of jazz with the Edward Harris-Brown Trio --- We once again welcomed Susan Bettany for another of her wonderful piano workshops --- We finished the month with a spectacular concert featuring the works of Australian composer Wendy Hiscocks and over 40 students from Chethams school --- Our social media was also busy last month! Here's Olly showing off his new Squier Bass VI he bought from us --- James had fun with a KNA banjo pickup --- The instrument department asked people on our social media platforms to guess what wood this...

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June 6, 2024
May Roundup

May was a busy month for music, here at Forsyth and across Manchester! From the Manchester Jazz Festival to the North West Guitar Show, read on to see what we got up to in May We're always up to something, keep an eye on our Facebook and Instagram for the most up to date info! --- It wouldn't be May in Manchester without the Manchester Jazz Festival and the 17th-26th May saw the return of Manchester's longest running music festival.  Once again we supplied pianos for the piano trail. Which this year saw 14 pianos placed around the city (including our usual street piano outside the shop!)  It was amazing to see so many entries for the competition to find Manchester's best 'Street Pianist', all you had to do was post a video on social media of you playing one of the street pianos. The judges are still deciding on the winner so stay tuned... --- Alongside the piano trail we also hosted one of the performances as part of the festival. On the 24th May we were joined by legendary Jazz Pianist Julian Joseph for a fantastic evening of...

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Ever been in our second floor Instrument Department and wondered about the singing bowls, steel tongue drums and other wonderful things we have on offer? Then read on for more information about these instruments and the rest of Meinl’s Sonic Energy range! --- Meinl Sonic Energy is … Your Sound Journey Step into a journey with us. A journey to find more calmness, focus and relaxation. A journey to discover fresh, energizing sounds through instruments designed for anyone to explore, create and feel. Explore There is so much to explore about the world of Meinl Sonic Energy, from singing bowls with pure tones to enormous vibrating gongs and dream inspiring handpans to muscle relaxing tuning forks. You‘ll discover yourself in a whole new light with the aid of our instruments, and gain guidance on the road to harmony and better quality of life. Create This isn’t about performance - anyone can create with Sonic Energy instruments. A musical background isn‘t required. The way we design these instruments immediately activates your senses...

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March 7, 2024
February Round Up

We got an extra day this February, and we made sure to pack it with even more music! --- We had two very different recitals in February! Award winning Luke Jones presented us with a selection of works for piano. His playing has been described as possessing “...extraordinary clarity and a seemingly infallible touch that revealed colours and atmospheres of the most sensitive of stylists…” (Christopher Axworthy – Co-Artistic Director of the Keyboard Trust) We then had an unusually piano free recital with local group Laiton Trumpet Quartet showcasing arrangements of well-known pieces for 4 trumpets, which is no small feat! Made ever more impressive by how pleasing they were to listen to. A wholeheartedly refreshing programme and superb musicianship blew away the audience at Forsyth - another excellent free recital! See our upcoming events here --- We shared some of our history with a couple of Throwback Thursday posts on our social media. Look at how our piano showroom has changed since the 1950s! We also shared the story of...

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February 1, 2024
Catch Up!

January is always a cold and dark month, but we made sure to brighten it with music! Keep reading for a summary of what we got up to in January --- We had our first two concerts of the year We were delighted to kickstart our 2024 concert series by welcoming back professional concert pianist Duncan Honeybourne to share the music of a little known English composer Jessy Reason whose works he will be releasing on a new recording in early 2024.  Our second concert featured 19th and 20th-century piano music from students of Kathryn Stott. We were excited to host Alex Lin, Lola Flexen, Justine Gormley, Anna Demianchuk, and Juanjo Blazquez who bought to life a selection of 19th and 20th century pieces See our upcoming concerts, as well as program details for past concerts here --- One particular guitar got its 15 minutes of fame on our Facebook page when asked what shapes people could see in the Ziricote HPL Pattern on its back. We can't really decide whether we see a Bat, an angry Owl or a Staffordshire Bull Terrier in amongst the...

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November 29, 2023
November Update!

November has been busy as we gear up for the festive season! Read on to see what we've been up to This month our regular concert series featured Mimi Chow & Aaron Le Maistre with Kathryn Stott performing French Piano Classics We also hosted a wonderful Charity Performance with Alan Clark from Dire Straits fundraising for Olympias Music Foundation. Alan's sold-out concert raised a whopping £1,035 for OMF - the equivalent of 52 music lessons, or music lessons for 1.75 OMF children for a whole year! Finally, we supported an awareness campaign by Prevent Breast Cancer in Manchester Piccadilly station. They made fantastic use of our street piano there, and we also provided the PA for Suzie Rubin who performed on the day. See our upcoming events here --- Across our social media platforms this month we've been highlighting some of our entry level guitars. Perfect for yourself or a loved one for Christmas! Cort G250SE These Cort G250SE are very versatile instrument, suiting many different playing styles. They also come in a range...

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September 19, 2023
Back to School

Back to School is in full swing. We're here for you during freshers and throughout the Autumn, Winter, Spring/Summer terms. Discover everything and more in store for young students embarking on their first musical adventures to intermediate & advanced students and of course not forgetting the teaching professionals! Vegan/Leather Montford Music cases are a stylish must for carrying all your Sheet Music! Available here in a range of fabulous colours. All your musical stationary is here for you in our Sheet Music Department. Shop here till your musical hearts content! There are over 30,000 Sheet Music titles available in our Sheet Music Department with access to over 100,000. Shop here to find the NEW Trinity College London Piano Exam Pieces 2023 initial to Grade 8 include the technical exercises required for the exam, which have been newly composed for the 2023 syllabus. Looking for a useful teaching aid and a valuable introduction to the experience of ensemble playing? Shop here  for the popular Classroom Jam series....

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We have a rare opportunity for an enthusiastic multi-instrumentalist to join our sales team in the Instrument Department. The role is both Saturdays and Sundays with an option for Mondays too. Deadline is Thursday 8th December. Visit our jobs page to find out more:- https://www.forsyths.co.uk/content/121-part-time-musical-instrument-sales-assistant [caption id=\"\" align=\"alignleft\" width=\"1451\" caption=\"Classical guitars at Forsytsh\"][/caption]

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Learn to Play Day weekend 8-9 October 2022 was a busy weekend here at Forsyths. You can read more about it here.We will be hosting similar events in 2023 - keep an eye on our website and our social media channels for futher information.In the meantime, if you are interested in instrumental lessons here at Forsyths, please vist our teaching page and get in touch to organise your free taster lesson

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