Joey Robichaux

Make an Easy No-Pattern Apron

Here's a simple and useful project -- a simple, easy apron. You'll use just one yard of fabric cut into four pieces -- actually, you don't even have to "cut" the fabric, you can just tear the fabric into the proper sized strips! Fabric choices would be a... Read >

Celtic Music -- Mandolin, Mandola, Bouzouki

Consider the instruments used by your favorite celtic group -- certainly, there's a fiddle ... and there may be a tinwhistle and perhaps some bagpipes. There's probably a guitar and a bodhran (a sort of handheld drum) -- but what about those other string... Read >

Celtic Music -- The Tin Whistle

The Tin Whistle (sometimes called a pennywhistle) is a simple and cheap instrument. It's simply a metal tube with six fingerholes and a mouthpiece (much like a recorder); it has a range of about two octaves. Costs range from a few dollars to a few hun... Read >

Fiddle or Violin -- What's the Difference

Some say the difference is that you never cry when you spill beer on a fiddle. Others say it's a fiddle when you buy it, but a violin when you sell it. Others say that if you can dance to it, then it's a fiddle. The bottom line is there functionally ... Read >

Sewing Tips for Fleece

It's a treat sewing with fleece -- the edges don't unravel, so there's no need to finish seams. Fleece is kind of stretchy, plus fleece garments are normally a little loose, so fitting isn't a big issue. Even though fleece is easy to sew, there are ... Read >

Make a Scented Hot Pad

This one is so quick and easy that I'm making a bunch to stick on Christmas presents as "bows" -- scented Hot Pads! Couldn't be much easier to knock together -- and the sweet-scented payoff is a treat! Just set a hot teapot on the pad and breathe in a... Read >

Guitar Effects Pedals -- Chorus

This is one you probably already intuitively know! You're likely familiar with the vocal term "chorus" -- as in "many voices singing at once". A guitar "chorus" pedal does the same thing -- it makes your guitar sound like two or more guitars playing i... Read >

Guitar Effects Pedals -- Distortion

A Distortion pedal functions by ... well, by "distorting" the original sound wave. Some characteristics of a sound wave are a certain shape, a certain amplitude, and a certain frequency. A distortion pedal will distort some or all of these characteris... Read >

Guitar Effects Pedals -- Compression

Look at any professional guitarist's assortment of foot pedals -- you'll find pedals for Overdrive, Fuzz, Flangers, Chorus, Distortion, to name a few. One you'll almost always find ... and one you might not expect ... is a compression pedal. Why? What ... Read >

Sewing Pattern Weights for Pennies -- Literally!

Sewing patterns tend to be printed on a light and flimsy paper. No problem there -- except that light and flimsy means it's likely to be blown or nudged away at first chance! You need some way to set the pattern in place on top of the piece of fabric yo... Read >

The Man Who Saved Celtic Music

Familiar with the name "Francis O'Neill"? The current wave of interest in Celtic music owes him a great debt -- he's the person who collected and published the music for thousands of Celtic tunes, thus saving them and making them available to musicians ... Read >

Beginner on Guitar? Learn These Ten Chords!

It's a combination that just doesn't mix, but it always happens. Start with 1 part enthusiastic beginning guitar player, 1 part beautiful new guitar, and 1 part confusing "Learn guitar" chord book. The result is rarely pretty -- it usually results in 1 co... Read >

Guitarists -- Don't Use Your Head, Use Your Neck

Want to expand your versatility on the guitar? Don't use your head -- use your neck! We're going to use a "G" chord and a G major pentatonic to illustrate how we can use 5 basic chord shapes to move up and down the neck of the guitar. These 5 basic ... Read >

Deals Still Exist for Vintage Guitar Collectors

If you're a recent vintage guitar collector, the stories you've heard are true. You once could step into pawn shops or flea markets and find vintage Gibson Les Pauls and Fender Stratocasters for $50 to $100. True. These guitars now sell for thousands of d... Read >

Quick and Easy Violin Mute

One of the reasons I picked up the violin was because it was easier to travel with than a guitar (not that I haven't found some nice travel guitars, but that's another story). It fits in an airplane overhead and is easy to carry! However, I want to be ... Read >