Busking is a tradition as old as music itself. Another arm in a musician’s public performance arsenal, busking is at once a fun pastime and an opportunity to be heard by passersby on your own terms. All around NYC you can hear music in the air. In fact, some might […]

BUSKING IN NYC: A Definitive Guide

We at Rivington Music believe seeing live music inspires us to play. A lot of times witnessing a truly fantastic spectacle of live performance will have us waking up the next day feeling rejuvenated, refreshed, and ready to play. 2018 is chock full of some incredible performers on national tours. […]

The Best Summer Concerts in 2018

You’re a guitarist with a tonal range as wide as the great blue sky. You’re ready for your next gig, but have eleven different pedals that all require their own power source and connection to your amp. You could just splay them all out on the floor in front of […]

The Definitive Guide to Building a DIY Pedal Board

williamsburg bridge
Williamsburg has carved itself a niche in terms of live music venues. Local legends and nationally-renowned greats alike take to the Brooklyn neighborhood’s hallowed venues in hopes of expanding their reach and playing to more intimate audiences. Based on the caliber of entertainment, ability to be a definitive spot for […]

The Definitive Guide to the Best Williamsburg Music Venues

how to book gigs for your band
You’ve got the band together, and you’re ready to book some gigs. Yet, especially in the New York City area there is a lot of competition—with over eight million people in the area, it’s pretty easy to believe there are thousands of bands out there. So, presenting your band to […]

How to Book More Gigs for Your Band

best live music bars nyc
Hotspot Bars for Live Music New York City’s bar scene is perhaps one of the most diverse in the world. With many locations featuring live music, the possibilities of catching local acts or those traveling through are nearly endless. But not all live music bars are created equal. The best […]

Best Live Music Bars in NYC

Setting up guitar pedals is fairly simple if you just have one, however, when there are multiple FX pedals in the mix, you may need a little help. Check out this super useful guide to guitar pedals from Zing Instruments. Via zinginstruments.com

How to Set Up Guitar Pedals – Infographic

NYC open mics
Open mics are a mixed bag. While they can be fun, what with almost all kinds of acts taking the stage, they can also be a frustrating experience. Often, open mic nights are where people just starting out playing music—or any other kind of performance act, like stand-up comedy—will hone […]

Your Guide to Open Mics in NYC

how to tune a drum kit
As a drummer, tuning your skins is part of the job. How to tune your drums, while being a craft in and of itself, is largely dependent on the type of sound you want. The thing to remember is that you can tune your drums to the key of a […]

The Need to Know about Tuning Drums

You’ve got your bandmates altogether. After writing a few great songs, you’ve decided you want to make it official with a band name. The eventual argument ensues about what to call yourselves—approaching a venue and saying “We’re just a squirrely bunch that knows some great tunes!” hasn’t gotten very many […]

Choosing a Band Name: The Good, the Bad, and the ...

how to find vocal lessons singer
You’ve decided to take the plunge. Taking vocal lessons is a surefire way to improve your vocal performance, understand the mechanics of vocalizing, and explore the possibilities of your particular voice. Many people will consider taking vocal lessons as a way to sharpen their skills or to start from scratch […]

5 Great Places for Vocal Lessons in NYC

Mobile technology has become a part of everyday life. For guitarists, the choices are almost endless when it comes to a wide array of apps, both for iOS and Android, from tablature directories to tuners. These apps make many issues facing guitarists both new and old more convenient challenges. Because […]

The Five Best Guitar Apps Out Now

If there’s one thing that New York City is known for, it’s the music. Venues large and small in the Big Apple have become legendary destinations in the music world, not least because of the sheer amount of professional gigging musicians in the area, and the famous careers made here. […]

Five of the Best New NYC Music Venues You Should ...

music stores in manhattan
As with anything in Manhattan, music stores are a dime a dozen. The possibilities are endless when you take in the sheer number of Manhattan-area instrument retailers, whether you’re looking for vintage gear, the latest amps and guitars, or a full set of accessories to compliment your playing. But some […]

The Lowdown: Top 5 Music Stores in Manhattan

christmas decorations to go with top holidays songs from movies
As the holidays approach, we run headlong into those serialized holiday movie classics. What A Wonderful Life and Miracle on 34th Street  are great, but we live in modern times, and any top five list should encompass a wide range of media. In our Top Five Holiday Film Songs list, […]

The 5 Best Holiday Film Songs….Ever

So you’ve bought yourself a microphone. Now what? Is this the only piece in the puzzle you’ll need to get that studio quality recording? Unfortunately, it’s not that easy. Home recording has become increasingly popular. The wave of budget-friendly microphones being shipped over from China has only added fuel to […]

Beginner Microphone Tips You Can Use to Get The Best ...

how to play jazz guitar
One of the first things every aspiring jazz guitarist quickly realizes is that jazz is hard. Really hard. And once they realize what they’ve gotten themselves into they inevitably start looking for ‘The Secret’. That one scale, arpeggio or II-V-I that will make them a seasoned jazz man or jazz […]

How to Play Jazz Guitar for Beginners

Music is the language of the heart, but it can be challenging to speak it if you’re new to writing lyrics. Though lyrics may look deceptively simple when viewed “on paper,” so to speak, one soon discovers that getting them to flow correctly is a fine art. After all, we’ve […]

Writing Song Lyrics for Beginners: 4 Tips for Learning to ...