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Can effects help absolute beginners “jam”?

Benn Jordan | December 14, 2025



Effects are instruments too.
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Written by Benn Jordan

Comments

This post currently has 30 comments.

  4. @bricelory9534

    December 14, 2025 at 9:49 pm

    I hope someone's mentioned this earlier, but her bow is WAY too tight – it should be bowing the other direction (downward toward the hair, not outward away from it). That will help get a lot more sound of the instrument, since you can more effectively transfer the weight of your arm onto the string. Also, bows are designed to bow that way, so I'm afraid this might be damaging to her bow.

    That being said, what you did is a great way to keep the joy of music being front and center in learning! I would argue that learning a fretless stringed instrument dry is important to grow the ear for intonation and muscle memory for the notes – but it should be coupled with playing with effects having fun/inspiration.

  5. @5amJones69

    December 14, 2025 at 9:49 pm

    I did NOT expect Mrs Flashbulb to be a fellow English Northerner haha. That's cool man. I watch a lot of your videos and it was surprising and lovely to hear something so familiar in an unexpected place.

  11. @CatFish107

    December 14, 2025 at 9:49 pm

    Chiming in just as the intro of the video finishes, as a complete neophyte, totally new to making music, never mind learning an instrument. I've decided to go the synth route, in the hopes that quantization, and sequencers can at least keep me in beat with my musician friends when we're camping, and the drums and guitars come out. Volca FM, pocket operators, and usb powered speakers/mixer with a couple usb power banks as a first timer setup, more than enough capability for me to learn for years to come.

  13. @shayneoneill1506

    December 14, 2025 at 9:49 pm

    Good stuff with the patience. When my ex decided she wanted to learn the flute I'd try and jam but I am biologically incapable of not getting frusturated at bad notes (Im the guy who will stop a jam to yell the guitarist into fixing his D string tuning) so I just couldnt do it.

    Also I can safely say that in my teens I was TOTALLY into guitar because girls dug guys in bands. Of course later on I found myself loving music because it keeps me sane and makes me happy. But as a teenager? It was totally about getting chicks. (Thats why I mostly played guitar then, but piano now, Different motivations)

  18. @tsgodman4409

    December 14, 2025 at 9:49 pm

    That was just fantastic, not everyone is lucky enough to be given the spark of musicianship when they're young, my wife never had the opportunity to learn an instrument due to her upbringing in Brooklyn. I get her on my piano from time to time and she just loves it, I will rig up more no fail FX and let ya know how she goes. Everyone should feel that music endorphin rush eh! When the administration of life is all said and done our connection through sound always lights the way. Another great vid, thanks so much.

  19. @Barefoot_Joe

    December 14, 2025 at 9:49 pm

    Your chin really isn't that big, that's why she was confused, for reference look at Bruce Campbell, then at yourself. :- ) )
    You have a well proportioned face, slightly worn. ;))

  21. @Hyper5nic

    December 14, 2025 at 9:49 pm

    Hi Ben, I really enjoyed this video of you both playing real instruments.
    Now would the next challenge be something you are willing to undertake?
    I know FL Studio has a score sheet export function.
    Can you replay your music from the score sheet you exported from FL Studio?
    I'm also looking into software that can export MIDI to a usable score sheet for musicians to use.
    Looking forward to your response, take care and stay creative,
    cheers, Mark

  22. @freewheelinghorn

    December 14, 2025 at 9:49 pm

    Great video! some tips for your wife benn: her bow is too tight which affects the feel and sound of the instrument. It should remain concave, not convex, even when the hair is tightened. Secondly, longer and faster bow strokes will help her get a good tone out of the instrument without it squealing at her. Lastly, don’t be afraid to make bad sounds! In my experience as a classical violinist, horn player and now renegade synthesist, learning where bad sounds begin really helps in forming an understanding of the “geography” that lies in between. Kind of like having a blindfold on and feeling around a room to find out where the walls are so that you know how much space you’ve got to move around. Thanks for sharing as always!

  28. @fakshen1973

    December 14, 2025 at 9:49 pm

    The big delays and reverbs are about getting more out of it than you put into it. You can't control what the effects are doing. The same can be said for any effect or process (like some forms of sequencing, random generation) etc. The other thing is that if you turn on a time based effect, you're often pulled into playing in time with that effect.

  30. @kassemir

    December 14, 2025 at 9:49 pm

    I agree with this.
    Motivation is key in learning any instrument, and while technique is kind of something you have to tackle, if it's the only thing you tackle from the outset, then there's no reward, for a very, very long time.
    I think you kind of need some sort of small "victory" to give you the push to keep on working, and not get defeated.

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