Musical Practice and Performance Stack Exchange
Musical Practice and Performance Stack Exchange

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1500 questions
33
votes
7 answers

Why is it that I can sometimes guess the next note?

For some songs and musical pieces that I am listening to for the first time, why is it that I can occasionally guess what the next note will be? I imagine the next note in my head and sometimes it is exactly correct. I find that this happens more…
drewdles
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11 answers

I'm learning music theory, but none of the songs I'm trying it on are playing by the rules

So, I've been playing guitar for about a year, and I want to learn some chord theory. I crack open a book, I learn about I ii iii IV V vi viio and why it works and how to construct it, then I learn how to apply it to I IV V being a simple easy…
GGMG-he-him
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33
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Is it easier to play "softly" on a grand piano?

As I live in an apartment complex, I'm limited to playing on digital pianos; something I can plug headphones into so I don't disturb my neighbors. I recently purchased a Yamaha P95 and have been blown away by the quality of the instrument. However,…
Blank
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33
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4 answers

What does it mean when two notes are stuck together?

I mean something like this: I'm guessing it means they're played together but I'm not sure. Also, does the sharp apply to both pitches or just the G?
MaTHStudent
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33
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9 answers

How should one practice a piece that is learned, but not fully mastered?

When, after a few weeks of practice, a piece arrives at the stage when the notes are learned, the hand movements are becoming automatic, and the tempo and dynamics are right it can feel the work is done for 95%. However, when playing the piece, a…
Tim H
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33
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3 answers

Can one tell by ear whether a bowed instrument is being played up or down?

I went to a concert the other day and noticed that the bows (violins, cellos, violas) were all coordinated as the orchestra played. It looks neat, but is there an audible difference if they're not in sync bow-wise? If there's a difference, is it…
Sarruby
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33
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7 answers

How is this B flat guitar chord physically possible?

This chord diagram is from the GarageBand chord trainer (I'm a beginner). How is it possible to put a barre down on the third fret without also muting the top E string?
codecowboy
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33
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8 answers

What is the relationship between the melody line and the rhythm chords?

Let's say I've written a song with the chord progression I-IV-V in the key of A (just as an example). So, the chords I'm playing are A-D-E. When playing a lead over this rhythm, what notes do I need to stick to over each chord? That is, when…
Don
33
votes
9 answers

Do musicians count the meter all the time?

When I started as a beginner on the piano I just timed the notes by feeling. That is, until my teacher played back a recording of me to show me just how messed up my timings were. Since then I've always been very diligent about figuring out the…
W4uoe9A
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33
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7 answers

How do jazz players communicate while playing?

When a jazz group is playing and improvising, how do they communicate so as not to produce cacophony? Somehow, one player's choices and intuition need to guide the other players so that they can change keys/tempos/sounds in concert. I've heard…
Daniel Griscom
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33
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11 answers

Is there a way to develop "Perfect Pitch"?

I was wondering if there is/are any aural exercise('s), analogous to how playing scales can develop your muscle memory, that can help to develop "Perfect Pitch"?
JustnBeaver
33
votes
7 answers

How do I know when it's time to change a tube on my amplifier?

I think this would be a wonderfully instructive question to people who are new to tube amplifiers. In short, how do I know that it's time to change a tube, and what's a good strategy for figuring out which one to change (preamp vs power vs…
Jduv
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33
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11 answers

Why do some artists tune their guitars half a step or whole step down?

Is there a reason some guitarists tune down half or whole steps, other than preference or style? It bugs me sometimes when I would like to play along with a song only to find that it's played down half or a whole step. I have purchased software that…
Jasarien
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32
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4 answers

How did composers "test" their music?

How did composers "test" their music, especially in multi-instrument works (eg. chamber, orchestra) or in pieces for instruments they didn't know how to play? Did they really have an orchestra (for example) next to them? Now, we have DAWs and…
Stevineon
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32
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7 answers

Why do E♯ and F♮ not sound the same (according to Wikipedia)?

I was just reading the Wikipedia page on the note F (as I do every evening) and was confused by this part where it says that even though F♮ and E♯ are enharmonic they “do not sound the same”: E♯ is a common enharmonic equivalent of F, but is not…
Aran G
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