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1500 questions
28
votes
8 answers
Why are clefs associated with reference notes G, F and C?
Why don't we see, for example, a clef with a stylised symbol representing an A, B, D or an E? What's so special about G, F and C? Who decided to use them and why?
Apollo
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28
votes
10 answers
Why are measures (aka "bars") important?
Just as an example, let's say we have 60 BPM. So every second there's a beat. Imagine nodding your head every second to this rhythm.
Now isn't that enough information to make a song? If I have a metronome at 60BPM then I can rap over it, or play a…
user34288
28
votes
7 answers
Why does the Dorian mode on C have two flats?
I'm studying scale modes and I just found on Wikipedia that the Dorian mode on C has two flats...
Why is this? Because the Dorian mode is just the major scale (Ionian) starting from the second note, shouldn't it keep the key signature? In the case…
andrerpena
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28
votes
11 answers
I want to learn how to sing. Where do I start?
According to a couple of websites, the best way to learn how to sing is with a vocal teacher, a recorder, and practice. But let's say I don't have the means to get a vocal teacher right now. What other resources are available to me that I can use to…
Dante
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28
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5 answers
How do I keep my concentration going to the end and not get distracted thinking about how well it's going?
Often when I am performing a piece of music and it's going really well - all that practice really paid off! - I start thinking, "wow, things are going really well. This sounds really good!" But as that thought floats through my head my playing falls…
mfamous
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28
votes
15 answers
Which instrument can a person play with 2 malformed fingers on each hand?
Due to a birth defect, I have 2 malformed fingers on both hands (fingers 1,2).
(The picture is from the web just to illustrate the fingers i'm talking about.)
I've seen GuiGui Zheng videos, it is sweet, but I doubt if she can play more complex…
MichaelS
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28
votes
6 answers
With sheet music, how do you determine whether the song is in the major key or the minor key?
For example, if the key signature on the left doesn't have any sharps or flats then it could theoretically be in either the C Major scale or the A Minor scale. How do you determine which one?
Ryan
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28
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9 answers
What is the full list of possible chord names? Are there chords that don't have a name in chord theory?
My chord book covers 35 different chord types. When I look on the web or in other tools, all the same types of chords come up.
But I don't think this is the "full" set of possible chords. I'm not talking about different fingerings or positions of…
asgeo1
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28
votes
10 answers
How to use Piano pedals without using the foot?
I have a piano and am disabled -- wheelchair kind of disabled: I can move my feet but not use the pedals. That task is kind of complicated.
I've considered buying some kind of a car hand-control like this, but I'm not sure if it works, and if I want…
Lynob
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28
votes
13 answers
Best ways of storing sheet music
I was wondering if anyone had a really good and practical way of storing print sheet music. If there is any specific types of folders or cabinets that they use to store their sheet music. I would like to know ways of storing music for later use and…
random10101010
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28
votes
6 answers
What to check when buying a new electric guitar?
I have been playing acoustic guitar for quite some time now. I'm not a beginner but neither am I pro. I'm now looking into buying an electric guitar.
My questions are -
What do I need to check/lookout for when trying out the guitars?
What kind of…
Leonine
28
votes
3 answers
Why do films sometimes transpose everything by a quarter step?
Sometimes when playing along to music, you notice that the recording is transposed not by a semitone or a whole tone (whereby you could just play along on any normally tuned instrument), but by an interval that requires tuning down/up by a quarter…
Markus Schlafli
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28
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5 answers
Why is music for strings more likely to be in keys with sharps?
One thing I've noticed is that music written for strings, such as violin concertos, are a lot more likely to written in a key like D or A major than something like F or Bb major. I recently saw a comic that confirms my suspicions:
Now, this does…
Tony
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28
votes
5 answers
How to create Chord progressions that make sense
I've been reading over Walter Piston's Harmony book, and it has been an eye-opener to say the least. I understand concepts like tension and release, voice leading and so forth, but I still don't quite understand the process of generating harmonic…
Sketchyfish
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28
votes
8 answers
Cleaning the fretboard of an electric guitar
I have had my electric guitar for several years and I noticed that there is some "sweat dirt" on the fretboard of the guitar, so the inlay is less shiny.
I'd like to clean that without taking the risk of damaging the neck's wood or the fretboard's…
Julien N
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