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1500 questions
26
votes
6 answers
Why are double staff pieces of music not properly aligned for Middle C?
I am a guitar, flute and (a long time ago) bassoon player. I can play a few things on a keyboard, badly, in short: I know how it all works. I'm trying to help teach my wife to play a harp. It has a range from C3 to C6, so when making arrangements…
Mark Ormston
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Why do standard modern pianos have 88 keys?
I know that the piano contains 7 octaves plus a 4th. I also know that it accommodates the full circle of fifths (from C and back to C). But since a fifth contains 7 semitones, it only
"needs" 7X12 = 84 keys for the circle. So why the "extra" 4…
iddober
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26
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3 answers
With regards to piano sheet music, when are you supposed to press the pedal(s)?
I've been playing piano for about 8 months. I have a digital weighted 88-key piano with only one pedal.
My friend, who used to play piano, taught me to hold the pedal down when there is an arc in either the treble or bass. So basically I'm holding…
Ryan
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26
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10 answers
With modern electronic technology is temperament unnecessary?
I am a Physics student but also love math and music, and know a little bit about tuning because it is related to mathematics.
So as far as I understand, Just Intonation is more consonant than Temperaments.
The major problem of Just Intonation is…
velut luna
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votes
4 answers
How does string gauge affect a guitar's sound and playability?
Guitar strings are available in a variety of gauges.
What effect does my choice of string gauge have on the sound of my guitar?
What effect does it have on playability?
slim
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26
votes
4 answers
Did baroque composers think of ritardando on their compositions?
I've been always told that whenever I play any baroque piece on the piano, I should take special care when attending to, for example, the amount of right pedal I should use. It sounded perfectly normal when it was explained to me, because there was…
user314159
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26
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8 answers
Is F Lydian mode in the "key" of C Major?
In most cases (if not all), a piece of music without sharps or flats in the key signature, would be considered in the key of C major or A minor. This question assumes the context of Western Music since that is the only type I know much about.
The…
Rockin Cowboy
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26
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8 answers
Is there any midi software that can display in real-time the notes I play next to the "real" score?
I'm pretty new to the Piano, and pretty bad at sight-reading (but getting better:))
Still, sight-reading a new score takes me an awfull lot of time, especially when I don't "hear" the thing I'm supposed to play.
I know there's some software you can…
Brann
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26
votes
17 answers
How to help students remember Half vs. Whole rests
The symbols for the half rest and whole rest are pretty much the same and in the literature my students play we rarely encounter them.
Is there a good, memorable way to describe which is which to students?
Josiah
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26
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6 answers
Having trouble memorizing intervals in ear training
I've been using some of those interval training games like this one and I have tried some on my phone as well.
The problem is that I don't think I'm making any progress. Right now (on the website I linked to above) I have it set to only play Major…
user1028270
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26
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2 answers
What do the terms E2 A2 D3 G3 B3 E4 actually mean?
I am attempting to learn guitar, and I keep coming across this notation in various apps that I've downloaded.
I know that E2 A2 D3 G3 B3 E4 are something to do with tuning, but I'm not exactly sure what.
Can anyone explain what they actually mean…
Rory Becker
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26
votes
10 answers
Truth behind Mozart memorizing Miserere and then writing it down later in full
A previous question/answer here mentioned Mozart's ability (when he was a teenager) to sit and listen to a performance of Allegri's Miserere, remember most of the details, and then write it down later that day.
Is this really possible? Even for a…
lobi
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26
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8 answers
Why do harmonics played on guitar sound lower as you move to higher frets while fretted notes sound higher?
By lightly touching a guitar string at specific nodes (most commonly at the 12, 7th and 5th fret) and releasing your finger immediately upon plucking the string - a clear ringing tone is produced. These tones are called harmonics.
When fretting…
Rockin Cowboy
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26
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11 answers
When practicing on my instrument - which is more important - quantity or quality?
I mainly play guitar but sometimes play piano. Occasionally I aspire to improve my skills by practicing - which for me - usually consists of trying to learn to play a more complex passage in a particular song.
Once I figure out how I want to play…
Rockin Cowboy
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26
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12 answers
How can I keep learning new songs and not forget the previous ones?
I love learning new songs. A fairly easy, energetic rock piece is sometimes everything that I need to keep playing for hours. However, some pieces are harder, some solos require more patience and all in all I have to actually go back to some parts…
Bartek Banachewicz
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