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1500 questions
23
votes
1 answer
Why guitar sounds smoother in high frets?
When I (or you) pluck 2nd string fret 10, and pluck 1st string fret 5, which it's the same octave of the A note. Why when you pluck the 2nd string, it feels smoother than when you pluck the 1st string of an acoustic guitar (both nylon and steel…
seseorang
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23
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4 answers
What does it mean for a sound to be "dirty"?
An effect that many electronic music creators go for is a "dirty bass synth" or something similar. What exactly does this term mean, if it has a precise definition at all? What qualities of a synth make it dirty?
From what I know, it's supposed to…
Joe Z.
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23
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Are Hanon exercises mindless unmusical repetiton or a great way to develop finger strength and dexterity?
There are a lot of different opinions about Charles-Louis Hanon's "The Virtuoso Pianist in 60 Exercises". Some say it is unmusical and can even lead to wrist damage, while others think they are the best exercises around. I am a beginning piano…
iddober
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23
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9 answers
Does the audio an instrument emits above 20 KHz affect how the instrument sounds?
It's commonly held that humans can hear sounds in the range 20 Hz - 20 KHz.
But most acoustic instruments will emit sounds outside that range, for instance breath sounds from flutes and recorders, bow noise on bowed string instruments, plucking…
Brian THOMAS
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23
votes
4 answers
Should one write ♯ or ♭?
In the staff, would one write enharmonic notes with # or ♭? Does it matter which you'd use and why?
For example: In the key of C Major, would it be better to write this passage with an A#, as it is, or B♭?
In short, what rules should one follow…
bzrr
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23
votes
7 answers
What determines a chord's name?
I have very little knowledge of music theory (enough to know what's the major scale and how to find the major chord of a note) but I know a good number of chords by name and could figure out the ones I don't know based on the patterns.
Meaning that…
Gabe
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votes
6 answers
Notation - when to use staccato vs rests
I'm arranging a piece of music I wrote for string quartet, and I'm not sure what the most practical way of notating the following rhythm is. I'm self taught and rarely use written music, so I'm not sure how a classically trained musician would…
Innealtoir
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votes
3 answers
What are the greek modes, and how do they differ from modern modes?
This Question might be TwoFold, based on an uncertainty I have
I understand the construction of traditional Ionian-Locrian modes, and I have read that various notes in the modes have traditionally been slightly sharpened/flattened from what they are…
Alexander Troup
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23
votes
2 answers
Is my Yamaha guitar counterfeit?
I bought a new Yamaha Guitar and When you look inside the guitar hole it looks like the model number is written by hand. Can you please tell me if this one is a fake one or not? The number written on it cannot be found on Yamaha website.
I have…
onefourone14
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votes
4 answers
When should I be concerned about calibrating the bias of vacuum tubes in an amplifier?
I think it would be useful to discuss the concept of bias as it pertains to guitar amplifiers. I have read some articles saying that you should always rebias your amplifier when you change the power tubes--and some even say you should do this even…
Jduv
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23
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8 answers
Do the violins imitate equal temperament when accompanying the piano?
My previous question about equal temperament was answered with a flourish, so here's the follow-up one:
Because math and harmony don't seem to mix very well, piano tuners have to cheat a little bit, pulling down the fifths, nudging the fourths a bit…
Ricky
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23
votes
9 answers
Piano notation for student unable to access written and spoken language
I am working with a student in with a developmental delay. He basically cannot understand spoken or written language at all, so he has to learn by observation.
He has expressed much interest in music, so I'd like to explore if he can possibly learn…
Village
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23
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13 answers
What do musicians mean when they say "learn music, not instruments"?
I started playing the piano about 2 months ago. Various people have told me several times to "try to focus on music more than the instrument", but I don't quite get the notion. It'd be great if any of you could elaborate it a bit.
hakiki_makato
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4 answers
How can horns, most of which have only three buttons, play all their notes?
I’m a big fan of the “horn” family but have trouble understanding how horns are able to play the same scales and modes that a piano is able to play, being that horns only have a few valves. In some cases, such as the trombone, horns don’t have any…
BLG
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3 answers
Why is an amplifier's effects loop useful?
When should you plug gear into your amplifier's effects loop and not into the standard input?
brian
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