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

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1500 questions
22
votes
6 answers

Skills needed for classical guitar

I've been playing steel-string acoustic for 25+ years, and I'm becoming more interested in classical guitar playing. While I'm fairly good at fingerstyle, I'm aware that making the leap to classical/flamenco playing is not going to be simple or…
Goodbye Stack Exchange
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6 answers

How to learn to play guitar with a slide?

I have always wanted to play guitar with a slide. How should I go about learning this skill?
bleakcabal
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22
votes
12 answers

How do I properly stretch my newly strung strings?

I came across this string stretcher device. It's called The Stretcha. It claims to properly and evenly stretch new strings and maintain tuning. I never really made a point to properly stretch newly strung strings. Can anyone comment on the…
topwik
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22
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9 answers

What is the "theory" behind "odd time signatures"?

There are a number of bands, Genesis, The Police, Crack the Sky, Gentle Giant, that have all incorporated unusual time signatures as their core sound - some entire "pop"songs, "Ordinary World - Duran Duran; Money- Pink Floyd; Texas Flood (intro)=-…
JustnBeaver
22
votes
4 answers

Why do certain rooms/vessels respond to specific frequencies?

Since I was a kid I was always wondering why is it that when I sing in a small room (i.e. bathroom!), whenever I touch a certain frequency, the whole room vibrates sympathetically. What are the parameters that make an acoustic body (be it a room,…
Shimmy Weitzhandler
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22
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2 answers

Why does the 5th string of a 5 string banjo usually start from the 5th fret?

Why does the 5th string of a 5 string banjo usually start from the 5th fret? From the perspective of a beginning guitar player, it looks rather cumbersome both to play and manufacture. Wouldn't this make some chords impossible, that would be…
Moriarty
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22
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4 answers

Poor quality guitars that don't tune

So since I got it at a discount price, I noticed this Yamaha I have won't tune properly. Specifically if I tune the strings to a perfect EADGBE (using a good digital tuner), then I cross check the strings with each other (5th fret -> open), some of…
bobobobo
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22
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6 answers

Varying rhythms on bass

I've gotten into something of a bad habit in which I either play things in a steady rhythm, in triplets, or galloping, but without much variation, and I feel like I'm stagnating. What are some good ways to develop other patterns and work them into…
Kaji
22
votes
6 answers

Origin of the asymmetrical keyboard layout of a piano

The piano keyboard has white keys based on the C Diatonic scale plus black keys, which add the remaining notes used in western music. The asymmetrical way in which the black and white keys are placed makes it hard to transpose music and learn…
fons
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22
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12 answers

Should I look at the fretboard while I play guitar?

Is it a bad thing to constantly look at the frets while playing? Sometimes I find myself curved over a body of the guitar so much that my neck starts to hurt. It seems that some experienced players do not look at frets at all, while others do. Here…
Silver Light
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4 answers

Why use a baton?

What are the guidelines and benefits for using a baton? I would like to know, specifically, whether I would benefit from buying one for the purpose of conducting a choir. Are there rules that dictate that batons only be used for certain purposes…
Richard
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22
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2 answers

C in Treble or Bass Clef

I see a 'C' like sign in the beginning of the staff. What does it mean?
rajath
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22
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16 answers

Multi-Effects Pedal or Multiple Effects Pedals?

A long time ago I owned the BOSS PW-10 V-Wah and I loved it until I connected up to an incorrect power supply destroying the circuitry. I often see artists such as Matt Bellamy using a bunch of individual "single use" effects pedals wired into his…
Marcus Whybrow
22
votes
3 answers

What is a "Circle of Fourths" chord progression?

Are there any examples of songs that employ a Circle of Fourths that I might be able to practice along with? How does the progression tie in with different scales?
JustnBeaver
22
votes
8 answers

How can I minimize going out of tune when using the whammy bar?

Perhaps my selection of musicians is biased, but usually when I see a whammy bar used, it's usually with a locking tremolo bridge like a Floyd Rose. Everybody else seems to take the whammy bar out and never touch it again. What I'm finding is that…
Adam Lear
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