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1500 questions
22
votes
4 answers
Fast octaves on the piano
I'm working on the piano accompaniment to Schubert's "Trockne Blumen" variations for flute and piano. Variation 2 is all sixteenth-note octaves in the left hand. I began by practicing very slowly with the metronome and gradually increased the…
Mark Lutton
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22
votes
7 answers
Where does picking speed come from? Forearm, hand, or bicep?
Where specifically on the arm/hand should rapid picking speed come from?
bobobobo
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22
votes
5 answers
Why Does the Ukulele Have a Reputation as an Easy Instrument?
The ukulele, much like the recorder and kazoo, is an instrument that is commonly associated with lower-quality performances, amateurism, and a rejection of formal music education. Are there historical or sociological explanations as to why this is…
user45266
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22
votes
4 answers
What is an All-Pass Filter? What are its uses?
Wikipedia says:
An all-pass filter is a signal processing filter that passes all frequencies equally in gain, but changes the phase relationship among various frequencies.
What does changes the phase relationship among various frequencies mean…
Lyric Roy
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22
votes
6 answers
Drumsticks: Nylon Tip vs Wooden Tip
I am curious about the differences between Nylon Tip and Wooden Tip.
What are the pros and cons of these two?
Jez'r 570
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22
votes
3 answers
What is this beat and why is it so popular
In many concert etudes, along with several rock songs, there is an accented pattern that often serves as a link to a new section of the music. It also works as a great fill. It usually comes from the drummer, but I have heard it on other instruments…
Cody Guldner
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22
votes
5 answers
What's a good strategy for adjusting pole pieces?
One thing I fiddled with for a short bit once upon a time is adjusting the pole pieces on my Humbucker/P-90 equipped guitars. As a matter of fact, doing just that was the only way I could get my P-90 at the neck telecaster to clean up. It was muddy,…
Jduv
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22
votes
9 answers
Why is the 5th stronger than the 1st in guitar spectrum?
I was experimenting with spectrum analysis of guitar plucks and this is what i got on an open low E recording:
As you can see the strongest peak is at about 247 Hz, which is a B3 while the peak at about 82 Hz (E2), which should be the fundamental…
AlexanderCar
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22
votes
4 answers
Criteria for selecting a voice teacher
I have been singing in a (classical) choir for several years, including the occasional solo line, and am now seriously considering voice lessons. However, finding a good teacher seems like a daunting challenge. What should I look for in a good voice…
Jiahao Chen
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21
votes
4 answers
How do harmonic tones get "out of tune" on a brass instrument?
In a video I saw, a guy was reviewing a prototype trombone, and he said that "the high f is out of tune" (the sixth overtone) I don't understand how a fixed length of tubing (1st position) can produce a out of tune overtone. For what I know, I was…
Slapp45
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21
votes
5 answers
Why did equal temperament become the standard tuning system for keyboard instruments?
Some people seem to make the case that having some keys beat more than others (as is in the case in the older well-tempered tuning systems) is a feature not a bug. But on the other hand, the equal tempered tuning system seems completely dominant…
J. Lenthe
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21
votes
3 answers
I don't understand how the notes in this picture are to be played
I'm learning how to play the piano and I don't understand the fingering of the notes in the picture below. I'm not understanding how you're supposed to use the 2nd and 3rd finger twice. I guess that's not what this means but I'm not sure what they…
Rich
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21
votes
1 answer
What does a long arrow pointing up and down mean in an organ score?
What is the meaning of this symbol (long vertical arrow) in old organ notation?
Josef Janovič
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21
votes
6 answers
What is the purpose of the rules in counterpoint composition?
When composing in any form of counterpoint, there are many, many rules to follow. But why? What is the ultimate goal of following the(se) formula(s)?
Tim Burnett - Bassist
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21
votes
10 answers
Keeping time when tired
When I'm playing late night gigs, I find that my drumming is generally a lot slower.
The timing is consistent throughout the songs, but I just start them slower.
When I'm playing early gigs or had a nap before hand, I'm always spot on.
I guess that…
Dan Lord
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