Most Popular
1500 questions
14
votes
4 answers
What does it mean to be tone-deaf musically and how does one improve?
I had a vocal session over the weekend and I couldn't get the sound right on the song I was supposed to present, it was "Nothing like Heaven" by Men of Standard.
My instructor said I needed to improve my hearing because I was musically tone-deaf.…
alvinkatojr
- 141
- 1
- 4
14
votes
4 answers
In a piano score, what is the meaning of a V with a dot in it
In a beginners piano scorebook, under the last cord there is a V with a dot in it. I searched but can't find what it could mean. In case that matters, it's a French book.
There is no other place in the score where I can find this symbol. What…
CeSinge
- 151
- 1
- 1
- 7
14
votes
3 answers
What does this downward triangular arrow mean?
What does the prime symbol above the note mean? I have not seen it before.
This is from Haydn's Variations in F minor (Hob. XVII/6)
user1488
- 243
- 2
- 6
14
votes
6 answers
Synthesizer: why playing a second time the same note shut down the first one?
When playing on synthesizers, usually when playing a second time the same note, even if the release phase is very long or the sustain pedal is pressed, the first note is shut down. Put in another way,…
Tom
- 5,082
- 2
- 16
- 46
14
votes
8 answers
When you read sheet music do you read the notes or the intervals?
I have found myself doing both but not sure which is the right way. Sometimes I see a note then I can see the next note is a 4th above it so I play it but I actually don't know what note I just played if that makes sense. I only know it was a 4th up…
user35708
13
votes
6 answers
Lead guitar improvisation strategies for young intermediate guitarists
One of my 15 year old students is progressing quite nicely in her ability, including playing live and playing learned guitar parts including lead lines. She reads music and can play many classical and more recently rock and blues. One thing that is…
user1255441
- 303
- 1
- 8
13
votes
6 answers
What is the name of using a major chord instead of a minor chord at the end of a progression?
I've heard somewhere that there's a technique where you put a major chord where a minor chord is expected, and it creates a feeling of unexpectedness. If I recall, there's one in Hey Ya by OutKast: the chords are G C D E, instead of G C D Em.
I'm…
Teleporting Goat
- 303
- 2
- 6
13
votes
11 answers
Why do string players tend to breathe heavily in performance?
Recently, I've started to develop an interest in classical music, specifically chamber music and, more specifically, piano trios. Having listened to a few performances now, I can't help but notice some heavy breathing going on with violin and/or…
Decent Dabbler
- 321
- 3
- 9
13
votes
2 answers
Is reading notes without an instrument a good way to practice?
As an amateur self-learner pianist, I can't take my piano with me, but I can take the sheet music books.
On my current (low) level of skill, I need substantial time to read a musical piece; for instance I cannot recognise the tone of a "distant"…
Kos
- 743
- 6
- 15
13
votes
7 answers
Can I learn an instrument just by practicing songs?
I am a working individual with tons of responsibility at work giving me little to no time to practice in the conventional way. I can't consistently keep practicing scales and stuff. I just picked up the bass as something to de-stress and play for…
Basist
- 131
- 1
- 3
13
votes
2 answers
How can I easily manage different tunings?
This is probably appropriate for a range of instruments, and I have seen mentioned in other questions that professional musicians can cope easily with transpositions, different instruments that play in different keys etc., but my specific problem is…
Doktor Mayhem
- 36,893
- 9
- 68
- 157
13
votes
3 answers
In Lilypond, silence parts of midi output
I need to engrave a choir piece, where some voices have unpitched parts, like whispered, spoken or screamed words. I want to engrave this using cross-headed notes, like in the following piece of music:
\version "2.18.2"
myMusic = {
\relative c'…
cauchy42
- 285
- 1
- 6
13
votes
5 answers
What guitar tunings allow many chords without fretting between "live" strings
When playing the guitar, I find it difficult to fret a string without touching the string on either side and ruining the sound. Open tunings make it very easy to play one type of chord by barring across a single fret, but make it almost impossible…
supercat
- 4,167
- 1
- 17
- 18
13
votes
1 answer
What is the process by which singers identify their voice type/fach?
I am trying to gain insight about the process by which vocalists identify their voice type or fach. I am not looking for any discussion about the basic distinctions between, say, soprano and alto. Voice types, such as coloratura soprano or lyric…
jordanconductor
- 673
- 4
- 14
13
votes
3 answers
How are names of enharmonic notes determined?
In our current 12TET system, is it really incorrect to refer to E♭ as D♯ if one mentions them standalone with no reference to tonality? I understand how the notes in a diatonic scale are named but I don’t know whether there’s a specific…
user11845919
- 413
- 3
- 7