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

Questions tagged [technique]

For questions about ways to use one's instrument or voice precisely to produce a desired musical effect.

Technique, in a general sense, is the method by which precise musical sounds are realized. Musicians practice their technique in many ways to facilitate the most efficient execution of the music that they can achieve.

Many different musical environments have their own specific idiomatic techniques, which accomplish a specific effect or sound. One well-known bowed string instrument technique is pizzicato, wherein the strings of the instrument are plucked with the finger to produce the sound vibrations. This is in contrast to normal arco playing which rubs the hairs of the bow along the string to excite the vibrations of the instrument.

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Ten Minute Practice Techniques For Guitar?

Unfortunately, I can't play every day. However, I am trying to practice at least 5-10 minutes here and there. What are some good theory or scale techniques/practice methods I should have ready to pull out when I don't want to run through a specific…
Jason W
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Best method to learn to play barre chords?

I've been trying to learn the F chord for a while now, and I am having a very hard time playing the barre chord. I've read that pulling back slightly with your finger and using the body of the guitar for leverage is a good way to play them. What…
Don
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It is ok to correct wrong notes when playing piano?

I am learning to play the piano on my own. When I play and I hear a mistake, I go back and play the correct note. Hearing the right note helps me find the next one. But I heard that you should ignore mistakes like playing the wrong key and not…
zaz
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What is the definition of 'playing in the pocket'?

The phrase 'playing in the pocket' is used sometimes, in jazz, hip hop, funk etc. It sometimes refers to the way a drummer plays, sometimes to how an ensemble works together. I've Googled the term, and can't find a good, clear explanation of what it…
Tim
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Can I play pipe organ as a pianist?

I've never played pipe organ. I'm a pianist and a friend of mine ask me to play on the church on his wedding on a pipe organ. Are there enough difficulties playing a piano song on the pipe organ to make any problem? What considerations do I have to…
SysDragon
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How to bend and release without flicking the other strings?

I'm trying to bend up then back down on the G string (so it plays both notes, I'm not muting the bend back down to G) but I always catch my fingernail on the D string. So when I let the bend back down to G, my fingernail flicks the D string and…
NotDan
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How is this B flat guitar chord physically possible?

This chord diagram is from the GarageBand chord trainer (I'm a beginner). How is it possible to put a barre down on the third fret without also muting the top E string?
codecowboy
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How can I be sure that I am singing effortlessly in my natural voice?

I have years of vocalization practice, but I still start straining while singing—especially if I am not vigilant. It happens imperceptibly and is a hard habit to break. Is there a reliable technique to make sure that I don't lose my effortless…
explorer
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Is "You shouldn't play all 6 strings together on an electric guitar" good teaching?

Someone I know who has been playing electric guitar for many years says this quite often, as a key difference between playing acoustic and electric guitar. He claims that even playing rhythm, you shouldn't be strumming all 6 strings but only two or…
Mr. Boy
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Which fingering to use when playing the same piano key twice in a row?

I just started to learn piano, and I notice that practice sheet music for beginners sometimes specifies for all or some keys which fingers should hit them. It seems that some authors consistently teach to change the finger if the same key is played…
Ivan Kapitonov
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"one finger per fret" - is it worth following this rule?

When I first got into guitar, I was given advice to follow a "one finger per fret" rule with the left hand. Basically, to fret notes with all four fingers, and to follow a pattern such that in any position on the fretboard, each finger has…
asgeo1
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What are the ergonomic / playing differences between the guitar and the piano?

The guitar and the piano are two of the most popular instruments which allow multiple notes to be played simultaneously. The acoustic quality of the two instruments are, of course, different, but that is not the focus of this question. The design of…
netvope
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What is the difference between upstrokes and downstrokes while strumming a guitar?

One of the most basic guitar skills are strumming up and down freely. And I have noticed in songs that there usually appears to be a difference in sounds between the two strokes. But when I'm practicing I don't feel that difference between my…
Mugen
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What are the pros and cons of Traditional Grip vs. Matched Grip for snare and drumset?

So far I've just been learning matched grip for my snare and drumset playing, but I see of lot of people using traditional grip as well. I'm curious, what are some of the pros and cons of matched vs. traditional? Is it hard to develop them both at…
Gordon Gustafson
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How do I become better at "playing outside"?

One can spend an enormous amount of time playing melodies "in" the tonic. For example if you are in A major, you might favor A major or A lydian. However, there is a term called "playing outside" in jazz which means you play notes "outside" of the…
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