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

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1500 questions
37
votes
9 answers

Can wind instruments be played out of tune?

I believed that the trombone stands almost alone among wind instruments, in that it allows to play a continuous pitch range. The rest have a discrete set of possible notes (pitches), hence things are somewhat easier, in that (providing that the…
leonbloy
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What does a triangle mean in chord notation?

For example, what does the △ mean in C△7?
Sam
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37
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10 answers

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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5 answers

How to turn any (pop) song into a jazz song?

Quite often there are pop songs wich get covered in a jazz style. These covers are seen from youtube to tv. Now I tried doing something like this, with for example Bad Day by Daniel Powter. It's basically a D-G-A chord progression (1-4-5), wich is…
usealbarazer
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13 answers

What does this note - B# - mean?

I'm confused as to how I should play the second note below, B#. Does it mean it's C? It is possible? In which case, why is it written like this, and not just C? Sonata quasi una Fantasia, First movement (Moonlight Sonata, Beethoven, OP.27 No 2) --…
laurent
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37
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12 answers

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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11 answers

How does your brain learn to play the piano two-handed?

As a new piano player I find the entire concept of doing two separate things at once massively challenging. Even when both parts are incredibly simple and I can sight-read both lines mentally easily, I start playing and my hands just "lock up". Even…
Mr. Boy
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37
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10 answers

Bored when playing instrument

Well, sometimes when I play my guitar, I got bored, it just like I'm too tired of playing the guitar (or any instrument, for this question). Is there any motivation or suggestion or something that could bring my mood back?
seseorang
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9 answers

Why is a grand piano better than an upright piano?

A Grand piano is considered better than an upright piano. Aesthetically I could understand why, but why does the orientation of the strings matter so much sound-wise?
iddober
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36
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5 answers

How to play songs that contain one guitar when we have two or more guitarists?

I am playing drums in an alternative punk band we just started. I am wondering how to play songs that basically are from bands that contain one guitarist, as we have two guitarists. What can be the best approach? Both playing the same, or at some…
BestAboutMe
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7 answers

Is it recommended to learn a piece you really like, but is way above your level?

For example, I really love chopin etude op 10 no 11, but it's way above my level. So is it recommended to play a piece you really like, but is way above your level? (I have been playing for three years)
Stallmp
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Do composers take advantage of the position of players in an orchestra for effect?

While listening to Brahms Symphony no. 1, I noticed that there is an interesting stereo effect, alternating left and right, (to my untrained ear) between the violins and the cellos/double basses, at 31:00 of the following recording, especially…
Eli Iser
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36
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14 answers

Can anyone learn to sing higher?

So, I sing to myself a lot, and one thing that really frustrates me is that I cannot even reliably hit a middle C. (I'm male.) This is basically unacceptable to me even for ordinary shower-singing. Now after I'm a little warmed up, the highest note…
JohnJamesSmith
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36
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11 answers

How many hours of practice total are typical for different piano grades?

Malcolm Gladwell's book, "Outliers", stated a hypothesis: becoming good at something takes about 10,000 hours of practice. I've recently been wondering how long a typical piano student has practiced by the time they complete grade 8. Obviously there…
James Tauber
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36
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12 answers

How can I learn to compose?

I am aware that Stack Exchange questions should be on-point, and not too broad, but I really would appreciate a response from people who know what they are talking about: I recently saw Boublil and Schonberg's Les Miserables and Miss Saigon and was…
cmp
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