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

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1500 questions
36
votes
3 answers

Why do guitarists put tape on their amplifiers?

I've never truly understood why so many guitarists put tape on their amplifiers. I have seen many YouTube videos where, before recording and placing a microphone towards their amp, they will put tape in certain places across the fabric of their…
John
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10 answers

When tuning a guitar, should you always end with tightening the string rather than loosening it?

I used to have a guitar teacher that said you should always finish tuning each string by tightening/sharpening the string. So for example if the top E is a little sharp, you should turn the peg to make it flat and then tune it up to the right…
Alexander Troup
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12 answers

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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4 answers

Rest above a note in a piano piece

I am playing a piece and wondering, what the heck is the rest doing there above the note? The piece is in 3/4 so I see no purpose of the 1/4 rest. I've been googling around but did not find any proper explanation. Most answer says that the piece…
Samuel
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36
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6 answers

B flat minor - the key of death ... seriously?

My music teacher always rambles on about B flat minor, endlessly repeating how it is the key of death and is therefore used in movies for death scenes. Alright, I understand that it is minor, no problem. I get that it has the most flats of all the…
Tim Hargreaves
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36
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8 answers

Finger Exercises for Piano when not playing

Are there any finger exercises I can perform even when I am not near a piano to improve my dexterity and strength of my fingers?
iddober
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36
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8 answers

Is there a broader term for instruments, like the gong, whose volume briefly increases after being sounded instead of immediately decaying?

For most instruments, their sound immediately begins to decay after they first sound. When you strike a piano key, for instance, the loudest sound is at the very beginning, after which the sound immediately dies out. But some instruments, like the…
Richard
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6 answers

Polymeter vs Polyrhythm

What is the difference between a polymeter and a polyrhythm? Do these words mean anything different for different instruments? PS: I'm a drummer.
Anish Ramaswamy
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35
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7 answers

How can I safely extend my vocal range?

What type of vocal exercises should I be looking for? Are there any temporary influences to the vocal range, like having had a drink?
Tamara Wijsman
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7 answers

Why is the key included in classical music titles?

I was always curious why classical composers use names like this Étude in E-flat minor (Frédéric_Chopin) or Missa in G major (Johann Sebastian Bach). Is this from scales of this songs? Weren't they blocked to ever use this scale again? Why didn't…
teodozjan
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4 answers

Using keyboard/MIDI controller to learn piano

I'm an adult just starting to learn music from scratch. The piano I have been using is sometimes not available for me to use, so I would like to buy a keyboard/MIDI controller so I can practice whenever I want and use headphones so I don't disturb…
ccb
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6 answers

How do classical composers write music?

I am starting to learn about music theory and today it hit me how do classical composers such as Mozart and Beethoven are able to write music for instruments they don't play, such as (for example purpose) timpani or trumpet. Is it all music theory…
Rick Rhodes
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35
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3 answers

How do harmonics work?

The guitar has harmonic notes at some places. I can play it, but I don't understand the logical reason why/how this is can played. Can you tell me how exactly this works? What other musical instruments have harmonic notes besides the guitar?
Quazi Irfan
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35
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19 answers

How often is it recommended to change bass strings?

With the risk of being a duplicate question of How often should I replace the strings on my guitar? I'd like to ask the same thing for bass guitar. Bass strings are pricier than guitar strings, so I don't want to replace them more often then I…
Yoav Weiss
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35
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9 answers

Why is the lowest note on the piano an A?

I've always wondered why almost every piano's lowest note is an A. In fact, I've never seen a piano whose lowest note is not an A, and I have also noticed that this pattern only occurs in pianos; most keyboards I've seen have a C or a G as lowest…
Lee White
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