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

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1500 questions
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15 answers

Why is dropped D tuning used so often?

Many metal/rock songs use dropped D tuning. What reasons are there for it?
gak
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Why note B is marked with H in Scandinavia and Germany?

At least in Scandinavia and Germany two notes are marked differently than in most other countries: B -> H B♭ -> B I have heard that this is due to mistake in interpreting messy sheet notes, as ♭ is close to b and ♯ resembles H. The story goes that…
Skrim
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7 answers

Why is it that I can sometimes guess the next note?

For some songs and musical pieces that I am listening to for the first time, why is it that I can occasionally guess what the next note will be? I imagine the next note in my head and sometimes it is exactly correct. I find that this happens more…
drewdles
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11 answers

I'm learning music theory, but none of the songs I'm trying it on are playing by the rules

So, I've been playing guitar for about a year, and I want to learn some chord theory. I crack open a book, I learn about I ii iii IV V vi viio and why it works and how to construct it, then I learn how to apply it to I IV V being a simple easy…
GGMG-he-him
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What is the difference between 'chorus' and 'refrain'?

I'm trying to learn something about song structure. Reading the Wikipedia article about the subject I came across two terms that looked somewhat similar: chorus and refrain. There seemed to be a debate about the definitions for both words. The…
Charlie
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4 answers

Is it easier to play "softly" on a grand piano?

As I live in an apartment complex, I'm limited to playing on digital pianos; something I can plug headphones into so I don't disturb my neighbors. I recently purchased a Yamaha P95 and have been blown away by the quality of the instrument. However,…
Blank
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4 answers

What does it mean when two notes are stuck together?

I mean something like this: I'm guessing it means they're played together but I'm not sure. Also, does the sharp apply to both pitches or just the G?
MaTHStudent
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11 answers

Why do people with perfect pitch perceive tunes not in 440 Hz out of tune?

I do not have perfect pitch, but I heard that people who have it might have difficulty when a piece of music is not tuned to the usual 440 Hz pitch standard; it sounds out of tune for them. But this makes no sense to me. As long everything is in the…
StefanH
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10 answers

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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9 answers

How should one practice a piece that is learned, but not fully mastered?

When, after a few weeks of practice, a piece arrives at the stage when the notes are learned, the hand movements are becoming automatic, and the tempo and dynamics are right it can feel the work is done for 95%. However, when playing the piece, a…
Tim H
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3 answers

Can one tell by ear whether a bowed instrument is being played up or down?

I went to a concert the other day and noticed that the bows (violins, cellos, violas) were all coordinated as the orchestra played. It looks neat, but is there an audible difference if they're not in sync bow-wise? If there's a difference, is it…
Sarruby
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33
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7 answers

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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9 answers

Do musicians count the meter all the time?

When I started as a beginner on the piano I just timed the notes by feeling. That is, until my teacher played back a recording of me to show me just how messed up my timings were. Since then I've always been very diligent about figuring out the…
W4uoe9A
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8 answers

When to use a dot or a tie in music notation?

Let's say I have the following piece in 4/4, Should it be notated as: or Are there any specific rules? From my previous experience, I believe the second one is the correct notation since it shows all the beats in 4/4, am I correct?
rexcfnghk
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3 answers

Why is A4 the standard pitch reference for tuning?

Why do musicians use concert A, the A above middle C, as the standard pitch reference for tuning? Various national and international standards define the frequency of this note. For example, ISO 16 specifies that musical instruments should be tuned…
Bradd Szonye
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