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1500 questions
45
votes
17 answers
Will playing without mistakes at all become easy for me in the future?
I've been playing the piano for around an year, practicing at least an hour on a daily basis
I want to upload piano covers just like the ones I see in YouTube which I admire and they got me into starting playing.
However, whenever I try to record my…
user44384
45
votes
8 answers
How to transcribe music by ear?
Often times we find ourselves enjoying a piece of music that, for whatever reason, we are unable to find appropriate documentation/tablature for. What are good practices for transcribing music by ear if one does not have perfect pitch? Is there a…
Nathanus
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44
votes
6 answers
Why do I yawn while singing?
Singing almost always make me yawn. I've heard this is due to not breathing correctly, but I'm not sure what that means. What's the correct way to breathe while singing so I don't yawn?
BenV
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44
votes
9 answers
What does it mean to write a song in a certain key?
I have been searching for a while to try to correctly understand this.
What exactly does it mean if for example a song is written in C Major? Does it mean the song's notes cannot contain any sharps or flats? Does it mean the song can only have…
jmasterx
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44
votes
9 answers
Does an accidental apply to all octaves?
I've been playing French Horn for 20 years, and thought I had most basic concepts regarding accidentals understood. But the other day I came across the following image via Wikipedia, which had me questioning what I thought I knew:
Wikipedia…
Siyual
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44
votes
16 answers
What instruments are inexpensive, portable and not too loud?
I'm a college student, and I'd really like to start playing an instrument. But I want to find something that is:
Inexpensive
Small and portable enough to fit in a backpack
Quiet enough to practice in my dorm room
I'd like to find something that is…
cstack
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44
votes
5 answers
Is there any "research" in music theory?
A researcher in, say, mathematics, conducts research in the form of proving theorems, laying out foundations for new theories, etc. But what do, for example, PhD candidates do in music theory? Split into several questions:
Is music theory complete,…
Daccache
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44
votes
10 answers
As a guitarist, how can I learn to sight-read music?
I'm learning guitar right now, mostly from Justin Sandercoe's free online lessons, starting from the beginner's course. He has a lot of good tips for how to practice and drill chords, and scales, but he doesn't have much information on how to learn…
Brian Campbell
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44
votes
8 answers
What is the origin of the up bow and down bow symbols for bowed string instruments?
My brother is a beginning cellist and I was helping him annotate "up bow" and "down bow". I find it particularly strange that the "up bow" symbol is similar to a V. Intuitively, I would have thought it would be ^ or an up arrow.
I thought I would…
Lou
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43
votes
7 answers
Can a flute soloist sit?
I am a 60 year old flutist and I am about to perform a humble concert in my community. I have plantar fasciitis in my left foot, and I wonder if it is acceptable for me to sit on a high chair (like bar chair height) instead of stand for my…
Kristine Kirby
- 447
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43
votes
6 answers
Why doesn't my synthesized note sound natural?
I'm currently developping a game, and I'm trying to synthesize a music note from various instruments in C++. For now, I'm only trying to replicate an A4 440Hz with the help of an existing audio file as a reference. I've tried my best to make my…
Nereid Regulus
- 541
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43
votes
11 answers
Is there any practical difference between 3/4 and 3/8 time?
Is there any practical difference between 4/4 and 8/8? regards a common and unusual time signature;
both 3/4 and 3/8 time are pretty common.
What difference in performance is implied in the the difference between 3/4 and 3/8 time signatures?
What…
Dave
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43
votes
20 answers
Why does conventional playing style give the string manipulation to the left hand?
For the majority of players, the right hand is used for most tasks that require exacting manipulation: writing, throwing, etc.
However, guitar, violin, lute, etc., use the right hand for plucking the strings – often with a pick – and the left hand…
D Mac
- 560
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43
votes
11 answers
Why do octaves sound equivalent?
It is, I think, a perfectly clear observation that one note an octave above another note sounds as if it were the same in a certain sense; while they are by no means the same exact note, they are named with the same letter, and one can for example…
Cayley-Hamilton
- 550
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43
votes
8 answers
How to start playing by ear/improvising?
Up till now I've been playing music from the sheet, and eventually I've grown frustrated how after 3 years of playing I can't even play Jingle Bells if I'm asked to without figuring it out from a sheet first. I know some theory but I guess not…
neuviemeporte
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