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1500 questions
43
votes
17 answers
How to minimize the pain for a beginning guitar student so they won’t give up before they develop calluses?
This is a common problem and solving it will ultimately lead to a much higher success rate for beginning guitar students. So I wanted to share the information here on Music and Theory.
Many of my beginning guitar students start out on their journey…
Rockin Cowboy
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43
votes
8 answers
What are some useful and effective exercises for training absolute pitch?
I think by now most people agree that perfect pitch is not genetic. We understand that most people who do possess perfect pitch acquire it very early in life, (around the same time most people acquire language) which makes techniques for training…
NReilingh
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42
votes
3 answers
How to interpret half notes combined with thirty-second stems?
I want to play Also Sprach Zarathustra (IMSLP PDF), but there is something I don't understand there. In the first few bars there are 4 half notes beamed in pairs as thirty-second notes. Because the time signature is common time I deduce each of…
iddober
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42
votes
7 answers
Major scale of one note is the Minor scale of another note?
I am learning guitar at the moment and I learned the major scale.
Then I checked the minor scale and the positions are the same!
Not only that, the C major scale is the same as the A minor scale.
So how is that possible? Is there any distinction…
user1584421
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42
votes
8 answers
Is there a difference between 2/4 and 4/4
I cannot figure out the actual difference between these two beats. Isn't it sufficient to have only 2/4 (or 4/4 )?
DinushanM
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42
votes
10 answers
Software that allows playing in different temperaments
Do you know of any software out there that will allow me to play in different musical temperaments (e.g. Well temperament and Meantone temperament)? I'm especially interested in software that accepts MIDI input.
Babu
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42
votes
16 answers
What do you do when a string breaks or you drop your pick on stage?
One of my nightmares when I'm on stage is breaking a string or losing my pick. The former has happened to me before once, and also once right before I had to go on stage.
Are there any tips my fellow guitarists might have for when they lose their…
Haris
42
votes
8 answers
Why do notes have multiple names?
I've seen the same note called different names for example the note F# can also be written as Gb. Why is this the case and are there times to use one name over another?
Dom
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41
votes
11 answers
Forgetting the musical notes while performing in concert
Yesterday I performed my favorite piano piece "Liebestraum no.3" by Franz Liszt in an audition.
I forgot a lot of its musical notes although that I prepared it very well and I even played it a lot in the last few years. I feel now very bad and…
Christina
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41
votes
2 answers
Why are violin bows longer than viola bows, than cello bows, than double-bass bows ?
What is the logic behind this ?
As the larger instruments have larger gaps between the strings, I would have expected a larger bow to accomodate more easily continuous bowing while changing strings.
ogerard
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41
votes
8 answers
What do 'vent holes' do on a music stand?
I was looking at music stands and a number of them do not have solid backs, rather, they have holes through them, like shown. Are these just for aesthetic purposes, or do they have a practical purpose?
tarun
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41
votes
11 answers
Why are the white and black keys on the piano placed the way they are?
I am pretty convinced it is not just for historical reasons.
I have found a mathematically-sound explanation of the twelve-tone musical scale, thanks to this question. Does anyone know a similar, human-readable explanation for the piano key…
Ali
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41
votes
13 answers
How not to touch neighbouring strings?
When playing guitar, my fingers often touch other strings on the guitar. I found that my fingertips are too broad for the strings. When I press one string by my middle finger, the meat of the fingertip usually touches the next string. How can I…
lamwaiman1988
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41
votes
12 answers
Is it possible to write a song without a key?
"This song is in F Major", "That song is in A Minor", "This song is in D Minor, but modulates to F Major in the middle", etc.
Can we say "This song has no key"? Are there songs that have/follow no key? Is it possible to create song without adhering…
Saeed Neamati
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41
votes
10 answers
Why is the double bass the only instrument in the violin family tuned in fourths?
Out of the 4 instruments of the Violin Family (Violin, Viola, Cello, Double Bass), the bass is the only instrument tuned in fourths.
Wikipedia states
The double bass is generally tuned in fourths, in contrast to other members of the orchestral…
Shevliaskovic
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