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1500 questions
41
votes
12 answers
Why do many songs in major keys use a bVII chord?
Based on my understanding of chord theory, the chords used in most modern popular songs are comprised of notes that occur in the scale of the tonic key for that song. The I, ii, iii, IV, V, vi, and diminished 7th chords in any major key, will (to…
Rockin Cowboy
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41
votes
7 answers
Etiquette of Quitting a Band
A few months ago I had to quit the band I was in. I was newest member of a 4 piece cover band that wanted to make originals and I was there for a year. It's a long story, but came down the band was asking for a lot and I wasn't happy. It took me 3…
Dom
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41
votes
9 answers
What are modes and how are they useful?
I'm a self-taught guitarist with zero to little experience in music theory. After marrying a violinist I found that there's a lot to music theory that I know tribally but don't understand the technical or formal definitions for.
I'd like for someone…
Jduv
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40
votes
11 answers
My son is 6, and his guitar teacher wants me to buy him a 4/4 guitar!
My six year old has been taking guitar lessons in a small group of his age (3-4 kids, 5-7 year olds). The teacher is considered very good and is famous in my city. He has been working for many years with small children, and also himself is an…
Hakakou
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40
votes
13 answers
Noise while not touching guitar strings or metal parts
I get a buzzing noise from my guitar when idle. However, when I touch the strings or touch any metal parts (strings, bridge or the metal portion near the output jack), the noise goes away completely. What is the reason for this and how can I…
Bijoy Thangaraj
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40
votes
5 answers
What is the difference between a riff and a lick?
That's it. I was wondering what is the difference between a riff and a lick.
The Wikipedia page for lick is somewhat confusing-- what do you think?
F.C.
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40
votes
8 answers
Hands-separate piano practice doesn't seem to help with hands-together playing
I'm a late starter with 'official' piano lessons and wondered if my learning experience is typical. As I'm sure many do, my piano teacher tells my to practice left and right hands separately. I can often manage to learn that quite easily and play…
Kyudos
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40
votes
6 answers
Why do people sometimes write notes as E♯ or C♭?
Instead of writing F or B, sometimes people use E♯ or C♭ to write these notes. Are there any advantages to this notation?
Tung D. Nguyen
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40
votes
9 answers
How should I "store" my guitars?
I have a bunch of guitars of varying quality from unplayable to quite nice. I intend to hang some (or all) of them on walls for decoration, but I'm not sure if this is good for the guitars, so perhaps I should do something else with the better…
Lennart Regebro
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40
votes
11 answers
What exactly does practising scales teach?
First off, I'm not claiming that practising scales isn't a good thing to do. I'm just curious what specifically it teaches you that doesn't come from playing music.
I'm aiming it as a generic question since it seems common to students of all…
Mr. Boy
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40
votes
8 answers
What exactly should I have to learn to understand why certain combination of chords are harmonic when played in a sequence?
I am an intuitive music composer trying to move to a technical music composer. As a dummy, I see music as a composition of 'pieces' (my word). Each piece is a set of notes that are melodical when played in a particular sequence and in particular…
André Pena
40
votes
9 answers
Why is music theory built so tightly around the C Major scale?
Lately, I'm trying to study deeper into music theory, learning Intervals, key Signatures, Chords, Progressions etc. I can see that everything is built around the 'normal' notes that belong to the C major scale, and everything in-between is an…
yannicuLar
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40
votes
4 answers
Why is my guitar's saddle at an angle?
Most acoustic guitars I've seen, including my own, have an angled saddle (the white strip holding up the strings):
This makes the bass strings longer than the treble strings. Why is this?
Additionally, why is the second-to-highest string (B in…
Bill Cheatham
39
votes
3 answers
How can I train my ear for music?
I have noticed that some people are better at hearing music, e.g. they are better in distinguishing the notes or noticing mistakes when someone is play.
Is it possible to train oneself to hear music better? If yes, how?
user107
39
votes
4 answers
What's so special about minor and major scales?
background: I'm an amateur and self-learner pianist. What I know, I know from books or google, so I'll start with summarising what I already know - please don't hesitate to correct me if I have something wrong here.
I know that in western music…
Kos
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