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

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1500 questions
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4 answers

Is there a term for the practice of omitting staves for the measures that have no music in an orchestral score?

Particularly in 20th century "atonal" orchestral music, one from time to time comes across a score in which staves that have no music are not notated with a whole rest, but rather are not even printed in the score. To clarify what I mean, here's an…
wallace
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Notation for blind people?

Let's assume a person can no longer see, but he can play a musical instrument. He wants to read notes and learn new pieces. Is there any kind of notation system for such blind people?
SovereignSun
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What determines the overall key of a work with multiple movements and key changes?

For example, we talk about Beethoven's Symphony No. 5 in C minor, yet the movements are in a variety of keys: Allegro con brio (C minor) Andante con moto (A♭ major) Scherzo: Allegro (C minor) Allegro (C major) The key can also change within a…
HullCityFan852
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When practicing a song with frequently changing time signatures, what is the best way to count in?

My percussion ensemble is working on a song with different time signatures, i.e. it is constantly changing between 4/4, 7/8, 5/16 and so on. During the rehearsals, we sometimes want to start somewhere in the middle and then the problem arises, what…
groovingandi
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Is there a common left hand position in accordion?

I'm an amateur accordion player who is having difficulties with the bass side. There's no problem when I'm using close keys such as jumping from C to A. But when I need to jump to a further key such as from A to Bb, I usually press a wrong key. Is…
petrichor
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Bass clef in piano scores, why?

I am a drummer, I do not play any melodic instrument, though I happen to read some piano scores, and I am wondering what was the idea behind using the bass clef for the left hand part. From what I understand, if the left hand part of a piano score…
user23227
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Significance of pop songs with progressions that alternate one chord with one that's three semitones below it

I've noticed a couple of pop songs that use one chord progression that alternates between swapping one chord (either fifth or fourth) with one that's three semitones below it (to third or second): Bob Dylan - Knockin' on Heaven's Door alternates…
xdl
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Why are some instruments listed 'in F' or 'in B'?

I am looking through scores of pieces that I particularly like. I can't understand (as this is the first time I have come across it) why here, in the manuscript, some instruments are named as follows: X in B or X in F (X representing an…
cmp
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The theory behind western pentatonic scales

I'm curious about a more in-depth explanation as to why the major and minor pentatonic scales are prevalent in the western music tradition (Yes, i make a claim here that some might consider debatable. Please hear me out). I did a brief googling and…
Erik
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Four dotted sixteenths in a triplet

The following excerpt is from a piece called Brincado by the Brazilian composer Alberto Nepomuceno from the collection 5 Little Pieces for the Left Hand (imslp) How should I count this?
iddober
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Is there a preferred string gauge for different styles of music?

Generally speaking is there a preferred string gauge for different styles of music? E.g. Will the fingerpicking folk player choose one gauge and the rock lead guitarist another gauge, how about the blues rhythm guitarist?
MdaG
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Why do the notes of a blues scale sound good with the I, IV, and V chords?

If you are playing the blues in the key of C, any note in the blues key of C should sound good in the melody with either of the C, F or G (I, IV or V) major chords in the bass. Why is this and how do these three chords relate to each other?
wkm
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What is the origin of the triangle symbol for maj7 chords?

An article on the origin of the "delta" symbol has been doing the rounds recently. It quotes a book by Yusef Lateef, which claims that John Coltrane introduced the "triangle notation" for a major 7th chord: "DELTA (△) SYMBOL. Introduced into music…
isanae
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How can I learn to sing and play an instrument (like Piano) at the same time?

I find this a very difficult thing to do, and also not easy to put as much energy into singing, while playing piano. I have started off by just trying the chords on the piano, though it is still quite difficult. Is there anything else I should be…
musicwithoutpaper
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Theoretical Question about "Smoke On The Water"

This popular riff is often one of the first an aspiring guitarist learns, as it is easy to play and distinctive. But when I am trying to understand it in terms of music theory, it makes me wonder. Just the plain tones are…
StefanH
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