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

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8 answers

What should a guitarist learn first: Rhythm or Lead?

It is a slightly subjective question, however, there is, I'm sure, a common consensus as to what lends itself better to a beginner so as not to get frustrated with the instrument. I'm curious as to what the Teachers in the audience have found over…
JustnBeaver
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1 answer

What is a multi-tonic system?

Coltrane changes, Slonimsky-Schillinger Symmetric System, three-tonic system, four-tonic system: what are they? How are they used in improvisation, composition, harmonization, and reharmonization? Are there more of them?
TaylorSwiftFan5932
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Why do wind bands use a concert Bb for tuning?

Back when I was part of my school's wind band, we used to always tune to a concert Bb. Why do wind bands tune to a Bb rather than an A (as discussed here)? I recall our director once vaguely explaining this as being related to the fact that A is a…
senshin
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Odd symbol in Béla Bartók's Mikrokosmos Book 1

Today I came across an odd symbol in Béla Bartók's Microkosmos. The symbol occurs in Book 1, Score 21, Measure 8, at the end of a phrasing slur. It looks like a vertical bar that crosses only the first 2 topmost lines of the staff and it's…
Harald Christiansen
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In electronic music equipment and software, what are some good ways of cutting costs without sacrificing quality/effort?

I'm interested in getting into producing electronic music (EDM, house, whatever I end up digging at the time), but I've recently run into a roadblock: money. Potential costs include: Computer DAW Keyboard/Synth VSTs High quality sample…
Pat Lillis
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Synth sounds that make good solo instruments but don't mimic pianos, organs etc?

I have played a lot of piano, some organ and a fair few synths in my time, and have yet to ever find a synth patch that makes a good solo instrument (i.e. like a piano, you can play an entire concert on just a piano and people regularly do) doesn't…
Sideshow Bob
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X or Y guitarist doesn't know music theory - how true is this statement?

We've all heard a statement similar to the following: X didn't / doesn't know any music theory and is one of the all time greats replacing X with a famous guitarist. Being a novice, I am trying to figure out if this statement can ever make…
oym
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How to learn to play 'out of phase' with yourself?

There's a Piano piece by Steve Reich called piano phase, in which the same notes are played on 2 pianos (usually by different people), but over time, they shift out of phase with each other. Here's a video of it being done by one guy on…
Alexander Troup
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What is a Neapolitan 6th?

In studying music theory I have heard the term Neapolitan 6th quite a few times, but I'm not quite sure what it is. What is a Neapolitan 6th and how is it used in a composition?
Dom
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Guide-lines for creating a simple chord-progression?

I am working on a computer program that generates a simple melody, based on a simple chord progression of four chords taken from the 7 triads of the C Major scale. The program is also supposed to generate the progression. I was looking for an…
user3150201
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Symbols "M", "C", "D", and "P" in Guitar Tablature

I was reading a songbook by Richie Kotzen, and in the song "Shine" (which he played with Mr. Big), there's a rythm guitar part that goes like this: What do the symbols M, C, D and P mean? I'm pretty sure "M" is for "palm-mute" and "P" is for…
Rafael Almeida
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Colon next to a flat in cello score

I'm seeing this symbol in a couple places in a score I'm transcribing, and wondering what it means: Next to the flat in each case is a colon symbol. It only appears in the cello part, though that may or may not be relevant. They are all on the…
Darrel Hoffman
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Notes not adding up to time signature, with weird white oval note

Any idea how to play this piece? The notes doesn't add up to 8/4, and there are some white oval notes, which I've never encountered before. Also, what does "Air" mean on the second staff? Edit: The staves are also connected by braces. Does that mean…
will
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Where did the British names for different note lengths come from?

I was always taught to use a certain set of names for the length of a note, such as crotchet, minim, quaver, and so on. I'm aware though that those terms aren't used as much outside the UK, and that terms like "quarter note" and "half note" etc. are…
Peter Bloomfield
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Is there a recorder-analog for the flute?

I have used soprano baroque recorders for students aged 8-10 as a "pre-band" instrument. I find that most students enjoy practicing note-reading, and the average student is able to progress reasonably far in two years of study. I find that…
nuggethead
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