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

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1500 questions
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5 answers

What makes a piece sound like Beethoven?

I can't seem to find non-harmonic analyses of Beethoven's sonatas. And I'm not a classical music analyzer. That makes it hard to write a sonata in the style of Beethoven when I don't know what Beethoven's style is. I've been told that I don't have…
Caters
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What makes a song a "rock" song?

Sometimes I'm not completely sure when a song is a "rock song" or when it is from another music genre or even a "something-rock" song. How do you recognize it? Is it some bass rhythm? Some chord progressions? Some guitar picking pattern? The…
Frank Orellana
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4 answers

Is there a specific term to denote playing a wide chord on a piano?

I'm a beginner who can play chords on a piano. If I play a C chord on the keyboard I would play C-E-G, or one of the two inversions (I.E. G-C-E or E-G-C). I've noticed some people play chords "disconnected". That is, they'd play a C and a G but the…
Nicholas Hill
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How to play this trill in Mozart's Piano Sonata 14 (K457)

How does one play this trill in this Mozart Sonata? Does it mean we play 3 notes (Eb, F, Eb) before the last two notes of the second bar? Or how many trills does one have to play?
Matriz
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7 answers

Which key signature to pick for this chord progression?

I wrote a song, with a simple four-chord progression. The chords are A - G - D - E and back to the A. Now, I am trying to identify the key of the song, and I have run into a problem. I originally thought the key of A, however the G natural in the G…
Woodman
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Should I think of the note's letter designation when I sight-read?

After I know the letters for the note designations and the pitches, when I am reading them, I implement the music this way: I see the note on the staff. I know that is a G. I think "G" when I read it. I hit G on the piano. That seems unintuitive…
johnny
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Why did Beethoven include "in the Lydian Mode" in the title of String Quartet, Op.132 - 3?

Beethoven himself gave a title to String Quartet No.15 in A minor, Op.132 - 3: A Convalescent's Holy Song of Thanksgiving to the Divinity, in the Lydian Mode From the language and context, and also the particular mention of the mode and not just…
Stinkfoot
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How are very long tuplets in Romantic music played in practice?

In Romantic music, especially for piano, one can often find oversized tuplets like this one: (the excerpt comes from the very beginning of the 3rd movement of Grieg's piano concerto) Are you really supposed to play them "precisely" (i. e., in the…
Ramillies
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Why should you begin plucking with the index finger when playing the bass?

According to this question and answer and elsewhere I've seen and read online, you should start the plucking action with your index finger. Naturally, for me, middle then index is more comfortable for normal playing and ring then middle then index…
rishimaharaj
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6 answers

What factors affect a guitar's ability to sustain a note?

There are effects and gadgets that can create a long sustained note, but what about the guitar itself? I have a squier standard strat which I can't help but feel could be letting notes ring longer, but I am a complete beginner and wouldn't know how…
Michael Slade
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Accepted ranges for SATB choral works?

I am writing an a Capella choral work. I need to know if the following ranges are reasonable or not. S1: Eb4-Ab5 (One S1 is assigned an optional Db6) S2: Eb5-Gb5 A1: C4-F5 A2: C4-F5 T1: C3-Bb4 T2: C3-Gb4 B1: Ab2-F4 B2: F2-C4 If any of these are…
Ryan McClure
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What are the differences between an American and Mexican Fender Stratocaster?

Many Mexican Fenders have the same or similar price as the American-made versions. Some of the parts are also the same. Generally what's the difference?
miqbal
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What exactly does a 3 mean over a quarter note and an 8th note?

There is an eighth note followed by a quarter note, and above them is a little overarching bracket with a little 3 in it. I know this has something to do with the timing, but I have no idea what. This is for piano, by the way.
temporary_user_name
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J. S. Bach's place in musical history

Was there any reason Bach didn't follow the trends of the times? He was surely very much in touch with contemporary composers, and knew of Handel's and Scarlatti's works specifically. Amazingly, he composed not a single opera in his life. Did his…
Noldorin
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Trumpet - Should I think in concert pitch or not?

Should I think in terms of concert pitch playing the Bb Trumpet? Like if I play C,E,G should I actually think Bb,D,F? I'm having trouble seeing the advantage of thinking a note is something it is not, but all trumpet music is written a whole step…
Kellen Stuart
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