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

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1500 questions
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votes
6 answers

Proper symbol for this chord (1 5 b7 9 11)?

I'm a songwriter in the jazz-pop idiom, and when playing through a chart with a guitarist, he told me that, in his opinion, I had labeled a chord inaccurately / incorrectly. Here's the chord as I voice it on the piano: (Left hand) G (Right hand,…
Duncan Malashock
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Are there any rules of thumb for shifting the key signature within a tone net?

[ ... struggling with giving this a better title ] I'm working out the algorithmic bases for generation of a tone-net (tonnetz) in preparation for programming the presentation layer. The problem is primarily with a keyed tone-net (Key of Db or Gb),…
L. Rodgers
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5 answers

Naming convention for augmented 6th chords

There are three types of Augmented 6th chord the German, the Italian, and the French. Most chords are named for the intervals they contain or their function, but these seem like just arbitrary names for chords. Why are the augmented chords named for…
Dom
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6 answers

What use is knowing how many sharps or flats a key signature has?

Books and articles I've read on learning key signatures seem to focus on mnemonics that tell you how many sharps or flats the key has, but I don't understand how knowing B Major has 5 sharps helps you to play in B Major - don't you still need to…
Wossname
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17
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5 answers

Circle of fourths in Jazz

I read on Wikipedia that the circle of fourths (as opposed to circle of fifths) is preferred in the analysis of Jazz music. Why is this so? Are the any good examples to explain this?
user1953384
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17
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9 answers

Does using a capo put you out of tune?

i just want to ask if using a capo affects the tuning of the strings. I bought my first capo and I played my guitar with the capo on all day long. When I removed the capo, I played another song and it seemed like my guitar was out of tune. It…
Dempang
17
votes
3 answers

Baroque music composed in the 21st century

Which characteristically Baroque elements of music composition still have currency in the 21st century? Are there any 21st-century composers or songwriters who still compose primarily or largely in the Baroque style? What makes their work especially…
Behzad
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5 answers

Is a high A in the key of D flat still flat?

I'm learning a song in the key of D flat. I know that any middle A within the song is flat. However, is a high A (above the staff) still flat?
JesseG17
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5 answers

How to check if an acoustic guitar is solid top or not?

How do I check whether a guitar is solid top or laminated top? Are there any huge differences in the sound and appearance so that I can differentiate between them? I want to buy a solid top guitar and I don't want to get fooled by the guitar sales…
Shashank Raghunath
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17
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3 answers

Why are only even values used for note duration?

So, I was wondering why there are only even numbered notes? Like half, quarter, and eighth and so on.
user139024
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17
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6 answers

How do I improve my picking and fretting speed?

I've seen people like John Petrucci playing incredibly fast with their right and left hands, but I can't seem to get any faster than I am now (which is speedy, but not near as fast as John). Is there a technique I can use to increase my alternate…
Mike Webb
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17
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9 answers

Do accidentals override key signature and previous accidentals?

I am wondering how the accidental in the first chord (see what is circled) is played? Does any accidental simply move the note up or down a half-step from what the note is supposed to be based on the key signature or does it override the key…
Angela
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17
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9 answers

What is it called when a song starts with few instruments, and gradually adds one at a time?

Many songs will start with only a few number of instruments, and after a specified amount of time has passed a new instrument is added, and this is repeated until all instruments for the song are playing its rhythms. Sometimes this is also done when…
PhoneixS
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17
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7 answers

How to make melodies effectively?

Are there any tricks that help make melodies besides just experimenting until you find something that sounds nice?
Mdek
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3 answers

Why do some virtual instruments sound more realistic than others?

This may be somewhat subjective, though it may be verified by a breakdown of the audio. But it seems easy to find like drums and other percussion, bass guitar, piano, harpsichord, maybe harps and organs, and others that sound realistic. But then…
user94172
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