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1500 questions
14
votes
1 answer
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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14
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4 answers
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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14
votes
3 answers
Are there unicode characters for double sharp and double flat?
There are Unicode characters for
flat (U266D) ♭
sharp (U266F) ♯
natural (U266E) ♮
But I couldn't find characters for double flat and double sharp (at least not in the character map program I'm using).
Are there Unicode characters for double flat1…
pr1268
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14
votes
1 answer
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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14
votes
5 answers
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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14
votes
10 answers
Can music time signatures really be irrational?
In this video around the 5 minute mark, the presenter mentions that "irrational units of time cannot exist because of Planck's constant", and therefore music time signatures like 2:√2 cannot be perfectly performed in the real world (he used Conlan…
B. S.
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14
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7 answers
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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14
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6 answers
Do accidentals in one staff apply to notes in other staffs?
For example, when reading piano music on a grand staff, I know that if there is an A# in the treble clef staff (where it's normally natural), it changes all of the A's in the rest of that measure to A#.
Do all of the As in the bass clef staff stay…
Nick
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14
votes
2 answers
How can I improve piano proprioception?
What exercises are effective at improving proprioception while playing piano?
My immediate goal is to be able to play piano pieces without taking my eyes of the sheet music. (ie. avoid looking at my hands) Recently, I have been doing this exercise…
Scott Smedley
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14
votes
9 answers
Why does my new guitar become untuned every day?
I am learning guitar as a beginner and a few days back I bought an f-hole acoustic guitar (steel strings). And every day when I sit down to play it, the guitar tuner says that it is out of tune, slightly. So I have to tune it back.
Is it normal or…
SchrodingersCat
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14
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2 answers
When did keyboard partitions start to use the G-clef for the upper staff ?
When you look at very old sheetmusic (for harpsichord or organ), you see that the upper staff has a C-clef, first line. The lower one is the familiar bass F-clef, fourth line.
Why and when did the habits change?
Can you still find sheetmusic printed…
Eric
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14
votes
7 answers
What kind of practice leads to the ability to play the exact melody in my mind?
Just like when we're singing ,we just sing it out without thinking what the next note, whereas I have to translate my melody in mind to corresponding "do re mi ..." and play the instrument, which is so slow and may play a wrong note as I make…
ming
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14
votes
3 answers
What are "silk and steel" strings?
I've just heard of "silk and steel" strings, but can't find out what they are. So, what are they made out of? Do they produce a significantly different amount of tension in the neck?
Dave
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14
votes
2 answers
Why does this note sound like it is not played?
I've been learning the second movement of Mozart's Piano Sonata 16 for a while. While I get most of the stuff memorized, some part of it just doesn't sound right comparing to recordings on YouTube when I play it.
For example, this note at the 9th…
Haoest
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14
votes
5 answers
What exactly do pianists/musicians memorize?
when memorizing music, what is it that they're memorizing?
is it the music like all the note/chord names (like E E F G G F E D C C D E E D C)? the piano keys? muscle memory?
Lenny
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