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

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Is there music where it makes no sense to talk about a tonic?

Is there music without a tonic? I.e., the structure of which is such that it makes no sense to talk about some stable home base note where we return. Or maybe music tonality changes so frequent that there is no point in talking about a tonic?
CrabMan
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Tips and tricks for turning pages without noise

I'm singing in a choir of 50 singers. We will be recording, and want to eliminate the sound of swishing pages when turning them. (Of course it would be better to memorize the music, but we haven't done this yet.) Does anyone have tricks for making…
Cindi
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What do you have to do to sound like you're improvising when you're actually reading from sheet music?

There are several reasons I often can't think fast enough to improvise a trumpet solo live over an unfamiliar set of chord changes, things like: if there are upper extensions on the chord (e.g. #9, 13, and so on) unfamiliar key chords given at…
Brian THOMAS
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Strange dynamic marking 'fmo' in Clementi sonata

I have come across an odd dynamics marking 'fmo' whilst studying at a copy of Clementi's Sonata in Bb major, Op. 24, No. 2, dated c1790. The below image shows mvmt. 1, mm. 90–94. Newer editions have the marking as ff, although ff is used elsewhere…
NBoss
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Is my mandolin broken?

I read here that playing a string on the 12th fret will produce a note that is an octave above the note produced by playing the same string open (with no frets held down). For instance, if the bottom string is tuned to G, then playing the bottom…
Big McLargeHuge
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What is this notation used for the singer?

Consider this excerpt from Te Deum Laudamus by C.V. Stanford: What is the notation used on top of the voice? I suppose the letters indicate the notes (d(o)-r(e)-m(i)-s(ol) for re-mi-fa#-la in D major), and the symbols relate to the rhythm?
Karlo
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Is this chord from Bach's C major Prelude G+ or Cm?

So I'm analyzing the harmony in Bach's C major Prelude from the Well Tempered Clavier, and it all goes smoothly until I reach this chord: Now, most editions I see of this Prelude don't have this chord in it. I even have 2 piano books that both have…
Caters
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Is there a common labeling system for tritone substitutions?

Imagine the following progression: C F D♭7 C We typically just explain that third chord as a tritone substitution—and we stop there!—but this must be maddening for beginners, because we aren't actively explaining what it's a tritone…
Richard
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Why didn't more composers who composed violin concertos compose viola concertos?

Wouldn't the glut of violin and cello concertos from the Baroque and Classical eras motivate composers to compose Viola Concertos? Isn't adding to the deluge of violin and cello concertos more grueling and troublesome? Why not choose the easier…
user26407
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Bridge intonation patterns on stringed instruments

On stringed instruments, the scale length needs to be slightly adjusted (at the bridge) for each string so that the first octave happens at the 12th fret/position, the 2nd at the 24th, etc. My physical intuition tells me that larger strings need a…
Alexbib
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Why are "scales" mentioned less to singers and more to guitar players?

Scales are still confusing to me. When I sing I don't know anything about scales. Nobody suggests to me that I should sing in mixolydian, phrygian or anything like that. But, when I play guitar, it is very different. There is no little chance of…
zameb
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Melody improvisation over chords

My question deals with what scale to play over a given chord progression. For example, consider a progression containing I,II,IV,V in C. I.e., the rhythm guitar is playing C, Dmin, F, and G... My intuition tells me that if I am going to improvise…
Joe
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How do I increase my speed on guitar?

Are there any exercises or some tips on how to improve speed? If yes then please tell me! I'm already fairly good at guitar. It's just that I'm struggling a bit with the speed of my fingers.
denisse
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What is the purpose of the mixolydian scale?

For example: the G-Mixolydian is G-A-B-C-D-E-F (rather than G-A-B-C-D-E-F#). Why not just call it C? thanks
Joe
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The chord formula for the Major Chord is 1- 3 - 5. What do the numbers represent?

According to Wikipedia (paraphrased), a Major Chord has a Root, a Major Third, and a Perfect Fifth. One way, therefore, to arrive at the notes in the C Major Chord is to begin with the note name, C; stack onto C a Major Third (which is four half…
Otis Gilchrist
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