The methods, rules, and conventions for representing music visually.
5
votes
2answers
128 views
Musical notation/tablature for isomorphic instruments
I've started playing the harpejji, a 16-stringed instrument with an isomorphic fretboard.
Due to its very nature, there are several different frets for a given pitch. Has there been an attempt to ...
7
votes
3answers
123 views
Is there a special way to notate a repeat for the right (treble) hand but not the left (bass) hand?
I'm working with a section of music where the right hand (treble clef) plays the same thing twice, but the left hand (bass clef) differs the second time round.
Usually I would just rewrite out the ...
1
vote
2answers
60 views
Accidental in Chopin Opus. 69 No. 2
This is an excerpt from Opus. 69 No. 2 by Chopin from the Henle Urtext:
In the last bar seen in the excerpt, there is a sharp on the A in bass line. Since A is already "sharped" in the key ...
9
votes
1answer
201 views
Do accidentals on ornaments carry over to the other notes in the measure?
In the first measure from this section of Schubert's Serenade, does the accidental on the ornamental C at the beginning affect the "regular" C that follows?
6
votes
3answers
290 views
Learning guitar via staff
I am learning guitar from my tutor and he is teaching me to read notes on a staff. However when I search for guitar music on internet it comes like:
A C♯m E Bm F♯m etc.
How do I convert these to a ...
2
votes
3answers
311 views
International notation system
I would like to know if there is a special order for notes in English and/or an international notation system.
In french, our order is Do Ré Mi Fa Sol La Si which is equivalent to C D E F G A B, what ...
10
votes
4answers
202 views
What does 'on' mean in chord notation?
For example, Em(onD) and Em(onC♯). I found these in a Japanese guitar tab book I bought.
15
votes
1answer
793 views
2
votes
3answers
108 views
Is there a proper musical term for a piece's “roadmap”?
Band directors and other teachers will colloquially refer to a piece's "roadmap": the flow control commands denoted by repeats, repeat endings, D.C.s, D.S.es, codas, etc.
Is there a proper word for ...
3
votes
2answers
108 views
Different representation of consecutive sixteenth notes
These are two different bars from "John Thompson's Grade 3" arrangement "Hungarian Rhapsody no.2".
Is there a difference between the time value of the first F in the first picture and the first D in ...
2
votes
3answers
130 views
Should “Ooh” be sung as “oo” or “oh”?
In my last choir rehearsal, while going over a new piece, after I said, "Let's go back to the beginning and go over the 'oo's", my lead tenor, whom I respect immensely as a musician, responded "Uh, ...
-1
votes
2answers
141 views
Why is the note name “a” not on any important scale position? [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
Why is C the base note of standard notation and keys?
The note names are derived from the alphabet, which starts with "a".
But why is our note "a" not on any important ...
2
votes
4answers
145 views
Does an implied tie exist
Is there such a thing as an implied tie? Like some kind of symbol or notation that would specify to hold a note through the duration of all the notes on a pitch as if they were tied together.
Edit: ...
6
votes
2answers
453 views
Need help with a measure within Mozart's 'Rondo alla Turca'
In the 21st measure of Mozart's Rondo alla Turca/Turkish March (3rd movement of K. 331), there's a trill in the treble clef that I can't quite get right. Would you be so kind to expand the measure as ...
2
votes
1answer
163 views
How to play a #.1 in the guitar?
I play guitar using this scale....this is C major I think...(I don't know the name...but I follow the number on the music note, and it works. ):
But once I come across with this in one music notes:
...
2
votes
5answers
321 views
Trying to program a piano staff/stave. Is this what it's supposed to look like?
I'm currently writing a software application which creates notes on a staff, when a piano key is pressed. Unfortunately I have no background in music, and thus am finding it quite hard to get started.
...
2
votes
2answers
289 views
Am I understanding time signatures correctly?
I think that the reason my compositions in DAW's have seemed off is because they've actually been changing time signatures throughout, and I haven't accounted for it.
I tested this by making this tab ...
6
votes
1answer
222 views
Numerous questions about advanced guitar tablature notation
8 slide 0...why is 0 in parentheses?
7 slide 9...what does curve under mean?
5 7 5..7 5 0..are they hammers or pull offs..how you distinguish those
how to play this?
what does this long line ...
1
vote
1answer
225 views
Must “first-time bars” and “second-time bars” appear together?
From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Repeat_sign
When a repeat calls for a different ending, number brackets above the bars indicate which to played the first time (1), which to play the second time ...
11
votes
1answer
155 views
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?
4
votes
3answers
151 views
Percussion notes in the vocals
This an excerpt from an arragment to the song "Hakuna Matata" from the movie "The Lion King":
Why are there percussion notes in the vocals?
9
votes
1answer
1k views
What does a small x-like symbol before a note mean?
I've been playing piano by ear for a long time and now I am trying to learn the first movement of the Moonlight Sonata. I am a little confused about the meaning of a little cross placed right before a ...
2
votes
2answers
976 views
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.
...
1
vote
2answers
230 views
Notating Augmented Chords
When writing an Augmented chord, which inversion of the chord should I use?
The problem came up while I was composing (piano). I came to an augmented chord and couldn't think of which version to use ...
1
vote
1answer
724 views
Is there a difference between a slur and legato?
Are legato and slur one and the same? If the two are different, how do I tell which the piece is using? I know the gist of them (as opposed to staccato) but I need to know the specifics. They are ...
1
vote
4answers
536 views
Can a legato notes be played staccato?
I've been working on this piece by Sousa, and I came across this oddity:
Does this mean to play then notes somehow legato and staccato at the same time? If so, how would I play it? If not, what does ...
4
votes
3answers
304 views
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 ...
5
votes
2answers
298 views
“Standard” drum notation alternatives
For the purpose of playing live, working through ("popular") songs involving verse, chorus, bridge, intro, outro, etc., is there a standard notation that drummers use to help them know what to play, ...
7
votes
2answers
876 views
How does the piano middle pedal work? Is there a standard symbol for it?
What are the mechanics behind the middle piano pedal? I have been using the middle pedal for a variety of music, it is wonderful, but I can't figure out how it works (I mean the mechanical process). ...
7
votes
1answer
294 views
Is there a specific name for Sheet music that uses numbers (二胡 Èrhú Sheet Music)?
I am searching for a software program (preferably opensource but not necessarily) that can create sheet music. However since I am a beginner at my instrument I still use a simplified notation. I play ...
7
votes
2answers
287 views
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 ...
1
vote
1answer
82 views
Best way to notationally indicate that a solo phrase in an instrumental section should end
After writing "solo" over a part intended for one instrumentalist in a section, what's the best way to indicate that the the entire section should again begin playing?
2
votes
1answer
312 views
Visual representation of sound
Graphical sound visualization (as available in several music players, eg winamp) is mostly used for fun, to add some visuals to the music, related to it in some way ( pseudo spectrum analysers, ...
5
votes
3answers
149 views
How do I write good tablature?
Often, I hear a song that I would like to learn to play, but I can't find good tablature on the Internet. How do I write up my own tab quickly, so I can use it for reference in the future?
5
votes
1answer
259 views
Is it a typo or how do I play it? [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
The same note on two staves
I have put red arrows where I am in trouble. As I understand this, I should hit D but it is already pressed down. Do I misunderstand ...
11
votes
2answers
259 views
With sheet music, what happens with sharps and double sharps that are already sharped in the key signature?
For example, let's say the key signature has an f sharp and then also an individual f note has a sharp next to it. Are they just emphasizing the f sharp or does that actually become a g?
Same ...
8
votes
2answers
191 views
Is assignment of notes to measures totally arbitrary?
I am beginning to learn piano. To pep up my practising, I downloaded some sheet music for Waltzing Matilda
Then I noticed, at the same place, this:
Obviously it is the same music but needs to be ...
2
votes
3answers
210 views
Are whole and half note rests supposed to only be written on specific lines?
I've always written the whole note rest on the 4th line of the staff and the half note rest on the 3rd. I always see it that way and never thought much about it until recently a musician with a lot ...
8
votes
7answers
104 views
Are there some classical pieces that lend themselves well to guitar?
I would like to practice reading music on something other than notation written for guitar. Are there other pieces written for violin, for instance-or other instruments, that can be transposed easily ...
7
votes
4answers
292 views
What should I do about composing 'soft' accents for piano?
When composing for the piano, I often find myself writing a lot of sudden soft notes. I need an accent mark that suddenly softens notes. From my knowledge (and searching the web), I can not find any ...
1
vote
1answer
105 views
How to play given notes on the guitar
I'm sorry, if my question is not too generic, but I'm having trouble playing instrumental acoustic peace and would appreciate if you could help me out.
Here are the notes I have (sorry for scan ...
4
votes
2answers
302 views
Is there any open source notation software for indian shrutis?
I would like to write down Shruti music but I wasn't able to find notation software for that.
Do you know any?
edit: Live Playback would be a great feature.
5
votes
1answer
255 views
Deciphering the series of numbers shown for songs in a hymn book
Consider almost any song in a church hymn book. Either at the top just above the ledger lines or at the bottom near the credits is a series of numbers usually a set of four to six numbers such as 87 ...
7
votes
2answers
168 views
In chord progressions, how can I refer to a chord that's out of the scale?
I'm training a music that is most on the G Major scale.. But then there's a B chord. As B is not on the G Major scale, how can I refer to it when I'm writing the chord progression?
EDIT
My guess is ...
1
vote
3answers
70 views
How to play these chords?
I'm trying to play the song here. What confuses me is when I see things like 0h2p0 and 0h2(x4). What are those, and how do you play them?
7
votes
1answer
307 views
“х” on tablature - how do I play it?
I'm learning "Last Christmas" arrangement for the acoustic guitar, and have encountered lots of notes marked as "x" in tablature.
--------------------------------0----------------
...
2
votes
1answer
311 views
What does the circle around a note mean in a guitar chord diagram?
I'm trying to play E/G#. I found this, but what is that symbol on the 4th string?
12
votes
1answer
1k views
Why is C the base note of standard notation and keys?
Why is it that notes "start" with C? In key signatures, for example, C Major is the basis and accidentals are added for all other key signatures. I know that the musical alphabet starts with A and ...
19
votes
1answer
474 views
What is this : Half notes combined with thirty-second stems?
I want to play Also Sprach Zarathustra (IMSLP PDF), but there is something I don't understand there. In the first few bars there are 4 half notes beamed in pairs as thirty-second notes. Because the ...
11
votes
8answers
222 views
Should I learn to read standard notation?
I've been playing guitar for the last two years, and never came in contact with pieces in standard notation. This is probably because I never had any lessons, and am self-taught.
But the thing I ...
