Ways to use one's instrument or voice precisely to produce a desired musical effect.
42
votes
7answers
665 views
Ten Minute Practice Techniques?
Unfortunately I can't play everyday.
However, I am trying to grab at least 5-10 minutes here and there. What are some good theory or scale techniques/practice methods I should have ready to pull out ...
20
votes
14answers
6k views
How can I best learn to play barre chords?
I've been trying to learn the F chord for a while now, and I am having a very hard time playing the barre chord. I've read that pulling back slightly with your finger and using the body of the guitar ...
20
votes
4answers
801 views
How can I be sure that I am singing effortlessly in my natural voice ?
By now , I have years of vocalization practice but I still start straining while singing—especially if I am not vigilant. It happens imperceptibly and is a hard habit to break.
Is there a reliable ...
19
votes
9answers
2k views
“one finger per fret” - is it worth following this rule?
When I first got into guitar, I was given advice to follow a "one finger per fret" rule with the left hand.
Basically, to fret notes with all four fingers, and to follow a pattern such that in any ...
18
votes
5answers
247 views
What are some of the components of a good guitar solo?
Putting aside the emotional value of listening to a great guitar solo, what are some of the criteria that can be applied to make an educated judgement as to the quality of a solo within the context of ...
16
votes
7answers
1k views
How to reliably execute a snare drum rimshot?
A standard snare drum rim shot, as I understand it, requires the stick to contact the drum head and rim simultaneously. I'm having trouble finding the appropriate angle (the majority of the time I ...
14
votes
5answers
2k views
Why does music sound bad when played backwards?
I am not sure where to post this, but I hope it fits here.
If you have ever recorded music, and play the track backwards, you'll notice it sounds quite strange, almost demonic. I have always ...
14
votes
4answers
1k views
How to stop distortion from making minor chords muddy?
I have a Roland/Boss GT3, which I use to get various distortion sounds. I like the sound for the most part, but I find that distorted sounds seem very ... "muddy" I guess would be the best way to ...
14
votes
6answers
2k views
What is the difference between upstrokes and downstrokes while strumming a guitar?
One of the most basic guitar skills are strumming up and down freely. And I have noticed in songs that there usually appears to be a difference in sounds between the two strokes. But when I'm ...
14
votes
7answers
1k views
Pick weight - functional difference, or just personal preference?
I'm at the very beginning of learning to play guitar, and I recently needed to buy some more picks. This was more complex than I was expecting, since there are apparently many different weights of ...
14
votes
1answer
917 views
What are Head voice and Chest voice
Head voice and Chest voice were discussed in this question about natural voice, but despite singing in choirs for nearly 9 years I have never heard of them.
Can someone provide a good description of ...
13
votes
4answers
2k views
How to play chords like G/B
I heard that if there is a chord written like x/y then that means an x chord with y in the bass. This can be played by playing x normally, but then playing the y note on the 6th string, correct?
Then ...
12
votes
5answers
165 views
How to learn to play guitar with a slide ?
I have always wanted to play guitar with a slide. How should I go about learning this skill ?
I am looking for tips, songs, exercises, etc.
Thanks.
p.s.: The "Slide" tag would have been useful ...
12
votes
2answers
3k views
Ways to warm up vocal cords?
What are some safe ways to get my vocal cords without over using them before a practice or performance?
11
votes
4answers
696 views
What is a string skipping exercise?
What is a string skipping exercise? I've heard about this exercise a lot, including on this website. What is it? What skills does it develop? Can you give an example?
11
votes
5answers
2k views
How to hide a flat pick in the right hand when switching to finger picking, Warren Haynes style
Watch any Warren Haynes video on YouTube and you'll notice that he often likes to mix it up and play solos with a pick but mid-way switch to using his fingers.
...
11
votes
7answers
902 views
Should the picking hand little finger be resting on the guitar?
I notice I tend to rest the little finger of my picking hand on the body of my guitar, typically on the edge of the sound-hole, for greater accuracy and steadiness of the picking hand.
After extended ...
11
votes
3answers
900 views
Improving breath support
What are some exercises or tips to help singers improve their breath support?
11
votes
5answers
3k views
How can I minimize going out of tune when using the whammy bar?
Perhaps my selection of musicians is biased, but usually when I see a whammy bar used, it's usually with a locking tremolo bridge like a Floyd Rose. Everybody else seems to take the whammy bar out and ...
11
votes
6answers
1k views
What are some techniques to control feedback in a musical setting?
I was always intrigued with the way Ted Nugent/Adrian Belew/Jeff Beck/Jimi Hendrix/SRV were able to control feedback and make it musical - are there guitar/amp settings and techniques that can make ...
10
votes
3answers
627 views
What is the (Practical) theory behind applying chords for a Song?
I love playing Guitar. I can play the lead for any song by listening to it. But often in our prayer meeting people sing different songs in different keys. I can track the major they sing, but I am ...
10
votes
8answers
5k views
Why does my thumb hurt when I play bar chords?
Certain chords cause my thumb to be sore. How can I play in a way to prevent this?
10
votes
4answers
392 views
How to embrace the metronome after years of bad habits?
Background
I have been dabbling in guitar for over 20 years. I have decent dexterity, technique, and musical theory. However, I don't count time and never use a metronome. I always sound like a weak ...
10
votes
5answers
564 views
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 ...
10
votes
2answers
163 views
Trill measure 29 3rd movement moonlight sonata
How do you play the trill in measure 29 of Beethoven's moonlight sonata?
10
votes
5answers
405 views
Skills needed for classical guitar
I've been playing steel-string acoustic for 25+ years, and I'm becoming more interested in classical guitar playing. While I'm fairly good at fingerstyle, I'm aware that making the leap to ...
10
votes
2answers
891 views
How to begin learning the CAGED Method
What is the best way of approaching the CAGED Method. What are some good resources for beginning to learn this method.
10
votes
2answers
233 views
Techniques for memorizing a musical idea and “saving it to paper”
Sometimes I have a very nice musical idea, with orchestration too, and I clearly hear it in my mind as if I was listening to a CD.
But I cannot retain it. The only way is to play it over and over in ...
10
votes
2answers
96 views
What is this technique called?
In this video, scroll to around 1:24. Andy McKee puts his right hand on 12th fret (Not sure) and pulls out his left hand from 3rd or 4th fret producing a peculiar sound. What is this technique ...
10
votes
2answers
197 views
Beginning Slap Bass
Back when I was taking lessons, I had an instructor who did a great job teaching me how to work tapping into my bass lines, but when we tried to expand it into developing slap bass I ended up getting ...
10
votes
1answer
196 views
Is there a common left hand position in accordion?
I'm an amateur accordion player who is having difficulties with the bass side. There's no problem when I'm using close keys such as jumping from C to A. But when I need to jump to a further key such ...
9
votes
6answers
5k views
Fingers Too Short for Barre Chords?
My wife is learning the guitar and is getting pretty good. She gets frustrated though because she can't play barre chords. She claims that her fingers are literally too short to ever be able to play ...
9
votes
5answers
2k views
What are the objective differences between the guitar and the piano?
The guitar and the piano are two of the most popular instruments which allow multiple notes to be played simultaneously.
The acoustic quality of the two instruments are, of course, different, but ...
9
votes
4answers
1k views
Right hand accuracy
I've realized, that I have a big problem with right hand accuracy, when using a pick, especially, when I play arpeggios and have to skip a string or a couple of stings. Sometimes, I hit the wrong ...
9
votes
1answer
1k views
Why can't I whistle and hum different notes at the same time?
I can whistle and hum at the same time, by making the breath from my humming go out through lips formed into a whistling pucker. I've found that no matter how hard I try to do otherwise, whatever note ...
9
votes
4answers
2k views
Where to rest your thumb when playing bass: Pickup vs. Strings vs. Thumbrests
I'm a beginning bass player with a couple months' lessons under my belt. I haven't gotten far along enough yet to solidify a playing style, so I'm still able to change my habits if I want to. I was ...
9
votes
1answer
276 views
brass: bending notes upwards
It is fairly easy - although it requires a bit of strength - to bend notes downwards on a trumpet. For example playing a F#, a F, or even lower notes with all valves open.
It does not sound nice, but ...
9
votes
1answer
235 views
What are good techniques to bend notes on brass instruments
I play Eb tuba, and sometimes I come across bending down in my notes - either as an effect at the end of a note, or sometimes as a slide between two notes. I find this difficult to achieve with a good ...
8
votes
4answers
2k views
What should a guitarist learn first: Rhythm or Lead?
It is a slightly subjective question, however, there is, I'm sure, a common consensus as to what lends itself better to a beginner so as not to get frustrated with the instrument. I'm curious as to ...
8
votes
6answers
1k views
Playing one hand loudly and the other quietly
I'm currently learning to play Comptine d'un autre été from Yann Tiersen (Sheet music(pdf) - youtube video) and when I play starting from the 13th bar I barely hear the notes my right hand plays.
...
8
votes
4answers
456 views
What is the technique Adrian Belew utilizes through-out : “Elephant Talk” by King Crimson?
Adrian Belew has some incredible sounds coming out of his Strat - one of them is the quasi-Elephant sound on Elephant Talk - King Crimson - "Discipline". I've watched him do it live but apart from ...
8
votes
5answers
336 views
Keeping rhythm when performing live without a drummer
I'm a member of a small band, and a common problem that arises when playing faster-paced music is keeping everyone in sync, rhythm wise. It goes without saying that one person falling out of time can ...
8
votes
5answers
2k views
How do I develop a good vibrato?
A crucial element for phrasing is vibrato, but while you can notate a great number of things, you can't really notate vibrato. I know it's important. I know B.B. King's butterfly vibrato is a big ...
8
votes
3answers
273 views
How to overcome the frustration while you are developing demanding techniques?
I'm practicing Flamenco guitar and I'm concentrating a LOT on the technique.
Flamenco is so demanding on the right hand, techniques like tremolo, rasgueados, alzapua ...
It is hard to play flamenco ...
8
votes
5answers
504 views
Keeping both hands (and arms) strong for better stick control
Since there aren't many drumming or percussion related questions, I will start this out with one of my own. As a drummer of almost 20 years, I still have a weaker left hand (and arm), despite trying ...
8
votes
2answers
440 views
What makes african blues so distinctive?
When you listen to the music by Ali Farka Toure, Rokia Traore, Afel Bocoum and other african blues artists you can recognize it in a second.
What is it what makes the african blues so distinctive?
Is ...
8
votes
1answer
155 views
How can I get the most out of my practice time?
When I practice, I often spend half the time on technique (scales, exercises), and half of the time on preparing a piece of music for performance.
The amount of benefit that I get out of any given ...
8
votes
3answers
673 views
What is the difference between 'martelé and 'détaché' bowing?
As the title asks, I wish it could be clear to me. Can someone give me a good characterization? Do you produce them differently on a cello than on a violin or viola?
8
votes
1answer
1k views
How can I learn to growl?
How can I learn how to growl? (Think the heavy bear growls vocals used in plays and metal music.)
I'm looking for free resources and/or exercises I can do myself; in either case I want to be able to ...
7
votes
4answers
983 views
What is “Phrasing” in the context of playing a Solo?
What is meant when a listener says"His phrasing was spot on"- specifically when talking about solo's but sometimes when referring to a pianist "comping". What does it mean when referring to a ...
