All Questions
5
votes
3answers
750 views
Guitar Fetish Pickups - Can anyone describe their tone and quality?
OK. I have seen Guitar Fetish pickups at prices that seem insane compared to what most pickups cost - and they have things like humbucker sized P90s that are hard to find in any case. Their stuff ...
5
votes
4answers
291 views
I need help understanding the concept of chord inversions.
This article from wikipedia, states:
In the first inversion of a C major triad the bass is E—the 3rd of the
triad—with the 5th and the root
stacked above it (the root now shifted
an octave ...
5
votes
3answers
78 views
Permuations or scales for building up speed
I'm currently trying to build up some speed and accuracy in my technique, and I was told a while back that a great way to do this was to play fingering permutations to a metrenome. Has anyone had any ...
5
votes
5answers
346 views
Is it possible to mute some of my strings?
I'm working on a part of a song where I need to strum the top two strings (B & E) together and very fast. I'm wondering if there is some sort of a damping capo that I can put over the other four ...
5
votes
2answers
568 views
Is there one or more “proper” finger picking styles/techniques?
Essentially, if there is some collection of proper techniques that have distinct rules or characteristics about them, that's what I'm looking for. There's not one particular artist or type of music I ...
5
votes
2answers
267 views
Upgrade tuners or get a new guitar?
I have an Ibanez V70CE Acoustic-Electric guitar. While it was not expensive, I like the way it feels and it sounds just fine. The problem is it doesn't like to stay in tune. I always use high quality ...
5
votes
2answers
516 views
Does environmental (or food/drink) temperature have an effect on the voice?
Does ambient temperature (i.e. winter vs summer) or food/drink temperature (i.e. cold vs hot) have an effect on voice:
Texture
Pitch/range
Strength
4
votes
3answers
168 views
What are the dos and don'ts of positioning your thumb on a guitar?
What are the Dos and Don'ts of thumb position in guitar playing? Are there bad habits or just alternative techniques?
4
votes
1answer
968 views
What is a transposing instrument?
I've read this term many times. However, I'm not quite sure of what it exactly is. What is a transposing instrument? What would be an example of one?
4
votes
1answer
616 views
What is a depressed larynx?
I'm reading this article about "The Danger of Heavy Repertoire" and I don't know what he means when he talks about using a depressed larynx. What is the depressed larynx technique?
4
votes
1answer
379 views
How does someone safely develop intensity at an extremely high tessitura?
We've had a couple different questions about extending voice range. This question is probably related more to endurance and tone quality, not just extending range.
Find a recording of Dexter Holland ...
4
votes
5answers
454 views
Violin strings breaking in fingerboard area
My violin's strings have been breaking every 3 to 4 weeks. I only practice about 10 hours a week.
It is not normal for strings to be breaking constantly and though the problem could be an incorrect ...
4
votes
2answers
1k views
How to clean a tuba thoroughly
A tuba is quite large, and can be quite a challenge to clean thoroughly on both inside and outside. I need some good advice on how to do this properly without harming the mechanisms.
4
votes
4answers
1k views
Is it possible to learn Flamenco guitar on a steel-string guitar? Will it sound right?
I have been learning guitar (using a pick) for 4 years, I play only a few chords and a minor scale. I have a metal string guitar, but I'd like to play Flamenco style.
Is it possible for me learn ...
4
votes
2answers
234 views
Where can I learn more about tapping on an acoustic guitar?
I want to learn tapping on acoustic guitar; its basics, various techniques and so on. How should I start with it? Reference of some video lessons would be a great help.
4
votes
3answers
409 views
When shipping a guitar, what is the best way to package it?
What is the best way to package a guitar to ensure if will arrive in its destination without any harm? Lots of bubble wrap? A box within a box? Loosen the strings? Should acoustic and electric guitars ...
4
votes
5answers
381 views
How do you keep yourself motivated when you are doing mostly self-study?
There are numerous reasons one might have to resort to mostly self-study - lack of good teachers in the vicinity, lack of good players to interact with face to face, lack of time/money to attend ...
4
votes
4answers
130 views
What are some harmonic options for layering guitar lines while recording?
I would like to layer multiple guitar lines for a section of a song that I'm working on - what are some harmonic variations that I would be able to use?
4
votes
8answers
207 views
Using alternative tunings
Guitars are tuned E-A-D-G-B-E by standard, but I prefer tuning it down to C (C-F-Bb-Eb-G-C) since it gives a meatier sound and is easier on my fingers.
I know there are plenty of other tunings, but ...
4
votes
2answers
73 views
Fretted notes sound 'off' when another string is bent
Sometimes when I'm playing, I'll bend a string and simultaneously play a fretted note. When I do this, the fretted note sounds slightly 'off' or out of tune.
What causes this and how can I prevent ...
3
votes
3answers
389 views
How to keep guitar strings from breaking so quickly?
I have a takamine g350 acoustic-electric guitar (not that it really matters for this quesiton), and my strings tend to break every two or three weeks. I do like to experiment with different tunings, ...
3
votes
4answers
242 views
What are some interesting ways notes and chords are spelled in cultures outside of the U.S.?
I've heard that German musicians spell the seventh note of the C major scale with an "H" where an American musician would use a "B". And, for the fourth note of the F major scale, where an American ...
3
votes
2answers
592 views
What's the difference between sixteenth century counterpoint and eighteenth century counterpoint?
What's the difference between sixteenth century counterpoint and eighteenth century counterpoint? Is sixteenth century counterpoint melody or modal based (as this answer suggests) and eighteenth ...
3
votes
1answer
204 views
How can I prevent loss of tuning when changing strings set from 0.11 to 0.12?
I have an Epiphone Les Paul Custom and it's tuned in standard C and my playing style is mostly Desert Rock. I'm using a set of 0.12 strings and considering changing to a 0.11 set to have less tension ...
3
votes
3answers
306 views
How to read stacked chords?
I'm trying to learn Laugh and a half by DAD. Everything is clear except for second line of verse 1 where there are chords on top of each other (G on top of D). How do I play them?
Em D ...
3
votes
1answer
314 views
Singing software
What are software options that will tell you where you've gone out of tune in the performance of a given song? Better if it can work with any song file or has a wealth of community-content.
Sort of ...
3
votes
3answers
171 views
What do I need to learn before I can alternate tune my guitar?
What do I need to learn before I can alternate tune my guitar? See, I was taught
by my friend how to tune my guitar in standard(EADBGE), and it goes like this:
"How To Tune The Guitar To Standard"
...
3
votes
3answers
2k views
What are the disadvantages of buying a short-scale bass guitar
I'm considering buying my first bass. I already play guitar, and find that even though I'm an adult, stretching to a fifth is a struggle -- so handling a bass with its more widely spaced frets is ...
3
votes
5answers
2k views
Choosing a guitar cabinet
I have settled on the amplifier head to buy for my guitar, but I am not sure of the cabinet yet.
I know that there are open-back vs closed-back options, and I assume that the quality of the speaker ...
3
votes
2answers
302 views
What is the time signature of Killing Me Softly? [closed]
I want to transcribe in Sibelius the song "Killing Me Softly" (shown here), but I can't get the rhythm right.
What I have so far is 6/8 time with the first three notes being Eighth notes, and the ...
3
votes
4answers
537 views
Capo that won't detune my guitar?
I use a Kyser style capo. I don't know any better, but are there better capos? I'm looking for a durable capo that wont drastically put my guitar out of tune when I use it. What kind of capos won't ...
3
votes
2answers
380 views
How can I get a sound similar to Shine by Collective Soul?
I love the riff in that song but no matter how much I fiddle with my amp head and pedals, I just can't seem to duplicate that warm, fuzzy feel. Here's a link if you are unfamiliar with the song.
I ...
3
votes
4answers
1k views
How do I find a good reverb pedal for a huge, soul-filling sound?
I'm looking to experiment with some post-rock sort of stuff, and my guitar sound is just far too empty right now. I've got an echo park that I've been messing around with, but given that it's ...
3
votes
4answers
2k views
How to play upstrokes with our hand when playing an acoustic guitar?
I have seen a lot of guitar videos and read a lot of guitar books but one thing they all have in common is that while teaching strumming they tell you to "loosen up", "keep going up and down" etc. Or ...
3
votes
1answer
244 views
Finger techniques when playing valve brass instrument
I am playing Eb tuba with 4 valves (4th at my right hand pinky). Usually I have my fingers more or less straight out over the valves, resulting in the tips for all other than the pinky is sticking out ...
2
votes
2answers
76 views
Accidentals in First Species Counterpoint
On page 39 of Alfred Mann's translation of The Study of Counterpoint there is a passage concerning justification of using accidentals in first species counterpoint.
Here is the passage:
Aloys: ...
2
votes
4answers
156 views
Guitar practice - general techniques
I was delighted to come across this site. I'm a self-taught guitarist (largely electric guitar) and am continually looking to improve my playing and practice techniques. The change of running my ...
2
votes
2answers
104 views
Tips and tools to help transcribing a bass line in tablature
I'd like to transcribe a song that I couldn't find a proper version of on the Internet. Transcribing the guitar and drums (I'm a guitarist and beginner bassist) was not really difficult but I find ...
2
votes
1answer
96 views
General methods for turning a riff into a song?
Say if have a really nice 2-bar riff that I like a lot. How would I go about composing a song around that?
Ok, the obvious answer is "play it a few times, then make some variation of it, play that a ...
2
votes
5answers
231 views
How can I learn timing from a guitar tab?
When playing guitar/bass from tabs, I find that I can learn the fingering easily, but the timing is often wrong when I play with a backing track. I'm fairly noobish to music notation/tablature, but I ...
2
votes
2answers
988 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.
...
2
votes
5answers
991 views
Electric Guitar | Right hand position
I find it difficult to decide on where to position/rest my right hand (picking hand) when playing electric guitar. I started with acoustic and i have a habit of resting my pinky finger on the guitar ...
2
votes
3answers
876 views
Starting piano - which instrument to choose?
I've been playing guitar for a couple of years now, and I want to try my hand at piano - so to speak.
I'm a little stumped as to what the best instrument for me to choose is, as I've been looking at ...
2
votes
2answers
443 views
Tool to adjust truss rod on a bass guitar
As a follow-up to this question:
What tool will I need to adjust the truss rod on a bass guitar? The guitar in question is a Peavey T-40 with too much relief on the neck.
While I've found a ...
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
1answer
1k views
What does an arc mean above the notes in a piano sheet music? How do I play it?
See the picture above. Is there a website where these (perhaps not so basic) notations are collected?
UPDATE: I see Wikipedia has a nice collection of musical notations.
How do I play the slur on ...
2
votes
1answer
163 views
Is it normal, when playing scales on the piano, to occasionally rub neighboring fingers against each other?
When I play the F sharp harmonic minor scale, my right index finger on E sharp (F) rubs on my third finger on F sharp, since this scale is rather awkward. Is this to be avoided, or is it ...
2
votes
1answer
2k views
How do I decide for how many keys I should go on my keyboard?
I might be planning to buy a keyboard in the near feature, now I see they come in different amount of keys. It makes me wonder for how many keys I should go, more allows more complex music...
But how ...
2
votes
4answers
327 views
Do you count mental practice when counting total practice time for the day?
My guitar instructor insists that, as part of my training, I set a fixed minimum amount of time each day for practice and make sure that I practice at least that much, with a fixed upper limit of 4x45 ...
1
vote
2answers
138 views
What are the correct mechanics for a guitar F barre chord
I have been having trouble with the F barre chord and have a question about mechanics. As an experiment I've tried moving the body very far to the right so that my eyes are somewhere over the seventh ...
