All Questions
29
votes
15answers
1k views
How often should I replace the strings on my guitar?
When and why should you replace your guitar strings?
20
votes
14answers
5k 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 ...
16
votes
9answers
714 views
Sites with a good selection of sheet music
When I look online for sheet music for the piano or flute, I find that a lot of the websites that promise great collections of sheet music are nothing but ad filled sites that talk about sheet music ...
12
votes
4answers
693 views
What do I need to know and how do I need to practice to start playing by ear/improvising?
Up till now I've been playing music from the sheet, and eventually I've grown frustrated how after 3 years of playing I can't even play Jingle Bells if I'm asked to without figuring it out from a ...
17
votes
8answers
2k views
How to transcribe music by ear?
Often times we find ourselves enjoying a piece of music that, for whatever reason, we are unable to find appropriate documentation/tablature for. What are good practices for transcribing music by ear ...
18
votes
13answers
611 views
Glossary of Guitar Effects
There are numerous effects options available to the guitarist, especially the electric guitarist. This question is intended to gather and cultivate a set of answers to questions in the form of:
...
12
votes
4answers
194 views
What are modes and how are they useful?
I'm a self-taught guitarist with zero to little experience in music theory. After marrying a violinist I found that there's a lot to music theory that I know tribally but don't understand the ...
14
votes
7answers
1k views
What to check when buying a new guitar?
I have been playing acoustic guitar for quite some time now. I'm not a beginner but neither am I pro. I'm now looking into buying an electric guitar.
My questions are -
What do I need to ...
11
votes
3answers
589 views
How do I set up an electric guitar?
How do I set up the pickups, neck, etc. in an electric guitar? I'm not concerned with producing a particular sound as I am with keeping the neck from warping, prevent string buzz, improving ...
16
votes
2answers
1k views
Why is my guitar's saddle at an angle?
Most acoustic guitars I've seen, including my own, have an angled saddle (the white strip holding up the strings):
This makes the bass strings longer than the treble strings. Why is this?
...
10
votes
5answers
865 views
How do I choose my first guitar for self-learning?
Let's say I've never played the guitar, or I've only learned to pluck a string and play a chord but have forgotten most of it. Now, I've become interested and would like to try it out. I don't want to ...
32
votes
18answers
4k views
How to play a song without making mistakes?
I have played keyboard quite a while and now I'm starting to practice some classical musics like Fur Elise. When I see a live performance of any musical instrument, there seems to be no error at all. ...
33
votes
6answers
1k views
What's the difference between a G♭ and an F#?
I've heard it said that, whilst on most instruments these notes are played with the same fingerings/technique/etc there is a subtle difference.
This isn't specific to this particular note ...
19
votes
7answers
6k views
How can I significantly improve my hand independence on piano?
I started taking piano lessons about 7 years ago, and stopped about 2 years ago when my teacher (the one and only piano teacher I've had) quit.
In all honesty, my piano has been severely neglected ...
29
votes
4answers
1k views
Why are there twelve notes in an octave?
I know that one scale consists of 12 half-tones. But my question is still: Why? Why not 13 or 11?
33
votes
11answers
758 views
I need help getting out of my scalar rut.
I'm a well versed and experienced guitarist. I have a decent sense for rhythm and melody, but I have a VERY hard time with soloing. I know you've heard it all before.. I'm one of those guys that got ...
19
votes
3answers
5k views
What to look for when buying a digital piano for a beginner?
My wife has recently started learning to play the piano and needs something at home on which to practise. I'm inclined towards a digital piano as it is more practical (Mainly space but also no tuning ...
11
votes
5answers
8k views
What is the first scale one should learn on guitar
The title really sums it all up but I'll try expand it slightly. Lets say I'm learning guitar and would like to improve my guitar work. Which of the scales should I learn first and why?
25
votes
12answers
2k views
How can I overcome the fear of performing in front of an audience?
I have been learning how to play Spanish guitar for more than two years and half.
Every time my friends ask me to play something, I get scared and my hands start to shake.
How to break this fear?
I ...
15
votes
3answers
3k views
How do harmonics work?
The guitar has harmonic notes at some places. I can play it, but I don't understand the logical reason why/how this is can played. Can you tell me how exactly this works?
What other musical ...
12
votes
6answers
2k views
Get back into an instrument after long break?
In my youth I played lots of piano, for over 10 years, and became quite good at it. During college, however, I just didn't have the time to keep it up.
It looks as if I'll soon have access to a ...
20
votes
3answers
12k views
What Does a Compressor Pedal Do?
Quite often, when I see a pedalboard of guitarists I admire, there is a compressor pedal in the chain. How exactly does this pedal affect the sound?
48
votes
7answers
2k views
Why is the guitar tuned like it is?
Why is there that funny tuning kink between the G and B string on a guitar in standard tuning? I.e., the (musical) gap between the rest of the adjoining strings is 5 frets (or a perfect fourth), but ...
8
votes
5answers
3k views
What factors affect a guitar's ability to sustain a note?
There are effects and gadgets that can create a long sustained note, but what about the guitar itself?
I have a squier standard strat which I can't help but feel could be letting notes ring longer, ...
7
votes
2answers
13k views
How does string gauge affect a guitar's sound and playability?
Guitar strings are available in a variety of gauges.
What effect does my choice of string gauge have on the sound of my guitar?
What effect does it have on playability?
13
votes
7answers
852 views
Coated Strings—Gimmick, or worth the money?
Never used them myself, but I had a friend who used to swear by the plastic-coated strings he bought for his electric to try and help keep them cleaner. While I realize this probably does do ...
12
votes
5answers
151 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 ...
7
votes
1answer
132 views
How do I use string gauge tables?
I have seen that string manufacturers publish tables of string gauges and tensions.
For example, this one.
How can I use these to choose a set of strings for my instrument?
2
votes
5answers
216 views
Need Help in Starting to Learn Guitars?
I am a beginning guitar player. I enjoyed playing in my childhood, but for some reason I was not able to learn.
But now I want to learn guitar. I wasn't sure whether to buy an electric guitar or a ...
55
votes
16answers
19k views
What is good software for learning how to sight-read?
I'd like to learn how to sight-read on my own, but practicing the same song over and over again just causes me to memorize it, and filling out worksheets is boring.
Is there any good software for ...
24
votes
8answers
474 views
What exactly should I have to learn to understand why certain combination of chords are harmonic when played in a sequence?
I am an intuitive music composer trying to move to a technical music composer. As a dummy, I see music as a composition of 'pieces' (my word). Each piece is a set of notes that are melodical when ...
12
votes
2answers
3k views
What are the most effective ear training methods ?
Ear training is a very important ability for any musician to develop. From intonation when singing or playing an instrument to playing and transcribing by ear.
What is the best way to improve this? ...
15
votes
8answers
2k views
Software that slows down music to help in transcribing.
while reading some of the questions about transcribing music here. I have come across these software tools that allow to slow down music and manipulate it freely. I think this is very interesting ...
19
votes
1answer
1k views
Beginning “adult” piano for musicians
My piano skills are the weakest part of my conducting/rehearsal technique, so I'd like to work on them essentially starting from scratch. I don't have the option of a piano teacher, so I'm looking for ...
30
votes
5answers
7k views
Is there any real-world difference between time signatures such as 4/4 and 8/8?
These days I pretty much play everything by ear, but was originally trained in strathspey and reel violin so realise I should know the answer to this, but I can't remember what, if any, the practical ...
9
votes
4answers
1k views
Is it possible to find the correct chords from melody notes alone?
I'm caught up in this thought. My friend gave me just the melody notes of a song. Here it is,
So, Here is the problem: "without having the chords supplied, there is no way of knowing what the chords ...
21
votes
10answers
4k views
How can I improve my piano sight reading?
I am 25 years old, and I started learning piano about 6 months ago. I really want to play the piano well, but it takes me so long to be able to play any piece of music. In the meantime, I'm using a ...
5
votes
4answers
401 views
What are the various methods of tuning the guitar?
This is not a question as much as it is a discussion. I am curious to know what are the different techniques to tune the guitar (using standard tuning) given you know that one string is in tune. I ...
11
votes
4answers
669 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?
10
votes
3answers
10k views
Do distortion pedals work well with tube amps? Or should I use a tube screamer?
I have a Blackstar HT5 tube amp and I like to use a Boss DS1 with the clean channel for the heavy stuff (Zeppelin to Nirvana, these are very different I know). Is this considered a good idea, or ...
6
votes
5answers
2k views
What are the feelings & emotions behind chords?
I studied some different books on Music Theory and all were too much scientific and definitely very helpful to some point.
Now that I have started writing some songs, I feel I need to know more ...
6
votes
5answers
1k views
Logical way to learn movable scales on guitar?
After learning the CAGED 'open string' scales, what scales to do next? In what order or what way? When I learn a new scale, it seems to have the effect of displacing my ability to play other scales ...
26
votes
4answers
1k views
Purpose of double-sharps and double-flats?
In a few pieces of music I have read through, I have come across double-sharps and flats.
To my understanding, they are two semitones above/below the note indicated. What is, then, the point of ...
23
votes
8answers
1k views
How do you identify a good guitar?
What do you look for when going for a guitar? I own an acoustic and am looking for a better one.
What should I be looking for? Wood quality, brand, strings, etc.?
12
votes
6answers
9k views
How can I create a long sustained note on an electric guitar?
I've seen such effects on Santana, Robert Fripp and Steve Hackett. They produce a clean sustained sound and I don't know how to create it.
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 ...
9
votes
8answers
1k views
What is the difference between a mode and a scale?
I can't seem to find a straight definition for both.
9
votes
7answers
235 views
What methods can I use to aid note accuracy when playing a Theremin
The main problem I have with the Theremin is identifying "anchors" to help train my muscle memory for note accuracy.
My first violin, about 35 years ago, had tape added by my instructor for the first ...
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 ...
5
votes
3answers
922 views
Which strings should I use for DADGAD tuning on my acoustic guitar?
I have recently switched to DADGAD tuning, before that I was using light tension strings ( 12 16 24 32 42 53 ).
But because of DADGAD, to compensate for the lack of tension on the neck, I wanted to ...
