Questions tagged [beginner]

For questions about the beginner level of a topic. Note: this tag should always be accompanied by another tag since beginner alone does not give enough information about the question.

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1 vote
0 answers
37 views

What tips would you give to a beginner violinist to execute these pieces well? [closed]

I am practicing these two pieces to enter orchestra, but I am having difficulty practicing it. Specifically, as I am quite a beginner, I am not sure about many things technique wise. For example, how ...
  • 11
2 votes
1 answer
59 views

Writing music for tenor sax from piano [duplicate]

I have a famous song written for piano that I want to transpose for tenor sax. Is that the correct term? It will be put on a piece of art as a gift so its very important I do this correctly. I am very ...
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4 votes
1 answer
84 views

How do I start learning to play ragtime on the guitar?

I would really like to learn how to play ragtime on the guitar. As a teenager I took guitar lessons. I learned to sight-read and basic chords, but not much beyond that. Years later, I am learning ...
1 vote
0 answers
61 views

Where Should I start in regards to making music? [closed]

I have been studying music theory on and off for 2 years. I am 21 now and I have always had a love for music and was involved in school activities for music up until 6th grade. I unfortunately had to ...
6 votes
4 answers
712 views

Can I play triads with fingers 1-2-4, leaving my pinky free to enhance the chord or play melodic riffs?

From playing the guitar (for fun), I would always try to make a chord leaving my pinky free to either add flavor to the chord or play other melodic "riff" notes. Question - Would I be doing ...
2 votes
1 answer
218 views

Guitar effect in Pink Floyd’s Comfortably Numb [closed]

In the second guitar solo of Comfortably Numb by Pink Floyd, Gilmour has some nice effects at 4:31 (the beginning of the second solo), also at 5:21. It is kind of a hollow sound. Can someone tell me ...
14 votes
7 answers
3k views

Does the key a piece is written in affect playability for piano?

Key signatures and reading sheet music aside, does the key a piece is written in affect the ease with which it can be played on piano? For example, are any keys known for more difficult or awkward ...
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3 votes
2 answers
366 views

Fingering first measure Funeral March

Is the 5 5 fingering for the left hand, first measure, correct? I ask it because it is for me as a beginner difficult to reposition my left pink quickly on the right place. Is there a good alternative?...
  • 31
7 votes
3 answers
682 views

Is there a duration or rest error in the last bar here?

In this example - my understanding is that every bar has four quarter notes, in the third bar, we can see only two eighth notes connected to a half note - does that not make a total of 3 quarter notes?...
  • 535
1 vote
0 answers
33 views

What it's the key and chord progression of this four part harmony music [closed]

I'm trying to write a four-part harmony song with some suspended chords and stuff. I'm having some problems identifying the chords, I'm also not sure if the key is in F. Can anyone help me? I'm also ...
  • 11
1 vote
1 answer
165 views

Fingerpicking right hand beginner problems [duplicate]

I just started to try self-learn fingerpicking. I know absolutely nothing about it, but can play some beginner tunes with flat picking. When I try to position the right hand as told in the YouTube ...
9 votes
5 answers
566 views

Techniques for improving how I learn a piece

I'm a grade 2-3, and last week my piano teacher gave me "To a Wild Rose" (Edward MacDowell) to learn - page 1 for now anyway. At first glance it seems quite straightforward, but 5 days on ...
1 vote
3 answers
110 views

Can I start playing on this clarinet?

Me: no money at all and no experience with wind instruments. Goal: learn how to play clarinet and to read music. Found this "French-styled clarinet from URSS" for 40 dollars. Is it ...
  • 11
1 vote
1 answer
1k views

If The Beatles didn't know music theory, how did they construct whole songs flawlessly? [duplicate]

It is said that the 4 beatle never learned music theory, and is proven by many interviews from them. They are known for writing rock hits that had always hit the charts and the songs they had written ...
6 votes
1 answer
129 views

Is there a better UI for musical typing for drums in Garageband?

I'm new to Garageband and when I'm trying to make drum tracks it's frustrating being unable to tell which sound is mapped to which key without playing the key (especially for instrument packs that don'...
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3 votes
3 answers
122 views

How should I choose a piece for a beginners choral audition?

I am having a difficult time choosing a piece for a choral audition. The chorus I am aiming for admits new singers with no previous experience in singing, and I was told the audition is not much of a ...
  • 31
-1 votes
1 answer
186 views

How long would it take for a beginning piano player to learn to play Bach Badinerie [closed]

Would it be possible for a beginning piano player (in their late twenties) to learn to play the song (see video) exactly as it's played there, within a year of practice (practicing 30 minutes to an ...
3 votes
2 answers
159 views

Is it normal to have memorized a piece by the time you can play it?

I've been playing piano for 5 months and have been having tremendous success (it helps that I've played clarinet for years and can read music). By the time I can play a Level 4 piece from start to ...
7 votes
2 answers
746 views

How to tell whether the soundpost of a violin needs adjustment?

I am aware that soundpost should be adjusted by a professional luthier when the violinist desires e.g. brighter sound. But as a beginner, I don't think it is relevant for me for now. Does the fact ...
  • 321
4 votes
2 answers
95 views

Do nickel-free bassoons exist?

I am allergic to nickel. I come up in itchy bumps after contact. I would like to try playing bassoon but all the ones I have looked at have nickel silver keys, which isn't silver at all but is nickel. ...
  • 41
3 votes
1 answer
124 views

Rests with triplets across the Grand Staff

Let's say this is the 4th of 4 quaver triplets in a 4/4 measure: Unlike the other quaver triplets in the measure, this one crosses the staves, with one note in the bass clef and two in the treble ...
  • 51
2 votes
2 answers
160 views

Question about held notes in piano musical notation [duplicate]

My knowledge of musical notation is extremely limited, so I'm sorry if this is a dumb question... Could anyone tell me how the the below bar would look if the 3 triplet notes marked in red in the bass ...
  • 51
3 votes
0 answers
46 views

How to know in which scale i am from the notes of a melody? [duplicate]

Is there a way to know in which scale a melody is? I have no musical lessons and i learned the minimum that i know from the internet but i think i have some basis (or i want to think it at least). My ...
8 votes
5 answers
393 views

Plateau while learning piano sight-reading

As a 12 year old I had piano lessons for several months until the teacher retired due to ill health and I never kept going with lessons (which I've regretted ever since). On the plus side I've always ...
2 votes
1 answer
1k views

What does this sign before the notes mean and how does its placement affect the notes? [duplicate]

This is from Kiss The Rain by Yiruma but the sign before the notes keep bugging me as its position on staff keeps changing and likewise the octave keeps changing and I can't understand how to play it....
2 votes
1 answer
111 views

How to highlight top note while playing triads / intervals

I am trying to learn funeral march op 35 by Chopin and the initial motive is played using some intervals in which the top note should be the melody thus should be louder then the other notes you are ...
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1 vote
0 answers
99 views

My brand new acoustic guitar's bridge has crack?

Alright So today I received my Kadence Frontier Series which I had ordered online. The guitar's sound is really cool and everything else was good until I found a thin crack at the bridge. What should ...
-1 votes
2 answers
150 views

How to think about SATB when analysing piece on piano? [closed]

I'm beginner, so I read music theory and didn't find straight clear answer about applying SATB in pieces (in modern particularly). What information could I get from dividing voices, seeing all this up ...
9 votes
3 answers
3k views

What purpose do chords serve in music?

I'm a complete beginner to music theory and have recently been learning a few basics. One thing I can't wrap my mind around are chords, and to a certain extent, chord progressions. I know how they are ...
  • 101
4 votes
5 answers
883 views

How is it possible to compose music with chromatic scale when it uses notes other than that of the key of the song?

I'm a beginner in the music world. So my question may seem stupid and confusing. So I'm gonna elaborate a bit. Say, I want to write a track in the key of D. So I have the notes D,E,F#,G,A,B & C#. ...
  • 53
7 votes
4 answers
1k views

I'm not sure if I'm executing these instructions on piano time signature correctly

I'm learning piano on my own and I'm using a workbook (Ben Dunnett). Below is the link to my interpretation of what this task is asking (video on YouTube). I know I've played this in common time as I'...
2 votes
1 answer
108 views

In Sibelius ManuScript language example, why will the Run method not run?

I am learning to write Sibelius plug-ins by working my way through the ManuScript Language Reference (see File > Plug-ins > ManuScript Language Reference). Unlike other scripting languages I use ...
  • 139
3 votes
1 answer
134 views

BPM, beat durations vs frequency

I understand that 60 BPM means 60 Beats Per Minute. And if the "BPM beat note" is a quarter note, it means a quarter note has the duration of 1 second (each quarter note should be held 1 ...
3 votes
5 answers
232 views

How do I hold/use a pick

Seriously. Most people say between the thumb and index coming out the side of your thumb, but I keep messing up, hitting wrong strings, bad rhythm/timing, etc. Any other ways of holding a pick or ...
7 votes
9 answers
2k views

Do I handicap my guitar learning by deemphasizing learning to use a pick?

Been playing guitar for a few months now and for the last month I've started trying to use a pick since most people (including the best guitarists) do and while it's useful for alternate picking, pick ...
3 votes
3 answers
158 views

Piano sight-reading confusion [duplicate]

everyone. I am a beginner pianist and I am to improve my technical and sight-reading skills. I have been sight-reading Primavera - Ludovico Einaudi for the past week and I came across something odd. ...
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1 vote
1 answer
65 views

Best type/way of scale to start practicing and how to move on? [duplicate]

Learning for past 8 months.. chords are coming up well.. trying now to learn scales (after knowing those are the foundation)... Started with E chromatic scale (2 octaves across first 4 frets) with ...
3 votes
0 answers
231 views

what are the sizes of the ocarinas

I have been trying to find the sizes for every ocarina (1C to 7C), width and height of the chamber .The only one I can find was because a youtube video. I am asking this because I want make my own ...
4 votes
3 answers
248 views

In the context of G Major, is there anything special about a Am-Cm-Bm-Em progression?

It looks like a ii-V-iii-vi going around the circle of fifths but with the V replaced with a iv, but I don't know what the theory behind that replacement is. I'd heard of tonicization before but I'm ...
4 votes
3 answers
421 views

How do I learn jazz on piano? [duplicate]

I am very interested in learning piano but more specifically jazz. I really like the way people can just improvise. I know that I would not be easy but I would like to know what the best book or ...
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4 votes
3 answers
106 views

Learning to play Guitar, but how can I find the right size for me?

I've already bought a basic Acoustic Guitar off Amazon, but it's uncomfortable to play. I know the correct positioning to hold the Guitar, its just instead of my right shoulder resting down in the ...
  • 41
2 votes
2 answers
125 views

Having tough time with bottom finger skin hitting bottom guitar strings

I'm a "beginner" at guitar playing, been actively on my guitar for at least a month practising every day. I've enrolled with Guitartricks, I've been watching MANY Youtube videos on beginner ...
5 votes
2 answers
532 views

Roman numerals below the note in violin

I thought the number over the note was the string number for violin. But what are the roman numerals below the score? How do I finger this score in violin? Could you number on the score please...
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1 vote
2 answers
127 views

Help with Syncopation

I have an assignment with a simple rhythm in 4/4 time. I am being asked to rewrite the rhythm as syncopated with one half beat before the start of the measure. I cant add a photo as it is too large to ...
3 votes
1 answer
203 views

standard notation and the numbered notation

So I have been playing piano for 1.5 years and my biggest obstacle for learning piano is definitely to play both hand, I’m still struggling right now, maybe I improve a little bit, but still very much ...
2 votes
1 answer
109 views

Should I switch from learning the Violin to learn Piano Keyboard instead? [closed]

I bought a violin over 2 years ago and yet I haven't learned anything since I couldn't get lessons. I was supposed to get some this summer but with the pandemic going on I couldn't. I really tried to ...
  • 21
3 votes
3 answers
200 views

How to achieve the correct posture if you're short, get a shorter stand or higher chair?

I bought a digital piano with a fixed height stand and the top of the key are 28.75 inches from the ground. I need to get my elbow to be parallel with the key height, is what I got from online videos. ...
  • 133
2 votes
3 answers
237 views

In what order do you play these notes? And how? [duplicate]

I'm a beginner with reading sheet music, and i just can't figure out how you play these notes on the bass clef. Do you need to play then separate or together? Is it a chord or not?
5 votes
1 answer
117 views

Problem with hearing singing voice different than the outcome

I have been trying to learn a bit of singing starting last month, but I'm not getting anywhere. I have the problem that the things I sing in my head sound fine to me, but I know for a fact from ...
3 votes
3 answers
263 views

Why do we use valves with drums

I have stepped by a YouTube video showing Vienna Philharmonic, under John Williams, playing theme from “Jurassic Park”. In 1:44 minute of this video the drummer is ...
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