For questions about generalities about instruments or groups of instruments.
8
votes
2answers
96 views
What is this Antique Brass Instrument on display at the Musical Instrument Museum in Brussels, Belgium?
Does anyone know what type of instrument this is? It looks like some type of Euphonium, but obviously very different.
2
votes
3answers
62 views
Portable non-electronic keyboard instrument that is not an accordion? [on hold]
Do you know of any rare musical instrument that is
Portable enough to carry around all day.
Keyboard or similar, so that some of my piano skills do transfer.
Not completely electronic(not a ...
3
votes
0answers
35 views
Did the rain stick originate independently in multiple continents?
There is a traditional rain stick (percussion instrument) in African, Latin America, and I believe in Australia as well. Was it invented separately, or did one culture influence another?
Here is a ...
5
votes
1answer
71 views
GuitarPro: Change to Eb, but keep notation in E
I just downloaded GuitarPro 7.5. I used to use GuitarPro quite a bit, but it's been a while.
I like to tune down and play in Eb. I want to change a song to sound 1/2 step lower, but want to keep ...
1
vote
1answer
29 views
When to use sub-brackets for similar instruments within a section?
In some scores, especially printed sheet music, “like” instruments in larger sections will be grouped together with sub-brackets, such as piccolos with flutes, oboes with English horns, clarinets and ...
8
votes
4answers
2k views
Loudness of A Contrabass
I was watching a play called The Contrabass and the actor stated that "the contrabass is different from other instruments in that, it is heard better as one moves further from it" (please note that ...
4
votes
3answers
317 views
Is Learning Guitar and Ukulele side by side a good idea?
I'm trying to decide whether it's a good idea to learn playing the guitar while I am also learning the ukulele.
I've been playing ukulele since about six months and I'm making really good progress. ...
0
votes
1answer
40 views
How do East Asian instruments (Shamisen, pipa, etc.) get their unique sound?
Is it because of the tuning of the strings, what the strings are made of, or the shape of it? Or something completely else? Would it be possible to replicate the sound with a regular guitar?
0
votes
2answers
60 views
How do I turn a regular instrument into electric (with aux port, etc)
Once I get a waterphone I was wondering if I would be able to get a kit or something that would let me plug it into my PC to record it. Would this be feasible for someone who has no experience with ...
3
votes
2answers
202 views
Are bass clarinet and tenor sax notations played an octave lower? [duplicate]
I am totally blind, and I read music Braille. I also use a MIDI keyboard to make musical tracks using a sequencer.
Recently, I had a piece, October by Eric Whitacre, transcribed into Braille music.
...
30
votes
10answers
8k views
Why don't “classical” stringed instruments mark their note positions?
So, I understand why classical strings (violins, cellos etc.) aren't fretted, because of the change this makes in the tone. I've often wondered though, why the note positions aren't marked on the neck ...
1
vote
5answers
205 views
Between a guitar and a ukulele what should one consider when choosing a new instrument to learn?
I really want to learn to play a musical instrument. Ever since my "keyboard" lessons as a kid 3 decades ago - I have been put off.
I learned songs on keyboard by "rote" i.e., the instructor ...
15
votes
6answers
4k views
Why do music directors use keyboard (or similar) instruments for composing music?
I have seen that most of the film music directors use keyed music instruments for composing music. I hardly saw directors use other instruments like strings or wind instruments for the same. What ...
3
votes
2answers
102 views
How young could a child start learning an instrument?
I play the guitar and have always tried to include my son in the fun when I play. He's 9 months old and seems to always like listening to it so far. Recently he has become very curious about the ...
5
votes
3answers
588 views
Can I play an English horn part with a viola?
I want to perform music in class for a Shakespeare play. Can I play an English horn part with a viola?
0
votes
0answers
22 views
Computer-controlled portable reed organ?
The "Melauton" is an automatic, computer-controlled reed organ built from a melodica. Is there any record of similar instruments being built? It looks like a very interesting project.
17
votes
3answers
3k views
Are musical floppy drives tone wheel instruments?
So I'm doing a project involving classifying electrophones according to MIMO's Hornbostel-Sachs system (see here) and I'm looking at musical floppy disk drives specifically (see here).
The drives ...
1
vote
1answer
97 views
Is it possible to play Novatio Launchkey Midi controller without computer
I am planning to buy Novation Launchkey midi controller. But I am wondering if I can play this keyboard just like other ordinary keyboard by just connected to power ? Is it mandatory that it to be ...
5
votes
1answer
97 views
How did the harmonium and violin become an integral part of Hindustani music?
The Harmonium hails from Germany and it is not an Indian instrument. Also, it is a equal tempered instrument. But the harmonium is a very common accompanying instrument in Hidustani Classical and ...
35
votes
9answers
10k views
Can wind instruments be played out of tune?
I believed that the trombone stands almost alone among wind instruments, in that it allows to play a continuous pitch range. The rest have a discrete set of possible notes (pitches), hence things are ...
2
votes
2answers
118 views
What is the name of the technique where the pitch of the instrumental or vocal line slides smoothly between notes?
Okay, I have been trying to find the word for this vocal trick/note trick for so freaking long. I don't even know if there's a word for it but it's in so many songs spanning the history of recorded ...
1
vote
1answer
164 views
What's the name of the instrument that is blown into, that has a lid that lifts up?
In cartoons, especially in processions, there's an instrument that I think is reminiscent of a tuba. When blown into, the lid lifts off.
What's this instrument called?
1
vote
1answer
286 views
Loudness of instruments - musician's viewpoint [closed]
I have been wondering how loud seem instruments to musicians that play them. Let's say that you put an instrument in a room with average acoustics and measure loudness that musician hears and loudness ...
5
votes
2answers
402 views
Musical that requires changing the keyboard MIDI sounds quickly [closed]
Within the score for our school production the keyboard part has to change voice every other page and there isn't time to change the voice manually.
Rather than having 6 different keyboards in the ...
2
votes
3answers
186 views
Choosing musical instrument
I need help with choosing my next musical instrument. I used to play the diatonic harmonica, but I plateaued after learning all the basics. Another reason why I stopped liking the instrument is that ...
0
votes
1answer
45 views
How to get rid of a scratch on my strat
I know that it's possible to rub out a scratch on my cars finish using rubbing and polishing compound. Does the same thing work on a guitars finish if the scratch is not to deep?
1
vote
3answers
99 views
How musicians are chosen to accompany on stage? [closed]
I had a question about music concerts. When solo artists do concerts, in the backstage different unknown musicians are accompanying them. So how are these musicians chosen to accompany?
2
votes
1answer
276 views
Default instruments for FL Studio 12?
I can not find this anywhere on their website or forums. I understand that FL 12 has a lot of presets and whatnot for the oscillators, and a lot of synth sounds, but what does it have for real ...
7
votes
2answers
1k views
Examples of people who started their instrument at an age >20 and got good at it [closed]
Do you know any instrumentalist (guitar, piano or anything else) who has achieved something and started out at an age >20 years? (by achieving I mean give decent performances, handle their instrument ...
6
votes
3answers
107 views
Can a physics simulator be used to generate sounds for music?
Does anyone use, or know of, a simulator for creating sounds based on simulating the vibrations of real objects?
I saw an art display called Tipping Point that created a sound-scape based on ...
0
votes
1answer
38 views
How do horns get mechanically voiced in a 125 key Gaudin dance organ (or other mechanical orchestra)?
Sample video here:
I understand with the organ pipes that they would have a blower and be able to actuate a valve to make them sound but how do they make the horns ...
4
votes
2answers
118 views
What do you call when somebody uses a paper between his lips and blows to improvise?
My grandfather used to pick a piece of paper, bend it in some way, and put it on his lips to blow and improvise on a song. It sounded quite cool. He used to call this "sordina" (mute, sourdine), that'...
4
votes
2answers
63 views
Is there a specific term for mouth resonator instruments?
Both the nose flute and the Jew's harp use the mouth as a resonant cavity to adjust pitch, but neither uses the voice as a source of power. Is there a generic term for such instruments?
In ...
46
votes
11answers
16k views
Why can't drums produce melody?
A note is a vibration at a certain frequency. A drum produces a tone with a certain pitch much like a string percussed with a mallet.
Why is a drum unfit for playing a melody while a string inside a ...
2
votes
1answer
66 views
Why do some bamboo flutes use bindings?
I have both the Dizi (Chinese traverse bamboo flute) and the Bansuri (Indian traverse Bamboo flute).
The Dizi has plastic bindings:
The Bansuri has thread bindings:
Why do bamboo flutes like the ...
3
votes
1answer
134 views
History of the baby grand piano
The first pianos were made in around 1700. Researching a little online, I've been able to find lots of info on the history of the piano. But when was the "baby grand" piano first created and/or ...
6
votes
1answer
384 views
Difference between 6 holed and 7 holed Indian bamboo flute?
I'm planning to buy an Indian bamboo flute. I found out today that there are Indian bamboo flutes with a different number of holes. There is one with 6 fingering holes called Bansuri and one with 7 ...
2
votes
2answers
95 views
What does the “harmonic” knob do on a software instrument?
In GarageBand I'm using a software instrument called "Screamlead" which has several knobs as follows:
Some of these, like "glide" and "overdrive," remind me of adjustments on synthesizers. Is "...
1
vote
1answer
211 views
Instrumentation of the Rite of Spring
I am studying Stravinsky's Rite of Spring (just for my own pleasure) and I have the Dover Miniature Score.
On the instrumentation page, I see entries such as these:
Piccolo
3 Flutes (Fl. III = ...
2
votes
2answers
107 views
Music instruments taxonomy/sorting based on sound richness
I was wondering if there is some kind of music instruments taxonomy or quantitative/qualitative sorting based on richness of sound or other comparable timbre characteristics. I realize that timbre ...
24
votes
5answers
3k views
Why are double staff pieces of music not properly aligned for Middle C?
I am a guitar, flute and (a long time ago) bassoon player. I can play a few things on a keyboard, badly, in short: I know how it all works. I'm trying to help teach my wife to play a harp. It has a ...
2
votes
5answers
318 views
Which wind instruments do not change pitch when blown harder?
In childhood I had a plastic toy-ish whistle with 8 holes and I learned to play many songs on it. In a few months I developed enough muscle memory to be able to play almost every song. One day I ...
1
vote
0answers
72 views
Bach's keyboard concertos on fortepiano?
It is known that J.S.Bach was acquainted with the fortepiano at least twice in his life, in 1726 when he played one of Silbermann's experimental models (and mildly criticized it), and toward the end ...
49
votes
11answers
20k views
Do advanced musicians still practice scales every day?
I'm wondering if you're ever "done" or do you just go practicing them forever?
0
votes
3answers
388 views
Is there a way to mute a specific instrument on songs so I can play that part with my instrument?
I am learning to play guitar and, in some videos I have seen in youtube, people play a song in the background (that has muted the guitar part) so they play it themselves. Is there a software to do ...
0
votes
1answer
94 views
What kind of instrument involves simultaneously singing into a microphone and playing a keyboard?
I've been to a few concerts (and recognize the same sound in recorded music) where the singer sings into a microphone and plays chords on a keyboard. The sound captured by the microphone isn't played ...
0
votes
1answer
41 views
What is the marimba type instrument in the song PUSHER - Clear? [closed]
If anyone could tell me what the marimba type instrument in this song is I will be very very very happy :] It is playing throughout the whole song except for the drop. Thank you very much.
0
votes
1answer
163 views
how to find something to practice mallets on at home
My son plays several instruments well including piano, and has been dabbling over the last few years with practice pad (for snare technique) and drumset. Now he wants to learn to play mallet ...
10
votes
3answers
2k views
How did baroque music sound at the time?
Historical context
Let's for example consider Toccata and Fugue in D minor, BWV 565 (click here to enjoy). It was composed at the very beginning of the 18th century in Germany. At that time:
...
0
votes
1answer
88 views
Methods to preserve autographs on an acoustic guitar
Some months ago I met my favourite band backstage and got my guitar signed by the band members. Since then I avoid playing this specific guitar to not blur or completely erase the autographs. I ...
