Questions tagged [technique]
For questions about ways to use one's instrument or voice precisely to produce a desired musical effect.
970
questions
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43 views
Safety of exercises in Alan Greene: “How to Sing and Speak Properly” book
I have years of experience singing incorrectly on a hobbyist level. My voice has a lot of tension and I have very little concept of what makes up "good technique". I want to improve my singing tone ...
4
votes
7answers
691 views
How to practice for speed and consistency
I am practising a piece on piano and I find that I can not progress beyond 70% of the intended speed without hitting a lot of wrong keys by accident. In fact, I even have problems playing the song at ...
2
votes
1answer
41 views
How Do I Utilize My Practice Time So It Is Efficient (Clarinet)?
As a high school clarinetist, I have showed skill and potential. I play a Buffet E12F, with a Vandoren Black Diamond mouthpiece, and use 3 1/2 strength V12 Vandoren reeds. I made all-state this past ...
2
votes
3answers
41 views
Ständchen Schubert arr. Liszt help with line
While learning this piece I encountered this line connecting two notes between the different clefs. I’ve never seen it before but my best guess is that maybe it’s showing a change in the voice between ...
2
votes
3answers
62 views
General technique and sight-reading recommendations for piano
I played piano for many years in an "informal school", which helped me get some experience. I started when I was really young and learnt almost no classical music, mainly movie soundracks and modern ...
3
votes
2answers
51 views
Using 3 fingers to mute particularly intense harmonics — is there a better way?
When playing the bass, I'm noticing a lot of hard-to-mute harmonics at certain points. Most of the time I can stop a note by easing off but still applying pressure with my fretting hand, and muting ...
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3answers
98 views
Is this slide made unnecessarily hard?
Sliding from 3 to 5 and then hitting 2? Do I need to stretch my hands that much? Or is this made unnecessarily hard?
2
votes
1answer
34 views
How to fix tension when playing octaves?
When I play octaves, or any chords that require an octave stretch or more, I find that my hand and forearm become very tense to play them accurately. If I try to play relaxed, the octaves are sloppy ...
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2answers
70 views
What to do about impossibly fast transitions in Well-Tempered Clavier prelude 15?
Do composers really mean that one should play what they write exactly? For example, in The Well-Tempered Clavier, prelude 15.
In measure 2, last 3 notes: does Bach really intend that one should keep ...
1
vote
0answers
27 views
Playing song more smoothly on oboe
I have to play John Rutter's A Gaelic Blessing but I am finding it a little hard to play smoothly. I can play it through with good fingering but I am having trouble with the dynamics and sometimes I ...
1
vote
1answer
40 views
Mastering oboe dynamics
I have been playing the oboe for a term now, and I have come across some songs that require me to use dynamics. How do you achieve dynamics on the oboe, and what exercises can you do to master it.
4
votes
2answers
72 views
How to do a Wrist Vibrato
I am a beginner violinist, and I want to learn to do a vibrato. I know up to 5th position, my intonation is pretty good and I have no problem shifting back and forth, in that contrary, I enjoy ...
2
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3answers
111 views
How to improve stamina in hands for technical pieces
These two pieces are currently part of my repertoire:
Etude Op. 25 No. 11 "Winter Wind" (Chopin)
Transcendental Étude No. 10 "Appassionata" (Liszt)
These are both very technical pieces. ...
3
votes
1answer
69 views
What is the meaning of S.H. in a harp score?
On this page of Marcel Tournier's Vers la source dans le bois, one sees S.H. in the 8th bar. What does this mean?
1
vote
1answer
45 views
Reading strumming patterns for sheet music
Ok I am not sure how close or far off I am here and IF I am explaining this correctly...
When reading sheet music is strumming a down stroke a single note line, and a UD strum when you see both notes ...
1
vote
3answers
87 views
Guitar, let ring concept confusion
I read guitar tabs recently and was confused by the "let ring" concept. If I'm not using palm mute, shouldn't it be ringed instead? E.g, I change C chord to D chord, 5th string still ringing and ...
7
votes
4answers
2k views
What's the reasoning behind discouraging the use of the pinky finger by some schools of finger-style guitar?
We've had related discussions twice:
Fingers to use while playing finger-style guitar
Fingerpicking with my pinky finger
The general consensus seems to be that any technique is fine as long as it's ...
2
votes
3answers
63 views
Feeling a new rhythm subdivision, eg triplets
I am practicing triplets on guitar. I can play them at a decent speed accurately and I emphasis (alternating up/down strokes) the first of each set on the beat and can feel them internally up to a ...
8
votes
5answers
3k views
On instruments that use frets, where's the best spot to press a string on, in order to minimize hand fatigue and potential for injuries?
I know this question sounds completely subjective at first sight, it even triggered the automatic "The question you're asking appears subjective and is likely to be closed" alarm, but please read ...
0
votes
1answer
40 views
Why does thinking in terms of eighth note beats help me to play at a Presto tempo?
There are multiple pieces I have played that have either Presto or Prestissimo as the tempo. Haydn and Mozart Prestos are generally easier for me because the tempo is slower, around 160-170 BPM, which ...
0
votes
2answers
114 views
Vocal technique: Why is Smiling Used to Sharpen Notes?
A very common technique in singing is to smile in order to brighten the tonality of a given note and raise the pitch of the note.
When it comes to raising the pitch of the note, is it the overtones ...
0
votes
2answers
99 views
What is meant by “strength” in piano playing?
I often hear poeple talk about how to "improve your strength" in piano technique by doing exercises, Bach, or whatever, but I've never seen an actual definition of the word strength in this context. ...
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0answers
41 views
What vocal techniques are needed to prevent strain when talking into a vocoder?
A full song played through a vocoder makes my throat begin to ache. I am not sure what I am doing wrong, but I do notice that I try to sing the melody instead of speaking it in an unusual way that is ...
2
votes
0answers
42 views
Can left-hand pizzicato be balanced between open and stopped strings?
When I attempt left-hand pizzicato on an open string I get a resonance that is so loud compared to muted sound I can get with left-hand pizz on a stopped string that if played in the same passage the ...
0
votes
4answers
132 views
How can I make an instrument sound with sine wave?
I'm a program developer.
I'm interested in sound these days.
I know I can synthesize the sound with a synthesizer.
I don't have a synthesizer but I can do that with programming code.
I made an organ ...
2
votes
1answer
50 views
Pedaling in Shostakovich Op. 87
I've never played any Shostakovich before, and I was curious about whether/how I should go about pedaling in his preludes and fugues from Op. 87.
I'm treating the pieces like Bach, but there seems to ...
0
votes
2answers
64 views
Piano Fingering for Mirrored Phrase
I have encountered a piece of music wherein a phrase that is played in the right hand at the start of the song is played in the left later on.
The phrase in the early part of the song is:
Then, ...
1
vote
1answer
90 views
Chopin's Etude Op. 25, Nr. 2
I am having a hard time to play this etude quietly when I increase the speed to full tempo. I play it fast and relaxed but still my right hand seems too loud at that speed. Especially the first two ...
1
vote
1answer
87 views
Mystery note in Tommy Emmanuel's rendition of Classical Gas
I'm transcribing Tommy Emmanuel's rendition of Classical Gas. At 1:19, during the C chord, there is an apparent C3 sounding twice. But as can be seen in the video, he's nowhere near string 1 fret 8. I ...
0
votes
4answers
121 views
Sight reading outside the piano
It is hard for me to practice lately the piano. But i really want to sight read well and keep advancing, even if it is outside of it.
Is it possible to sight read outside the piano by reading piano ...
1
vote
2answers
93 views
Question on fingering for piano
http://www.frederickhodges.com/fundamentalsofpianotechniquepart1.html
I read that in fingering the major and minor arpeggios, only use the first, second, fourth, and fifth fingers, replacing the ...
3
votes
1answer
63 views
Eb harmonic minor scale fingers?
Can anyone help me with Eb harmonic minor piano scale fingering, please?
For both hands if possible.
1
vote
1answer
52 views
How to make sustained polyrhythms easier to play?
I know that a lot of it simply comes down to lots and lots of practice. But in a piece like Chopin's Fantasie Impromptu, I will eventually reach a point where I can play the left hand with no mistakes ...
4
votes
3answers
2k views
Is it considered bad technique to collapse / lock finger joints?
I am a beginner at guitar. My friend recently told me that bending my fingers this way while playing a chord can cause damage to the fingers. I cant help playing this way because of force of habit.
...
3
votes
2answers
120 views
Why Different Rasgueado exist
I am learning flamenco guitar and currently practicing rasgueado.
Traditional rasgueado you have to use all your fingers but i came to know about a-i-i rasgueado , were you ignore your middle finger.
...
5
votes
5answers
241 views
Reconciling Different Schools of Thought in Piano Technique
I am a mostly self-taught pianist who has recently begun to take lessons from a teacher who learned her technique by the Russian piano school method.
I have previously studied technique on my own by ...
4
votes
1answer
73 views
Piano legato polyphony fingering technique [closed]
Since a few months I started with a new piano teacher, and I like it a lot so far! She corrected my fingering technique in the following passage from Ludvig Schytte.
I'm only concerted about the left ...
0
votes
1answer
83 views
What is the name of the piano technique when a player dramatically slams the pianos lower/bass keys?
It's like slapping the lowest part of the piano, like a thunder/rumble/booming-like effect. I've seen on wiki that it may be called "bashing"? How do you achieve it?
Here's a video of it being using ...
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votes
3answers
2k views
How to play large intervals written for left hand in a Piano with normal sized hand?
The lower-note seems to be impossibly hard to play. How do I play that?
Is there a specific technique for this? Have Classical Pieces contained these kinds of intervals and how have these kinds of ...
2
votes
1answer
115 views
How to not play a string between other strings?
The chords uses all strings but the 5th one, the A string, how do I strum strings skipping the A string?
5
votes
4answers
1k views
Is it advisable to cover and uncover the clarinet mouthpiece to play each note?
I took clarinet lessons only for 4 months and my teacher told me that I must cover and uncover the mouthpiece with the tongue between note and note. I find it difficult and I think I prefer to simply ...
2
votes
0answers
70 views
How to practice mixed voice without sounding like I'm screaming?
I'm a 16-year-old high tenor who recently found my mixed voice (YAY!!) about a week ago. When fully warmed up, I start mixing around Bb4 and go up to Ab5 and twice last week I hit an A5! Unfortunately,...
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2answers
138 views
Why is it that vocal teachers seldom let their students practice singing acapella? [closed]
Why is it that vocal teachers seldom let their students practice singing acapella?
I am a person who learn very much from practicing acapella. Why do they seem to dislike acapella and always play the ...
4
votes
3answers
130 views
Is it even possible to really sing into the mask without being nasal?
Over the years I got quite a few of singing teachers. One of the mantras is singing into the mask. However, some teachers disagree on the fact being nasal is a good thing or not. But this is not the ...
5
votes
2answers
140 views
Is this a correct traditional grip?
I know I put the stick on my ring finger but the exact joint that I’m supposed to have it on confuses me as I was told to do this, but it is slightly painful and my ring finger slides around a lot.
2
votes
2answers
130 views
In which ways does plucking a string at different locations affect/change the sound?
In both guitar and bass lessons, it's common that some techniques require you to pluck/strike/excite the string at specific locations. For example, it's very common to see bass players plucking the ...
2
votes
4answers
120 views
playing guitar and singing
I am a singer songwriter, and also like to work various covers into my set.
I take on some songs that have quite a few chords, for example some old jazz standards, and I can play through the chords ...
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vote
0answers
49 views
What is Acle (Tesseract) doing when sticking out his thumb?
See for example this video. The song is Singularity, the time between 4:50 and 5:20. The musician appears to be using the slapping technique, but I am not sure. It also sounds unusually.
I am ...
4
votes
4answers
538 views
Fingering for Bach's Toccata in E-minor BWV914
I am currently learning the Fugue of Bach's "Toccata in E-minor BWV914". My question is if I should play the first bar with the 5th finger or not. Meaning starting with "545 3423 1". I feel more ...
12
votes
8answers
2k views
What is the best way to go about re-learning an instrument?
I used to play the electric bass, for about 8 years. I got quite good at it. By the end of my period of playing, I was playing pretty decent stuff, jazz, funk, finger style, slap etc. I had gotten to ...
