Questions tagged [technique]
For questions about ways to use one's instrument or voice precisely to produce a desired musical effect.
213
questions
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6
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The same note on two staves
On rare occasions, I encounter the same note on two staves with overlapping durations. Attached is an example from an arragement of "The Long and Winding Road" by The Beatles (The note in ...
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69
votes
24
answers
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Best method to 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 ...
Don
16
votes
3
answers
3k
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What is the best way to play a chord larger than your hand?
I've seen and attempted to play multiple songs on the piano that include chords that are tenths or sometimes even elevenths or twelfths (rarely), and these chords have four or five notes.
If I were to ...
17
votes
5
answers
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Piano music with two treble clefs, and notes between staves
I do not understand why there are two treble cleff staves and why there are music notes in the middle of the two staves. Which hand should I play those notes with and why are there two treble cleff ...
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26
votes
10
answers
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What is the difference between male head voice and falsetto?
What is the fundamental difference between head voice and falsetto in male singers? I think I know the answer, but I cannot be sure in its credibility, since all my self-researched knowledge comes ...
- 363
9
votes
5
answers
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How to be expressive?
Joe Satriani said:
There are a lot of good guitarists out there. Their technique is great,
their fingers stretch really wide and they can play really fast. But
very few of them can be ...
- 8,042
7
votes
5
answers
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Tips playing F barre chord
Any tips for a newbie in playing the F barre chord.
I find it very hard to put my fingers in place. I've got a strat.
I hear you can move it up and down the neck for other barre chords.
TeaDrinkingGeek
6
votes
6
answers
835
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(Piano) How should I play this harmonic unison
I stumbled with harmonic unisons for the first time trying to play this arrangement
I found this question where some techniques to deal with harmonic unison are discussed, and it helped me with the ...
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33
votes
7
answers
38k
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How is this B flat guitar chord physically possible?
This chord diagram is from the GarageBand chord trainer (I'm a beginner). How is it possible to put a barre down on the third fret without also muting the top E string?
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33
votes
10
answers
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How to bend and release without flicking the other strings?
I'm trying to bend up then back down on the G string (so it plays both notes, I'm not muting the bend back down to G) but I always catch my fingernail on the D string. So when I let the bend back ...
- 431
26
votes
14
answers
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Can one be too old to learn an instrument?
I own a guitar. I've owned it since I was about 13, but never really got into it because I was a spiteful teen who wanted to play the drums, and went out of my way to play the drums instead (to the ...
- 363
21
votes
3
answers
4k
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Improving breath support
What are some exercises or tips to help singers improve their breath support?
- 1,289
16
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3
answers
49k
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What is a ghost note ?
What is a ghost note and how is it different than holding the previous note ?
- 1,446
14
votes
3
answers
19k
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String sticking to the fretting finger - how to avoid?
When raising a finger from a fret, it sometimes happens to me that a string "sticks" to the finger, producing an annoying sound (like when I would do a pull-off, but unintentional). This happens most ...
- 2,457
4
votes
4
answers
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How do I play this slur in 'Cockles and Mussels'?
Do I simply play both hands legato? Does the slur mean that anything that falls beneath it for both hands are to be played legato? I thought I knew how legato worked, but I'm not sure anymore.
- 311
2
votes
1
answer
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views
singing without lyrics
I was recently listening to some music while working on a book I'm writing and an orchestral piece came on. There was a woman singing over this instrumental but it wasn't lyrical words, more just ...
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83
votes
8
answers
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Ten Minute Practice Techniques For Guitar?
Unfortunately, I can't play every day.
However, I am trying to practice at least 5-10 minutes here and there. What are some good theory or scale techniques/practice methods I should have ready to ...
- 1,235
29
votes
7
answers
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Which fingering to use when playing the same piano key twice in a row?
I just started to learn piano, and I notice that practice sheet music for beginners sometimes specifies for all or some keys which fingers should hit them. It seems that some authors consistently ...
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25
votes
8
answers
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How to hide a flat pick in the right hand when switching to finger picking, Warren Haynes style
Watch any Warren Haynes video on YouTube and you'll notice that he often likes to mix it up and play solos with a pick but mid-way switch to using his fingers.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EMxG90vP-...
- 2,774
22
votes
8
answers
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How can I minimize going out of tune when using the whammy bar?
Perhaps my selection of musicians is biased, but usually when I see a whammy bar used, it's usually with a locking tremolo bridge like a Floyd Rose. Everybody else seems to take the whammy bar out and ...
- 2,242
22
votes
6
answers
2k
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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?
- 1,446
21
votes
6
answers
2k
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Skills needed for classical guitar
I've been playing steel-string acoustic for 25+ years, and I'm becoming more interested in classical guitar playing. While I'm fairly good at fingerstyle, I'm aware that making the leap to classical/...
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19
votes
4
answers
4k
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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?
- 8,042
17
votes
2
answers
6k
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What can I do about my problems with piano scales which manifest in just one direction?
I've been practicing scales for some time now, and I found them mostly easy and fun to play. The problems begin when I have to play them faster, but oddly enough my problem manifests only when playing ...
- 1,625
13
votes
6
answers
681
views
What are some of the things that influence a player's "tone"?
Listen to Larry Carlton, Jeff Beck,Steve Morse, Grant Green, Freddie/BB/ King, Hound Dog Taylor, Luther Allison, Dave Gregory ect.. - love'm or hate'm they all have very distinctive tones, Why? It's ...
JustnBeaver
12
votes
7
answers
4k
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What is the proper way to play A-Flat scales on piano?
Consider four cases:
A-flat major
A-flat (natural) minor
A-flat melodic minor
A-flat harmonic minor
I start them with the third finger on the A-flat key (both hands), but I have no idea how a ...
- 259
12
votes
7
answers
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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 ...
Dave
10
votes
5
answers
7k
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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 ...
- 16k
9
votes
1
answer
1k
views
How to play repeating notes quickly in the left hand on the piano
I've been working on Fur Elise, and I came to one section repeating a single note staccato in the bass.
How do I play this? I've tried playing it normally, but I can't sustain it for more than a ...
- 7,349
9
votes
7
answers
3k
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Guitar solo techniques
I have been playing guitar for a while now and I've decided (after playing with a guy I know and seeing how expressive his solos are) that I need to improve my improvisation.
My improvisations are ...
- 2,112
8
votes
4
answers
933
views
How to play two voices with a large range in the same hand?
My copy of Leonard Cohen's Hallelujah includes the following measures:
I don't know how to play the left hand. My problem is that I cannot reach from F2 to A3 (in the first bar, others ...
- 1,001
7
votes
5
answers
20k
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How to play power chords without fretting hand getting tired?
My brother and I sat down to play electric / bass covers of Bad Religion together and by the end of the two hour session my hand literally died - like a tingling sensation and a sharp stinging pain. I'...
- 2,034
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votes
5
answers
9k
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How does a metronome help me play music better?
I heard that anyone who received theoretical education in music should use a metronome to practice their timing. But I don't know how does a metronome help me? Or even how would better timing help me?
...
- 657
7
votes
5
answers
6k
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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 very fast. I'm wondering if there is some sort of a damping capo that I can put over the other four ...
user365
6
votes
4
answers
10k
views
Why do guitar teachers and lesson books teach playing a G Major chord without using your pinky?
Why do most guitar teachers and beginner guitar lesson books teach the fingering for the G major chord using the ring finger to fret the g note on 3rd fret of high e string rather than using your ...
- 27k
2
votes
2
answers
118
views
how to coordinate hands when playing very fast
The below image is measure 57 from Chopin, Nocturne in C sharp minor, and the time signature is 4/4.
I started by playing it slowly, then sped up. When I become fast enough, my hand loses control over ...
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27
votes
4
answers
10k
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How do I become better at "playing outside"?
One can spend an enormous amount of time playing melodies "in" the tonic. For example if you are in A major, you might favor A major or A lydian. However, there is a term called "...
- 1,822
27
votes
15
answers
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What are the pros and cons of Traditional Grip vs. Matched Grip for snare and drumset?
So far I've just been learning matched grip for my snare and drumset playing, but I see of lot of people using traditional grip as well. I'm curious, what are some of the pros and cons of matched vs. ...
- 1,074
24
votes
6
answers
37k
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How to play chords like G/B
I heard that if there is a chord written like x/y then that means an x chord with y in the bass. This can be played by playing x normally, but then playing the y note on the 6th string, correct?
Then ...
protect your ears
19
votes
7
answers
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Is it normal for frequent guitar playing to be accompanied by wrist pain?
Is it normal for frequent guitar playing to be accompanied by wrist pain or is it something that is caused by poor posture/position and technique? I have been playing for several years now, and mostly ...
- 719
19
votes
7
answers
5k
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How to know if it's a mode or scale?
How do I differentiate between modes?
Suppose a person is playing "D Dorian". How do I know that it's "D Dorian" and not "C Major/Ionian" or "E Phrygian" and so on, and in fact "A natural minor" ...
- 291
19
votes
5
answers
7k
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Was Bach the first to use thumbs on a keyboard?
This question reminded me of a claim that I've heard before, namely, that J. S. Bach was the first keyboardist to utilize the thumbs in his playing technique. I'm not sure where I've heard this, but ...
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18
votes
9
answers
20k
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Playing one hand loudly and the other quietly
I'm currently learning to play Comptine d'un autre été from Yann Tiersen (Sheet music(pdf) - youtube video) and when I play starting from the 13th bar I barely hear the notes my right hand plays.
...
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16
votes
3
answers
27k
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How to avoid unwanted scratching/squeaking/hissing noise from the fretting hand when playing hi-gain electric guitar?
I have been playing the electric guitar for over ten years now, and this is an issue that has been troubling me for ages.
Whenever I play hi-gain songs and have to switch fretting hand positions ...
- 301
16
votes
6
answers
71k
views
Causes of sharp pain in a fretting finger after playing guitar or bass?
I have been playing guitar and bass for about 20 years now and I have noticed that sometimes, particularly in the last five years, I will do something with my fretting hand that causes a sharp pain in ...
- 423
15
votes
2
answers
4k
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Do orchestral string instruments need a pause before con sordino?
I’m a self-taught wannabe composer who’s playing with strings in Sibelius and I’m trying to learn the intricacies of writing for different techniques, such as con sordino, sul pont., etc. My question ...
- 1,185
13
votes
3
answers
3k
views
What can I do to make cover song to be more interesting?
If I want to cover some songs, I don't want cover it like the original one. Then, I need some refreshment on my cover version right?
What can I do to make it more interesting? What are the techniques?...
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12
votes
3
answers
646
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How to keep from tensing up when I click the metronome faster?
I've been trying to build up speed with my tremolo exercises, and the demon I keep fighting is a sort of negative feedback loop fed by worrying about deviations from the tempo, increasing attention on ...
- 15k
12
votes
1
answer
1k
views
What are good techniques to bend notes on brass instruments
I play Eb tuba, and sometimes I come across bending down in my notes - either as an effect at the end of a note, or sometimes as a slide between two notes. I find this difficult to achieve with a good ...
- 3,874
11
votes
5
answers
6k
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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 ...
- 1,754