Questions tagged [technique]
For questions about ways to use one's instrument or voice precisely to produce a desired musical effect.
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How to play vibrato on the clarinet?
I've been playing the clarinet for some time now, and have wanted to extend my ability with it. While doing so, I ran into vibrato. Is there a good method to play vibrato on the clarinet?
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Can anyone tell me how to play triplets in rhythm with eighth notes? [duplicate]
I'm having difficulty performing these series of triplets in tandem with my eighth notes? Does anyone know any cues or practice I can do to learn? I'm thinking I should try to just aim to aim to time ...
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Do you barre a chord directly on the fret itself or in between the frets? [duplicate]
I have seen guitarists barre directly on the fret and also in between in the frets. All diagrams of fret chords show to play in between frets. Which is correct? Or, does it matter? Thank you.
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Glissando, fall, and lip bends on trumpet, what are some good exersices?
I had an artist get recommended to me by another trumpet player, his name is Brandon Ridenour. I just listened to him perform a really clear glissando like the one in Rhapsody in blue. Are there any ...
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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 ...
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How to make Big beat drum from scratch? [closed]
As a beginner producer, I am having trouble making drums for my records.
I usually go to YouTube to learn how to create drum beats, but when I came across Big Beat, there was no detailed tutorial for ...
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Why do the members of one orchestra generally sway while playing, and the others don't?
I'm listening/watching to two videos on YouTube with two different orchestras, each playing a rather distinct style of music, but the members of one really seem to get into the physicality of playing
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Mastering carnatic gamakas (slides, deflections)
I started learning Indian classical violin a couple of years ago. There is a lot of rigor in getting things right with my instructor, and sometimes I feel I'm plateaued and not making progress.
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Should I lift my finger before I hit a key when playing a piano?
I've noticed, that many people are hitting keys, instead of just pressing them. It kinda looks like that before they press the note, they lift the finger a little bit, same as if you tried to hit a ...
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Classical guitar technique problems with leaning ring finger [duplicate]
I've recently started guitar lessons with a local tutor. He's lent me his classical guitar — and ok I'm only two or three days in — but my ring finger on my left fret hand leans towards the middle ...
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What is Meant by Hooting [duplicate]
I once heard a tenor refer to a soprano as having “hooted” while singing with him. What exactly does that mean?
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How or What to Practice to Get Consistent?
This might seem like a strange question. I've read a lot of books about deliberate practice and the history of music pedagogy, and I'm still a bit puzzled by this:
How do I get more consistent?
For ...
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Correct arpeggio direction
Should the left hand arpeggio be played up or down when there's two half notes in the bottom and a quarter note above?
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How to play these chords?
I'm trying to play "Sweet Home Alabama". What confuses me is when I see things like 0h2p0 and 0h2(x4). What are those, and how do you play them?
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Why does a Serialist composition sound like a random one?
Why can random notes and a structured Serialist composition sound the same?
This Reddit comment cites Ligeti:
The irony, noted Ligeti, was that the kind of music pioneered by Boulez and Stockhausen ...
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When to start learning double stops on violin?
I am an adult beginner on the violin and would just like to say I've absolutely loved it so far. I started at the very beginning of this year and found a teacher who I'm extremely happy with. Around ...
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How do you do the Dimebag Squeal?
I have heard that the Dimebag Squeal can be done only on Floyd Rose, though I haven't tried on a regular one though.
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Holding violin bow without pinky
For classical violin: Is holding the bow without using the small finger of the right hand considered defective technique, or does it not matter?
I've realized that I bow without my pinky, and usually ...
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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 ...
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What's the best technique for C major scale?
I'm currently learning C major scale using acoustic guitar and I can play one note at a time on top of a Song. The challenge is,it doesn't sound like a music. How can I achieve good solo with it?
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Piano fingering for left hand figure
What would be the generally recommended fingering for the following left hand figure?
(5-2-1-3-2-3-1-2 works nicely starting on a white key, but not so much on a black key.)
Thanks!
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Tips on finding a comfortable position to hold a guitar?
I have an ES-339, and play sitting down with a strap, right leg on a footstool (or the bar of the chair/stool I'm on). Even though I use the strap, the guitar's body still slightly moves away from me ...
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Guitar - strumming / palm muting -tops of fingers hurt
First off, I'm very new to guitar, and pretty sure my strumming is not working. The thing is, after a few months I never noticed any issues with my right-hand fingers while I strum. Then recently, ...
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Does anyone have any suggestions for some cello pieces to improve my comfort with treble clef/higher positions? [closed]
I've just finished playing "Allegro Appassionato" by Saint-Saëns and the first movement of Cello Concerto No. 1 in E Minor by Brahms. My teacher suggested I start playing Eduoard Lalo's ...
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What does ABRSM mean by Musical Shape and Musical Tone?
The marking criteria for ABRSM Performance exams comprises Pitch, Rhythm, Tone, Shape and Performance.
What is (Musical) Shape?
What is (Musical) Tone?
For context, I'm learning to play piano, ...
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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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Slap and strum technique question
I am trying to learn Bella Ciao arranged by Rodrigo Yukio. How do you play when a part requires you play slap and strum at the same time? (See the image below) Do you use:
only the index finger?
...
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How do I teach high positions for double bass?
I am self-taught on electric bass and I'm currently working with a double bassist who learned to play in a much more conventional sense than I did. My musical education consists of watching videos of ...
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Finger Picking vs. using a Pick on Bass Guitar
Before I played bass I played guitar, so when I started to play bass I naturally used a pick. Eventually I learned how to finger pick and now typically use both picking techniques interchangeably as a ...
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What are some common patterns used when playing the piano/keyboard in a pop/rock band setting?
I've been trying to learn to play the keyboard for a few years now and think it would be cool to eventually get to the point where am able to play as part of a group. The problem is that I really ...
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I don't know how to deal with the trills in Bach's Fugue in D Minor
(Included from comment: the fugue is from well-tempered clavier, vol. 1 BWV 851)
All research I do gives me a different answer. One example said to use the auxiliary note first - more in keeping with ...
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Jazz guitar: thin tone on strings 1-2
Hi jazz guitar experts -
I'm able to get a nice warm, muted, jazzy tone on strings 3-6, but not 1-2. This persists across different guitars, amps, and tone settings. For example, I've tried
Heritage ...
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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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Are short finger nails on the strumming hand not uncommon in flamenco and classical guitar?
I'm well aware that longer finger nails are common on the strumming hands of flamenco and classical guitarists. I'm thinking of trimming my nails right back to see if this would impair playing, ...
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Are 4 part chorales supposed to be played on piano using 2 voices for each hand?
Sometimes the bass and tenor have a 10th or 12th interval so obviously I cant reach that with one hand on some chords but is the general way to play a chorale on piano using two notes per hand? Most ...
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Artificial harmonic pitch
When playing an artificial harmonic, does it matter where the stopping finger is placed? Leaving tone quality aside, will the same pitch class be produced regardless the stopping location?
I performed ...
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Recording technique: not letting the crash cymbals ring out
I listened to the following song this morning on the way into work. I heard something I hadn't heard before.
Each of the crash cymbals were very minimal, almost gated, or maybe miked from a distance.
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Where should I press white keys - between black keys or below them?
I've been learning to play piano for couple of weeks, and I've faced a question that has some controversial answers on the internet:
What is the correct position of 2-3-4 fingers on white keys (WK) ...
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How long can a pianist maintain a repeated, fast figure in one hand?
I'm working on an atmospheric/minimalist piece for Pierrot ensemble. I have the following figure in the piano part. I know that while the tempo is rather brisk (it's in 6/8 time, dotted quarter note ...
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Fingerings in Rachmaninoff's Prelude in G minor, Op. 23 Nr. 5
According to the sheet music, the G minor chord and the octaves in the beginning of the piece should be split between both hands
And I see most people performing the piece like this as well (for ...
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Term for flute-like sound made by increasing volume after picking? [duplicate]
What's the term for the electric guitar technique that results in a smooth sound (like that of a wind instrument) by:
Decreasing the volume (usually to mute; typically with the pinky finger)
Striking ...
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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 ...
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Why do snare players only have one drum?
In marching drum lines, like Blue Devils, it's common that there are some tenor drum players with 4-6 drums, but the snare players only have 1 drum. To me, that seems like a waste. Sure, more drums/...
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How do you play slap + specific strings at the same time?
Here's an example the tab
e|-----0-----0--
B|--0--0--0--0--
G|--0--0-----0--
D|--------------
E|--x--3--x--3--
Thank you in advance
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Impossible Pinky on Guitar
I've recently taken up guitar again after an absence, I played for 10 years from 14-24. I am now 44, been playing again for about 2 years.
I never really used my pinky when I was young, apart from ...
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Is it important for a guitarist to know how to use a pick?
I've been playing guitar for almost a year and a half now and I still don't know how to use a pick. I strum very hard and I'm afraid that my guitar strings would break from the pick. Would this be ...
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How to play 3 notes at the same time on the violin? (Der Erlkonig)
I'm trying to play Der Erlkonig by Ernst, and in the first lines it seems possible, but you get to the 3rd, 4th, and 5th lines, I lose all hope in being able to play the piece.
To start, a violin has ...
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Changing position (on piano) with fifth finger
The two images below show an exercise set I was contemplating practicing. The fingering is my own and would focus a lot on changing position with the fifth finger for the part playing eighth-notes. I ...
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How (un)comfortable to play are these large chords?
I'm wondering if you could tell me how possible/comfortable this is to play? Particularly the 2nd & 3rd chords.
I can reach the notes myself on the piano but my ring/index finger end up at the top ...
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How to indicate flutter technique in a score?
And so the question:
I would like to indicate a certain bar in a trombone score using the flutter technique. How can I label and remove it correctly?
I mean labels like for strings pizz and arco
By ...
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