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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Should I mute "unwanted" strings or not when playing power chords?
I've been playing guitar for a while but haven't yet actually learned to play any songs featuring hard power chords. Now I'm trying to learn some songs by Metallica and AC/DC, and I don't have to tell ...
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Recommended arm and hand position for neck side
I was wondering if there are some really clear sites, videos or texts explaining the best practices regarding the way to hold your guitar, both to be efficient and to avoid straining your fingers/arm.
Alexandre Nizoux
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Is there a way to play vibrato on the piano?
I know this is a silly question, but I couldn't help but wonder it. Is there a way to play vibrato on the piano? If not are there pianos out there with this feature?
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What is a "flat wrist"?
Bass legend Carol Kaye writes that she uses a "flat wrist" technique when playing bass with a pick.
What does she mean by this?
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How can I develop a high register on a brass instrument without creating tension?
Lately I've been reading about how trombonists (or any other brass instrumentalists) tend to develop tension in their neck or torso when playing in the higher register. In working to decrease ...
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Is it acceptable to move hand position while practicing scales on guitar?
I was reading through the answers posted here, and I liked the idea of playing with the "finger per fret" method, but it's not always applicable. For instance I was practicing the Fmaj scale last ...
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Is there one or more "proper" finger picking styles/techniques?
Essentially, if there is some collection of proper techniques that have distinct rules or characteristics about them, that's what I'm looking for. There's not one particular artist or type of music I ...
- 162
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Flute: Techniques for clear sonorous sound
I've been playing concert flute (with a teacher) for a year, and I still cannot always get clear sonorous sound. Instead, it would often hiss.
I speculate that the reason may be in the airflow -- a ...
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Learning to keep time
I haven't played music in quite a long time. Once thing I've noticed when I started playing again is that my tempo is completely horrible. When I play along to any song or instrumental, sometimes I ...
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What is the proper way to play this chord?
I have been playing for a while, but for some reason, I still can't play this 5th chord cleanly without that center note. Even with muting it just doesn't sound clean.
Here's what I mean:
%X/X.5/o....
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Guitar Strumming and the High E string
I'm relatively new to playing guitar and I am currently learning on an acoustic. I am adding strumming to my skillset at the moment (as there's only so far downstrokes can take me), but I'm having a ...
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Proper repeated note fingering on piano?
Is there a proper fingering for playing a fast repeated notes on the piano? I understand that using multiple fingers to play to the repeated note is the best way to go but does it matter which ...
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How do you play a barre chord (or a chord with 4+ strings)
I need to play a chord that goes:
$1.5.$2.7.$3.7.$4.7.$5.5
I can play a barre chord with my index finger and hold down all the strings on the fifth fret, but I cant hold down the three sevens. Any ...
Sean
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Slapping Violin Strings with bow
I wonder what the following violin technique is called it happens in the following video at ar 4;50. It seems that it is some sort of slapping motion with the bow and also something that resembles ...
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What are brass instrument "false notes" and how are they played?
In @AlbrechtHügli's answer to Properties of a very low pitched natural horn?, "false notes" are mentioned. What are they, and how are they produced?
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Is it OK to use the transpose function of a piano like guitar players use a capo?
The title says it all, I guess. I'm in the process of learning scales and chords in the different signatures. I find some patterns/licks to be easier in, for example, D minor, so when playing a song ...
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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.
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How do I find/solidify my mixed voice?
I listen to a lot of Iron Maiden, with Bruce Dickinson at the helm doing vocals. This man has pipes! He has a signature (somewhat exaggerated) vibrato, which I actually really like. The other ...
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How to exercise my fingers in extreme bending when playing piano?
I am learning a song on piano which has the following notes played simultaneously with the right hand: C Eb G C (my fingering: 1 2 3 5)
If it was E instead of Eb I could pull it off without a problem, ...
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Chord practise methods
Is there any books or methods on practising chords?
I am not talking about knowing chords on their own but being able to practise them with other music items such as scales.
I find I am a very good ...
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How should left and right hand by synchronized in Chopin Nocturne in C# Minor [duplicate]
I have a question about which notes on the right-hand match with which notes on the left hand.
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It is ok to correct wrong notes when playing piano?
I am learning to play the piano on my own. When I play and I hear a mistake, I go back and play the correct note. Hearing the right note helps me find the next one. But I heard that you should ignore ...
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How can I be sure that I am singing effortlessly in my natural voice?
I have years of vocalization practice, but I still start straining while singing—especially if I am not vigilant. It happens imperceptibly and is a hard habit to break.
Is there a reliable technique ...
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"one finger per fret" - is it worth following this rule?
When I first got into guitar, I was given advice to follow a "one finger per fret" rule with the left hand.
Basically, to fret notes with all four fingers, and to follow a pattern such that in any ...
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Are there pieces that require retuning an instrument mid-performance?
Are there any musical pieces that call for the musician to detune/retune the instrument, not in advance like a scordatura, but mid-performance?
I think it would be a neat avant-garde concept—for ...
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Why does my thumb hurt when I play bar chords?
Certain chords cause my thumb to be sore. How can I play in a way to prevent this?
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How to unlearn incorrect muscle memory
So I've been learning to play piano for a few months now. And there's this one, very easy piece, which I have absolutely no difficulties playing, except for. one. freaking. transition. which I somehow ...
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Where to rest your thumb when playing bass: Pickup vs. Strings vs. Thumbrests
I'm a beginning bass player with a couple months' lessons under my belt. I haven't gotten far along enough yet to solidify a playing style, so I'm still able to change my habits if I want to. I was ...
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What are Head voice and Chest voice
Head voice and Chest voice were discussed in this question about natural voice, but despite singing in choirs for nearly 9 years I have never heard of them.
Can someone provide a good description of ...
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Why do many classical guitarists move the fingers for vibrato like a violin?
I have seen many videos where it looks like the guitarist is doing some vibrato and they make a rolling motion like in a violin, cello...
How can this work in a fretted instrument? As an amateur in ...
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Pick weight - functional difference, or just personal preference?
I'm at the very beginning of learning to play guitar, and I recently needed to buy some more picks. This was more complex than I was expecting, since there are apparently many different weights of ...
Chad Birch
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Should I look at the fretboard while I play guitar?
Is it a bad thing to constantly look at the frets while playing? Sometimes I find myself curved over a body of the guitar so much that my neck starts to hurt.
It seems that some experienced players ...
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What are some techniques to control feedback in a musical setting?
I was always intrigued with the way Ted Nugent/Adrian Belew/Jeff Beck/Jimi Hendrix/SRV were able to control feedback and make it musical - are there guitar/amp settings and techniques that can make ...
JustnBeaver
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How to reliably execute a snare drum rimshot?
A standard snare drum rim shot, as I understand it, requires the stick to contact the drum head and rim simultaneously. I'm having trouble finding the appropriate angle (the majority of the time I ...
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How to stop distortion from making minor chords muddy?
I have a Roland/Boss GT3, which I use to get various distortion sounds. I like the sound for the most part, but I find that distorted sounds seem very ... "muddy" I guess would be the best way to ...
Nerdfest
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What is the difference between 'martelé and 'détaché' bowing?
As the title asks, I wish it could be clear to me. Can someone give me a good characterization? Do you produce them differently on a cello than on a violin or viola?
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What should a guitarist learn first: Rhythm or Lead?
It is a slightly subjective question, however, there is, I'm sure, a common consensus as to what lends itself better to a beginner so as not to get frustrated with the instrument. I'm curious as to ...
JustnBeaver
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How can I improve my piano accompaniments?
When I play piano or keyboards, I've noticed that I keep slipping into playing the same chords (and variations thereof, such as very simple bass lines) with my left hand while I use my right hand to ...
- 376
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Standing up acoustic guitar playing position for women
It goes without saying that women typically have different body types than men and this fact often never gets addressed when guitarists are speaking on how to position a guitar when standing up. It ...
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Ways to warm up vocal cords?
What are some safe ways to get my vocal cords without over using them before a practice or performance?
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Practice to avoid mistakes or practice to cover mistakes
I am having a debate with the drummer in my band. His view seems to be that it is inevitable that musicians will make mistakes so it is more important to practice recovering from mistakes than it is ...
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Why was Brahms's music considered 'too academic'?
I posted on here before about learning to compose, after hearing some classical music that moved me enormously.
I have been researching many of the famous composers from all over the world; Brahms ...
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How do I improve my picking and fretting speed?
I've seen people like John Petrucci playing incredibly fast with their right and left hands, but I can't seem to get any faster than I am now (which is speedy, but not near as fast as John).
Is there ...
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What type of strings to use for easier bending in fast solos?
I'm getting better at playing that legendary Enter Sandman solo by Kirk Hammett, and I'm getting the speed part almost covered. What I'm struggling with is hitting the target note when bending that ...
- 273
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Piano scales: Why bother with hands together?
During my first ten years studying classical piano, the scales that I played were hands together, parallel. But the only literature that actually has scales in both hands, for more than one bar per ...
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How can I improve my playing of faster finger runs?
I am just preparing for my grade 8 piano exam. I'm struggling with quick runs in the 3rd movement of Beethoven's Sonate Pathetique. It really doesn't sound right. When I play I can't do it smothly and ...
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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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Tips on playing quietly/gently?
I am amateur self taught musician and I am new to reed instruments. I decided to try out saxophone, but the problem is, it is way too loud. Each time I try to practice I need to blow very hard to ...
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How can I get the most out of my practice time?
When I practice, I often spend half the time on technique (scales, exercises), and half of the time on preparing a piece of music for performance.
The amount of benefit that I get out of any given ...
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How can I learn circular breathing?
I play clarinet and am interested in learning to circular breathe.
How is circular breathing done?
Once I learn to do it, is it something that I would want to use throughout my playing or only for ...
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