Questions tagged [technique]
For questions about ways to use one's instrument or voice precisely to produce a desired musical effect.
216
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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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How do you play a grace note tied to the same principal note?
I'm a bit confused as to how to play a particular series of grace notes in two pieces: Schubert's Moment Musicaux No. 3 and Debussy's Menuet. Here are the measures for reference:
In both examples, ...
- 305
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4
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Teaching young kids (7-9) basic piano and music fundemetals.
I've been teaching a 9 year old kid piano for about 10 months and it has been going pretty well, but recently I was asked to teach a few more kids (one as young as 6) to play piano. Teaching the 9 ...
Dom♦
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I cannot spread my fingers easily. Am I anatomically disadvantaged for playing the guitar?
Six months ago I started to play the guitar. I like it very much. It became one of these things that I regret not started earlier in my life (I am 25 years old)! By now I can say I am not a complete ...
- 429
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What are the best techniques to play overtones in the saxophone?
I play Alto Saxophone, and I've been wondering this for quite a while now.
I've not played one single overtone yet, so what are your suggestions?
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When using strict alternate picking, is it OK to play a downstroke twice in order to start a new phrase on a downstroke?
There are a lot of advocates of absolutely strict alternate picking, like Chris Thile (dead YouTube clip removed). I've been practicing that for a couple of weeks now, and I'm at the point where I can ...
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Techniques for memorizing a musical idea and "saving it to paper"
Sometimes I have a very nice musical idea, with orchestration too, and I clearly hear it in my mind as if I was listening to a CD.
But I cannot retain it. The only way is to play it over and over in ...
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What are some good slap guitar resources?
I'm fascinated by the technique of most of the guys on CandyRat records, specifically Andy Mckee. Are there any resources out there on slap guitar technique? How can I too become as epic as him at ...
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Best ways to remove excess tension from fretting hand?
I'm recovering from tendonitis in my left (fretting) wrist. I think it was due to trying to build speed with poor technique. Part of it was too much bending of the wrist, but the other part is likely ...
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When composing for oboe, how useful is it to think about recorder fingerings?
I'm always a bit anxious when writing for winds, because I don't really have much of a clue how passages will be executed on the specific instrument. (And I know how needlessly complicated some parts ...
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Is it wise to focus on putting odd beats on left when playing double bass drums?
I need to learn two double bass drum patterns:
The first one is just repeated over and over again. The second repeats the first measure and then repeats the second measure.
My question is about how ...
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Brass instrumentalists are taught that higher notes require faster air while lower notes require more air. How exactly is this different?
I cannot count the number of times I've heard the simple adage:
To play higher, use faster air. To play lower, use more air, but slower.
And unfortunately, this statement is just as confusing to the ...
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What is this technique called? Holding finger on string above 12th fret
In this video, scroll to around 1:24. Andy McKee puts his right hand on 12th fret (Not sure) and pulls out his left hand from 3rd or 4th fret producing a peculiar sound. What is this technique called?...
Pam
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7
answers
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Getting consistent tone from barre chords
Perhaps it's just that I have small hands (e.g. index finger is barely longer than the 12th fret), but I seem to have issues with barring; no matter what I do it seems there is a string that's right ...
Kaji
9
votes
2
answers
603
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How can I improve my violin intonation for enharmonic notes?
I know that while, for many instruments, enharmonic notes are a single pitch and their differences are more of an interpretation, helping music to remain consistent (it would make more sense for a ...
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Is there a "correct" position for the right hand when playing guitar?
Normally when I am playing I support my right hand by putting my pinky finger below the E string, but when I try to play past a certain speed I have difficulty keeping up. I have found a couple sites ...
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tips for switching from g chord to c chord on guitar
I've been playing guitar for about a month following Justin guitar's beginners course and I could do some basic chord changes quite fine but I find myself really struggling when I'm trying to change ...
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Exercising fingerstyle bass technique
I'm looking to improve my fingerstyle technique on the bass guitar. I'd like to develop good habits, especially regarding alternating my fingers, as I currently tend to overuse my index finger and ...
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Right hand wrist & forearm soreness
I’m new to piano and experiencing soreness in the wrist and forearm of my right hand when I play. I can’t tell whether this is “building new muscles” pain or “doing something wrong” pain.
I’m ...
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What is tremolo picking?
Are you just picking the same note a bunch of times or are you picking a lot in general and kind of hammering on to hit the notes? What does it have to do with an actual tremolo (whammy bar)?
Joe
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3
answers
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Double thirds, fourths, fifths and sixths piano fingering?
I have absolutely no idea how to finger things like this. I don't really know what sort of guidelines to follow or what books to practice that combine double thirds, fourths and fifths consecutively ...
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How to start bass-guitar plucking?
I am looking for an online beginner tutorial to bass plucking (fingered) technique, something like the image bellow.
Important: I am not looking to learn how to play the notes etc., I would say I don'...
- 2,003
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Voice-leading with three chords in first inversion?
Hey guys just keeping my part writing skills sharp (not flat) for the long summer. I got this
out of Assignment 9.4 of Robert W. Ottman's "Elementary Harmony." It's in G♭ major. I was already given ...
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Playing guitar with only three fingers
I started to learn to play acoustic again, and my entire left hand is fine other than my forefinger. I had an accident where the finger end was removed, meaning that I can't use that finger at all. I ...
8
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4
answers
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How to improve jerky bowing on the violin
Well, I've been playing the violin for more than six years and, of course, I enjoy it immensely. I fancy myself rather good at it, but today I had the idea to record myself playing. I'm super glad I ...
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How to play large chord?
I am playing Scriabin's Prelude Op. 11 No. 11. (see IMSLP )
I can reach 10ths fairly comfortably, but I am wondering what to do with chords such as those that appear in m. 14 (C#4-B5-G5). Do I play a ...
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What is the difference between "Solo" and "Improvisation"?
How would someone describe the differences that make up the two?
JustnBeaver
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6
answers
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What are the dos and don'ts of positioning your thumb on a guitar?
What are the Dos and Don'ts of thumb position in guitar playing? Are there bad habits or just alternative techniques?
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How to get the harmonics of ZZTop? [duplicate]
I'm a right-handed newbie, so bear with me. When Gibbons plays in his groove, harmonics seem to be immediate as he picks. Many times I don't hear the note itself and the harmonics is the primary ...
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How accurate are the pedal indications of Bach - Busoni, solo piano works?
In the massive edition of Bach's solo piano works by Ferruccio Busoni with the complete name of Busoni-Ausgabe (Klavierwerke) in 25 volumes (Joh. Seb. Bach. Klavierwerke unter Mitwirkung von Egon ...
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1
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What is the definition of Mid-side stereo as compared with X-Y stereo?
Perhaps someone can explain the difference between Mid-Side stereo miking technique and X-Y stereo miking technique and explain which technique is actually a more accurate reproduction of the original ...
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Daughter tends to raise index and middle finger whenever she plays the remaining fingers on piano
My daughter tends to automatically raise her index and sometimes middle finger whenever she plays the ring or pinky on the piano. It's almost like she is trying to use it to balance her hand/fingers. ...
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Effective learning from videos
I've taken lessons and taught myself songs from books and tablature. I have also listened to a song repeatedly and attempted to learn it by playing along. One method I have not tried is learning from ...
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What's the correct technique for strumming a guitar?
By correct I mean from a biomechanical perspective to minimize the risk of injury. I have seen some advice saying that strumming should be controlled by the big muscles such as the shoulder. My ...
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Would it be a good idea to memorize relative interval positions on guitar?
It seems like if I memorized the relative intervals between the notes on each string, it would help a lot with quickly making chords and such. It seems a lot easier than trying to memorize individual ...
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What does the plus (+) ornament mean?
I am learning a baroque piece on the recorder. Some notes have an unusual ornamentation symbol. How is a note with a plus sign over it played? It was suggested to play it as a mordent. Is that correct?...
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How can I make my palm mutes sound more metal?
Whenever I palm mute some notes, it always sounds really soft and weak -- almost like a "blump" kind of sound. I've been wanting to get the metal and shorter palm mutes (like this). Even if I use more ...
Kevin Hikaru Evans
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4
answers
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How to play forte-piano chord on piano?
In Beethoven's Pathetique, how do you play the fortepiano chords in the third movement (rondo)? I can easily do this on a wind instrument by changing wind speed, but on piano, I have no idea how to ...
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Playing a classical piece at full speed
I can play a certain classical piece (specific tune is not important, I don't think) very well at a relaxed speed with proper fingering, even tempo, etc. It sounds just fine. However, when I listen to ...
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Scalpel technique in Guitar
What is Scalpel technique in Guitar ?
I searched on internet but does not show proper results.It says "Scalpel - move only your thumb and forefinger"
Can you please guide me through videos,images ...
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How to achieve a rapid violin tremolo
I heard a romanian gipsy fiddler playing dizzyingly rapid tremolo.
How can I achieve that?
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answers
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How to find equivalent notes on different strings of a mandolin?
I have just started learning mandolin and I am working my way through St. Louis Blues. The music that I am using includes the tablature as well as the music.
The tab for one section shows:
-------...
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Technique for octaves on piano without pain?
So I'm a decently experienced pianist, but I never had formal training. And now I've got this absolutely amazing arrangement of Bohemian Rhapsody, and it's killing me.
The first two parts were so ...
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Flatpicking: how can I make my floating-pick-hand less bouncy?
Can anyone suggest how I might improve my "floating fist" style flatpicking? I'm trying to clean up my pick technique for the sake of accuracy, feel, speed, and general ease-of-playing. I use the "...
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Where can I learn more about tapping on an acoustic guitar?
I want to learn tapping on acoustic guitar; its basics, various techniques and so on. How should I start with it? Reference of some video lessons would be a great help.
Pam
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2
answers
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Finger techniques when playing valve brass instrument
I am playing Eb tuba with 4 valves (4th at my right hand pinky). Usually I have my fingers more or less straight out over the valves, resulting in the tips for all other than the pinky is sticking out ...
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Do I have a problem in my ring finger?
I play piano, guitar violin and other instruments.
I have a little weakness in my ring finger, especially the left one.
Instrumently-agnostic speaking, to reproduce what I'm talking, place your left ...
- 2,003
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votes
3
answers
606
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Fingerstyle guitar - how to play this arpeggio?
Too many notes, not enough fingers! How can I keep bass note while playing this arpeggio? ? shows the fret I cannot reach because I use index finger to play bass note. I have tried to barre index ...
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votes
1
answer
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Technique or exercise to play this part from a song which i'm stuck with
I want to play this part but i'm stuck on how to play this correctly and efficiently with my fingers. Any technique or exercise related to this is welcomed. BTW, the song is 'That was Just your life ...
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Optimal Right Hand Technique to Down Pick while playing Metallica
I have been playing Metallica songs (only the rhythm parts) for quite some time. I don't play them at full speed because of the Down picking, but i have been playing and practicing them at 80% speed ...
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