Questions tagged [history]
For questions about how music has developed and changed over time or for questions about concepts and ideas of a historic period of music. Do not use just because the subject of the question is a historic figure or piece.
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What is the earliest we know wire-strung instruments to have existed?
What is the earliest we know wire-strung instruments to have existed? I was reading about gut strings, nylon strings, wire strings used on guitar, and wanted to know, but couldn't find the answer ...
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How did western music label and calibrate around C Major as having no sharps/flats rather than A Major? [duplicate]
This is purely academic/speculative, but wouldn't it have made more sense and been easier to learn if Western music were based on A Maj, rather than C Maj, as having been the one designated to have no ...
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How hard would it have been for a small band to make and sell CDs in the early 90s?
Suppose it's the early 90s and you have three or four high school students that are decent with music, have minimal other skills, but still want to be able to sell CDs of their songs. Nowadays they ...
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How do they know what the frequency of Solfeggio notes
It is hard to find information on how modern day people selling solfeggio tuning forks and the like know which exact frequencies to use.
I liked this article below but as I have just joined I ...
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What is rude jazz?
In a lecture supporting his new book Stomp and Shout, Northwest rock historian Peter Blecha mentioned a genre from the 1940s or 50s called rude jazz. I have never heard of this before, and it might be ...
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relax, jack song [closed]
Anyone know the title of the song with a refrain like " Relax, jack. It's just a simple fact, Jack"?
The recording I recall is ~50 years old and was sung by a black woman, maybe Eartha Kitt.
...
user92938
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Why is the solo/featured instrument in so many Baroque-era concerti silent during the slow movement?
Is the reason the soloist is
often silent during a Baroque-era concerto simply to provide a break from all the virtuosity often required within the outer movements? Or is it to allow a string soloist ...
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When did the 6/4 chord become more commonplace and acceptable?
In the baroque and classical period, 6/4 chords were only voice leading chords, almost exclusively used as passing chords or auxiliary chords. But even as early as Mendelssohn, we see 6/4 chords ...
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What makes the ionian and Aeolian modes different from other modes?
There were initially seven modes back in the era of modal music, but when tonality set in, the use of modes dropped to just two; Ionian and Aeolian, now the major and natural minor scales. Why were ...
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Is this a tenor clef?
My wind band is playing Saint-Saens' Pas Redouble, using the Josneau arrangement published by Evette & Schaeffer. It's on IMSLP. The bassoon part is mostly in bass clef, but occasionally uses a ...
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Consonant vs. Dissonant Major Thirds: Historical Process and Significance of Tuning System
In the comments to the question Why is the fourth against the bass considered a dissonance?, I wrote
A 5:4 third was considered dissonant until musical tastes changed and declared it consonant.
To ...
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What was the earliest equal temperament system used?
What was the earliest equal temperament system used?
I believe it to be 19edo, used by Guillaume Costeley in Seigneur Dieu ta pitié, in 1558. Was any equal temperament used before then?
7edo is ...
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What is the etymology of word "chromatic" (= relating to color) in music?
Regarding "chromatic," I found on Wiktionary:
Latin chrōmaticus, from Ancient Greek χρωματικός (khrōmatikós, “relating to colour; one of the three types of tetrachord in Greek music”)
Then ...
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When and/or how did Western music shift from downward to upward scale concepts?
The ancient Greeks constructed their scales from top to bottom.
For example, Wikipedia:
Note that Greek theorists conceived of scales as descending from higher pitch to lower (the opposite of modern ...
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Is there a specific name for this cadence melody?
The trill or any ornamentation is optional but seems like it is usually there. I am familiar with this melody more generally as part of an authentic cadence, but this particular rhythm seems very ...
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