I am working on a PhD in music theory and cognition. I hate wasting time, but sometimes my brain needs a break from reading/writing/listening/analyzing. Help me create a list of films and documentaries that relate in some way to my field so that I can stare at a screen sometimes and still feel like I'm feeding my unquenchable desire to learn about music and mind. [more inside]
posted by nosila on Nov 1, 2009 - 15 answers

How can I learn relative pitch? I can hear minor/major 2nds pretty well but 3rds are just defeating me. [more inside]
posted by Post-it Goat on Sep 25, 2009 - 18 answers

I am trying to locate the time signatures in the Opus or Helsinki font set (which come with Sibelius). Does anyone know where these are? [more inside]
posted by nosila on Aug 25, 2009 - 11 answers

Music types: help me identify exactly what it is that I dislike about these particular types of jazz! [more inside]
posted by gallusgallus on Jun 10, 2009 - 14 answers

Why do minor chords sound cold? [more inside]
posted by dunkadunc on May 31, 2009 - 16 answers

Heard an NPR story 7(ish) years ago about a guy who measures the pitch of various sources of barely-audible workspace/home background noise (eg. harddrive spinning, refrigerator compressor running, and the flyback transformer on your television) and seeing what chords they made. He contested that different chords would affect peoples' productivity, attitudes, etc. I have some questions about this. [more inside]
posted by cadastral on Apr 9, 2009 - 14 answers

When I learned to touch type, I used software where the letters appeared and did not go until I had pressed the right key. I was wondering if there is any similar software for reading music but with a usb/midi keyboard. I know it wouldn't be much use for improving timing, but it would help with learning notes and possibly chords too. [more inside]
posted by jcwilliams on Feb 26, 2009 - 3 answers

I listen to a lot of 'contemporary' music (not classical), but how do I better understand music reviews and explain what I hear to my friends and peers ? [more inside]
posted by fizzix on Jan 23, 2009 - 11 answers

Looking for tons of fun and challenging activities/drills/games for high school music theory and ear-training. [more inside]
posted by Alabaster on Dec 6, 2008 - 3 answers

My husband and I are working on a project together, and this part is much more his forte than mine. We're writing a song to represent each novel of the Dark Tower by Stephen King, one of my all-time favorite series. But we're quickly becoming frustrated with each other, because, simply put, I cannot wrap the creating music part of this around my head. [more inside]
posted by mitzyjalapeno on Aug 17, 2008 - 11 answers

I was asked the other day why there are no semitones between e-f and b-c. My answer was that it had to do with the frequencies of the notes but i'd like to be able to give a more in-depth answer as this doesn't really cover it.
posted by chelegonian on Aug 14, 2008 - 16 answers

I'd like to start introducing my almost 6-year-old to the piano. What are some good books or new techniques that are designed to teach young children how to play the piano, basics on music theory, etc.?
posted by adverb on Jun 2, 2008 - 13 answers

Given that I have a somewhat substantial history playing the piano, how difficult would it be to take up lessons for the piano again after years out of practice AND start, for the first time, lessons on the Violin? How beneficial would such "cross training" be? How difficult would it be to find a teacher who could guide me on such a hybrid path? Other Thoughts? [more inside]
posted by DetonatedManiac on Apr 8, 2008 - 5 answers

Where can I learn about music history and music theory for free? [more inside]
posted by Chris4d on Jan 16, 2008 - 25 answers

Where can I find non-commercial online resources for Aural Training? [more inside]
posted by occidental on Dec 13, 2007 - 4 answers

How can a keyboard represent a guitar?! [more inside]
posted by evariste on Nov 22, 2007 - 25 answers

I'm looking for an open source MP3 (or OGG) player for creation of educational listening drills. Must be portable, and flexible for creation, editing, burning of playlists and queues -- details on its use in here... [more inside]
posted by Alabaster on Jun 14, 2007 - 3 answers

Help me with Music Theory! Specifically, intervals... [more inside]
posted by Stauf on Jun 16, 2006 - 20 answers

What are the best books offering analysis of Beethoven's symphonies? Other classical works? [more inside]
posted by agropyron on May 22, 2006 - 16 answers

Help me remember how to play the piano. [more inside]
posted by xanthippe on Mar 2, 2006 - 9 answers

I want to get better at composing music. [more inside]
posted by empath on Mar 1, 2006 - 15 answers

How should I go about learning music theory? [more inside]
posted by phrontist on Jul 19, 2005 - 15 answers

I'm looking to purchase a bass, bass amp, and bass or general music theory book. [more inside]
posted by Frankieist on Jul 18, 2005 - 10 answers

I'd like to get music under-the-hood. I was listening to this CD, on which Leonard Bernstein explains some of the inner workings of Beethoven's 3nd Symphony, and I really enjoyed the explanations. Now, I love music, but only as a lay-person. I can't play an instrument, and I can't read musical notation. But I'd like to be able to listen to a symphony and understand what the composer is doing with harmonics, tempo, overtones and the like. How do I learn this? Are there any good books? Or is the only way to learn it to go to an music school for ten years? I guess the perfect resource would be a book with a CD. In the book, a musical term would be described, and you'd be instructed to play a specific track on the CD to help you understand the concept.
posted by grumblebee on Jul 11, 2004 - 6 answers

Music: Just what exactly is 'key'? [more inside] [more inside]
posted by Gyan on Apr 10, 2004 - 21 answers