144 Answered Questions for the topic music history

Music History

04/20/19

Wood vs Stone first drum?
What was the first drum instrument? Was it wood or stone? Maybe there is an answer out there, but all I found were mere discussions.
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Music History

04/20/19

Why did Chopin name Etude Op. 25, No.5 the "Wrong Note"?
The piece sounds lovely, why did he name it "Wrong Note"?
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Music History

04/20/19

Looking for a 'Danse Macabre' baroque antecedent?
My daughter is currently practicing a piano version of *Danse Macabre* by Saint-Saens (so I have it in my head). The other day, I heard a baroque piece for violin and recorder. At one point, the... more
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Music History

04/19/19

What is the difference between "Opus" and "Song Cycle"?
What is the difference between "Opus" and "Song Cycle", because "Opus" is a separate composition or a set of compositions. A song cycle is the same, isn't it? Whenever I go to wikipedia for a song,... more
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Music History

04/18/19

How much do we know about how ancient Greek and Roman music sounded?
Specifically for music composed earlier than the third or fourth century A.D. I have heard several reports about deciphering examples of ancient greek musical notation. And you can find CDs of... more
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Music History

04/12/19

Origin of the 'squigly line' used for quarter note rest?
This has been driving me nuts - I can't find a single thing on the net that would indicate why the quarter rest is penned the way it is.Did it evolve from some initial or abbreviation or was it... more
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Music History

04/12/19

What is the history of considering Rock 'n' Roll to be "the Devil's music"?
Historically, what evidence has been cited in support of the claim that Rock 'n' Roll is the music of Devil? This notion exists in the popular culture, fueled by *Footloose* and half-remembered... more
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Music History

04/12/19

Where/When did the modern guitar originate?
I keep thinking of Greeks playing Lyres - there had to be a point where someone added strings and the modern shape...
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Music History

04/12/19

Examples of songs or phrases played in different temperaments?
I've read about the fact that 12 tone equal temperament is a relatively recent phenomenon, and that historically, each key would have a different character due to the unequal temperament. I'm... more
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Music History

04/12/19

Is the science of music still evolving?
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Music History

04/12/19

Is the usage of scales (modes) in jazz music common practice?
A friend of mine told me that the usage of scales or modes in jazz music is not common. Even I heard myself in a Miles Davis interview that jazz is a tradition. So here are two questions basically:... more
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Music History

04/12/19

Why is the double bass the only instrument in the violin family tuned in fourths?
Out of the 4 instruments of the violin family (Violin, Viola, Cello, Double Bass), the bass is the only instrument tuned in fourths. The double bass is generally tuned in fourths, in contrast to... more
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Music History

04/12/19

Baroque music composed in the 21st century?
Which characteristically Baroque elements of music composition still have currency in the 21st century? Are there any 21st-century composers or songwriters who still compose primarily or largely in... more
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Music History History Composition Theory

04/11/19

Who did introduce the mediant keys in to music harmony progression?
Which composer(s) introduced as the first time mediant chords and mediant keys in their compositions - or in which period the use of this kind of modulation was coming up?
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Music History

04/10/19

Was the ancient Greek philosopher Pythagoras the first one who referred to a musical scale?
I' ve read that the ancient Greek philosopher Pythagoras was the first one who scientifically proved the theory of music. Also it is refered that he invented the Pythagorean musical scale. Was the... more
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Music History

04/04/19

English Horn Etymology?
Why is the English Horn called a horn when it is a woodwind instrument, basically a lower oboe? When compared to other horns, such as the French Horn and the Flugelhorn, it seems to be a misnomer.
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Music History

04/04/19

Important composers in transitional eras?
I understand Beethoven (and Schubert) to be very important composers in the transition from the Classical Era to the Romantic, such that they could be considered the first Romantic composers.Are... more
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Music History

04/04/19

Why do we use such different picks for guitar and oud?
The oud and the guitar are strung similarly (six strings vs. six courses of strings), and are both played with a flat pick; but the guitar pick is much smaller and flatter than the risha used for... more
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Music History

04/04/19

who were the first known people to play a reed instrument?
I would like to know who the first people to come up with the idea of reed instruments of any kind
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Music History

04/04/19

How did Pythagoras and Ptolemy measure the relative pitch of musical notes?
Both Pythagoras and Ptolemy believed that the intervals between notes in music should be ratios of small integer numbers. This is known as Just Intonation. Pythagoras liked them to derived from... more
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Music History

04/04/19

Why do Arab, Turkish, Persian, and Byzantine music sound so similar, and who influenced whom?
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Music History

04/04/19

How did people tune their instruments in the past?
Today we are using electronic tuners and know everything about frequencies but in the past, like before the 16th century, how could people tune their instruments? Did they tune them to specific... more
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Music History

04/04/19

Who were the first "classical" composers to be recorded playing/conducting their own music?
The phonograph was invented in 1877. While the first versions of the technology had low fidelity and short playback time by modern standards, these limitations gradually lessened, and eventually... more
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Music History

04/03/19

What musical instruments JS Bach owned and had purchased during his career?
What musical instruments JS Bach owned and had purchased during his career? Is there any historical information on Handel, Vivaldi, Beethoven, Scarlatti, Corelli, Tartini?
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Music History

04/03/19

In ancient Greece, did they use the Pythagoras discovery of ratios to create tetra-chord?
To my **basic** understanding: In ancient Greek they were primarily using tetra-chords and there was three main standard divisions of these tetra-chords called genus.In the same era Pythagoras... more
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