Listening to instruments
The piano’s soft pedal does a different job from the sustain pedal
Hear how the soft pedal changes a piano’s attack and colour, and why the left pedal on an upright does not work exactly like one on a grand.
LIVE MUSIC · FESTIVALS · CULTURE
There is more to a good night than the headline act.
Independent notes on festival planning, live music and getting more out of the shows you choose.
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Musical Sound
A prepared piano changes the sound before a key is played
A prepared piano changes the strings’ response before performance. Listen for its altered timbre without assuming every piano-like sound has the same source.
Rehearsal Notes
A guitar capo changes the sounding pitch without changing the chord shape
Understand what a guitar capo changes, distinguish chord shapes from sounding chords and communicate the key clearly when playing with others.
Listening Details
An album’s hidden pregap can change where playback seems to begin
Understand hidden audio before track one on some CDs, and why a streaming track list or ordinary playback start may not reveal the same material.
Live Event Preparation
A Set Break Needs a Plan for the Music Between Performances
Plan playback between live sets with the venue, including volume, handover cues and a fallback if the playback device fails.
Live Sound Basics
An XLR Connector Does Not Tell You Whether the Signal Is Mic or Line
Identify mic and line levels from equipment specifications rather than the XLR connector, then plan a sound-check that avoids preventable input mismatches.