Many early music ensembles use gut strings on their instruments, because that's what was historically used, and it significantly affects the sound.
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Indian classical music doesn't use a standard musical staff notation; instead, it relies heavily on oral tradition and guru-shishya parampara (teacher-student lineage) for transmission of knowledge.
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The lute was once so popular that lute tablature, a form of musical notation specific to the instrument, was far more common than standard musical notation in some periods.
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The iconic "Hedwig's Theme" from the Harry Potter films wasn't originally intended to be the main theme; it was initially composed for a scene involving a Quidditch match.
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