Recommended as preparation for the Royal Conservatory of Music examinations

Transcription

1 Recommended as preparation for the Royal Conservatory of Music examinations $GYHQWXV,QFRUSRUDWHG ZZZDGYHQWXVFRP Copyright 2002 Adventus Incorporated. All rights reserved.

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3 3UHIDFH Ear Training Coach was developed to assist teachers in training students to discern pitches, intervals, scales, chords, and rhythms, as well as to play back musical passages by ear, read music at sight, and transcribe music. Accomplishing these objectives is a challenge for many teachers. Regular practice is required, appropriate activities must be readily available, and these should include a careful assessment of each attempt. Often it is difficult to reserve enough time within the lesson itself. Outside the lesson it is difficult for students to locate a suitable coach to provide the feedback required for continual improvement and motivation. The importance of ear training and sight-reading to the student s overall proficiency and interest makes it imperative that students improve these skills on a continual basis, beginning early in their development as musicians. 1RWH7R7HDFKHUV Adventus Incorporated s Ear Training Coach is a new approach to developing ear and sight reading skills through regular use of unique interactive methods. These activities may be adjusted easily by changing the settings for each feature in the software. Ear Training Coach provides detailed feedback on student performance to ensure the correct interpretation of scores, and to motivate students. Students respond quickly to the user interface and the captivating delivery of each activity. TuneWalk, Replay, Skaler, Tune Twister, and Grand Staff Battle increase student interest while skills are being acquired. The collection of games offered is a good complement to the numerous testing activities in the program. Ear Training Coach exercises gradually increase in difficulty to span a ten-year program, with two years of features and a large content library available per CD-ROM. Now your coach can always appear at the desired time, with a great number of appropriate and varied exercises. Reports in Ear Training Coach are detailed and are good ways for the instructor to monitor use of the program and assess overall progress. Each installation can be used by an unlimited number of students, so making Ear Training Coach available at your studio is practical and easy. Teachers often have to remind students to keep their eyes on the music, learn to feel the keys, and be accurate with respect to notation and fingering during sight reading exercises. The Ear Training Coach methods encourage students to focus their attention on the staff and use the feel of the keys to locate the notes during sight-reading. This is a significant advantage of Ear Training Coach interactive methods over students practicing alone. When sight reading, note accuracy and relative timing can be practiced using the Wait for Note tool, or students can select the Notes and Timing tool for a more complete assessment of their play, with bar-by-bar analysis. The teacher should review each section of the manual to ensure familiarity with all the program tools. There are many variations possible within each activity and these variations are controlled by the settings. Default settings are meant for the novice player. After an initial practice period, the teacher should actively participate in reviewing the results and adjust the settings to make them suitable for each student. Upgrades to your Ear Training Coach software will be available on-line. To qualify for these free upgrades you must register your product on-line at Comments on Ear Training Coach are welcome at any time. Send to feedback@adventus.com -3-

4 /LPLWHG:DUUDQW\DQG/LFHQVH$JUHHPHQW Adventus Incorporated - Ear Training Coach Adventus Incorporated is confident that the software it produces meets its own high standards and those of its customers. With that in mind, the following warranty is offered to the original purchaser of Adventus Incorporated's products. BY USING THE SOFTWARE INCLUDED WITH THIS AGREEMENT YOU WILL INDICATE YOUR ACCEPTANCE OF THE TERMS OF THIS LEGAL AGREEMENT BETWEEN YOU, THE END USER, AND ADVENTUS INCORPORATED. THE SOFTWARE AND ACCOMPANYING ITEMS ARE PROVIDED TO YOU ONLY UPON THE CONDITION THAT YOU AGREE TO THE TERMS OF THIS AGREEMENT. IF YOU DO NOT AGREE TO THE TERMS OF THIS AGREEMENT AND DO NOT WANT YOUR ACT OF USING THE SOFTWARE TO INDICATE YOUR ACCEPTANCE OF THE TERMS OF THIS AGREEMENT, PROMPTLY RETURN THE SOFTWARE TOGETHER WITH ALL ACCOMPANYING ITEMS TO YOUR DEALER FOR A FULL REFUND. LIMITED USE LICENSE. Adventus and its suppliers grant you the right to use one copy of the Program for your personal use only. The Program is owned by Adventus as set forth in the Program or associated documentation and is protected by Canadian copyright laws and international treaties. All rights not expressly granted are reserved by Adventus or its suppliers. YOU MAY: transfer the Program to a single hard disk, provided that you keep the original disk(s) solely for backup or archival purposes. Transfer the complete Program Package on a permanent basis, provided that you retain no copies and the recipient agrees in writing to the terms of this Agreement. YOU MAY NOT: Use the Program on more than one computer terminal or workstation at the same time. Make copies of the materials accompanying the Program, or make copies of the Program except as provided above. Use the Program in a network or other multi-user arrangement or on an electronic bulletin board system or other remote access arrangement. Rent, lease, license or otherwise transfer the Program without the express written consent of Adventus Incorporated except that you may transfer the complete Program package on a permanent basis as provided above. Reverse engineer, decompile, disassemble, or create derivative works of the program. Copy or sell the custom library files saved in the Adventus proprietary format. LIMITED WARRANTY. Adventus Incorporated's sole warranty is that the program media will be free from defects in materials and workmanship under normal use for a 150 day period from the date of receipt by the customer and that the program operation will substantially conform to the description in this manual during that 150 day period, or we will, at our option, replace the software or refund your purchase price upon your return of the software to us, postage prepaid along with a copy of your receipt. -4-

5 EXCLUSIVE REMEDY. Adventus Incorporated's entire liability and your exclusive remedy shall be, at Adventus Incorporated's option, either (a) the repair or replacement of the Program that does not meet the Adventus Limited Warranty and which is returned to Adventus with a copy of your receipt: or (b) a refund of the price, if any, which you paid for the Program and associated materials as substantiated with proof of purchase. TO MAKE A WARRANTY CLAIM, PLEASE RETURN THE PROGRAM PACKAGE TOGETHER WITH YOUR PROOF OF PURCHASE TO YOUR DEALER OR ADVENTUS DURING THE WARRANTY PERIOD. This Limited Warranty is void if the failure of the CD-ROM has resulted from accident, abuse, or misapplication. Any replacement program will be warranted for the remainder of the original warranty period or 150 days, whichever is longer. NO OTHER WARRANTIES. WITH RESPECT TO THE PROGRAM, PROGRAM MEDIA AND THE ACCOMPANYING WRITTEN MATERIALS, ADVENTUS AND ITS SUPPLIERS, IF ANY, DISCLAIM ALL WARRANTIES, OTHER THAN THE ABOVE WARRANTY BY ADVENTUS EITHER EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. ADVENTUS DOES NOT WARRANT THAT THE PROGRAM WILL MEET YOUR REQUIREMENTS OR THAT THE OPERATION OF THE PROGRAM WILL BE UNINTERRUPTED OR ERROR FREE. LIMITATIONS ON DAMAGES. IN NO EVENT SHALL ADVENTUS OR ITS SUPPLIERS, IF ANY, BE LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES WHATSOEVER (INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION, DAMAGES FOR LOSS OF PROFITS, BUSINESS INTERRUPTION, LOSS OF INFORMATION, OR OTHER PECUNIARY LOSS) ARISING OUT OF THE USE OF OR INABILITY TO USE THE PROGRAM OR PROGRAM PACKAGE, EVEN IF ADVENTUS OR ITS SUPPLIERS, IF ANY, HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. IN NO EVENT WILL ADVENTUS INCORPORATED'S LIABILITY FOR ANY REASON EXCEED THE ACTUAL PRICE PAID FOR THE LICENSE TO USE THE SPECIFIC PROGRAM, BECAUSE SOME STATES DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OR LIMITATION OF LIABILITY FOR CONSEQUENTIAL OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES, THE ABOVE LIMITATION MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU. The music included in Ear Training Coach is intended for private use only. Public performance, broadcast or cable transmission, or other use is expressly prohibited. It is a violation of copyright law to print the music contained in the Ear Training Coach in the form of standard music notation without the express written permission of the copyright owner. The software is the property of Adventus Incorporated. Adventus Incorporated reserves the right to make any changes, additions, or improvements to this software or documentation at any time without notice to any person or organization. The documentation may not be copied in whole or in part without written consent from Adventus Incorporated. Program graphics may not appear exactly the same as illustrated in this manual. Ear Training Coach, in all or any version (published by ADVENTUS INCORPORATED) copyright 2002 ADVENTUS INCORPORATED. Adventus Software, the Adventus Software Logo, Ear Training Coach, the Ear Training Coach Logo, Senor Semitone, and the name Adventus Incorporated are trademarks of ADVENTUS INCORPORATED. All rights reserved. All images and text used involving Windows95/98/ME/2000/XP are trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. Sound Blaster is a trademark of Creative Technology Ltd. CANADIAN GOVERNMENT RESTRICTED RIGHTS. The Program and documentation are provided with restricted rights. Use duplication, or disclosure by the Government is subject to restrictions as set forth in the Copyright Act as applicable. The Contractor/Manufacturer is Adventus Incorporated, 3667 Strawberry Hill, Halifax, Nova Scotia, B3K 5A8. SAVE THIS LICENSE FOR FUTURE REFERENCE -5-

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7 7DEOHRI&RQWHQWV Preface...3 Note To Teachers...3 Limited Warranty and License Agreement Installation and Setup System Requirements Install Ear Training Coach MIDI Keyboard Setup Technical Support Getting Started Start Ear Training Coach Log In Main Menu Rhythms Melody Playback Sight Reading Intervalo Games Game Selection Replay Tune Twister TuneWalk Skaler Grand Staff Battle Global Settings Profile

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9 ,QVWDOODWLRQDQG6HWXS 6\VWHP5HTXLUHPHQWV The following system requirements will ensure that Ear Training Coach software will run on your PC. 1. Windows95/98/ME/2000/XP 2. Pentium 150MHz or better MB RAM 4. Minimum 256 color display at 800x600 resolution (true color recommended) % SoundBlaster compatible sound card MB free hard drive space 7. Standard MIDI keyboard with cable is recommended Autorun Window,QVWDOO(DU7UDLQLQJ&RDFK Click Install on the Ear Training Coach auto-run window* and follow the on-screen directions (displayed to the right). * If the autorun window does not appear, you can activate it by clicking on the Windows Start button and selecting Run from the menu. Type the following: d:\autorun.exe (where d: is the name of your CD-ROM drive) and click OK. 0,',.H\ERDUG6HWXS If you will be using a MIDI keyboard with Ear Training Coach, you must first ensure that your MIDI keyboard and sound system are properly configured. The Keyboard Config Wizard is designed to guide you through this process. To start this program, click on the Windows Start button and select: Programs > Ear Training Coach > Keyboard Config Wizard. Click Start and follow the on-screen directions. -9-

10 7HFKQLFDO6XSSRUW 1. Read the following carefully if you encounter any problems during installation or setup A Does your computer have the appropriate sound system? Setup problems may occur when software is installed on a computer without satisfactory MIDI in/out capabilities. I. Check that your sound card is 100% SoundBlaster compatible (Check the sound card model and contact the computer vendor to find out if it is SoundBlaster compatible). II. Check to see if your hardware setup is one of the recommended systems described in (B). III. Check that the MIDI cables are connected firmly to both your computer and your MIDI keyboard. Always ensure that the power is off before disconnecting or reconnecting cables. IV. Check that you have installed the latest current driver for your sound card and verify that it matches your current operating system. B Your options to complete your system s sound setup and to connect your PC to a MIDI keyboard: I. 100% Sound Blaster compatible sound card with game port, and one MIDI to game port adaptor cable. Try the Creative PCI128 or other cards recommended for their instrument wave table synthesis. Good hardware wavetable synthesis delivers good quality instrument sound with no delay. II. The MIDI to USB adaptor cable connects MIDI output on your keyboard to the USB input on your computer. With this configuration you will be relying on your keyboard, or your computer sound card to synthesize instrument sounds. III. Some types of keyboards to allow connection to your serial port. See your keyboard s documentation or consult the manufacturer for information on your keyboard. This setup requires software to be installed on your computer to listen to your keyboard through your PC s serial port. IV. The USB keyboard cable connects keyboards that have a USB output interface to the PC s USB port. A growing number of keyboards on the market have USB output. USB Gameport MIDI USB USB (I) (II) (III) Serial Serial (IV) 2. support at support@adventus.com. 3. Call our support line at MIDI. -10-

11 *HWWLQJ6WDUWHG 6WDUW(DU7UDLQLQJ&RDFK Click on the Windows Start button and select: Programs > Ear Training Coach > Ear Training Coach Levels 1 and 2. You will see the Ear Training Coach logo, hear the opening music, and see a group of dancing notes. Click anywhere on the screen to enter Ear Training Coach. The Login screen will appear. /RJ,Q Each new user must enter their name in the Login form. This allows for separate record keeping and customized settings for each user. Click the New User button and type your name, and a password of your choice, in the form that appears. Click OK to submit your password. Avoid using a password if it is not needed. The Ear Training Coach Main Menu will appear. The Main Menu is described on the following page. The next time you start Ear Training Coach, simply select your name from the list on the Login screen, click the Login button, and enter your password. The Ear Training Coach Main Menu will appear. -11-

12 0DLQ0HQX From the Main Menu you can navigate to any of the following areas in Ear Training Coach. Rhythms: Learn to tap or play a rhythm after it has been played for you. Melody Playback: Learn to play a melody after hearing it played for you. Sight Reading: Learn to sight-read rhythms and melody passages. Intervalo: Learn to recognize and properly identify musical intervals. Games: TuneWalk, Tune Twister, Grand Staff Battle, Skaler, and Replay, keep learning fun, and help develop essential skills. Settings: Customize your Ear Training Coach experience. Profile: Review detailed reports of your practice and evaluation. About Adventus: Contact the company that brought you Ear Training Coach. Exit: Closes the Ear Training Coach program. A sound is produced whenever the mouse pointer is over a button on the Main Menu. You can change this sound by right-clicking on each menu button. Right-click on the instrument image you want to change, and a list of sounds to choose from will appear. The pitch and velocity can be adjusted by playing your MIDI keyboard (or other instrument) or by dragging the slider control. -12-

13 5K\WKPV Description Rhythm Playback helps develop the ability to recognize rhythmic patterns. It introduces the student to simple rhythms and prompts the student to repeat the rhythm by memory. The program will present the time signature of the graded rhythm, and will play the rhythm twice for the student. The student will play the rhythm back carefully, in time with the metronome. The student can then review the results, and move on to a new rhythm. Each rhythm is selected at random from several hundred rhythms matching the current grade level. How to Play Press the Next button to hear a new rhythm. The time signature will be shown on the left hand side, the metronome will count the lead-in beats, then the rhythm will be played twice for the student. You should listen to both demonstrations of the rhythm carefully. Pay close attention to the time signature, the starting beat, and similarities between the rhythm in different measures. Pressing the space bar on the computer keyboard will start the metronome for the student attempt. The rhythm can be tapped out on the space bar. Alternately, the metronome can be started and the rhythm can be played on any note on a MIDI keyboard (or other instrument). When you are finished, press the Review button to display a 'bar by bar' assessment of your play, compared to the original rhythm. The type of error, and the number of times each error was made in the playing of the piece, will be displayed on the bottom of screen. -13-

14 To view the errors for a bar of music, click on the yellow exclamation icon located in the bottom left corner of the bar. A view of the bar and the correct and incorrect notes played in that bar will be displayed in a colored window. The text at the bottom of the screen will describe the errors for the current bar of music. Selecting a line of text describing an error displays that error in the window. Click on the first line of text and use the up and down arrow keys to view any other errors in the current bar. Use the left and right arrow keys to view any other bars with errors. Settings The settings specific to Rhythms are: Level Default automatically adjusts the settings to the default for the grade level Custom determines whether or not the time signature and the special effects are turned on or off. The difficulty is increased by turning off these settings in the Custom settings. Settings which apply to other exercises as well can be set in Global settings. Reports Detailed reports on your rhythm practice are accessible by entering Profile from the main screen. Rhythm: detailed progress report Rhythm: current status report -14-

15 0HORG\3OD\EDFN Description Melody Playback develops the ability to remember a musical sequence and play it back. The program will present the key signature of a short graded melody, and will play it twice for the student. The student then plays the melody back carefully, in time with the metronome. To perform melody playback exercises without a metronome, start TuneWalk from the games menu and select Melody Playback content in the settings. How to Play First press the Next button to hear a new melody. The metronome will count one to three bars in advance, allowing the student to become familiar with the beat before starting to play. Adjust the metronome to your preference and press the Repeat button if you need to hear it again. Press any key on the keyboard to start the metronome. Wait for the metronome to count the lead-in beats, then play back the melody on a MIDI keyboard (or other instrument) connected to your computer. When you are finished playing you will automatically be evaluated. Press the Review button to display a 'bar by bar' assessment of your play, compared to the original passage. -15-

16 Settings The settings specific to Melody Playback are: Level Default automatically adjusts the settings to the default for the grade level Custom determines whether or not the time signature and the special effects are turned on or off. The difficulty is increased by turning off these settings in the Custom settings. Settings which apply to other exercises as well can be set in Global settings. Reports Detailed reports on your melody practice are accessible by entering Profile from the main screen. Melody Playback: detailed progress report Melody Playback: current status report -16-

17 6LJKW5HDGLQJ Description The Sight Reading exercises help develop the ability to review musical passages and play them back accurately at sight. This section of the program will ask the student to choose between rhythms and melodic passages. The program will then present the notation for the short graded melody. The student will be asked to play a rhythm or melody, testing either the note accuracy, or the notes and timing components. After the short rhythm or melodic passage has been played by the student, the program s detailed assessment of play can be reviewed. The note accuracy method, called Wait for Note, is the method that should initially be used by novice players. It will not proceed to the next note unless the correct notes are being played, with no extra notes. This method also requires notes be held their proper time value, and, for example, will not proceed if a whole note in the left hand is removed two beats too early. After the student is no longer challenged by the note accuracy (wait for note) method, they should proceed with the notes and timing method. This assesses the tempo, and provides a detailed bar-by-bar analysis, accurate to the smallest note length within that bar. Both of these methods have undergone extensive testing and are effective in increasing performance. These methods can be used successfully over a wide range of difficulty. Sight reading rhythm Sight reading melody Sight reading rhythm evaluation -17-

18 How to Play Use the following directions to sight-read either a rhythm or melodic passage. Note Accuracy: This method is meant for the melodic passages only. The student will play the melody, playing the correct notes and holding notes the correct length of time, without the pressure of a metronome. In other words, the student may pause to think about how to play the upcoming music properly before playing it, and will not lose any points in the scoring because of the pause. Every incorrect note played will result in points being lost from the score, and every correct note will result in additional points. Chords need to be played as chords (all notes concurrent) in order to proceed through the piece. There are only two reasons why the method will not let you proceed through the passage: 1. Not enough notes are being held (look for notes that you should sill be holding down), or Too many notes are being played (remove extra notes). Notes and Timing: First set the metronome speed in the settings to a comfortable speed to match your level of skill. Use the settings to select the desired number of bars for lead-in counting. Review the piece completely, get your hands in a good position to begin play. Now start the metronome by playing any key on the keyboard (or other instrument) connected to your computer. Once the metronome has counted the lead-in beats, the student should start to play in time with the metronome. When the play is completed, you will see the detailed analysis of your play. A yellow exclamation mark shows the bars in which your play differed from the original music notation. When you are finished reviewing your performance, press the Next button to go on to a new melody. Hundreds of sight reading passages are available for random selection, providing more than enough variety to challenge a student at any level of skill. Settings The settings specific to Sight Reading are: Default Method determines whether the default mode is Note accuracy or Notes and timing. Settings which apply to other exercises as well can be set in Global settings. Reports Hide notation place-marker determines whether or not the marker that shows the student where he/she should be playing in the notation is visible. Hide fingering determines whether or not fingering is visible. Detailed reports on your sight-reading practice are accessible by entering Profile from the main screen. -18-

19 ,QWHUYDOR Description A musical interval is the 'difference' or 'distance' between two musical pitches. Intervalo helps develop the ability to listen to different pitches being played, and discern the musical interval or distance accurately. Each distance has a name, or symbol. Recognizing the distance between pitches or notes improves the student's ability to remember and play back sequences of intervals (melodies). The Intervalo program will play two pitches for the student. The student will select the matching interval symbol from a chart. Each interval is randomly chosen from the complete set of intervals selected in the settings. Start with the minimum set of intervals (a novice is required to recognize only the most common intervals) and increase only after becoming familiar with the intervals you are working on. How to Play Beginner mode: First press the Next button to hear a new interval. Select the interval symbol for the interval you just heard. If you played it correctly, a green border with a check mark will appear over the symbol you selected. If you chose the wrong symbol, a red border with an x will appear over your selection, and the program will play the correct interval again. The number of chances you get depends on the number of chances indicated in the Settings. Intermediate mode: Intermediate mode replaces the interval symbol chart with intervals in notation form, and the student must select the matching notated interval. The user can also select the direction in which the interval is played, i.e. broken up means the interval is played as a broken chord, the first note being lower. -19-

20 Settings The settings specific to Intervalo are: Display Difficulty determines the mode in which the intervals are shown. The two modes are Beginner and Intermediate and are described above. Allowed Intervals determines the number and value of intervals to be tested. Allowed Interval Types determines whether the intervals are played as broken chords, ascending or descending. Allowed Staffs determines the staffs that intervals are played on. Attempts determines the number of attempts the student has to guess the right interval value. Settings which apply to other exercises as well can be set in Global settings. Reports Detailed reports on your intervalo practice are accessible by entering Profile from the main screen. Intervalo: detailed progress report Intervalo: current status report -20-

21 *DPHV *DPH6HOHFWLRQ When you click on the Games button on the Main screen, you are presented with a game selection window. The options provided include Replay, Tune Twister, TuneWalk, and Grand Staff Battle. 5HSOD\ Description Replay combines the playing of simple note sequences by ear with musical memory development. As the student succeeds with each note, the sequence grows by an additional note until the song ends. You should alternate between song and random note sequences, but beginners should become comfortable on the song setting before proceeding to try random sequences. On the random setting, instructors or students can remove the green key indicator so that solely the ear is used to determine the pitches of the notes played. Instructors or students can also move the exercise outward towards higher and lower pitch zones to increase the difficulty further. The speed at which the sequence is played can also be adjusted to increase or decrease the level of difficulty. -21-

22 Begin a new game by pressing Ctl-N. Follow the notes in order. When the note sequence is successfully repeated, from start to finish, the student will be rewarded with cheering. The student doesn t have to wait for each note separately for song replay, instead the student can press Ctl-K on the computer keyboard to get the chance to play the entire song. This option is not available in random mode. Note: begin to play after you press Ctl-K, the program will wait for you to play. How to Play First press the Next button to hear a new melody or random sequence. Replay will play a note and you will need to replay the same note. Replay will play the same first note, along with the next note in the random sequence or melody. You will need to replay the same two notes. This will continue until the end of the melody, or until you can no longer remember the sequence of random notes. Hints 1. Pressing Ctl-R will play the current portion of the melody or random sequence again. 2. Pressing Ctl-K will allow the player to attempt the whole piece ( All of it ) once they believe they know the piece. 3. Pressing Ctl-N or clicking the Next button will start a new game. Settings Song feed or Random feed determines whether a tune from a song is played or whether random notes are played. Under random feed there are three different Difficulty levels. Speed determines how fast the notes the student is to repeat are played. Choose the preferred game mode by selecting either Show me the keys or Give me an Ear Test. Show me the keys shows an onscreen keyboard and lights the note being played, adding a visual aspect to the game. Give me an Ear Test removes the onscreen keyboard, making the student rely entirely on the sound of the notes being played. Reports Detailed reports on your Replay practice are accessible by entering Profile from the main screen. -22-

23 7XQH7ZLVWHU Description Tune Twister develops the ability to identify notes (pitches) by their names, and is also useful for interval practice. The game divides a song into sections, then arranges it into a crossword-like pattern of blocks, each representing a pitch. At least one of these pitches are already named, and the player s goal is to uncover the names of the other pitches. When you have successfully uncovered all the notes, Tune Twister will play the entire crossword in order, revealing the mystery song. How To Play Hit Next and a song will be randomly selected, and twisted into a crossword. Begin play by clicking on a block (representing a note), or by moving to a block using the arrow keys. This will select a new block (the currently selected block is white), and play its pitch. Use the interval between blocks already named, and unnamed blocks as a reference while you type in the note name for the current block on your computer keyboard. A note (block) name is checked when the player hits enter, or moves to another block. If the player answers correctly, the block will flash green; an incorrect answer will cause the block to flash red. To enter a sharp or a flat, simply press the + or - keys respectively (eg. To enter a B flat, press B-. Tune Twister will accept A sharp instead of B flat, because they are the same pitch). When all the blocks have been filled with their correct note names, the entire piece plays back, with the blocks flashing as their note is played. The known portion of the piece can be played at any time by pressing the play button. Settings This simple game requires very few settings, starting notes determines the number of notes given away at the beginning of the game, and Song Play Speed changes the speed at which the song is played. As the player progresses through grade levels, the number of notes, the number of sharps and flats, and the largest interval span will increase, making the game harder. Reports Detailed reports on your Tune Twister practice are accessible by entering Profile from the main screen. -23-

24 7XQH:DON Description TuneWalk helps develop the ability to play a piece by ear. The program plays a song one section at a time, always waiting for the user to repeat the notes before continuing to the next section. The User may select the length of section he or she wishes to divide the piece into from the following choices: note; beat; bar; two bars; four bars. The piece is displayed on-screen in simple notation. A single note will show as a single oval, whereas a chord will show as several ovals lined up vertically. The notation provides some timing information (a longer note appears wider), but is most useful for keeping track of progress. Notes are filled in as they are played correctly. Game Play Randomly select a new piece by pressing the next button, or enter the settings page and pick a piece by name from the dropdown box (see settings below). Hit any note on the keyboard to start play, then listen carefully to the music, and play back what you hear. If you play all the notes in a section correctly, TuneWalk will play the next section. If you fail to play any correct notes for more than three seconds, TuneWalk will repeat the remainder of the current section. Pressing the repeat button at any time after play begins will repeat the current section. Scoring is based on number of correct notes to total number of notes, and is shown in the top right hand of the screen while the piece is being learned. TuneWalk can be adjusted to make learning by ear even easier and more enjoyable: Right Hand/ Left Hand: Choose to play right or left hands only, or hands together. Use the mark bar tool to select the bar(s) that you would like to practice by clicking on two bar lines. Use the crop tool to isolate the selected bar(s). Press the Crop Bars button again to return the piece to its original length. Page Forward/ Page Back: View all the music by paging forward and backward in the piece. -24-

25 Note Size Up/ Note Size Down: Use the arrows to increase or decrease the size of notation. There are five different sizes. Tempo Slider: Change the tempo by moving the slider back and forth. Settings: Opens the settings form (see below). Replay: Replays the section currently being learned. New: Randomly selects a new piece. Reset: Clear any progress and return to the start of the piece (this can also be done by double clicking on the white part of the screen). Exit: Exit TuneWalk and return to the games menu. The Play Control Bar is found directly above the keyboard. It has the following functions: Return to Start. Skip back to previous bar. Play Song. Skip to End of song Skip Ahead to the next bar. Pause Play. Show or Hide the keyboard by clicking this button. Settings The settings page contains default settings for: Notation Size, Playback Length (length of one evaluation section eg. If Playback length is set to note TuneWalk, will play one note, then wait for the user to play it back), Right/Left hand, and show Keyboard. When a new piece is loaded, these settings take effect. The Content Source drop down box determines what content to use in TuneWalk. A user can choose the TuneWalk pieces, or the pieces from Melody Playback. The Starting Song checkbox and drop down box, determine whether TuneWalk will default to the selected piece on returning to TuneWalk from the settings. To select a piece by name, put a check in the checkbox, and select the piece you want, then press Apply and OK. -25-

26 Reports Detailed reports on your TuneWalk practice are accessible by entering Profile from the main screen. 6NDOHU Description Skaler encourages you to read and play the notes of a scale quickly and accurately with either hand. Skaler will increase independent finger dexterity, finger strength and the ability to look ahead on the staff while playing progressive note sequences. Skaler helps to increase the general level of sight-reading performance over time. The student will notice that the three minute game has a significant exercising effect on the fingers that is much more noticeable than other scale exercises. Random switching of keys within the selected grade level provides familiarity with progressions in several keys. Skaler awards the student for accuracy and speed, in order to provide more of a sense of accomplishment than would ordinarily accompany this activity. You should strive to play these sequences as evenly as possible, with even weighting on the keys, and you should complete about two games each day. Start the game by observing the key signature. If you are a novice, begin play without notation until you become comfortable with the activity. Then, change the setting to include notation. Fingering can be selected on or off, with fingering as the preferred setting. If you pause for too long in one place, the game character will be attacked by a flying squirrel. If you make too many errors, the game character will be confronted by a goat with an unpleasant demeanor. At times you will be asked to go backwards in order to pick up food. Simply play the note you are on an extra time in order to turn around. Each session ends with a familiar tune. If you recognize the familiar tune soon enough you can play it from memory to improve your speed score. -26-

27 Settings Volume determines what volume the sound effects and background music are at and whether they are on or off. Display determines whether the player notation and fingering are visible. Hand determines whether the player is required to play notes with the right hand, the left hand, or a random hand. Reports Detailed reports on your Skaler practice are accessible by entering Profile from the main screen. *UDQG6WDII%DWWOH Background Grand Staff Battle develops sight-reading, finger strength, and dexterity, by playing an arcade-style game. The student moves the hero of the game (Señor Semitone) around on the screen, and plays mystery notes in order to change the enemies into gold notes. When the student plays any note on the piano keyboard (or other instrument), a note is sent in the direction senor semitone is looking. If this note hits an enemy, the enemy must reveal his secret pitch, by playing the note, and by showing it on a staff, or both (default). Grand Staff Battle is useful for students who would like to enjoy improving in note recognition and control. Care should be taken to learn the ideal position of the fingers on the piano keyboard controls. You should start with the easy level, and work your way up after you complete the game several times. You must navigate 15 screens to win a game. Beginner students of all ages find playing frustrating at times because of their low level of experience in several areas. Two common problems are locating notes on the keyboard quickly by sight, and the playing of notes on the keyboard with enough pressure and dexterity. -27-

28 To develop skill in locating notes at sight, one should increase the number of different notes read from the staff. This must be done over a period of weeks or months to make a noticeable difference. It is difficult to do this in a lesson situation, because of the time this takes out of a lesson, and because there is little to show in the way of direct results, compared to learning to play a specific piece for instance. To develop dexterity on the keyboard one should play a large number of short passages of music that require all fingers, and this should be done for 15 minutes a day or more, until the pieces that the student is playing work the fingers enough to replace the exercise. For a beginner student the time taken to develop strength and dexterity can be two years or more, and it is difficult to motivate students to keep playing strengthening exercises like, 'A Dozen A Day', for this length of time. For many students this means that even if they are improving with respect to the location of notes, understanding of timing and tempo, their playing abilities are being held back by a lack of control over their fingers. Grand Staff Battle was developed to improve the strength and dexterity of the fingers, and the playing of notes and simple chords at sight. The arcade style of this game makes it easy to start anew every day. Though it is a developmental activity, this game holds the interest of 5-10 year olds for an extended period of time each day. This game is meant to be played before the student can identify notes by sight, and can be continued for the first two to three years of play with good effect. It is useful to start a novice with this game on their first day. Description The player assumes the identity of Señor Semitone, a Spanish musician and hero. Señor Semitone is given the task of changing dangerous characters like snakes and scorpions into golden musical notes, by playing their mystery pitch. One hand is used to control the movement of Señor Semitone, while the other hand is used to locate the correct notes on the keyboard. In order to win each level of the game, Señor Semitone must change all five of the dangerous characters into gold notes before the clock runs out, and before he loses three lives. Each enemy has one weakness... if it is hit with a flying blue note that matches its own mystery pitch, it will change into a golden note forever. If an enemy is hit with a flying note that doesn't match its mystery pitch, it must display its own mystery pitch on a small staff. To hit an enemy with a flying note, Señor Semitone must get close enough and play a note on the keyboard. There are a few strategies novice players can use to locate the mystery pitches of the enemies. Novices will often move up or down the keyboard, trying many keys in order to find the correct pitch. Later, some players will zero in on the correct note using their ear, others will notice the treble or bass clef on the staff, whether the note is sharp or flat, and these cues will speed up their search for the note. The teacher should advise students to use strategies like this which assist in reading at sight. Changing dangerous opponents (enemies) into gold notes isn't enough. After each one is turned into a gold note, Señor Semitone must pick up the gold note before the annoying monkey, in order to score. If he doesn't get there quickly, the monkey will pick it up and take it to the wicked General MIDI. General MIDI will trade any gold note for a banana, but produces another enemy. All movement of the hero is controlled with either the left or right hand on the keyboard. If the dangerous characters bump into Señor Semitone, or if they hit him with a note or chord, he loses one of his three lives. Avoiding being hit by moving quickly out of the way in the correct direction, and racing to reach the gold note before the monkey, requires finger strength and agility. Over time, without noticing the exercise, the desired strength and dexterity is developed. -28-

29 How to Play At the start of each level, Señor Semitone will begin at the bottom center of the screen. At the end of each level, the player must travel through the door at the top of the screen to get to the next level. The default setting will allow the movement of Señor Semitone by playing notes on a keyboard connected to the computer. Only one hand should control the movement of Señor Semitone, the other should be kept free to find the mystery note of each enemy. The hand you should use to control movement is indicated by the hand symbol at the top left of your screen. If the symbol is of a right hand, you should position your right hand over the notes as in the figure below. Similarly for the left hand, you should position your hand as per the figure below. Try to use this base position and fingering at all times. Use the 2 nd and 5 th fingers to move from left to right, and try to use the third and fourth fingers together to move up or down. Left side of keyboard Right side of keyboard Left hand Right hand To control Señor Semitone with the computer keyboard, deselect the Use MIDI Keyboard option in the Grand Staff Battle Game Settings screen. You will then use the arrow keys to control Señor Semitone, and you will use the letter and number keys on the computer keyboard to play notes. After getting comfortable with moving Señor Semitone, you should begin to chase your opponents around the screen. When you get close, play a note on the keyboard with your free hand. Watch carefully as the enemy displays its mystery note (pitch) on the staff. Now follow that enemy and try to play its mystery pitch. When you get the right pitch, and the enemy changes to a gold note, use your control hand to pick up the note before the monkey gets to it. Don't let the enemies touch you, and stay out of the way of notes played by the enemy characters. After every five levels, the characters and scenes will change. You must complete 15 levels to win the game. -29-

30 Settings New Game determines the difficulty of the game. Easy will not require chords and will use pitches close to Middle C. The last five levels require faster movement since the enemies begin to shoot notes at Señor Semitone. Medium uses pitches for two octaves above Middle C and two octaves below, and uses sharps and flats. Medium level also requires two note chords in the last 5 levels. Hard will start with two note chords and require three note chords in the last 5 levels. Use MIDI Keyboard determines whether a MIDI keyboard attached to your computer or your computer s keyboard will be used for game control. Enemy Note Sounds determines whether the mystery notes played by the enemy characters make a sound or not. Background Music determines whether or not background music is played. -30-

31 *OREDO6HWWLQJV To enter the Global Settings window press the Settings button on the Main screen. The following options are available. Grade Level: The grade level setting allows you to choose either level one or level two difficulty. This setting only applies if you have also selected the strict levels setting. Strict Levels: The strict levels setting allows you to restrict the settings of the different components of Ear Training Coach to the default settings for the level you have chosen. Custom Levels: The custom levels setting allows you to set the level difficulty for individual components of Ear Training Coach. The components you are able to modify in this setting category are as follows. Rhythm: level 1 or 2 Melody Playback: level 1 or 2 Sight Reading: level 1 or 2 Voice Settings: The voice introducing different components of Ear Training Coach can be turned off by deselecting the check box in front of the proper component title. Metronome setup: The Metronome setup allows you to modify the following settings for the metronome: Tempo: The tempo can be modified by using the slide bar. To test the tempo to see if it is correct press the test button. Metronome Sound: The metronome sound can be changed from a human voice counting out the beats, by selecting voice, to a MIDI generated sound, by selecting MIDI. Metronome Lead-in: The number of lead-in bars, or bars that the metronome counts before you are to start playing a selection, can be set at 1 bar, two bars, or three bars. Turn Page: The point at which a page of a multi-paged selection may be chosen. You may choose to set that point at either 1, 2, or 3 beats before the current page of the selection ends. Metronome Instrument: The instrument that is used to play the MIDI sound may be chosen from a list of percussive instruments. Pitch: The pitch (high or low) of the metronome can be set by scrolling up or down on the slide bar. Volume: The volume of the metronome can be set by scrolling up or down on the slide bar. -31-

32 Sound/MIDI Setup: The sound settings for the default instrument can be modified in the following settings options: Default Instrument: The default instrument can be chosen from any of the instrument choices which you have on you soundcard. MIDI Volume: The volume for MIDI output can be set by scrolling the slide bar left, for lower volume and right for higher volume. Wave Volume: The volume for wave output can be set by scrolling the slide bar left, for lower volume and right for higher volume. MIDI Through: Selecting the MIDI through option sends the MIDI information to the program where it is registered and sent back to the MIDI keyboard (or other instrument) you are playing. If you have a MIDI keyboard with built-in instrument settings, and you have a different instrument selected on your keyboard than in the program, you might hear two notes playing at the same time. If the MIDI through option is deselected the MIDI information is sent to the computer, but only one note gets played in the instrument set on your keyboard. Constant Keyboard Velocity: Selecting the constant velocity option makes every note that you play come out at the same volume. This option helps give timid players more confidence and makes sure that they can hear the notes that they are pressing down. Select MIDI Device: This option allows you to select the MIDI devices for MIDI input and MIDI output. To test either setting press the test button on the side of the respective selection. -32-

33 3URILOH To access the player profile press the Profile button on the Main screen. There are three main categories in the player profile: General, Exercises, and Games. The categories are described below. General Profile: In the General profile the percentage rating of the student's performance is shown for each of the exercises. A minimum of ten attempts at each of the exercises is required for an evaluation. On the left side of the graph the performance rating is shown. On the bottom of the graph the name of the exercise and the number of attempts that the student has made on each exercise are shown. To print out a copy of the General Profile press the Print button above the graph. Exercise Profile: In the Exercise Profile the percentage rating of the student's performance in a specific exercise is given according to attempts having been made. The exercise to be shown can be chosen in the drop down box above the graph. You may choose from Rhythms, Melody Playback, Sight-Reading Rhythm, Sight-Reading Melody, and Intervalo. The graphs show how the student is making progress in a given exercise over a number of attempts. To print out a copy of an exercise profile press the Print button above the graph. Games Profile: In the Games Profile the point level achieved during an attempt is recorded. The game to be shown can be chosen in the drop box above the graph. You may choose from Replay, Tune Twister, TuneWalk, Scaler, and Grand Staff Battle. The graph shows the number of points gained on the left of the graph and the attempt number on the bottom. To print out a copy of a Game Profile press the Print button above the graph. Completing a Game Level: As you accumulate successful attempts, your level of comfort with each exercise or activity will improve. Ear Training Coach monitors your progress and recommends when to move on to the next grade level. This information is printed with your general profile. When you have completed the requirements for grade 1, remove the certificate from the back of this book and have it signed by your instructor. -33-

34 $GYHQWXV,QWHUDFWLYH0XVLF3URGXFWV 2bY^W_eddXURUcdY^i_ebcdeTU^dcgYdXdXURUcdY^]ecYSUTeSQdY_^dUSX^_\_Wi 3LDQR6XLWH3UHPLHU<UQb^`\QiSbUQdUQ^T]_bU Over 500 Pieces for 5 Skill Levels A comprehensive library of music for listening, learning, and playing. Includes Classical, Rock, Jazz, Folk, Children's, Anthems, Christmas and more, with 65 licensed pieces by The Beatles, Elvis, Willie Nelson, R.E.M., Barbra Streisand, Frank Sinatra, Whitney Houston, and many others. Interactive Learning Methods Three vivid, intuitive learning methods promote sight reading and proper playing skills. The learning process is both effective and enjoyable with interactive feedback that motivates your students to progress, while the extensive song list ensures their interest. Students can select notation size, and practice any portion ( or all ) of a piece with both hands or either hand alone, with detailed printable reports. Complete, 2-Year Music Theory Course Interactive theory course provides the essential rudiments to play any instrument, with 120 practice exercises for the keyboard. Progress through theory at your own pace, with helpful illustrations and animations in this fully-narrated curriculum. Full-featured Composer and Editor You and your students can create, edit, and print your own multi-track arrangements with lyrics and fingering. Your work can be saved in MIDI format or to the library for others to play or practice. And much more challenging multimedia games reinforce music skills and keep the learning fun. - The musical selections are beautifully illustrated and contain multi-track arrangements, lyrics, song recordings and animations. - History Happens includes personal and professional biographies of over 300 composers and performers, music time- lines and more. - Personal Profile tracks students progress through the theory course, and evaluations of piano practice. Review improvement to date at a glance. A multiple class network version is available. - NEW! Now you can take an instructor-led lesson over the Internet! Visit the Adventus web site, for more details. Ages 5 to adult

35 3LDQR6XLWH'HOX[H DXUS_]`\UdU]ecYS\UQb^Y^W `QS[QWUV_bdXUS\Qccb ]_bx_]u Piano Suite Premier software is included in this bundle along with a velocity-sensing Studio 49 keyboard from Fatar, 12' MIDIsoundcard cable, and power adapter! 086,4&KDOOHQJHU1^UhSYdY^WY^dUbQSdYfUcdbQdUWiWQ]UV_b]ecYScdeTU^dc Challenger, where the world s top musical groups struggle for global supremacy, and the arena is a musical game board. Compete to create music motifs (chords and scales of all kinds) using your knowledge of interval theory. Scoring allows players to decode and play a mystery piece from the music genre of their choice. Graduated scoring encourages students to progress in their understanding of more advanced motifs. Introduction to music theory is included. Mystery music includes Rock, Jazz, Classical, Country, Celtic, and Latin. Includes access to our Internet game room! Play stand-alone, on a LAN, or over the internet. Ages 12 to adult $GYHQWXV6RIWZDUH8U\`Y^WcdeTU^dc7Ud=ecYSQ\ 0,',ZZZDGYHQWXVFRP

36 (DU7UDLQLQJ&RDFK6HULHV 5QbDbQY^Y^W3_QSXdXU`UbVUSddQ[UX_]US_QSXV_bUfUbicdeTU^d 7UddXUgX_\UcUbYUc^_gV_bi_ebS\Qccb ]_bcdety_ An enjoyable new approach to developing ear training and sight-reading skills, with content, activities, and assessment for every grade level from 1 through 10. You will be impressed with how easily students improve. "iuqbcg_bdx_vqsdyfydyucq^t`bqsdysuqbuy^s\etut_^uqsx34b?= HDUWUDLQLQJFRDFK PXVLFGLFWDWLRQ UK\WKP PHORG\ LQWHUYDOV VLJKWUHDGLQJ FKRUGV FDGHQFHV JDPHV Ear Training Coach is recommended as preparation for the ear training and sight-reading portions of the Royal Conservatory of Music Examinations.