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1992-03-12
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Thank you for trying ListenUp Version 2.1!
ListenUp is ear training software for musicians. ListenUp
combines sound and colors in a Graphical User Interface to
help musicians improve their sense of pitch.
By pairing a color with each note, notes can be recognized
quickly and easily. After some practice with ListenUp,
you can learn to recognize any note, even when the Color
Pairs are turned off. ListenUp can dramatically improve your
sense of musical pitch!
ListenUp generates notes randomly, so you won't be able
to master the drills by rote learning.
ListenUp contains a Main Menu and two learning modules. One
module generates a single random note along with a color
circle. After the note is played, you guess the note. If
you are unsure which note you heard, you can do one of four
things:
Push "F1". This will switch you to the Color Reference
Chart, which shows you which color each semi-tone has been
assigned to (This Color Chart is also available at the Main
Menu).
Push "F2". This plays Middle "C", to provide a reference.
Push "F3". This replays the note you just heard.
Or, you can just guess! ListenUp keeps track of your score.
Once you get to know which colors are assigned to which
notes, you will consistently get a 100% score. In the
Main Menu, you can switch the Color Pairs off and then do
more trials. After a while, you will be achieving perfect
scores, because you will associate a color for each musical
note. Then you will be ready for Interval Training!
The second module involves interval training (an interval is
the distance between two notes). Here, you are presented
with two notes in succession. The first is always
"C", the second is randomly generated. Your task is to
identify the interval presented (major 5th, minor 7th,
octave, etc.). Again, work with the Color Pairs switched on
initially. Later, go on to identify intervals without the
use of the assigned colors. Again, ListenUp keeps track of
your score.
REQUIREMENTS
An I.B.M. or compatible computer, with minimum EGA COLOR
monitor, 256k RAM, DOS 2.0 or higher. All I.B.M. and
compatible computers come equipped with an internal speaker.
An interest in music!
INSTALLATION
Listenup will run from a floppy drive if you wish. If you
wish to install to a hard drive (say, drive C) first make a
directory called LUP and then copy the diskette to your
destination drive:
MD C:\LUP (makes the directory)
COPY A:\*.* C:\LUP (copies the diskette to drive C)
To start the program, move to the directory you created and
type:
listenup
There are four files on this diskette:
- README.1ST
- LISTENUP.DOC (A short manual you can print out)
- REGISTER.DOC (A form you can print out and complete when
you are ready to register)
- LISTENUP.EXE (The program)
To print out the documents, type:
type a:\*.DOC > prn
REGISTRATION
ListenUp is shareware. Shareware is "try before you buy"
software. If you find ListenUp to be useful, would like to
receive a free upgrade, and news of enhancements, please send
a Money Order for $19.00 (Educational Organizations send
$50.00 per site) to:
Fred Palmer Software
13214 - 90 Street
Edmonton, Alberta
T5E 3M6
CANADA
Be sure to use sufficient postage for Canadian mail
delivery!
Once you have typed ListenUp at the DOS prompt, the ListenUp
opening will run, followed by the Main Menu.
MAIN MENU
Begin - starts either single note training, or interval
training, depending on which Note Format you have chosen.
The default is single note training.
Color Pairs - Allows you to choose either musical notes with
their assigned colors, or notes only. The default is notes
with colors.
Note Format - Allows the user to select either single note
training or interval training. The default is single note
training.
Octaves - Allows selection of working in either one octave,
or two octaves, of random notes. Default is one octave.
Color Chart - Selecting this menu item switches to the Color
Reference chart, which shows which colors correspond to which
notes. For example, when you hear a note, and see a blue
circle presented with that note, you will know that the note
was "A" by studying the Color Reference Chart.
Registration - Selecting this menu item provides information
on how to register.
Quit - Quit first asks for confirmation that you wish to exit
ListenUp. If you answer "Y", "y", or press the "ESC" key,
ListenUp begins its exiting sequence.
SINGLE NOTE TRAINING
In single note training, you will first be prompted to press
the Space Bar for your first note. Pressing the Space Bar
causes a single, random note to play. Move the menu cursor
with either the left or right arrow keys to the name of
the note you think you heard. Press Enter. ListenUp will
either confirm that you were correct, or tell you what the
note actually was. You also can press "F1" to see the Color
Reference Chart, which shows a table of how notes are paired
to various colors. This, of course, is "cheating", and your
previous score will be reset when you exit the Color Chart.
Single note training uses an unusual horizontal menu. This
is to avoid favouring any one note. For example, a vertical
menu would have one note at the top of the menu, and one the
the bottom of the menu. The note "C" is not inherently
superior to the note "B", and a horizontal menu avoids this
impression. Also, the menu in single note training uses the
less-than symbol ("<") to mark semitones between notes. This
is because, say, "A#" is the same as "Bb". Using the "<"
sign avoids prejudicing towards either the "#" or "b" sign.
If, for whatever reason, you do not want to guess a
particular note, simply hit the Space Bar right after the
note is presented and another note will be presented.
Skipping notes in this way does not count against you.
You will occasionally be presented with the same note twice
in a row, because the notes are randomly generated.
Here is a guide to the Title Bar in single note training:
ESC - Exits single note training
F1 - Switches to the Color Reference Chart, so you can see
which colors are assigned to which note. Please note that
when you return to single note training, your previous score
is erased, because this is "cheating".
F2 - Plays "Middle C". Some users may use this as a
reference note to help them correctly guess notes when the
Color Pairings are turned off through the Main Menu.
F3 - Plays the last note presented again. This is in case
the dog was barking while the last note was presented.
F10 - Displays a clock. Press F9 to remove the clock
display. Of course, if your computer does not have the
correct time, neither will ListenUp.
INTERVAL TRAINING
A musical interval is the distance in pitch between two
notes. ListenUp uses melodic intervals (one note after the
other, rather than 2 notes at once). The first note is
always "C", the second note is randomly generated.
Intervals have two dimensions, SIZE and QUALITY.
The size of an interval is determined by the number of letter
names contained in the interval, including the top and bottom
notes. For example, playing the note C and then E is a third
(C, D and E = 3 letter names: interval is a 3rd).
The quality of an interval refers to whether it is a
major, minor, etc. Here is a table using the key of C:
C to C perfect 8th (Octave)
C to B major 7th
C to A major 6th
C to G perfect 5th
C to F perfect 4th
C to E major 3rd
C to D major 2nd
C to C perfect unison
If a major interval is made one semitone smaller it becomes a
MINOR interval.
Just as A# is the same as Bb, intervals have enharmonic
equivalents. For example, a DIMINISHED interval is one
semitone smaller than a perfect interval, and one semitone
smaller than a minor interval. Also an AUGMENTED interval is
one semitone larger than perfect and major intervals. Here
is an expanded table of intervals:
C to C perfect octave (augmented 7)
C to B major 7 (diminished 8)
C to A#/Bb minor 7 (augmented 6)
C to A major 6 (diminished 7)
C to G#/Ab minor 6 (augmented 5)
C to G perfect 5 (diminished 6)
C to F#/Gb diminished 5 (augmented 4)
C to F perfect 4 (augmented 3)
C to E major 3 (diminished 3)
C to D#/Eb minor 3 (augmented 2)
C to D major 2 (diminished 3)
C to C#/Db minor 2 (augmented 1)
C to C perfect unison (diminished 2)
The interval training menu accomodates working in
two octaves. If you are working with two octaves, it is
possible to have intervals greater than one octave apart.
Therefore, for example, the major 2nd menu selection is
labelled "major 2/9".
ESC, F1, F2, F3, F9, F10. These work just as in single note
training, except that F3 replays the last interval, rather
than the last note.
* * *
ListenUp Copyright Fred Palmer 1991
I.B.M. is a registered trademark of International Business
Machines Corporation.
This program was created with the help of MIPS Toolbox 1,
Copyright 1990, MIPS, Inc.
Special thanks to Rick Stangeland.
REGISTRATION FORM
Full Name____________________________________________________
Address______________________________________________________
City______________________________
State/Province____________________ Zip/Postal Code___________
I enclose a Money Order for $19.00 for ListenUp 2.1.
Educational Organizations please send $50.00 per site. I
understand that I will receive a free upgrade in 3 to 4 weeks
Diskette Size 3.5" ___ 5.25" ___
Purchase Order # (if applicable)________________
Signature____________________________
Send To:
Fred Palmer Software
13214 - 90 Street
Edmonton, Alberta
T5E 3M6
CANADA