home
***
CD-ROM
|
disk
|
FTP
|
other
***
search
/
Aminet 3
/
Aminet 3 - July 1994.iso
/
Aminet
/
mus
/
misc
/
met0_95.lha
/
met.doc
< prev
next >
Wrap
Text File
|
1994-02-11
|
4KB
|
121 lines
==============================================================================
Mike's Ear Trainer
Version 0.95
(The Manual)
(C) 1994 Mike Shapiro
==============================================================================
1) QUICK MANUAL (for the impatient)
Mike's Ear Trainer (MET) is a learning aid for the music student who wishes to
improve his or her basic sight-reading and dictation skills. MET currently
offers the following musical "quizzes":
Interval Singing: MET specifies intervals. You sing them.
Sight Singing: MET draws notes. You sing them.
Dictation: MET plays notes. You write them.
Chord Spelling: MET specifies a chord by key, function, and inversion. You
spell it.
Chord Indentification: MET plays a chord. You identify its type.
(The chord identification quiz isn't so hot right now because the triangle
waveform the sound is using obscures the harmonies.)
Note that MET only generates problems, and, upon request, displays the
correct answer. MET doesn't check your answers or map your progress.
MET assumes you have a basic knowledge of music theory (scales, intervals,
chord types, etc).
2) LEGAL FOO
MET is copyright (C) 1994 Mike Shapiro, incorperating freely distributable
source code written by Steven A. Bennett. That having been said, MET
is freely distributable, provided that you keep the archive intact and
unaltered.
MET is being released under the concept of "IncentiveWare". Simply put,
I wrote MET primarily for my own use. There are a lot of things I could
do to it that would make it more useful for other people, but that I don't
immediately need. If you'd like future versions of MET, send along
a monetary contribution. You are under no obligation, legal or moral,
to do so, and neither am I to update the program. TANSTAAFL. Capice?
3) REAL MANUAL
Actually, the program is pretty self-explanatory. But here are a few notes.
The difficulty menu lets you ease or intensify the quizzes. As of this
version, it affects only some of the quizzes, thus:
Interval Singing, Sight Singing, Dictation: length of the sequence of
notes to be sung or written.
Chord Spelling Quiz: type of chord (e.g. triad v. sevenths) and key.
3.a) LIMITATIONS
The graphic display isn't wonderful, though it's more or less functional.
Note that as far as accidentals go, only sharps are handled. Thus, when
taking (say) a dictation quiz, but sure to give yourself credit if you
put down a note's enharmonic equivalent.
4) DOES THE PROGRAM WORK?
Reasonably well! I've used it for a few months, and my ear skills have
shown marked improvement. I've found it to be a good supplement to
music studies; in any case, it sure beats closing your eyes and trying to
hit random notes on the piano.
5) WHAT KIND OF EGO PROBLEM DOES THIS AUTHOR HAVE THAT HE HAS TO PUT HIS
NAME IN THE TITLE OF THE PROGRAM?
Truth to tell, it's only because "Ear Trainer" is too generic and may have
been taken by other shareware authors. (This isn't to say I don't have
a big ego, though.)
6) HOW DO I EXPRESS MY IMMEASURABLE GRATITUDE TO THE AUTHOR?
I welcome feedback or suggestions for future versions. (A cash donation will
be particularly condusive to the release of the latter. But if you're poor
and still have suggestions or bug reports, I welcome them anyway.)
I can be reached at the following addresses (up 'till summer 1994 and maybe
thereafter).
Internet:
ms0p@andrew.cmu.edu
mgs9577@acfcluster.nyu.edu
Reality:
Mike Shapiro
23 Ridge Drive East
Great Neck, NY 11021
7) WHAT DO I DO WITH MY SPARE TIME WHEN I'M NOT TRAINING WITH MET?
Try Zerg, my other major contribution to the Amiga ShareWare community.
It's a cute miniature Ultima-style RPG, available on Fred Fish 252.
(I know, I know. It needs a sequel. Advice to high-school students:
program all you can while you still have free time. It's all over
after college.)
Happy ear-training!