When I was seven years old, I went to two schools at once: secondary and musical - to the button accordion. Why exactly the button accordion - I don’t remember now. Probably for a change, since the older sister went to the piano, and the older brother to the classical guitar. At first it was interesting, participated in home and school concerts. But every day it became more and more boring. You yourself can imagine the state of a physically healthy child learning scales when friends are playing football outside the window. In general, a year later I told my parents that I was leaving the “musician” and moving on to the sports section. That's what they decided on.
I told this story because I still sincerely regret my decision to leave the music school. And it's not that I could become a great bayan player. No. It's just that I've retained my passion for music for the rest of my life.
A few years ago, to fill in the gaps in my education, I bought a simple Yamaha synthesizer and began to practice on my own. Fortunately, the Internet is full of educational literature, video applications and related programs. Later, having received an iPad and an electric guitar as a gift, I almost completely switched to guitar lessons, but I didn’t forget about the synthesizer and, if I came across a useful, in my opinion, application for learning to play the piano in the AppStore, I definitely installed and practiced.
In this review, I have included applications that may help beginner pianists, or rather those who want to become an aspiring pianist. Those who do not yet have a real instrument can start learning by mastering a virtual piano, therefore, to begin with, let's decide on its choice.
In my two years of using the iPad, I've gotten to know a lot of free and paid virtual pianos. If you are convinced that free cheese is only found in a mousetrap, then feel free to buy GarageBand (GarageBand review). In addition to the virtual piano, you will get a lot of additional benefits. Moreover, sooner or later, you may want to record your own composition, and Garage Band is an ideal option for this.
However, in terms of implementing a virtual piano for beginners, in my opinion, Garage Band has disadvantages: the inability to open the keyboard to full screen and set the width of the keys as you wish (there are only three installed widths to choose from). To whom these shortcomings seem significant, they can familiarize themselves with the following appendices.
2in1 Piano HD (free).
In my opinion, the best of the free virtual pianos. The main functions for beginners have been implemented: full-screen display of one or two keyboards; fast scrolling and changing the width of the keys. At the same time, the program has high-quality sound.
By the way, if you do not know musical notation, to study it, I recommend turning on the display mode of notes on the keyboard. (For information: usually in applications, do-re-mi familiar to us are denoted by letters of the Latin alphabet: do-C, re-D, mi-E, fa-F, salt-G, la-A, si-B or H The number indicates the number of the octave).
Another very useful feature of the program for beginner pianists is the availability of training lessons. There are only eight of them in the free version, but below I will talk about applications in which there are many more similar lessons.
Of the additional features, the following can be noted: another available instrument (Strings), ten background drum rhythms (Drum Beats), the ability to apply effects (Reverb and Echo). There is also the function of recording your compositions and voice from a microphone, but the possibility of saving is not implemented (during the next recording, the previous one will be permanently deleted).
Real Piano HD Pro (99 rubles).
In my opinion, one of the most beautiful, feature-rich and intuitive music apps. In addition to the basic functions for displaying and adjusting the keyboard, there is a virtual piano pedal, as well as modes for changing the volume of the sound depending on the location and strength of the key being pressed.
There are also additional virtual instruments: harp, classical guitar, bass guitar, miramba and music box.
The application has a nice feature of recording your own compositions and transferring them over the network. You can learn Happy Birthday (the composition is included in a set of three installed melodies) and send a musical birthday greeting, so to speak, a gift with your own hands.
Now let's talk about the cons. While playing with headphones, I noticed that when you press a single key quickly and abruptly, the sound fades out unnaturally abruptly. At the same time, in the overall composition, this effect is invisible. I'm attributing this problem to my old iPad2, because on iPhone5, in the same application, the sound is normal. In general, we can say that Real Piano HD is an excellent virtual piano.
FingerPiano Plus (free).
This program is more likely not a virtual instrument, but rather a training simulator in which you have to press the keys in accordance with the falling figures (stripes, balls, etc.). Unlike similar game applications where the figures move in a continuous stream (Piano Dust Buster review), FingerPiano Plus will patiently wait until you press the desired key, which allows you to more fully master the composition.
It is also worth noting that this is the best of the free applications in terms of the number of initially available ringtones.
Key features of FingerPiano Plus:
– 128 available classical and folk melodies + 220 paid melodies;
– 5 available virtual instruments + 128 paid instruments;
– listening to a melody, changing the tempo, fast rewinding and forward;
– Separate parts for left and right hands.
Disadvantages: built-in purchases, but you can do without them - the available melodies and instruments are quite enough. By the way, the annoying ads that endlessly accompany free apps are hidden in the pop-up menu - we also say thank you.
- before learning, listen and remember the melody;
- if the tempo of the melody is too fast for you - turn it down, then gradually increase it;
- set the maximum possible width of the keys for the selected composition (firstly, it is easier to hit the virtual keys, and secondly, it is easier to play the melody on real keys later);
- try to play only with the hand for which the part is intended, while using all the fingers of the hand;
- having trained to automatism, try to play a melody on another virtual piano, or even better, on a real instrument.
(66 rubles)
This app is the paid version of 2in1 Piano HD that we reviewed above and has the same basic features plus: 120 learning lessons, 50 virtual instruments and 100 drum rhythms.
Also, the application has added the function of saving recorded compositions, but again, not without a catch - you will not be able to send them over the network.
The music lessons include almost the same tunes found in the FingerPiano Plus app, plus additional songs for playing other instruments. With that said, I can recommend the application to those who want to get a virtual piano and a training simulator in one bottle.
(66 rubles).
The same chord can be played both on the guitar and on the piano. We will use this principle, moving on to the topic of accompaniment. In my previous iPad & Guitar review, I talked about the SongBook & Guitare tabs app, which provides lyrics with chords but with a guitar tie-in. In order to play these chords on the piano, the Easy Piano Chords program will come in handy.
The functionality of the program is very simple: choose the main note (root) and the type of chord - you get the construction of a chord, press any place on the keyboard - you get the sound of a chord. For information: in this program, major chords are indicated with a prefix to the note of the Latin letter "M", but, as a rule, this prefix is \u200b\u200bnot indicated for major chords. The disadvantages of the application include only the lack of an inverse function - determining the name of a chord by its construction.
If you decide to learn to accompany, I recommend the following exercises. Choose a simpler chord (for example, Am - A minor) and play it right hand: in different octaves, to different tempos and rhythms, enumeration (arpeggio). In general, improvise and practice.
Then connect left hand, which you will play an octave lower. The left hand does not have to play all the notes of the chord. It is enough to take the first note (A - la) or the first and last notes (A - la, E - mi). Practice again. Once you've memorized the chosen chord, move on to the next one. And so on.
As an example, I different ways I will play the Am chord, gradually adding notes with my left hand. For information: the audio example was recorded in the Garage Band.
Thus, by going through various options and improvising, you can find a simple accompaniment to almost any song. The main thing is to know the chords. There are a huge number of lyrics with chords on the Internet, use any search engine. I recommend starting with simple compositions in 4-5 chords, for example, from the songs of the Kino or Laskovy May groups (depending on your preferences). Once you've mastered the general principles of how to build and use chords, try picking up accompaniment by ear - very helpful for musical development.
(129 rubles).
This program (an analogue of the Guitar Pro application - review) is useful for those who have a real instrument - a piano or a synthesizer. The fact is that in TabToolkit you can turn on the piano keyboard display mode. When a song is played, the keys corresponding to the notes will be displayed in red. The compositions themselves (files in Guitar Pro format) can be found on the Internet, in particular, on the site gtp-tabs.ru. All you have to do is download the file, place your iPad on a music stand and learn. By the way, in the process of using the program, you can simultaneously master musical notation and learn chords.
First, you can learn the vocal part: it is simpler and performed with one hand. To prevent the accompaniment from interfering, turn off the sound of the guitar. If the playback tempo is too fast for you, decrease it: press the note sign in the lower menu and turn the “Speed” wheel. Separate fragments can be played in a circle (loop), for which click the circular arrow sign and define the repetition area. Once you have fully mastered the part, unmute the guitar, mute the vocals, and play along with the program.
Similarly, you can learn the guitar part on the piano. It is more difficult and is performed with two hands, but after mastering it, you will be able to sing along with your accompaniment.
Finally, I want to add that lovers classical works, if desired, will be able to find many compositions that are prepared in Guitar Pro format specifically for playing on the piano.
Conclusion:
Many people think that in order to play musical instrument, required special education. For a professional performance - I agree. But for home performance and general development, I think you can master any instrument on your own. There would be a desire. I am sure that there are many enthusiasts among you who are passionate about music, and I hope that this review will help someone learn how to play their own favorite work. Good luck.
Back in the summer, I told you about a piano tutorial called. That self-instruction manual was quite simple to learn, but at the same time not serious enough. Even instead of musical signs, multi-colored big-eyed specks of dust were used there - just right for a child, but an adult may not quite like it. This review will focus on Piano Maestro for iPad- a more detailed tutorial from Joytunes.Music projects from Joytunes have long been recognized as one of the best learning apps for the iOS platform. As it was said at the beginning, if Piano Dust Buster 2 is more of a painless way to learn what playing the piano (and similar instruments) is all about, then with Piano Maestro everything is much more serious. If only because here from the very beginning we will be taught to use real musical signs, and not some funny substitutes for them. And now about everything in order.
(clickable)
The main menu of Piano Maestro for iPad offers three main sections to choose from: Travel, Library, and Homework". The first section, "Journey", is the most important - it is in it that you have to gradually, from simple to complex, learn the basic things about playing the piano. The second section called "Library" contains all the content from the lessons in the "Journey" section, but in a more organized way. Here you can manually browse the songs and exercises from the lessons by filtering by category (Recently Used, Free, Classic, etc.). In addition, in the "Methods" subsection of this "Library" you can purchase piano tutorials for real money (on English language). The Homework section is linked to a kind of teacher social network developed and maintained by JoyTunes. Unfortunately, there are no Russian-speaking teachers there yet, so this section is of little interest to you and me.
(clickable)
I'll tell you more about the aforementioned main section called "Travel". As I said, this is where the main pastime of the user takes place. Here you need, starting from the very basics and the simplest tasks, to comprehend the craft of a pianist. At first, you will have to feel like a complete idiot, hammering just one at the right time, and a little later, two or three keys. That is, in fact, compositions are memorized in several approaches (believe me - this is exactly what beginners do). But it's all really worth it. After all, then the most interesting begins. In between lessons, they will give tips and interesting information: the correct position of the hands, the structure of a stringed keyboard instrument, the difference between filled in notes and unfilled ones, and much more.
(clickable)
Piano Maestro for iPad is a very useful product for anyone who wants to seriously learn how to play the piano. However, due to the fact that the exercises begin to become more difficult unusually slowly (which is most likely correct), a lot of perseverance, desire and willpower will come in handy here. Well free time. However, you can always go back to Piano Dust Buster 2 as a last resort.
Roman Perov especially for website
Pros: In the course of the exercises, the entire minimum of the necessary theory is given, all musical signs are real, the possibility of flexible setting of complexity (tempo, waiting for a key to be pressed, note signatures).
Minuses: Requires great perseverance and patience; generally more boring than Piano Dust Buster 2, which is offset by a more serious approach to learning.
Conclusions: A great app for learning to play the piano, but not for carefree entertainment. However, try it!
Some interesting and useful iOS apps for musicians…
Music Tutor - learn music notation for iPhone
The Music Tutor application from the developer JSplash Apps iPhone will become your personal music literacy teacher. The program will help you learn the basics of solfeggio and develop your ear. Music school students and anyone who lives in music, this program will be a great helper. With it, you can easily learn all the notes of the bass and treble clefs.
Despite the fact that the application is in English, it will not be difficult for any user to understand the simple interface. After all, the generally accepted names of notes are the same for all languages.
The Music Trainer consists of clear tasks that are completed within 5 minutes and are based on the correct definition of notes. To complete the task, you can use the standard notation of notes or the virtual keyboard. After completing the training, you will know the level of your musical abilities: the number of points scored depends on the accuracy of the notes. All tasks are accompanied by piano sounds, so you will develop not only musical literacy, but also your ear. The results, if you wish, will be uploaded to the leaderboard in the Game Center. An important function of the application is the ability to perform work on errors.
Music Tutor will be useful both for musicians who are just starting to get acquainted with musical notation, and for those who have been playing music for a long time.
Vio- psychedelic effects in music
Each musician devotes a lot of time to searching for unhackneyed chips that will make his compositions original and memorable. It's hard to come up with an unusual tune or find a new sound, but the Vio program will help turn even the banal "Dog Waltz" into a spectacular psychedelic track.
The application interface is presented in a minimalistic style typical of iOS 8. The program itself is extremely easy to manage. You simply record a melody or any other sound using a microphone, and the program converts the received signal and distorts its sound. The result is a very unusual track with a surround alien sound and a blur effect.
The song you sing into the iPhone microphone is processed using bird-correction, complemented by other accompaniment. This creates a wide range sound effects. Sound distortion can be adjusted by moving the circle around the screen. The application offers 3 different types of distortion, but if they are not enough to implement musical solutions, you can purchase additional ones.
Another nice feature is that you can choose any visualization color, which is presented in the form of floating crystals.
As additional settings, the program allows you to change the tone and rhythm, as well as select the sound quality. The resulting composition can be sent to Soundcloud, Dropbox, or simply saved to your computer.
It's no exaggeration to call Garage Band the most best app to create music. After all, the possibilities it provides are truly endless. This program has the largest set of virtual musical instruments, so using it to create tracks is a delight for any composer. Available to users stringed instruments, all kinds of drums, acoustic and electronic guitars, piano, percussion, as well as several types of synthesizers.
You can edit files on the stave, or using the virtual keyboard. Of course, this program in its functionality may be inferior to its counterparts for personal computers, but creative inspiration can visit at any time. Therefore, it is so important that the mini-studio is always at hand.
If you are new to music but dream of becoming a professional, then this application will also come in handy, because it allows you to download guitar and piano lessons. The most amazing thing is that Sting, Fall Out Boy, John Legend and many other famous performers act as teachers.
Thanks to the piano simulator, everyone will be able to learn musical notation and perform popular compositions, but there are simply no limits for improvisation.
Drum Beats+
The ear of some music lovers is much more pleasing to the energetic drum rhythms than the melodic tunes of the violin and piano trills. It is for such music lovers that the Drum Beats + application was created. This program contains both individual drum sounds and whole loops made in different styles. You can improvise, practice, and just play along with any song.
It's not easy to recreate low quality drum sounds electronically. However, all the drums of this application are as close as possible in sound to "live" instruments. And the ability to change the tempo of drum parts expands the boundaries for improvisation and creativity.
Metronome+ by Musicopoulos
No musician, no matter how talented, can do without a metronome.
This is especially true when learning a new piece. After all, without a clear rhythm, any performance will be slurred and sloppy. What functions should a metronome have? “It’s enough for him to tap out the right rhythm,” any musician will tell you. Therefore, among the huge number of metronomes on the App Store, Metronome + by Musicopoulos stands out for its simple functionality that copes perfectly with the most important tasks. A convenient and minimalistic interface will not distract from the main occupation. But at the same time, you can choose the most pleasant metronome sound for you, adjust the tempo, as well as the rhythmic pattern.
All the best! Learn, download, create and create!
Thoughts Positive! Red Nuts / A. Stroganov
There are already devices that take into account interval expansion. Before tuning, a preprogrammed interval extension is selected. larger for piano, smaller for grand piano. With the help of such a device, the tool can only be brought closer to the desired result. But this particular piano-specific tuning is not taken into account and therefore some of the factors are left out. Because of this, the piano will not sound optimal and it will still be necessary to determine the best stretch "by ear".
The classical tuner compares and adjusts the ratio of notes in a large number of intervals, but to do this properly, such a person must have a great deal of experience. The complexity of this method lies in the physical impossibility of setting all the intervals perfectly, moreover, the degree of purity is different for different intervals. If an interval sounds incorrect, then one of its constituent notes will be adjusted. But this same note is at the same time part of many other intervals, which must also be changed, due to the change of the first. All this presents us with a big puzzle that needs to be solved somehow.
Dirk's Piano Tuner (Piano Tuner) solves this problem for you. In Dirk`s Piano Tuner, all strings will be recorded, playing one at a time, only one string per note, the rest of the strings must be muted. Piano tuning and interval expansion determined by the computer based on the overtones of a given sound recording.To produce a recording, only one string from a note is played, and the adjacent ones are muted.After recording this "single string", the tuner has all the data necessary to calculate the optimal basic tuning of all strings.The tuner then calculates the purity of all possible intervals and aligns them. After that, the strings can now be tuned one by one as a result of the resulting notes in the tuner. Dirk's Piano Tuner (Piano Tuner) automatically recognizes the sounding string and shows its deviation from the desired value. Muted strings - are tuned according to previously tuned strings in the same unison. After tuning all the strings, the piano will be tuned with the best interval stretch. Each note only needs to be tuned once and there is no longer a need to finish tuning by ear.
I have always wanted to learn how to play the piano. No, seriously: it's so cool when you come across a piano, and you open the lid with a bored look and run your fingers over the keys.
And when you have attracted the attention of others, you start playing some familiar melody, such as "Moonlight Sonata" or Hey Jude. And everyone around is like this - Wow! Dude, you're cool!»
And now this dream is easily realized, because there is The One - the first and only smart piano that will teach you the art of getting the right sounds from keyboard instruments literally in one day.
Sounds unrealistic? I didn't believe it at first either.
What is this miracle
The One is a smart piano that combines a classic 61-key instrument with a modern game controller like Guitar Hero or Rock Band.
Such a symbiosis provides ample opportunities for both an experienced musician and a beginner who has seen the notes for the first time in his life - you can learn to play the piano without the cost of tutors and at any time.
The One also exists in a full-size version, where there are already 88 keys, plus there are 3 pedals for greater realism. But alas, such a sophisticated gadget did not fall into my hands, so in this review we are talking exclusively about the “light” version of this tool.
The tool itself is made of high-quality plastic, the type of keys is not hammer-type, so the pressing force cannot be controlled and adjusted. But thanks to the touch velocity sensitivity, it feels like playing a real piano, so that's okay.
Each key has a red backlight, which serves as an interactive hint during the game, clearly showing which key to press and how long to keep it pressed.
Thus, you can not even look at the notes, but simply memorize the melody mechanically - the simplest compositions can be played from the first minutes of using the instrument, and even a child can handle it.
The controls are represented by a volume control and a power button: by and large, nothing else is needed to start learning to play, but for the most advanced there are two more, to change the duration of the aftertone (soft or fixed) and the sound of the instrument itself ( 20 presets available, including harpsichord, bell, violin, bass guitar, drums and a bunch of others).
On the sides of The One are speakers that produce a total of 50 watts of sound. So you don’t need to connect the device to the speakers - the gadget “out of the box” is a self-sufficient musical unit.
However, the back of the instrument has several connectors for connecting various devices:
- for connecting a 12V power adapter
- to connect a microphone (you can play and sing along to the recording at the same time)
- for connecting an additional audio amplifier
- for connection to an external signal receiver
- for connecting a pedal (sold separately)
In front, under the block of keys on the left, there is a 3.5 mm input for connecting headphones to practice in complete silence.
The One Smart Piano Lite can work autonomously, away from the outlet: just insert 6 AA batteries into a special compartment.
The weight of the device is only 5 kg, and the dimensions are 10x91x33 cm, which allows you to place The One even on a table, even on a windowsill, if you didn’t have time to get a special x-shaped synthesizer stand.
For the sophisticated user, there is even an option to choose a color: The One is sold in black and white.
Instead of a heart - iPad
An important role in the development of musical science is played by a tablet ( or smartphone) - it doesn’t matter if it’s an iPad or something on the Android OS: the main thing is to immediately download The One application, available both in the App Store and Google Play.
This app contains thousands of sheet music, over a hundred virtual tutor lessons and various games to help you easily learn different songs - from Jingle Bells to Coldplay and Pink repertoire - purely mechanically, without having to understand the staff and learn the notation of rests and transposition.
But the feature of The One is that you seem to have fun and just strum on the synthesizer, but in fact knowledge is deposited in the head, and fingers master new motor skills - after a couple of days you notice that you stop missing the right keys.
To fully use the device in conjunction with a tablet, you need to connect them using the cable that comes with the smart piano.
After launching the application, 4 sections are available to the user:
- Intensive Course
- Video
Despite the fact that the slogan on the main screen of the application is written in English, all menus and inscriptions in sections are Russified, except for video tutorials. The developers promise to translate the lessons into Russian, or at least provide them with Russian subtitles in the very near future.
1. Section "Notes"
This is a section for advanced musicians and for those who are eager to learn musical notation.
All songs from the huge catalog are presented as sheet music, which are highlighted on the screen when you press the corresponding piano key.
For each song, you can customize the playing style: only with the right hand, only with the left, or both at once. Accordingly, you can learn the part for both hands separately, and then combine the information received in order to amaze your home with virtuoso possession of the instrument.
2. Intensive course
This is a section for quickly learning how to play various songs and melodies from the catalog.
The principle is that you first need to listen to the melody, and then try to play it in parts using the illuminated keys on the piano itself and the image on the tablet screen, where the application shows how to place your hands correctly for playing.
If the song is difficult, you can slow down its tempo, and then gradually increase it, honing the game of this particular part of the work.
At the end of each part of the piece, the app asks if I remember how to play that part of the song; if I answer yes, the app teaches me the next piece of the song, and so on until the end. As a result, the user is waiting for a kind of "exam": you need to play the entire composition, taking into account the knowledge gained.
3. Video
This section is all about lessons: dozens of hours of tutor videos, led by professional piano teacher Joseph Hoffman, that will teach beginners all the secrets of playing.
When watching video lessons, while the teacher is playing, the piano keys light up in real time. Thus, you can not only listen, but also follow the tutor's score.
For the convenience of the user, video lessons are divided into blocks, from simple to more complex. The videos are recorded with soul, the picture is beautiful, and the information is useful. It is a pity that so far only in English, but this is temporary.
4. Games
The most fun and sticky part: you can compete with yourself by pressing the illuminated keys in time and trying to get into the rhythm, or arrange battles with family members and friends, playing songs in 4 hands.
At the end of each song, the result is displayed, which clearly shows the superiority of the user over other owners of The One in percentage terms.
The result can be improved, and a huge selection of songs simply calls to play them all.
I want this for my home
The One smart piano will easily replace all textbooks, solfeggio lessons and grandmothers-tutors. This device, in conjunction with a tablet, will open the door to the world of music and teach both children and adults how to play one of the most quoted musical instruments on the globe.
This is a great starter tool that helps awaken the talent in everyone. And if there is no talent, it doesn’t matter, you can just learn a couple of songs to make an effect in front of your passion or relatives at the most unexpected moment. Girls love it if a guy plays a musical instrument, I can tell you for sure.
And if you sit down and start thoughtfully playing some Let it be- Few can resist this.
