User:Crantila/FSC/Solfege

Address: User:Crantila/FSC/Solfege

!! For all of this, it is assumed that the user can and has already correctly configured their audio equipment !!

Requirements and Installation

(no algorithms)

Requirements

• timidity++
• pulseaudio-esound-compat

Installation

• Use PackageKit, KPackageKit, or run su -c 'yum install solfege' to install Solfege.

Configuration

The 'File > Preferences' window has many options, which can usually be left to the default values. There is one exception: when you first run the program, you should visit the "User" tab, to customize the software for your abilities. See below for details.

"Instruments" Tab

• Tempo: Changes the speed at which examples are played:
  • Default: Applies to everything that isn't an "Arpeggio."
  • Arpeggio: Applies to arpeggios, which are, by default, played at three times the speed of the default tempo.
• Preferred Instrument: ...
• Chord Instruments: set three voices for highest/middle/lowest
• Percussion instruments:
  • Count in
  • Rhythm

"User" Tab

• User's Vocal Range, indicated with what system: this is used...
  • Highest pitch
  • Lowest pitch
• Sex: The help file says, "Solfege need[sic] to know if the user is male or female when creating some of the questions where the user will sing the answer. This because[sic] the male voice sound[sic] one octave lower than the female voice."

"External Programs" Tab

• Converters:
  • MIDI to WAV
  • WAV to MP3
  • WAV to OGG
  • if you use %(in)s and %(out)s, it will substitute the filename it wants inputted and outputted
• Audio File Players: each with "Test" buttons
  • WAV
  • OGG
  • MP3
  • MIDI
  • %s will be substituted with the name of the file to be played
• Miscellaneous
  • CSound: used for
  • MMA: huh?
  • Lilypon-book: for ear-training test print-outs
  • Latex: for outputting that as a *.dvi file instead of *.html
  • Text editor: again, why?

Interface

• Resizeable main window
• Select language
• Identify tone keyboard accelerators (explain this!)

Practise

• "Not allow new question before the old is solved"
• "Repeat question if the answer was wrong"
• "Expert mode": what's this?

Sound Setup

• "No sound"
• "Use device"
• "User external MIDI player"
• the button, "Test"

How to Train Yourself

There are three kinds of exercises available in Solfege:

• listen-and-identify
• identify
• sing

Explanation of the Exercises

These are arranged in six broad categories:

• intervals, which is
• rhythm, which is
• theory, which is
• chords, which is
• scales, which is
• misc, including:
  • intonation
  • "Dictation" = melodic dictation
  • identify tone
  • misc exercises,
    • "Sing twelve random tones"
    • Beats per minute
  • Configure yourself, see below
  • "Harmonic progressions" = harmonic dictation
  • "Hear tones" = ??
  • Cadences: plays a (major?) scale, then an out-of-context "cadence"

How to Develop an Ear-Training Program

GNU Solfege can be used as part of an ear-training program. Ear training - like eating - requires a regular, daily commitment of varied kinds of input. As far as food is concerned, you want to eat at least three meals a day, with a large portion of fruits and vegetables, and a good balance of meats and alternatives, grains, and other kinds of foods.

Although Solfege offers a wide variety of exercises, no one source can possibly offer a full enough range of exercises and training to foster a well-rounded musician. The following texts and activities have been proven to amplify and supplement the effects of ear training software.

• Hindemith text
  • does this
  • also does this
• Karpinski, Gary (2007). Manual for Ear Training and Sight Singing. Norton.
  • contains chapters with detailed theoretical explanations, tips for listening, and developmental exercises
  • comes with a CD containing listening exercises; possibly incompatible with Linux
• Karpinski, Gary. Anthology for Sight Singing. Norton: 2006.
  • organized by chapter to coincide with the above Manual.
  • Contains examples that can be used to train one's ear by singing.
  • It is best to play only the tonic tone (not even a chord or scale) on a keyboard instrument before singing. Only after you are sure that you have sung the excerpt correctly by ear should it be played on a keyboard instrument for verification.
  • Contains some ensemble excerpts, to be sung by a group of people who are working on ear training together.
• Prosser, Steve (2000). Essential Ear Training for the Contemporary Musician. Berklee Press.
  • does this
  • also does this
• Friedmann, Michael (1990). Ear Training for Twentieth-Century Music. Yale University Press.
  • does this
  • also does this
• taking dictation of real music
• another ear traning text ("star"?)
• singing Bach chorales in sol-fa
• "The Rhythm Book" or Anne Hall's book?
• what else?

How to Use Listening Exercises

1. Open the software
2. It's at the "Front Page"
3. Decide which type of exercise to do
4. Decide which sub-section to focus on
5. Click "New" or "New Interval" or whatever to get the first question
6. On some exercises, you need to click "new" whenever you want a new one
7. Some exercises can be configured to automatically provide a new question when you correctly answer the previous one
8. After hearing each exercise, try to make a correct identification.
9. If you need to hear the exercise again, do it.
10. It is good to limit the number of times you listen.
11. Select what you think is the correct choice.
12. Go to the next question, which may be automatic for some questions. You may want to pre-select a number of seconds to wait before progressing to the next question.

How to Use Singing Exercises

These are:

• "Sing intervals"
  1. Select "Sing intervals"
  2. Choose which ones you want to focus on
  3. The exercise will begin, playing the first of the tones you are to sing
  4. You must sing the first and the second tone, or to make it harder, only the second tone (tip: use sol-fa syllables!)
  5. The exercising is self-policing.

• "Tap generated rhythm"
  1. Select "Tap generated rhythm"
  2. Choose a level
  3. Click "New"
  4. It will play you a rhythm; listen carefully, and conduct the beat if you can.
  5. as with rhythmic dictation, you will be given an intro
  6. You must repeat the rhythm by click on the "Tap here" button
  7. Best to use the space bar to tap in; here's how.
  8. The "accuracy" may be set too high; I like 0.30
  9. On "Config," change "Number of beats in question" to adjust the difficulty

• "Sing chord"

• "Sing chord tone"

Using "Dictation" Exercises

harmonic dictation needs lots of explanation

• to erase a chord, you have to click "Backspace"
• to finish your solution, you have to click "Guess answer"

Using "Harmonic progressions" Exercises

melodic dictation does not take input

Monitoring Your Progress

sthg