So you'd like your 6-year-old to learn to play piano? Or you always longed to learn to play keyboard yourself? Well, believe it or not, age 3 isn't too young to start music learning games on the computer! I am listing things that you will need in order to learn to play piano (or learn to play guitar) from your own home. If you are a teenager, learning MIDI music will be the most fun hobby you ever had! You know those sounds you hear in your favorite songs where they jiggle an old phonograph record, or those crazy drum beats you love so much? Well, most MIDI editing programs provide sound samples that you can select and modify to "engineer" your own fabulous music and use your imagination to the max. So even if you never get quite as good at playing an instrument as you'd like, the world of MIDI music is an exciting thing to learn, and the feelings you'll get from creating your own music will be some of the best times in your life! All references are to electronic piano rather than electronic guitar, so you'll need to substitute appropriately.
I am providing hardware descriptions, software names, links to potential suppliers, general prices, and a Shopping List.
Short and simple, what you'll need to set up your home music lessons are: 1) computer with Windows 98 or XP (Vista ok but not preferred) [32-bit operating system preferred over 64-bit], 2) monitor or TV, 3) keyboard/electronic piano, 4) MIDI cable(s) [MIDI-to-gameport or MIDI-to-USB], 5) internal keyboard/electronic piano tutorial or piano tutorial software for the computer.
Although I hope this article will help you to set up a system for your child or children, I am also aware that the information I am providing can also be overwhelming. For this reason, I am providing some Prescriptions as an attempt to simplify the ideas I am trying to promote. By using these Prescriptions, hopefully you can use this article to help you to set up your own Home Music Lessons system.
For Christmas of 2010, I set up a system for my three 3-year-old granddaughters. My granddaughters were born within 2 months of each other, and they are a major joy in my life. I am so excited about the system I put together for them.
Since I purchased the keyboard quickly because it was the only 37-key instrument I found on their web site for the lowest price, I was unaware of the software bundle of surprises that would be coming with the M-Audio E-Keys 37 MIDI Keyboard. The M-Audio E-Keys 37 MIDI Keyboard's bundled software is specifically designed to educate the youngest of students; in other words, the program automatically assumes that the potential student cannot read and doesn't know their numbers yet! In addition, you can purchase MIDI files and add to the library so that your learning potential is limitless. Another distinct advantage is that you do not need to purchase a MIDI-to-USB interface cable (which saves you $5 to $60), and the product does not need an adapter, which reduces the number of wires coming and going to the product; AND, since the MIDI keyboard has its own USB cable built in, which attaches to your computer and transmits your MIDI data, it also provides the power required to operate the keyboard! Wowee! I hit the jackpot!
To set up this system will cost you approximately $91.00 (cheaper than music lessons).
MY RX FOR HOW TO LEARN TO PLAY PIANO AT HOME FOR YOUTH AGES 2-6: Start with the M-Audio E-Keys 37 MIDI KeyboardPicture Board software, then use the Piano for Kids (Jewel Case) software as the initial introduction, and reinforce the learning with Music Games (Jewel Case)
software. Next gravitate to the Music Teacher and/or the Teach Me Piano software. Use the Jammin' Keys software to keep your child's level of interest activated. And finally, you'll have the Sound Studio II software for when your child decides to get serious about music on the computer; I believe the more appropriate timing for this software would be when your child reaches the Advanced stage (see my Prescription for Advancing Musicians above to get an idea of the period in which your child will probably use this software). However, as you delve through the bundled software, they may have devised their program to introduce your child to that level of electronic music before that stage.
3I have prepared shopping lists and links to materials described in this article.
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I have become convinced through the years that the piano is becoming a dying art, and it is my mission to revive it. Even though I have such extensive formal training, I want you to know that most of the people I have performed with through the years had less than 6 months of formal training on the piano, and they performed quite competently. My conclusion - it's not how much formal training you have that will make the difference, it is your own level of interest and determination that does make the difference. I will, however, encourage you to practice playing scales and unusual chord transitions (musical agility exercises) as fast as you possibly can because the speed at which you can learn to use your fingers on the piano is greatly connected to your ability to play well.
Piano / Guitar Clinics:
If you're an organization such as a Church, Club, or School, you can set up a learning environment in one of two ways: 1) a classroom where you teach multiple students all at once, or 2) a clinic where you have one workstation and students come in at appointed or random times and work independently. There are a few ways you can handle software licensing issues for a group of people. Search the Internet for "group education equipment software music" and visit the various listings. Look for "educator," "school," "students," "teachers," or "non-profit" areas. Also look for their "software" area, then check whether or not they have "music," "audio," or "music & audio". In my initial search, I found academicsuperstore.com, journeyed.com, musicmoz.org, and pianoeducation.org. You can also check with your local school to see if they have information on where you can obtain educational software and hardware for music education. In addition, you could still use commercially-available software intended for an individual's use if you are conscientious enough to honor their right to licensing the software to each user of the software. Alfred Publishing makes some Music Theory group instruction software. Harmonic Vision has a version of Music Ace that is for group instruction. For other software companies that are geared towards single-user sales, you could purchase 1 copy for your organization, and require each student to purchase a copy of the same software for home use-that way each user is an authorized user of the software--but I would still go the extra mile to contact the software company and make sure that this type of arrangement is alright with them. I'm sure there are several educational equipment providers who offer this, but I found a music education store that carries a lot of musical instruments for young children at commotionstore.co.uk. I have provided an extensive list of tutorial software later in this document.
MIDI-Capable Electronic Piano (Keyboard):
First, you need to know that MIDI is the type of file an electronic piano plays. The MIDI file structure is extremely complex and the files contain information about every detail of a song from a notes' specific volume at a specific time to whether or not the pedal was in use to sustain a note. A MIDI file name consists of only 8 characters and will have a name such as SONG_ONE.mid. There are two types of piano keyboards that can be used with the computer, a keyboard piano that is intended to replace the computer keyboard ($40-$50), and an electronic piano ($100-$300), which will do the same and provide a lot more enjoyment in the process. I recommend the electronic piano for those who can afford it, although, if you're on a low budget, you can use the kind that replaces a computer keyboard. Make sure the keyboard has a MIDI In and MIDI Out connector on the back. Most keyboards/electronic pianos do not provide a foot pedal, which they expect you to purchase separately, and they generally cost $30-$50 for models priced under $300. This is the primary distinguishing difference between a keyboard and an electronic piano--if you purchase a keyboard, it most likely will not have a connection for a foot pedal, but an electronic piano will have that connection. Also, an electronic piano is the only one that may also have a connection for a video display connection such as a monitor or TV set.
Example:
A 61-key Casio Lighted Keyboard (Electronic Piano), LK210ADMC, sells for under $200, and a Yamaha DGX220-AD 76-Key Electronic Keyboard (Piano) sells for under $300. The less-expensive Casio comes with: AC adapter, 32-note polyphony, 264 tones, 120 rhythms, 100 built-in tunes, microphone and jack with volume control for sing-alongs, LCD screen, 3-step lesson system with scoring and voice fingering guide, General MIDI port, USB port, SD memory card slot, song book, but no stand or headphones.
Best Electronic Piano Advice:
Look for used electronic pianos as an option to save money or to obtain an instrument with more options. You should be able to find a "used" higher-end electronic piano for at least the price you would pay for a "new" lower-end model. Visit local piano stores because most of them have trade-ins they're dying to unload, and you should be able to negotiate your purchase price. If you purchase from an online auction, you should be able to see the connectors clearly in a picture, which is a huge advantage over purchasing a new one online since some manufacturers are stingy with connector information on their products. Always purchase insurance on your auction delivery so that if the product is broken or doesn't work on receipt, you can get your money back.
There are 3 commontypes of video connections you may want to have on your electronic piano: RGB, VGA, or S-Video (S-VHS). Newer TVs typically accept inputs from computer monitor outputs (VGA), as well as S-Video (S-VHS), and there are many variations of RGB cables that can usually be used as well. If you are using an older computer monitor, stick with VGA connections, and you should also find that there are a variety of different VGA cabling options as well.
Some older/high-end/cheaper used models of electronic pianos may have video connectors on the back, and if they also have a built-in tutorial, that option would enable you to hook the piano up to a monitor or TV set in order to more easily view their tutorials on a larger screen while you're learning. Many newer/low-end/cheaper models do not typically have the video connector unless you're willing to pay more money for a higher-end model.
The connections on an electronic piano for hooking up to a monitor or TV will probably be RGB (TV and newer computer monitors), VGA (computer monitors or newer TVs), or S-Video (TV only unless you use a converter or game interface device). You can adapt most video output types (from the piano) easily to another video input type (to a monitor or TV) with a little ingenuity - so to start with, just worry about whether or not there IS a video output of any kind on the piano. See more discussion on this in Section 1, Computer / Piano Setup.
Try to purchase an electronic piano that has the ability to record songs as you play them, if possible. If you're a nut about how the keys feel when you play them, Yahama leads the pack. The biggest impact will be the LCD screen - how big it is, and how easy it is to read and understand; for that reason, shop and turn on the instruments so that you can get a feel for that. If available, ask for the book that explains the tutorial and see if you feel comfortable with how it approaches teaching (if shopping for new electronic pianos, the tutorial structure for one brand should be essentially the same through the various models available). When available, CDs to explain Piano operations are great. When available, internal Tutorials to teach how to play the instrument are also great. If you can get the book, see what it says about hooking up the instrument to a computer - you need MIDI In and Out connections and optionally a video connection. I recommend purchasing a Piano with either a floppy disk drive, a USB port, or a memory card slot (the memory card slot is the least desirable unless your computer accepts the same type of memory card). If you find an electronic piano that uses the same memory card as your computer, memory cards are a viable option for saving your files. Additionally, try to get as much internal memory as you can. If you are using floppy disks for the electronic piano, I recommend purchasing a lot of floppy disks (say 25-75) to have on hand since that technology is getting old. If the piano does not have software disks for reloading the operating software in case of damage, you will need to allocate between 12 and 25 floppy disks for a backup if there is a Backup Procedure. If you have 25-50 floppy disks aside from your operating system backup, you should never need to purchase more. You might also need to purchase an external Floppy drive to hook up to your computer if your computer is newer. Newer computers use the standard USB connectors for this, older computers might require an adapter, but it would be best to shop online for an external floppy drive that has the correct connection for your computer ($30). Pick the piano that has options that impress you most, and choose the model with the most internal memory that you can afford. If you purchase an electronic piano that uses a memory card, and if there are no operating system disks to use as a backup, purchase at least 2 memory cards of a minimum of 512 MB each ($12-$30 each if you shop online-generally more at local stores), use one to backup your operating system, and use the other to save your piano's internal music MIDI files as well as any music files you create. (If you come across a great deal on 256 MB memory cards, it might cost less money to purchase 4 of those instead.)
Minimum of Windows 98 operating system, prefer Windows XP - necessary RAM will be dictated by the software you purchase, so always check the software first, and be willing to have an upgrade to your RAM by a qualified computer technician, if necessary. Windows 98 usually requires purchasing some older types of cables, which are mostly available through online stores. This is a good use for an older computer that you thought had outlived it's usefulness!
Piano-to-Monitor for Internal Piano Tutorials:
This is not absolutely necessary. The idea is to get the graphics that will be displayed on the electronic piano's LCD screen to display on a larger monitor to make the tutorials easier. If the Piano has an S-Video / S-VHS, RCA (composite), VGA, or RGB connector on the back, you would be able to hook the piano up to a monitor or television set. This would be a great use for the older TV sets that are antiquated by the new Digital requirements, but to do that you would need an adapter between the piano and the TV to connect the two different types of cables to each other. Least costly solution: search for an adaptor (or coupler) specific to the two types of cables you will need to connect the piano to the TV or monitor. If you can't find one, A/B switches that have multiple selector buttons often have inputs and outputs for Cable (coaxial), RCA (composite), and S-Video, allowing you to input one type and output another type. More costly solution: you can also purchase a game interface device that will have various types of inputs and outputs.
I am using an LCD flat-screen TV as my computer monitor, which gives me the ability to see my computer data on one input, watch TV on another input, and see my piano LCD screen on another input setting. Here are the settings and what I can do with them:
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Remote DesignationBack Of TV SetConnector TypeCan Use ForWhat You See TV Antenna/RF Input Coaxial Cable TV Shows TV Shows AV1 Audio/Video Composite (RWY)4 Piano LCD Data5 S-Video S-Video S-Video/S-VHS Piano LCD Data
Analog D-Sub VGA Computer Computer Data
4RWY is my abbreviation for Red, White, and Yellow, which are the colors on Composite cables. 5Since most keyboard/electronic pianos will have an S-Video connector, you can use an S-Video/S-VHS-to-RCA/Composite adapter with a Composite Yellow cable to get your signal from the piano to the TV set if the piano does not have a Yellow Composite connector.
When you are running cables and chords beside each other, give some attention to keeping cables and chords separated from each other into these categories: 1) power chords, 2) communications cables, and 3) audio cables. Bind power chords together and keep them away from all other cables because the electricity they give off can mess up the signals in other types of cables. Bind communications cables such as phone line, ethernet line (similar to phone line), cable for television, S-VHS/S-Video cable, RGB cable, and MIDI cables together in order to help keep them away from the power chords and audio cable(s). Keep all audio cables away from each other as much as possible, cables such as headphones, microphones, and audio (stereo). For audio cables such as the ones you might run from your piano into your computer, buy "shielded" cables. Protecting the audio cable(s) by purchasing shielded cables and by keeping this cable away from all other cables will be essential if you record your song to a program on the computer because other cables can generate static across the line that will result in cracks and pops in your recording. One additional note concerning the audio cable that runs from your piano to the computer - make sure it is not spanning a great distance; if you try to span 100 feet, you won't be able to remove enough of the cracks and pops to end up with a viable recording. For this cable, the shorter it is, the better, but don't bind yourself up by having it be too short.
If you have separated your cables properly and find that you are having problems with the quality of sounds that are transported across to your computer when you attempt to record audio recordings, see Section 7, Troubleshooting Sound Problems.
If you do not wish to hook up an external monitor to the electronic piano for the internal tutorials, go directly to hooking up the electronic piano to your computer. Electronic pianos connect to another piece of equipment with MIDI cables.
Computers with origins in Windows 95 (older computer) will generally have a MIDI In and MIDI Out connector on the back, and in the absence of that, they will have a Game Port 15-pin connection. When connecting to a piece of equipment such as a synthesizer or older computer with 2 regular round MIDI connections, use 2 MIDI cables. On the electronic piano, connect one end of the MIDI cable to MIDI In and the other end of the same MIDI cable to MIDI Out on the second piece of equipment; then, on the electronic piano, connect one end of the MIDI cable to MIDI Out and the other end of the same MIDI cable to MIDI In on the second piece of equipment.
On computers with Windows 98 origins, a Game Port, and no USB ports, use the MIDI cable with Game Port connector (multimedia / joystick). This is an older cable that will generally be available from online stores. Connect the two MIDI ends of the cable to the piano's MIDI In and MIDI Out--unless the MIDI ends of the cable are specifically marked for which end connects to which MIDI connection, it shouldn't matter (general rules with MIDI are MIDI In connected to MIDI Out and vice versa). Connect the Game Port end (15 pins, 8 on top and 7 on bottom) to the connection that matches it on the back of your computer and be sure to attach it with the two pin screws on the sides of the Game Port connector if there are any.
On computers with USB ports (computers with origins in Windows 95 virtually never have these, and computers with origins in Windows 98 forward generally do have them), you may need to purchase a USB Hub to increase your abilities to hook other USB devices to your computer. This is a cable with a hardware end that has multiple USB connectors on it. On these computers, use the MIDI-to-USB cable, which has a USB jack on one end and a cable with a hardware interface box in the middle of it that branches to two separate MIDI cables on the other side of the hardware interface box. When you purchase one of these, make sure it comes with an end that has 2 MIDI connectors on it--if not, you will need to purchase 2 short MIDI cables. On these units, usually the interface box can be separated from the MIDI cables, and you will note that there is a MIDI In and MIDI Out on the interface box--for that reason, make sure that MIDI In is connected to MIDI Out and vice versa). If the MIDI cables on this unit are permanently attached, check to see if the MIDI ends are marked as to which one goes to which MIDI connection.
By reviewing the types of connectors you have, you are now ready to purchase what you need from a local or online store. Do not be afraid to ask for help if you're not finding what you need. Often times local stores don't carry what you need or the descriptions they use to describe their equipment may differ somewhat from the descriptions you have--that's why they invented Customer Service! In most instances, online stores carry more variety in connectors than local stores do, and for that reason, stores that have both local and online options are great.
Warning: With all online purchases, make sure that when you are taken to a page to enter your personal information, especially the page where you enter your credit card information, that the address says: https://www.company_name.etc. The HTTPS is important because it means that you are on a Secure Socket Layer in which your information should be safe. Some browsers also display a golden closed Lock icon on the bottom right of your screen, but it is best to make sure that the address shows HTTPS clearly.
If you decide to try recording your own songs to the computer for the purpose of making a CD or MP3 file, you will also need a stereo audio cable with 1/4"-to-1/8" stereo plugs (your configuration may vary; check the audio output and input jacks on your electronic piano and computer). The 1/4" plug would connect to the audio out jack of your electronic piano, and the 1/8" plug would connect to the audio in/mic in jack on the back of your computer. You can use a microphone connected to your electronic piano (if it has an audio in or mic in jack); if it does not have an audio in/mic in connection, you can purchase a splitter with two 1/8" stereo jacks and one 1/8" stereo plug, connect it to the computer's audio in/mic in jack, and connect both the piano and a microphone to the two jacks of the splitter.
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There are several types of microphones, and new combinations of microphone attributes are emerging. The three most basic types are: 1) Condenser, 2) Electret, and 3) Dynamic. Within these types of microphones are directional attributes, and the most common are: A) Omnidirectional, B) Cardioid, C) Bidirectional, and D) Unidirectional. Additionally, there are variations on each of these directional attributes. To learn more about the various types of microphones and their advantages and disadvantages, visit this page at Wikipedia.com: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microphones. While you are researching microphones, you should also educate yourself about Phantom Power vs. Preamp Power; Phantom Power is the currently-emerging preferred method for powering condenser/electret types of microphones (typically from a Mixer). There is also an emerging low-voltage version of electret microphones that require 1.5 to 5V batteries; you can find information on these topics at two Wikipedia.com locations: I) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phantom_power, and II) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microphone_preamplifier Also, I am placing a link to great deals on microphone(s) and mixer(s) I found at Amazon.com (please check compatability of microphones with your keyboard/piano or mixer [depending on where you intend to attach the microphone] before you purchase).
Microphone specifications are the most important thing you should consider in your efforts to purchase if you want to avoid spending too much in your quest for the perfect one. It is very easy to play the "buy and try" game and waste a lot of money in the process. It is equally as easy to think "more expensive means 'better'," but the "expensive" microphone may be too sensitive for your purposes.
First, be aware that human hearing falls in the range of 20 Hz to 20 kHz. When you are examining the Bandwidth or Frequency Responses (Hz or kHz), think of the 88-key piano keyboard, which encompasses a greater range than all other musical instruments combined. The piano ranges from keys A1 to C8, which is 51.91 Hz to 4434.92 Hz (4.43492 kHz). With this in mind, it will help you greatly when you look at microphone specifications. Additionally, consider that 20 Hz (at the bottom of our hearing range and well below the piano's keyboard range) is almost 4 octaves below "middle C", 40 Hz (still below the piano's keyboard range) is almost 3 octaves below "middle C", 60 Hz is 2 octaves
below "middle C", and above the piano's keyboard range is 5 kHz, which is over 4 octaves above "middle C", and 10
kHz, which is over 5 octaves above "middle C."
Other things to consider are Impedance ratings. My research reveals that Impedance less than 600 Ω (Ohms) means "low impedance," and further, that impedance less than 300 Ω translates to "great microphone"; from 301 Ω to 600 Ω means "moderately low impedance," which translates to "good microphone"; from 601 Ω to 10 kΩ means "medium impedance," which translates to "average microphone"; and greater than 10 kΩ means "high impedance," which translates to "cheap microphone." Impedance is directly co-related to "white noise" generated by the microphone; when the impedance number is lower, the amount of generated white noise is also lower.
The normal speaking range falls around 60 dB; microphone manufacturers use a speaking range standard of 74 dB at 1' and 94 dB at 1". The Sensitivity of a microphone at 120 dB = jackhammer, at 80 dB = shouting, at 60 dB = speaking, at 40 dB = quiet room, at 0 dB = quiet, and at -1 dB and less = less than quiet (and < 20 Hz). Additionally, microphones are typically designated as "vocal" at > 50 Hz and "instrumental" at < 50 Hz.
SUMMARY: Human Hearing = 20 Hz to 20 kHz Piano Range = 51.91 Hz to 4.43 kHz 20 Hz ~ 4 octaves below "middle C" (below piano keyboard) 40 Hz ~ 3 octaves below "middle C" (below piano keyboard) 60 Hz = 2 octaves below "middle C" 5 kHz ~ 4 octaves above "middle C" (above piano keyboard) 10 kHz ~ 10 octaves above "middle C" (above piano keyboard) < 600 Ω = desirable "low impedence" microphones and < 300 Ω = "great microphone" < 0 dB (-1 dB, -2 dB, etc.) = less than "quiet" ~ to < 20 Hz
The Power Source is also an indicator of microphone quality. No power = lower quality microphone; Battery power = medium quality microphone, and they are typically equivalent to a microphone that requires Preamp power (approximately 15 volts); and Phantom power (approximately 48 volts) = higher quality microphone. Preamp (or battery) power would typically be used for an Electret microphone that can handle the ranges of 1.5 to 15 volts (typical is 1.5 volts), but some experiments have been performed that have proven that more voltage improves Electret performance. Phantom power is typically for Condenser Microphones (non-Electret and non-Dynamic), which usually means that the microphone is a "low impedence" high-quality microphone. Dynamic microphones can be damaged by Phantom power; I recommend that you do not put a Dynamic microphone into a switchable socket that can produce Phantom power at the push of a button. With today's technology, you can find many high-quality microphones in either the Preamp- or Phantom-powered microphone types.
The type of Connector is also a "clue" as to the quality of the microphone for audio recording purposes. XLR is best, and gold-plated is preferred. Stereo or mono 1/4" plugs are generally less expensive (and usually less quality) and 1/8" plugs are less expensive than 1/4" plugs (and usually even less quality). There are exceptions to this for microphones that are intended for recording educational and instructional speeches, and this technology often includes battery-assisted (equivalent to Preamp power) and "wireless" technology, but all other microphone specifications should be in line with what has been depicted in this article.
All this said, microphones generally fall into very limited ranges among the above-listed specifications. To make it a little simpler for you, I have prepared a small table that will help you to pick a microphone that would be well-suited to your purpose. I am using specifications from 3 basic types of microphones that are being successfully used in the music recording field, along with the specific use for each:
Altec-Lansing Shure SM58 or AHS-322* HeadsetBehringer XM8500Sterling Audio ST51
Type: Electret Dynamic Condenser General Opinion: Cheap Microphone Good>Great Microphones Great Microphone Cost: $25 $30** - $99 $100 - $200 Impedence (Ω Ohms): 150 150 (300 actual) 200 Sensitivity: -54.5 dBV/Pa -70 dB -29.9 dB (32 mV/Pa) Bandwidth: 20 Hz - 20 kHz 50 Hz - 15 kHz N/A Frequency Response: 100 Hz - 10 kHz 50 Hz - 16 kHz 20 Hz - 18 kHz Connector: Two 1/8" stereo plugs XLR gold-plated XLR gold-plated Common Use: Headset/Mic and Microphone for Stage & Microphone for Recording Earphones combined Recording
Good For: Amateur Recording Professional Performing Professional Recording - to wave-capturing or Recording - steady will not sugar-coat programs without the position from mic works rock vocals--gives warm, ability to "mix," well with loud/soft. full-bodied tones in and good for Karaoke. less-than-quiet settings. Results: Good sounds for Electret Good sounds for Condenser Great sounds for Large microphones with Cardioid or or Dynamic microphones Diaphragm FET Cardioid Unidirectional attributes with Cardioid or Uni- microphone when used when used with basic sound directional attributes with professional mixing recording (wave-capturing) when used with profes- programs (MIDI/Recording/ programs such as Cakewalk sional mixing programs Sheet Music Software). Pyro or Sound Recorder (a (MIDI/Recording/Sheet Requires Phantom Power. standard option on most Music Software). computers - Record/Edit/ Burn software).
*For the Headset listed above, depending on your microphone/piano/computer setup, you may need a battery-powered mini microphone preamp in order for your microphone to produce sound; sources I've found indicate that 1.5 volts is typical, 9 volts gives great clarity. and 15 volts brings these microphones up to a standard that rivals the more professional microphones due to the decreased sound/noise ratio accomplished by the increased voltage. Some Mixers produce 15 volts when the Phantom Power of 48 volts is inactive. If you have difficulty finding a preamp, search the internet for kits to build a battery-based preamp or search for a Rolls MP-13 Mini-Mic Preamp (approximately $70).
For years, the Shure SM58 has held the dubious honor of being the "industry standard" among musicians for performing and recording purposes, but recently the Behringer XM8500 has challenged that position, and public opinion is split between them. Visit humanbeatbox.com/ to read one good review of these competing mics. For advanced musicians, the condenser mic, even with it's sensitivities, remains the more popular choice.
Helping You To Find Tutorial Software: This section provides extensive information about music teaching software, and this information will enable you to formulate your own music lesson plans. In this article, Home Music Lessons Using The Computer, I have pre-shopped for software, and I've prepared extensive lists from Amazon and pulled forward the most critical information on each piece of software so that you can compare and shop more easily. When shopping, notice that software from the same company may appear to have multiple listings with the same name. In some of those instances, the software is compatible with different computer operating systems. In others, you may see different software capabilities listed for software with the same name (not sure why).
My best piece of advice is this: If you are trying to decide whether or not to purchase a basic lower-priced program (make-believe names) such as "I CAN PLAY ANY INSTRUMENT" or a more advanced higher-priced program such as "I CAN PLAY ANY INSTRUMENT DELUXE," you might actually save money by purchasing the more expensive "Deluxe" version because sometimes those packages are "bundled" and include all of the lower levels of software in the same line of tutorials. In places where I saw this, I made note of it on the shopping list (where you see "includes").
Learn How To Read Piano Music Using FUN Computer Software
You will find 2 Banner-Type shopping lists in this article for tutorial software: 1) True Tutorials, and 2) Video Tutorials. The reason for the separation is because there are really only 2 types of piano instruction (or guitar instruction) tutorials available: MIDI-interactive and Video instruction; any other "types" are usually a mix of these two types. I am making two lists to help separate PC-based MIDI-interactive piano lesson (or guitar lesson) tutorials from the more free-based video instruction type of tutorial. This will enable those who do not wish to use a MIDI keyboard hooked up to a computer to obtain instructions more suitable to their situation; however, some of the True Tutorials take that into consideration and offer MIDI-based (computer hooked up to a MIDI keyboard/electronic piano) or independent (playing a piano that is not hooked up to the computer), so look through those shopping lists also.
In addition, I am listing significant and major makers of piano tutorials below in 2 separate lists for Youth and for Beginners, which should enable you to more easily follow a "series" of tutorials; however, these links will list all music-related software each company produces, including music production/publication software. When you click on these links, you will be viewing a mix of the various kinds of tutorials I have described along with music production/publication software.
Computer-based music tutorial software (or music tutorial programs) typically uses the following formats: 1) Interactive MIDI-Based Tutorials, 2) Combination of Interactive MIDI-based Tutorials and Educational Videos and Video Instructions, and 3) TV-Based Interactive Programs that can be very effective for youth. I will call these 3 types True Tutorials. A fourth type of tutorial is Educational Videos and Video Instructions with displayable or printable songs. I will call these Video Tutorials. Here are some general content guidelines that you can reasonably expect to see when you shop for any of these types of tutorials:
Interactive MIDI-Based Tutorials usually have additional computer-supported functions such as: A) use of MIDI-based songs, B) recording your attempts to play, C) commenting on mistakes, D) providing animation to show which fingers should play each key, E) highlighting notes to help you follow the music, F) tracking your progress, G) automatically preparing awards or certificates of achievement, and for youth, H) interactive music games and I) printable educational material (usually coloring projects). Additionally, for guitar tutorials, many will help you tune your guitar via microphone and instructions on whether to tune up or down, or alternatively, they will play a correct key and have you match it.
Combination of Interactive MIDI-based Tutorials and Educational Videos and Video Instructions are typically the same as interactive MIDI-based tutorials, but they employ educational and instructional videos as an enhancement; however, for Guitar lessons, many of those rely more heavily on educational videos. For guitar tutorials, many will help you tune your guitar via microphone and instructions on whether to tune up or down, or alternatively, they may play a correct key and have you match it.
TV-Based Interactive Programs are more like video games, but still retain a good level of interaction. They typically require the purchase of a specialized instrument, which may or may not be MIDI-based. Check on whether or not the instrument will play independently of hooking up to the TV (Fisher-Price "I Can Play" Systems do play independently from the TV).
Please note that I have taken the time to list tutorials for Youth before that for Beginners in the large banner below. In addition, the following banner lists True Tutorials by Maker in alphabetical order. I have marked this list with asterisks to help you shop more easily from the perspective of "price." In each instance, I looked at the lowest price posted, which could have been the "new" price or a "used" price, and I marked them into these classifications: ****=$0-$5, ***=$6-$10, **=$11-$16, *=$17-$27 price ranges. Amazon's prices are constantly changing, so this attempt is merely a way to "categorize" each item into a price range. Many times I have seen a "new" price that was actually LESS than a "used" price! The idea is, that with a **** classification you could buy as many of these as you want and still have a low amount of money spent.
Educational Videos and Video Instructions are really movies or combinations of videos and slide package-type materials. These are less interactive but may require an equal amount of activity on the part of the student. These tutorials may use either the computer or the TV to play educational videos, allow you to print out music or view the music on the computer screen, ask you to play the song, and some of them may have the ability to record your performance over a microphone and offer a critique of your performance. Some of them may offer the additional ability to view or print songs or other related material. When searching on Amazon.com or online, if you use the keyword "DVD" with your other searches for "learn to play" or "music teaching" or "music software" you should be able to exclude the other types of software from the search.
Please note that I have taken the time to list tutorials for Youth before that for Beginners in the large banner below. In addition, the following banner lists True Tutorials by Maker in alphabetical order. I have marked this list with asterisks to help you shop more easily from the perspective of "price." In each instance, I looked at the lowest price posted, which could have been the "new" price or a "used" price, and I marked them into these classifications: ****=$0-$5, ***=$6-$10, **=$11-$16, *=$17-$27 price ranges. Amazon's prices are constantly changing, so this attempt is merely a way to "categorize" each item into a price range. Many times I have seen a "new" price that was actually LESS than a "used" price! The idea is, that with a **** classification you could buy as many of these as you want and still have a low amount of money spent.
Beware of online instruction courses for which you download lessons or perform the tasks online - there are reports that some are scams. Check them out thoroughly before you buy one of these.
Koala Publications makes a line of Video Tutorials for very young children.
At Piano is Fun!, you can purchase this introductory tutorial program that involves the computer and the mouse at an affordable price. The program includes fun characters, 20 lessons, interactive exercises, practice games that teach, helps with developing a "Musical Ear," generates rewards and certificates, and includes custom lessons.
Hal Leonard is a very reputable company, and they offer a multitude of teaching products for Piano and Guitar that you can trust.
Harmonic Vision makes Music Ace (Music Ace Starter, Music Ace Deluxe, Music Ace 2) tutorial products ranging from $20-$75, and Music Ace Maestro for Educators.
Intuit, Inc. makes combo (multi-instrument) tutorial package.
M-Audio makes M-Audio Keystation 49e with Learn 2 Play Piano Software, which, FOR A LIMITED TIME has Adventus Learn 2 Play Piano tutorial software, and also comes with an additional strong software bundle package that enables you to create and share music.
Topics Entertainment makes a variety of tutorial software for the piano, guitar, and other instruments.
Turtle Beach/Voyetra makes a Teach Me Piano and Teach Me Piano Deluxe (recommend buying used6), Teach Me Guitar and Teach Me Guitar Deluxe (recommend buying used6), Music Reference Guides ($5), Instructional Videos ($10-$30), a MusicWrite series ($20-$60 [for music score preparation]), Sound Cards ($30-$60), and an Accessories line of products.
6Amazon.com sells used software. *Online, search for "teach piano".
ArcMedia Superstart! Music Piano for Kids. I recommend this as a first-stage beginner's program. An excellent presentation with cute characters for children that will leave your child very well-educated about piano basics and how to play the piano. Screen animations keep this program from being boring. Recommended for age 6+, but I believe it could start younger for those that can read a little. Program features printable sheet music, tempo adjustments, puzzles, and games. There is an option to download other free MIDI songs, but on Windows Vista with a broadband (cable internet) connection, this option did not work. Visiting the SelectSoft/ArcMedia website also did not produce a listing for free MIDI music downloads. If the download MIDI songs function works for you, this would be an excellent choice for long-term teaching.
eMedia Beginner Piano & Keyboard Lessons. This program has over 75 lessons and over 20 songs and begins with a high-level review of the anatomy of a Piano / Keyboard. This program can be used with both a mechanical piano and and electronic piano, but you gain interactive capabilities by using a MIDI-capable keyboard/piano. Gives detailed, clearly-labeled descriptions on how to hook up MIDI cables with pictures. Gives clear and concise descriptions of all musical elements. Features Rhythmic Flash Cards and Ear training. Lessons offer option to play audio and responds to keyboard practice by jumping forward on the music staff (when no note is played incorrectly--doesn't seem to work if you miss a note) but clicking the forward arrow will take you to the next page when this happens. You can practice the song while the audio demo is playing. Includes options for Page and Screen setup, printing a lesson, MIDI and instrument sound settings, music tracking, keyboard animation, page turning, feedback, fingerings, guitar chords, go to contents (lesson, song, technique), metronome and recorder tools, and Help. The Digital Recorder allows you to save your recordings and play them back. They offer other levels of training on their web site, (but you can probably purchase the programs for less at Amazon.com) which are Piano & Keyboard Method, Intermediate Piano & Keyboard Method, eMedia Learn To Play Piano & Keyboard Pack with USB Cable (includes 49-key MIDI keyboard and bundled software with 300 lessons and 70 video demonstrations from a Juilliard School of Music teacher--USB-powered keyboard, includes USB/MIDI cable, pedal to be purchased separately for $14.95), EarMaster 5, and My Voice.
M-Audio eKeys 37 MIDI Keyboard (With Software Bundle). The bundled software allows for "never-ending" learning because it gives the ability to use any MIDI file you purchase. Additionally, it focuses on first teaching the youthful student how to recognize alphabet, numbers, animals, and common household objects, then merges this teaching into its music-teaching program. Perfect for the youngest students imaginable. Comes equipped with the following software: Music Teacher 1.3, Picture Board, and Sound Studio II (v.1.1).
Music Teacher 1.3 (bundled with M-Audio E-Keys 37 MIDI Keyboard). Music Teacher is a "never-ending" tutorial program that allows you to load any MIDI file and learn how to play it. (This means you can purchase inexpensive MIDI files and learn to play the songs.) Comes with 20 beginner lessons and recommends Alfred Music teaching materials and MIDI files. Provides tests on notes, rhythm, notes and rhythm, provides the ability to use a backing band (backing mode) to accompany you while you play), recital mode, displays the score on the screen (score display) up to 2 staves on treble and bass clefs), has listen and teaching modes, ability to practice difficult sections of a song (loop mode), ability to learn left and right hand parts together (2-handed tests), and the ability to change tempo (speed) settings (a necessity for beginners). It also has a game screen for learning musical phrases, note indicators, and it will grade your abilities (results screen) giving you a percentage mark on your note or rhythm accuracy.
Picture Board (bundled with M-Audio E-Keys 37 MIDI Keyboard). Picture Board is an early learning tool that teaches essentials such as the alphabet, numbers, animal names, and household objects, and uses these to introduce the music keyboard through sounds and images. This program can be personalized by adding your own images (bitmap [*.bmp] files) and sounds (wave [*.wav] files). Provides learning at many different levels in an effort to achieve a perfect introduction to the keyboard.
Sound Studio II (v.1.1) (bundled with M-Audio E-Keys 37 MIDI Keyboard). Sound Studio II is a 32-bit sequencer with VST plug-in support (FYI, 32-bit operating systems [typically found on older computer systems before Windows Vista] are best for music applications). VST plug-ins are software representations of hardware effects, units, and musical instruments. Sound Studio II is bundled with 2 full VST synthesizers, 1 full VST drum sample player, and 6 additional demo synths and instruments (including the best-selling FM7 and B4 from Native Instruments). Sound Studio II also includes 21 VST effect processors from MDA. Additional plug-ins (hundreds) are available on the Web (and are often included with Music Recording Software packages that you may decide to purchase in the future--I suggest you obtain them this way). When you add more VST plug-ins, Sound Studio II broadens its music-making capabilities. The program works with Windows 98, ME, NT4, 2000, and XP.
Voyetra Teach Me Piano Deluxe. If you can get this program, it is well worth having! The biggest advantage to this program is that you can import additional MIDI songs to learn, which makes this tutorial program limitless! Additionally, you can change the tempo of songs, label notes with the corresponding letters or numbers for which finger to use, or pick a range of measures to practice (rather than an entire song). There are over 150 lessons, over 100 exercises, and 78 songs with the ability to add more MIDI songs. Strengths: This program gives you the ability to play songs from the screen using your computer's keyboard mouse and clicking on a displayed keyboard, or play from your MIDI keyboard--obviously it is easier to get the timing right from a MIDI keyboard--and the program applauds you when you've finished your practice of the song. The program is also strong in teaching timing. It comes with additional fun products such as Audio Station 4, Music Write Songwriter Demo, Hip Hop Ejay Demo, Recording Station™ with Tutorial, Jammin' Keys™ with Tutorial, Music Games™, SoundCheck™, a Video on how to connect your MIDI keyboard to a computer, and a Music Reference area that includes Understanding MIDI & Synth and the History of Keyboards. The link from the first page to Download Songs from Voyetra does not work, so you should try another source such as my links to SheetMusicPlus.com to purchase MIDI music. The program appears to be well-suited to Windows XP, and if you attempt to run this program on Windows Vista, the video portion of the lessons will not work, but that is not terribly detrimental--you can bypass those 2 introductory pages of each section and still learn just as well; since Windows 7 is supposed to be backward-compatible, it might work on that operating system. The program offers Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced. There are reported problems with the program's recognition of tied notes. You should note that the Turtle Beach/Voyetra web site lists this software as being a discontinued product and reports reveal that support is also not being offered (http://www.turtlebeach.com/support/index.php?CategoryID=1001), but I found that it can still be downloaded at http://gigabitwarez.com/software/multimedia/375-teach-me-piano-deluxe.html or http://www.downloadbazar.com/archives/001993.php.
Often times Tutorial Software comes with complimentary software demos. As a result, you can deeply broaden your enjoyment when presented with delightful software (on a trial basis), and often save money if you convert the demo into a purchase. I am able to provide a critique on the following accessory software because it came as demo software with my purchase of Voyetra (Turtle Beach) Teach Me Piano Deluxe; even though Teach Me Piano is no longer supported, the accessory software is still in production.
Music WriteTM Songwriter. Version 5.01.21 was reviewed, and this software appears to be very functional for basic music writing and editing needs. It will record from your keyboard or manually through inserting keys, apply Titles, Music Credits, and Page Numbers, and it has preset designations for Headers, and Footers. Has limited selections for Patches (to match it to your specific musical instrument) for General MIDI, GS, Proteus, Roland, and "Numbers Only." Prints the File, Line, or Part. Saves as it's own project file or as a MIDI file. Other critiques state that this software is too limited for editing, but my basic review reveals that for manual entry, this software will produce good formats for sheet music (simpler music that is easy to read); if the user desires to capture versatility, selecting Record and playing the performance will also provide that. It has the ability to edit or delete specific time locations. For the price, this would be a great "starter" program.
Jammin' Keys by Voyetra / Turtle Beach. This program has a keyboard right on the screen (internal settings indicate that you can connect your MIDI instrument to your computer and record externally as well., but I wasn't able to accomplish that). This program gives you an "instant" 5-part band accompaniment, lets you choose the specific rhythm (Blues, Country, Funk, Hip Hop, Rock, etc.), provides intros and endings, makes the on-screen keyboard intuitive by showing which notes are "in key," and records and saves your performance in a few formats, including MIDI. If you are learning to play an instrument with tutorials, this program would be such a joy to have because it will allow you to express yourself in more advanced ways (even before you've become an accomplished musician). I highly recommend this little piece of software to all beginners because I think it gives a realistic "in your face" view of what is possible with more professional music recording software (just keep in mind that the more professional software hides all of its goodies). This software provides just plain "fun" and inspiration towards "what can be," and can be a great source of inspiration for those who want to accomplish big things in music. I think this software would be particularly fun for ages 3 to 16, but the "kid" in all of us will have fun with it too. Once again, for the price (you can find this for under $10), you can't beat the fun!
Recording Station by
Voyetra / Turtle Beach. Version 4 was evaluated; this is an interesting piece of software, similar in nature to Jammin' Keys, but more along the lines of a professional Mixer. It allows you to record and build your song one instrument at a time. It has 10 MIDI tracks and 128 MIDI instruments. You could open any MIDI file and add to it in this program; if the MIDI file contains Lyrics, you can make these visible while you play, sing, and record. Also, as you play from your attached MIDI instrument, you can change the settings on the Track to be any sound you want--in other words, if you play a piano sound, it can record it as a Bird, a Guitar, or any other selection you choose. It is advisable to use Headphones with this program so that you don't capture extensive external noises as you record. This program saves as its own project file or as MIDI. This is a great program for introducing you to the next level of professional music recording software, and is well worth the price for the level of understanding you will gain; this program is probably best-suited for intermediate music training from ages 13 to adult. This software may be hard to find, and you may have to purchase a "used" version; "used," this
program costs around $20.
Beyond Tutorials:
Once you have used tutorials to the point that you feel comfortable practicing on your own, you can stop purchasing tutorial programs and purchase a program like Cakewalk Music Creator 4. When you are at this point, what you'll want to do is purchase MIDI song (*.mid) files or Karaoke files (*.kar) which can be renamed to *.mid. SheetMusicPlus.com is a good source for these (find their banner on this page and click to link to them). Once you have purchased the MIDI files of the songs you'd like to learn, you open them in Cakewalk Music Creator 4 and click the Play button so that you can hear what the song is supposed to sound like. After that, select the Track that contains the main melody and try to emulate it (this is usually Track 4). To find it, select Edit, Select All, Views, Staff. Locate the Track that contains the melody (it typically also contains the words [lyrics] of the song with the music), and then select Views, Track View. Click the M (for Mute) button on each track except for the track that contains the melody. Now, highlight only the track that contains the melody of the song, and select Views, Staff. Press the Play button to hear how the melody of the song should sound. When it has finished, you can press the Stop button or wait until the song stops playing by itself.
To
see this track presented as Sheet Music so that you can try your hand at playing the music, select File, scroll to the end
of the list under the word Exit, then scroll right and select Print
Preview. Press the Print button so that you can put the sheet music right in front of you, or if you want to
read the page from the screen, you can make the page more readable if you click Zoom In and use the scroll bar when you need to, or you can reconfigure the page by selecting the Configure button, and select different presentation modes until you feel one view is more readable for you. Click the Next Page button when you need to. You should be
able to learn many songs by using this program in this manner.
To enhance a melody track that only contains a treble clef (the right hand) and turn it into treble and bass clef (right-and-left hand) sheet music manually, select Edit, Select All, Views, Staff. Locate a Track that contains the bass clef (the left hand) music then click and drag to highlight each measure of the treble clef music starting with the first measure and select Edit, Copy, then select Views, Track View. Click the M (for Mute)
button on each track except for the track that contains the melody.
Now, highlight only the track that contains the melody of the song, and
select Views, Staff. If only the treble clef (right hand) staff is visible, click the Layout button (looks like a miniature staff with a note) and select Clef, Treble/Bass, and click Close. Select Edit, Paste, and under Destination be sure to select the correct Track Number, and click OK. Select the Play button to hear the results of your edit. If it doesn't sound correct, select Views, Track View, highlight two tracks, the melody track and the track you copied the bass clef from, then select Views, Staff, and compare the bass clefs of both tracks to ensure that their positions match exactly. If they do not, select Edit, Undo Paste. Highlight the bass clef staff you desire to copy again (be sure to start at the very beginning of the first measure) and select Edit, Paste, and under Destination be sure to select the correct Track Number, and click OK. If this doesn't work the second time, the issue was the time at which the paste is being placed, default is 1:01:000 (the Starting at Time field). The only way to solve this is to highlight the first note of the staff you are copying and right click to see the properties (example, Time: 1:02:000) and when you paste again, make sure you enter the same time as well as selecting the correct Track Number under Destination. Resave the file under a different name.
I recommend that you do not save this file unless you resave it under a different name, and it's probably a good idea to keep a copy of it in a separate directory so that you can retrieve the original file if you accidentally save and destroy file information that you need. Additionally, you will also be able to see how a MIDI music file is constructed and study the dynamics of the file that you have purchased so that you are now on your way to learning how to create your own MIDI music. I recommend that you view the video tutorials that came with your program so that you can learn to use the sound samples as you attempt to create your own music. Do not give copies of your purchased MIDI music to your friends and also do not record your voice with your MIDI file and give your friends copies of the recordings because this is a violation of copyright laws. You can record your voice with your MIDI files and keep the files for your own personal enjoyment and burn the recordings to CD as long as the files you create from your purchased copyrighted music remains with you.
One thing you need to notice is that on one of the tracks (usually Track 4), when you select Views, Lyrics, if lyrics were included in the MIDI file, the words of the song will pop up in a window. Only one track is usually designated for this, typically Track 4, which is the industry standard for MIDI files. As a result, you will notice that when you select all tracks and Views, Staff, that only one track will have words with the music, and this is the reason why. For MIDI files that tout themselves to be Karaoke files, the track that contains the lyrics is also the Karaoke track, and these tracks always have the melody so that your voice can be digitally matched to the tune. The beauty of digital pianos is that you can use them as a Karaoke machine; if you are fortunate enough to have purchased an electronic keyboard/piano that has a Vocoder (often marketed as "Synthesizer/Vocoder," "Vocal Processor," "Vocal Effects" "Vocal Harmony," or "performs Karaoke," you'll be getting a Karaoke machine that is BETTER than Karaoke machines because it will improve your voice even if you can't follow a tune! A true Karaoke machine doesn't do that! That makes the idea of Karaoke even more fun! As a general rule, most of the highest-priced electronic pianos have internal vocoders, so if you're shopping for one, start with the most expensive model, read the specifications, and work back until you find a less expensive model that also has the vocoder so that you can identify the group that has it, then choose the model with other options that you would like to have. Another way to shop for them is to search for "Vocoder Keyboards," "Vocoder Pianos," "Vocoder Synthesizers," or "Ensemble Pianos." You can check with these piano manufacturers: Akai, Casio, Evolution, Kawai, Korg, Kurzweil, M-Audio, Roland, Yamaha, Steinway, and Suzuki. I have provided a banner below with some reasonably-priced vocoder/synthesizer keyboard/piano models.
I also found a listing of software that will help you turn any MIDI file into sheet music more easily. Visit http://www.skytopia.com/project/articles/notation.html to see a comprehensive listing of software that will perform this function, and my personal recommendation is that you consider any of the software there that follows Style C. Additionally, I will note that I own Finale PrintMusic, and it can be purchased for under $100; but if you're on a budget, I recommend you consider Finale NotePad Plus. If you're on a strict budget, you can consider this software that offers a free download with restrictions--see the article on MIDI file converter software at http://www.associatedcontent.com; their MIDI-to-sheet-music converter is at http://www.8notes.com/midi_sheet_music/ (the free download will convert one file per day for you, or you may purchase the software which will convert as many files as you wish), and the software's actual web site is at http://www.8notes.com/ where they offer free sheet music and lessons on their home page.
Recording MIDI Files Directly To The Computer: Cakewalk MusicCreator 4 ($40) includes video tutorials on how to record MIDI. The advantage to this program is that if you purchased an electronic piano that doesn't have the ability to record what you're playing and keep it as a file that can be edited or simply replayed, you can open this software, select File, New, MIDI Only (template), arm a MIDI track by clicking the R on the track, select Transport, Record, and start playing, and every keystroke and aspect of the volume, length of time a note was held down, whether or not you were using the pedal (etc.), is recorded. A second advantage is, if your electronic piano is limited for it's internal memory, this helps you to expand your ability to save music files. Additionally, any files you play and save as MIDI on your computer can be played back through your piano/keyboard so that you have the advantage of your keyboard's original instrument sounds (if you have a MIDI In connection on your electronic piano).
Synchronizing Your Electronic Piano Instrument Sounds To Your Computer: You may want to install a sound card so that playback of music on your computer sounds more like your electronic piano. For general purpose sound cards, I recommend Sound Blaster X-FI Xtreme Audio ($60). If you happen to have an older computer that had a gaming sound card installed, you probably don't need to replace the sound card.
If using Cakewalk Music Creator 4, you will be able to use an Instrument Definition File that should make the computer sound just like your keyboard if you have installed a good sound card.
You will need to locate the original file named master.ins and rename it to preserve it. Then, if your electronic piano is a Yamaha, you will need to obtain a file named yamaha.ins from your installation CD or online from Cakewalk, and copy and rename the copy to a name of master.ins, being sure to place it in the correct directory. For Cakewalk Music Creator 2003 or 4 and Windows 98 or XP, the Instrument Definition File should be placed in c:\Program Files\Cakewalk\[Program Name]\master.ins; for Windows Vista, the Instrument Definition File should be placed in c:\ProgramData\Cakewalk\[Program Name]\master.ins. If this fails to work, check Cakewalk's Help area under Instrument Definition Files. If you still can't find Cakewalk's specific location for the Instrument Definition File, in My Computer or Windows Explorer, perform a search for "master.ins", rename it to preserve it, and place the new file in the same directory.
See the Section 8 topic, Recording Vocal and Instrument Songs, for information on recording songs to audio files (similar to the old-fashioned method of recording to a tape recorder, but on the computer).
Now What? You've purchased a keyboard/piano and you've hooked it up to the computer. In order to get the piano to start communicating with the computer you need an interface. Your interface will be your Tutorial Software or a MIDI program such as Cakewalk Music Creator 4. This section will help you to fix computer sound problems, or for more difficult problems, help you to troubleshoot computer sound problems.
If you happened to go through your piano and found a menu that says you can "send" a song or MIDI file to your computer, that is true, but you'll need a program like Cakewalk Music Creator 4 in order to receive it. When you open your Tutorial software, follow the software to the point where you are asked to play a piano note (example: "middle C," D, E), and your Tutorial program should readily recognize the fact that you pressed the correct or incorrect note.
Options, MIDI Devices, Inputs, make sure something is listed there (will be your MIDI cable interface such as Edirol), and Outputs, make sure Microsoft GS Wavetable Synth is listed first, that your MIDI cable interface (such as Edirol) is listed second; it is possible that Microsoft MIDI Mapper will be listed third. Make sure these items are enabled or highlighted, then click OK. If they were not enabled/highlighted, most programs will not accept the change until you close and reopen the program; you should also close/reopen for any other changes performed from this list.
Options, Instruments, check that each of the Output/Channel(s) are connected to an appropriate Instrument.
Options, Audio, General, and Playback should list your Speakers/Sound Card, and Recording should list your Microphone/Sound Card.
Options, Audio, Input Monitoring, make sure that Microphone or Line-In is selected.
Options, Audio, Drivers, you should have a minimum of Microphone or Line-In listed.
Options, Audio, General, Wave Profiler and click the button--this causes your computer to search for sound-related data available on your computer.
Try restarting your computer and rechecking for sound. If this doesn't work, consider reinstalling the tutorial or midi-based software and check for sound again, or you can go to the next section and check for causes in the system.
If you still don't have sound, skip this step and go to the next paragraph and look for causes in the Control Panel. Only come back to this step after you have exhausted your search for causes in your Control Panel's settings. Use this as a last resort because it is tedious. Perform this only if the previous and subsequent functions have not fixed the sound problem. In Windows XP or Vista, be sure to perform a System Restore Point before doing this, and if it does not work, revert back to your system's previous status prior to this change. In Windows 98, keep notes and change the settings back manually if they don't work. Look at Options, Audio, Advanced, Playback and Recording Driver Mode; it may say
MME or WDM, make a note of which one was there, switch to the other mode, then select Options, Audio, General, and press the Wave Profiler button and close and reopen the program and retest for sound. If this doesn't work, try restarting your computer. If this does not work, switch back to the other setting, select Options, Audio, General, press the Wave Profiler button, and close and reopen the program again. Go back to Steps 1 through 3 of this list and make sure that none of the previous settings were destroyed. If you lost any of your Input/Output settings (if there's nothing available to select), try Step #6, Wave Profiler, once again, and close and reopen the program again. If the settings from Steps 1 through 3 are still unavailable, you may need to reload your sound card software (or uninstall/reinstall), open the program again, and select the Wave Profiler button in your Tutorial or Cakewalk Music Creator 4 software, then close and reopen the program again and go through all the steps in this list again; or in Windows XP or Vista, perform a System Restore Point. Again, don't do this until you have exhausted options 1-7 in this list and the Control Panel's options in the following paragraphs.
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Multimedia icon, Audio Tab, Playback and Recording (Preferred Devices), check that your sound card is listed. If no sound card is listed, you may need to update your sound card software at a minimum or uninstall/reinstall your sound card software if that does not work.
Multimedia icon, MIDI Tab, Single Instrument, check that your sound card is listed; highlight the lowest level listed, Right-Click, select Properties, and check for the statement, "Driver is enabled and active." under Status. If the driver is not enabled, enable it. If that does not work, install the driver again with the following procedure:
REINSTALL DRIVER: Click the Reinstall Driver button and insert your Windows 98 operating system disk, and you should select the correct CD/DVD drive letter in order to read the disk. If this doesn't work, you can try selecting the internet as your location for the driver update, which will attempt to access Microsoft to obtain the driver.
System icon, Sound; highlight the lowest listed, Right-Click, select Properties, and check under the Device Status Box for the statement, "This device is working properly." (If not, try to enable the driver or follow the Reinstall Driver instructions above.)
System icon, also check that you have a Gameport (under COM or Ports), and Sound Card (under Sound).
System icon, Others, on the lowest levels, Right-Click, select Properties, and check under the Device Status Box for the statement, "This device is working properly." (If not, try to enable the driver or follow the Reinstall Driver instructions above.)
System icon, Speaker, on the lowest levels, Right-Click, select Properties, and check under the Device Status Box for the statement, "This device is working properly." (If not, try to enable the driver or follow the Reinstall Driver instructions above.)
Go to My Computer and click on Help, type the word "sound" into the index, and follow any troubleshooting prompts that appear.
As a last resort, System icon (I'm not sure where this is listed) look for an MS Kernel System Renderer and make sure that there is no yellow "i" listed with it; highlight the lowest level listed, Right-Click, select Properties, and check for the statement, "Driver is enabled and active," under Status. If there was a yellow "i," you will probably see the statement, "The drivers are not installed." (If so, try to enable the driver or follow the Reinstall Driver instructions above.)
Once all of these options have been exhausted, if you still do not have sound, try restarting your computer and check the sound again. If this doesn't work, try uninstalling/reinstalling your sound card software; only do this if you know you have the CD for reinstalling the software, (and find the CD before you start), test the sound again, and consider uninstalling/reinstalling the tutorial or midi-based software again. If you still do not have sound after exhausting all of these options, you may want to change back all the settings you made in the above list in order to take the system back to its original state prior to any changes.
If you are operating under Windows XP or Vista and you still have a sound problem after troubleshooting inside your Tutorial program or in Cakewalk Music Creator 4, check the Control Panel's Sounds and Audio Devices and make sure the Sound Playback, Sound Recording, and MIDI Music Playback fields are not blank. If they are blank, check to see if there are selections that can be made. If there are no available selections, you should uninstall/reinstall your sound card software (only if you know you have the software CD), and test the sound again. If there is still no sound, consider uninstalling/reinstalling your tutorial or midi-based software and test the sound one more time. Try restarting the computer off and on one last time and test the sound again before giving up. If this does not solve the problem, search the Help area for all details on Sound and make sure that all areas report that they are functioning properly and/or follow all instructions that are given. Once all of these options have been exhausted, if you still do not have sound, try restarting your computer and check the sound again. If you still do not have sound after exhausting all of these options, you may want to perform a system restore in order to take the system back to its state prior to any changes.
If you are merely having problems with the quality of your sound, there are 3 basic reasons for problems: 1) you have an "unclean" source of electricity that might be polluting your recording due to "electrical noise," 2) the Audio Driver Mode may need to be changed, or 3) the levels of power being produced by your electronic piano are too powerful and are causing distortion on your computer.
For electrical noise, try a power strip that has the ability to "clean" the electrical signal (example: Monster Power Strips) [see the Amazon Banner to the right for great prices on Monster Power Strips].
In Cakewalk Music Creator 4, check Options, Audio, Advanced, and if the Audio Driver Mode is MME, that is most likely the culprit (refer to Step #8 [If You Still Don't Have Sound] in the above list before making any changes). Change to WDM, select Options, Audio, General, press the Wave Profiler button, and close and reopen the program (refer to Step #8 [If You Still Don't Have Sound] in the above list in order to undo this change if this doesn't work).
The first clue that the levels of power may be mismatched and that the piano could be overpowering the computer is that your piano uses a stereo audio cable that has a 1/4" stereo plug and the computer uses a 1/8" stereo plug - the two types of plugs are geared for different levels of signal power. Aside from this, you can check to see if you are connecting amplified power (typically audio out/line out meant for speakers) to "line in" power, which would create unbalanced power ratios at each end of your cable. If you are unable to rectify the situation by locating a standard audio/line out jack, there are other ways you can bring the signal into balance. If the amount of sound being generated across the audio line is too powerful for the computer, try lowering the volume on the piano. If the general volume doesn't work, in addition to that, try lowering the volume of the specific instrument being used on the piano (if available--will probably be one of several sliders on the keyboard/piano, or buried inside the piano in a menu titled "Mixer"). One additional place you can look is on a "gain" control knob that might be on the back of your electronic piano, and you might additionally be able to access an Equalizer area (probably under a "Microphone" menu) in the electronic piano's menus where you can reduce the amount of Hertz (Hz) to the lowest possible output. If none of those options work, you'll need an Attenuating Cable or Impedance device. Attenuating cables and impedance devices use resistors to accomplish their goals. A shielded Attenuating Cable will handle 60db (the only source I'm aware of to purchase one is Radio Shack--the Amazon Banner to the right lists an Attenuating Cable from Radio Shack). You will find that they don't have a Stereo Attenuating Cable, so if you need Stereo, you'll have to purchase mono-to-stereo or stereo-to-stereo splitters (either will work) for each end in order to couple a pair of mono Attenuating Cables. There is also a device I found at Amazon.com that is specifically made for balancing the levels, a Pyramid NS60 High to Low Level Impedance Adaptor (see Amazon Banner to the Right). Additionally, you could build your own attenuating cables; if you'd like to try, I suggest visiting the following location at YouTube, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MK-wtf_TPh8; this YouTube posting is certainly worth watching so that you can appreciate and understand the nature of what attenuation/impedance/resistance will do for you when you need to reduce signal levels. Or you can try an Impedance device. There are two basic types of Impedance devices generally available, one uses a volume-type knob and uses resistors to attenuate the sound (see the Amazon Banner to the right for Audiophile Grade Volume Control or the Volume Control With 12-Step Attenuation); and the other type is called a Direct Box (available at The Guitar Center). The Direct Box comes as a plain model with no ability to modify the settings, or as higher models with the ability to change the settings up to about 40db.
Musician Forums are also a great place to get answers to unusual problems you may be having. Many online musical instrument or software companies provide forums that you can view or join. Sometimes I go to Google and type in the word Cakewalk and the type of problem just so that I can see what has been posted on their forum about the type of problem (I think it's a quicker way to view most forums). For example, I would type in "Cakewalk MMS WDM ASIO problems" (without the quote marks) to view discussions on Audio Driver Mode problems.
Accessorize: Don't forget that there are great books available that also offer educational instructions and teaching methods. Also, after you learn the basics well enough, you're going to want to get some sheet music and try out your new skills. And let's not forget the most fun thing of all, karaoke--playing the MIDI files and singing along with them! If you purchased an electronic piano, you more-than-likely have quite a selection of MIDI songs (MIDI files - *.mid) already in your piano [digital pianos don't use audio files (*.wav or *.mp3) as their basis for playing music, although some newer versions might offer the ability to play audio files]. Once you've gone through them, you'll be even more happy when you can acquire some of your own MIDI music. I've provided some cool links to the right for starting your own music library (SheetMusicPlus.com offers sheet music and MIDI files). And the link below will also take you to some interesting books that you may find very entertaining:
Fake Books at Sheet Music Plus. Improvise and jam with our great fake book selection - all styles, all keys, lots of artists. Go now!
Also, I've provided a cool link to the right for eMusic.com towards any interest you have in audio files (MP3s).
In addition to the automated tutorials I have recommended in Section 5, the following banner lists Tutorial Books that will provide extra training resources for you. I have listed the books from least expensive to most expensive for your convenience. Note that the price posted on the banner may not be the lowest available purchase price since Amazon offers "used" software (and this list was based on the lowest prices I saw [also note that Amazon's prices are constantly changing]). I will be expanding on this listing in the near future.
Some Extra Fun: Cakewalk Music Creator 4 has internal sound samples that can be used (called TTS) to generate more professional sounding, and downright "fun" music in a "track" setting where each instrument is recorded on a separate audio track and then "mixed down" (Export, Audio) into a Wave file. For mixdown into an MP3 file, a downloadable MP3 encoder must be purchased ($20). Cakewalk's video tutorials and operative tutorials explain the process. Additionally, if you tried to record a song you were playing directly from your electronic piano into Cakewalk Music Creator 4, you will be able to print your own sheet music! Select a Track, select Views, Staff, select File, Info and fill in this area and click the X to close this window, select File, maneuver to below the word Exit in the menu, then scroll to the right and select Print Preview, then click the Print button.
If you are trying to produce good-quality recordings across to your computer, you can purchase a headset with a microphone and headphones together to make it easier to sing along with your song (you might have to purchase extension cables to get the headset part plugged in separately from the Microphone jacks). If you're just doing it for fun, search your computer's hard drive for a program named "Recorder."Otherwise, you can purchase a CD/DVD wave-recording/burning program from a local or online software store. Cakewalk Pyro ($40) does a good job and will filter out crackles and clicks when you re-play the recording with the Declick and Denoise buttons selected. Most CD/DVD recording/burning programs will perform this function. This will not be a Broadcast-Quality recording, but is the quickest and easiest method to record your own music just for fun. In order for the recording to sound good, you will need a decent sound card in your computer as previously mentioned. See the Shopping List, item #6 (at the bottom of this page) for more specific information on types of microphones.
To clarify what the following two banners represent, the Recording/Edit/Burn Software banner contains a listing of software that will record your performances at an amateur level, allowing you to remove clicks and pops from the recording, and enabling the burning of both audio and data CDs (and some will possibly record to DVDs and possibly create MP3s); the MIDI/Recording/Sheet Music Software banner contains a listing of software that will record your performances at a more professional level, allowing you to edit MIDI data, create sheet music (a page display mode of MIDI data), play MIDI data back through your electronic piano, record MIDI or audio tracks straight from your electronic piano, record vocals through your mic In or line In on the computer or through the electronic piano's audio Out line pumped into the computer's line In or mic In, or record independent audio instrument tracks by playing MIDI instrument tracks from the computer software program back through your piano and back into the software program (not all of these listed programs will perform all of these functions, but most of them should perform most of these functions).
If you think you've got talent, here are some good places to start. These web sites are fun for both recording artists and listeners! An additional perk to these types of web sites is that many offer the ability to get your music critiqued by your listeners, and in the absence of a "formal" critique, you usually get feedback from interested people who will tell you why they love your music. If you decide to get involved, always be kind to others in these venues - remember that it's better to say nothing at all than to outright criticize someone else's music or lyrics. Numbers speak tons - if you're getting a lot of plays and downloads, that's a good thing. You can look at how well some of your favorite artists are doing and measure your performance against theirs based on the dates each of you signed up. Additionally, some of the following music web sites for interaction and posting songs also offer internal song contests. All-in-all these are great venues in which to learn more about what goes on in the music world!
Typically, you will find that these groups offer some songs for free download and some songs are for sale. The conditions and prices for sales vary, but there seems to be a trend to sell songs at less than the popular price point of $.99. The "free downloads" concept is a curiosity for most people since the historic catastrophe at Napster, but I assure you that these venues are entirely different. (Napster.com is under new ownership and they are legitimate; and they offer a subscription music program which enables the subscriber to listen to music from any computer.) The artists who sign up for these web sites and offer their songs for download (either free or for sale) have sworn a statement with the web site owners that they own the copyrights to the songs they have posted (but some people don't read the statements they are signing); see my blurb on copyright infractions in Section 10. The reason these other venues can offer free downloads is because the artist who owns the song is offering the song for free. Offering songs for free is a great way for an artist to get their songs into the public sector with more possibility of recognition, and the songs offered are surprisingly great songs, typically the artists' "best" song.
The listeners who sign up on these venues are equally valuable to the artists because they help bolster the artists' popularity through the interactive venues offered and also through the listeners' personal circle of friends. Most of the artists on these web sites are "Indie" artists (meaning independent of the royalties companies [ASCAP, BMI, and SESAC]), which is the additional factor that enables free downloads. Some artists in these venues have signed with the royalties companies as their popularity increases, but the bottom line is, if the artist (assuming the artist is the copyright owner of the song) is offering the song for free, it's legal.
The following list of music web sites is a rather extensive listing of sites that I have found in my travels, all of which I believe to be among the best music download sites that have maintained reputable and enjoyable music listening and downloading experiences. Most of these web sites should offer the ability to select a "filter" so that you are not subjected to music with "explicit" lyrics.
7Facebook is in the process of creating their interactive music forum. 8StereoFame recently converted their venue from free downloads to also being able to sell songs, and there are reports that artists have not yet been paid for songs that have been sold / keep in mind that this might be "growing pains."
If something is going on in the music world, Sonicbids knows about it--they offer a place to upload your songs and promote yourself and your music, they provide tons of information, newsletters, access to music opportunities, and they will submit your songs to song contests. Visit them by clicking their banner.>>>>
Broadjam is a web community of over 93,000 indie musicians and fans. You can listen for free, create your own play lists, connections, provide music reviews, receive music reviews, offer or find free downloads, purchase songs, and as an artist, receive song ranking status in the community. They provide a free "Mini MOB" web page for artists, and offer great pricing for larger packages (more than 3 songs). They provide a unique social network with prizes, provide information and applications for licensing opportunities in TV and film, host internal song contests, and provide submissions for external song contests. This is a great peer network for musicians. Visit them by clicking their banner.>>>>
Disclaimer: Neither Cynthia Deaton Houlroyd, this web site, other represented web sites, or the web site provider will be held responsible for fraudulent activity on the part of any of the listed song contests or their web sites. Your decision to use any of these suggested contests is strictly voluntary on your part.
Always look for information on the viability of any contest you consider entering and make sure they have a valid address and valid telephone numbers.
9Contests that are more suitable for bands / less suitable for songwriters (public performances are encouraged).
Before you enter any song contest, it is a good idea to place your song on at least one Music Web Site for interaction and posting songs. Some of these venues have contests of their own, and some offer their participants to give anonymous critiques of your songs that should aide you as you attempt to improve your talents. When you join these venues, you start getting reliable feedback on just how good (or bad) your music is. Generally speaking, the "bad" won't be a Thumbs Down or "Yuck," but you may find that people who signed up about the same time you did and who are equally as active as you are get better reviews or more plays; taking note of that can save you some embarrassment on bigger ventures with your song(s). This is a tremendous social venue for musicians, especially if you do not have friends who are accomplished musicians.
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& Check Out My "Favorites" There Too! CDHmusic
The exposure offered by all classes of song contests are relatively equal, but better exposure is always related to how successful and/or famous the panel of judges are. Regardless of whether or not you win a contest, be assured that your song gets great mileage out of the venture because it will be remembered by the judges who hear it - if it was a good song but not good enough "this time," that doesn't mean it didn't measure up in the hearts and minds of many judges - try again in the next contest round, especially if you came in runner-up!
Merchandise contests are great for beginners. Lower-Dollar contests are the next logical step because competition is probably less with those types of contests. However, never underestimate any of these contests - look carefully at what they are offering in terms of merchandise, cash prizes, and exposure. Aside from exposure to industry professionals who serve as judges, as well as famous singers who serve as judges and also might be looking for new songs, many of these contests have close links to major recording labels, or in lieu of that they may be linked to radio stations who play their winner's music. So read the literature very carefully. I also encourage you to create a document to record information on the
contests, their deadlines, a list of their judges, as well as other information that is important to you. (I created a database for all my music-related activities.)
The following information will teach you how to troubleshoot MIDI. Additionally, the following information is a great beginning primer for amateur music recording, music recording tips, and beginner's recording studio software. I will note that it is difficult to get music recording software such as Cakewalk Music Creator 4 to present your music in a highly-readable format for others to play. For that reason, you need to assess whether or not your intent is to give others the ability to easily play from the sheet music you produce, or if it is simply for "documentation" purposes. If you wish for others to be able to play from the sheet music, you may need to save your original MIDI file, then resave the file under a different name that designates it as your "sheet music" file. Here, I will explain how to edit MIDI. You can start through quantization and other exercises such as changing the time durations of the notes in order to constrict them into a specific measure, and preferably remove extraneous notes that other musicians may not wish to duplicate (this gives other musicians the abilty to improvise on their own). When recording in Cakewalk programs, start by setting the MIDI Timing Resolution (timebase) via Options, Project, Clock, Ticks Per Quarter-Note; the settings start at 048, 120, 192, and can be set all the way to 960. I recommend 120 or 192 ticks per measure even for advanced users, and 048 for inexperienced users because 048 gives fewer headaches with determining the exact placement of a note in the measure. Example: The way this works is a quarter note will have the value of 048 ticks in the measure, and 4
quarter notes per measure equals 192 ticks per measure; an eighth note will have half of 048, which will be 24, and a sixteenth will have half of 024, which will be 012. Using addition, you can easily figure out what tick number to assign to a note when you want to change its value. If
you have 4 quarter notes in measure 1 and you want to change two of them to a eighth notes (which means you have to add another quarter note into the measure), the four quarter notes will be posted with the tick times of 1:01:000, 1:02:000, 1:03:000, and 1:04:000. To change the 3rd and 4th quarter notes to eighth notes, left-click the note to highlight it, then right-click to show the properties; the 3rd quarter note's tick time remains the same at 1:03:000, and the duration needs to be reset to 024 (half of the 048 ticks per quarter note); then the 4th quarter note's tick time needs to be reset to 1:03:024, and the duration needs to be reset to 024 (half of the 048 ticks per quarter note). Since this edit only fills up 3 beats in the previous 4-beat measure, you will need to click the icon that looks like a quarter note and the icon that looks like a pencil and then click in the measure at the last available place in the measure where you need to add a quarter note. This notes' value needs to be set to a time of 1:04:000, and the duration should be 048 already, but you should also reduce the volume of your addition to a level that matches the notes prior to it (they may be at 50, your added note will automatically set at 100, which in most instances is too loud). Other options are to purchase more expensive software that has stronger editing capabilities or go with a secondary program that documents sheet music more cleanly (I use Make Music! PrintMusic Finale, and I am very pleased with it). I study Cakewalk's version and condense it by hand using another program.
Copyright Audio File Tips--The "Cool" MP3 Factor for Copyright Purposes:
One of the main reasons MP3 format is so "preferred" is because the properties of an MP3 can be tagged with all sorts of Copyright and personal contact information. The second reason it is so preferred is because it is compressed and uses less file storage space. If you are using an MP3, check the file before upload in this manner: in My Computer or Windows Explorer, highlight the file, Right-click the file and select Properties, select the Details tab, and make sure all identifying information you wish to be embedded is there (especially your Copyright Notice) to give others a way to contact you about the song, and if no information is there, fill out the page and click OK. Wouldn't it be a shame if some major recording artist got a copy of your MP3 (legally or illegally) and wanted to pay you to sing your song but couldn't find out who you are? There is a "#" field where you can enter a "1", "2", "3", etc., and I encourage you to use that area to track your MP3 distribution. (I created a database for all my music-related activities.) You can also rename the MP3 file and then list that number in the name of the file as well as on the Details tab in Properties. I make my basic MP3, then when I redistribute it, I go in and change that number and document who the file went to. If you copy/rename an MP3, make sure the Properties/Details tab info also copied (often it will be empty and you'll need to fill out the Details tab page again). I generally create 2 copies of my MP3s, my original for "safekeeping," then I copy/rename it, fill in my Properties/Detail tab info again, and then I use and reuse the second copy by simply renaming it for each copy I produce; renaming doesn't usually destroy the Properties/Details tab info. This may never prove useful, but it could come in handy some day. You can use a Wave file (*.WAV), but those files do not have the ability to tag your creation with your copyright and personal information.
Copyright Infractions and Durations: I know of one instance in which an artist used a popular song as a "cover song," and he was unaware that he had to pay for the rights to record and publicly produce someone else's song; when I asked him how much the fee was for the cover song (because I was curious), he admitted that he didn't know about that requirement and immediately removed the song from his postings. There are other instances in which I have seen songs that I assume were completely out-of-copyright (a guess on my part based on the age of the song) recorded and publicly produced; the only songs for which this can be done legally are ones that have elapsed copyright status and are deemed "Public Domain." Public domain edicts are also given to songs for which the author was never publicly known. Copyrights are now inheritable, running for Life-of-the-Author plus 70 years/inheritable (thank Sonny Bono for this contribution). As a general rule, publications before 1923 are public domain, and publications between 1923 and 1977 had 28 years with renewable extensions that totaled to 95 years. Public domain material or any material that was created by someone else is not copyrightable. US government literature is also public domain material. Starting in 1978 copyright laws substantially increased the terms to Life-of-the-Author plus an inheritable number of years. See the Copyright web site for more information because the Copyright Office clearly designates the rules during each era of copyright law changes. You can search the Copyright Office records yourself for copyright statuses. There are companies that keep these types of records and can provide the information more quickly, some for free (check pdinfo.com) and some for a fee. Also, there are books on the subject of Public Domain that will enlighten you on how to get the answers you seek.
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Please be aware that piano keys acquire germs, and that you should sanitize them regularly; more often if you use a piano for multiple people. My research reveals that the following items are the "worst" surfaces for germs that you will encounter in your daily life in this order: playground equipment, shopping cart handles, refrigerator handles, kitchen cabinet knobs/handles, faucet handles, automobile steering wheels, pianos (multiple users), computer keyboards, telephones, pianos (single user), door knobs, and automobile door handles.
Computer Piano Keyboard ($40-$50) or Electronic Piano with Midi and Audio jacks, and possibly with Video jacks ($100-$300).
Computer - an older computer that someone else may be giving away; or a minimum of Windows 98 operating system, preferred Windows XP operating system; can use a newer computer with Windows Vista.
MIDI cables with connections appropriate for your computer ($14-$20).
Pedal - usually sold separately ($35).
Stand ($20-$50) or appropriate table surface and bench ($20) or chair - most manufacturers also sell accessories for reasonable prices - check the literature that came with your Piano.
Headphones ($10-$25) - PLEASE - it's a must for the parents and they are inexpensive! OR Consider a Headphone and Microphone combination ($20-$50). Microphone Specifications: You can't go wrong with a stereo microphone, could go wrong with a mono microphone ($10-$40). For the combination headphone/microphone, I recommend a Stereo Headset Microphone with in-line volume controls for both the earphones and the microphone, as well as neodymium ear-phones, noise-rejecting or noise-canceling (synonymous with "electret" which cancels out background noise), as either cardioid, unidirectional, or omnidirectional (may not be mentioned on the package). Cardioid has a tighter noise-cancelling pattern, closely followed by unidirectional, and lastly omnidirectional. However, with the electret-type of microphones, omnidirectional will work very well and is probably easier to find; when all else fails, just look for noise-canceling or noise-rejecting.
Teaching Software for Piano Lessons as desired ($2 [used]-$69 for each program).
Recommend purchasing 25-75 floppy disks for your Piano if it uses floppy disks, or two 1 GB USB thumb drives if your electronic piano is equipped to save files through the USB port, or memory cards as determined.
Floppy Disk Drive ($30) for a newer computer if your Piano uses Floppy Disks (for transferring in-tact MIDI files). You can transfer files directly into a computer program such as Cakewalk MusicCreator 4 ($40), but that is more tedious.
Old TV set (or monitor) for viewing internal Piano tutorials on a larger screen.
Video cables for connecting Piano to TV set (or monitor) for viewing internal Piano tutorials on a larger screen ($7-$15).
Audio stereo-to-stereo cable (1/4" plug to 1/8" plug) for fun recording your own songs to the computer ($4-$7).
Optional: sound card to improve the sound generated by your computer, especially if you are trying to record songs to CD/DVDs ($50).
Purchase a Surge Protector of about 2100 Joules ($15-$25) and turn off the instrument when you aren't using it to provide additional protection from electrical fluctuations, as well as to conserve the internal electronic components for a longer life.
About The Author: So that you can appreciate the nature of the documentation contained in this article, I want you to know that I am a very experienced Technical Writer and I was employed by a computer software company for 15 years. When I left that company, I went back to college and refreshed my skills with a couple of computer classes. During my employment there, I was a coordinator for the publications department, author of several technical documents such as a database design documents and users manuals via hands-on program operation, and editor on numerous other computer software documents, often given permission to change documentation inside the baseline software. I also served as a Quality Assurance Specialist and Software Tester, and I was instrumental in the company's qualifications for CMM/iCMM industry standards. My husband is an Electronics Technician and he provides great information on electronics for me. Contact me any time with questions about these guidelines. I'm more than happy to explain or help. If there is an error that needs to be corrected, please let me know as well!
Cynthia Deaton Houlroyd
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________________________________________ 1Cynthia Deaton Houlroyd's copyright for this page does not extend to any represented corporation, company, other web sites, links to other web sites, banners, html banner codes associated with affiliate's banner links, html text codes associated with affiliate's text links, other copyright-protected data, other proprietary data, other trademarks, other service marks, or any text that refers to any product other than Cynthia Deaton Houlroyd's depiction of how to set up Home Music Lessons using technological hardware and software. Cynthia Deaton Houlroyd's music, tunes, music files, lyrics, and sheet music are each separately copyrighted and have performance-right and copyright protections. This copyright only covers text on this page that conveys the presentation of ideas associated with connecting an electronic piano / keyboard to a computer or monitor and using tutorial software, videos, books, musical agility exercises, as well as the manner of presentation to independently-copyrighted external resources, and does not include any specific instructions as it relates to proprietary hardware, software, types of hardware, software parameters, or any other products or resouces external to this web page. Cynthia Deaton Houlroyd's copyright does not include any textual link to other web pages, which are independantly owned by "affiliate" companies and other independent companies. Affiliate's textual property housed on this web site cannot legally be copied or duplicated from this web site to another web site. This copyrighted page can be printed and shared with others, and the copyright of the owner of this page only prohibits use of the copyrighted content (as described above) of this page from being copied and reused for profit.
for $49--(
for $10.98 (
($11 and up)
for $12.99 (
for $6.69 (
makes some Music Theory group instruction software. 
(includes 49-key MIDI keyboard and bundled software with 300 lessons and 70 video demonstrations from a Juilliard School of Music teacher--USB-powered keyboard, includes USB/MIDI cable, pedal to be purchased separately for $14.95), EarMaster 5, and My Voice.
and 
, 
