Ricci+Adams'+Musictheory.net

**Ricci Adams' Musictheory.net**
• Author: Ricci Adams • Publisher: Ricci Adams http://www.musictheory.net/index.html • Copyright: 2000-2008 • Platform: Windows XP, Macintosh OS X • Peripherals: mouse, speakers, sound card • Grade/Age: Late Elementary, Junior HS/Middle School, High School, Adult • Type of Class: General Music, Band, Orchestra, Choir, Theory
 * 1. CITATION AND GENERAL INFORMATION**

• Documentation: No manuals or teacher materials are available. • Objectives: The program reviews note names, chords, key signatures, intervals, scales, keyboard and guitar notes and brass fingerings. • Lesson plans: Lesson plans are not offered through the program. • Resource information: Utilities provides a chord calculator, staff paper generator and a matrix generator. • Reproducible student pages: Musictheory.net provides theory lessons with descriptions of all the basics, from the staff and clef signs, through rhythms and meter to scales and intervals. These pages can be printed. • Student booklets: None • Other: An online version is available.
 * 2. TEACHER SUPPORT**

The lessons can be explored and the trainers can be used for reinforcement.
 * 3. INSTRUCTIONAL CONTENT**
 * Theory lessons are available.
 * Staff, clef and ledger lines
 * Note duration
 * Measures and time signatures
 * Rest duration
 * Dots and ties
 * Simple and compound meter
 * Odd meter
 * Steps and accidentals
 * Major scale
 * Minor scale
 * Scale degrees
 * Key signatures
 * Key signature calculation
 * Generic intervals
 * Specific intervals
 * Writing intervals
 * Trainers
 * Note trainer
 * Key trainer
 * Interval trainer
 * Triad trainer
 * Keyboard trainer
 * Guitar trainer
 * Brass trainer
 * Interval ear trainer
 * Scale ear trainer
 * Chord ear trainer
 * National Music Standards that could be addressed through this software:
 * 5. Reading and notating music.
 * 6. Listening to, analyzing, and describing music.


 * 4. INSTRUCTIONAL DESIGN AND PEDAGOGICAL SOUNDNESS**

This program is based on reading and understanding the lessons and reviewing and reinforcing the concepts through the trainers. There are no lessons for the guitar, keyboard or brass trainers. The lessons off one concept and build on that information leading to the next page. A pop-out keyboard is available. The lessons are basic and easy to read. They incorporate simple, effective graphics. The user can move from page to page by a simple mouse click.

This program is designed as drill and practice. The user can continue working as long as they choose with no timer. The program keeps a rolling tally of correct responses with a percentage. Incorrect responses provide the correct answer.

No tutorial is available.

Each trainer has a settings function that will allow the user to adjust the examples that are provided. Correct answers are shown for each incorrect response. Each trainer shows the number of correct responses, incorrect responses and the percentage correct. There is no time limit or limit to the number of examples.

• The note Trainer can be set for treble, alto, tenor or bass clef or a combination of any of these. Toggle helpers identify the lines and spaces to make it simple for beginners. • The Key Trainer can be set for treble, alto, tenor or bass clef or a combination of any of these, major and minor and up to seven flats and seven sharps. The toggle helper offers a grid that identifies the number of sharps or flats and the corresponding key. • The Interval Trainer allows the user to turn on double accidentals and augmented and diminished chords. There is no toggle helper for this trainer. • The Triad Trainer allows the user to turn on root accidentals and inversions. The toggle helper identifies the intervals that make up each triad. • The Keyboard Trainer can be set to use the black keys or have them turned off. The toggle helper identifies the white keys. • The Guitar Trainer permits the user to determine the number of frets to use. The toggle helper identifies notes on frets 3, 5, 7, 9 and 12. • The Brass Trainer reviews fingerings on trumpet, French horn, trombone, euphonium or tuba based on a range from beginner to advanced players. The user can determine whether or not to use flats and sharps. Arrow keys are used for valves. The toggle helper is not available on this trainer. • The Interval Ear Trainer can be set for ascending or descending intervals and can be presented as a broken interval or broken followed by a block interval. All intervals are available from unison to an octave. The toggle helper is not available on this trainer. • The Scale Ear Trainer can be set for ascending scales only or ascending and descending. All modes are available. The toggle helper is not available on this trainer. • The Chord Ear Trainer can present broken or block chords in root position only or in inversions. The toggle helper is not available on this trainer.

Responses are made by a simple mouse click. Responses on the Brass Trainer require the arrow keys to held down for valves and the space bar pressed to submit the answer. Key, intervals, and chords can be turned off and on by clicking the checkmark next to the name. The toggle helpers can be a crutch until the concept is mastered.

• Sequence of Materials Good • Pace of Instruction Good – determined by user • Quality of Interaction Excellent – very user friendly • Motivation for Students Good – Those students who are motivated by percentages will keep working may they achieve 100%.

Musictheory.net begins as a tutorial through the use of the lessons. It moves to a drill-and-practice mode with the trainers. It can be discovery as the user uses trial and error to get the correct response and builds on learning of a few notes or chords or scales and advances as others are added. It can be gaming software. Users can time each other and compete for the highest percentage.

There is no record keeping function.
 * 5. RECORD KEEPING**

This is a program that can be used in many situations. Beginners can use the lessons to gain a basic understanding of terms and simple music theory concepts. The trainers can be used to reinforce the lessons. It could be set up in the classroom as a learning station. Private teachers can review specific lessons and trainers with their students and explain how to set the trainers to be used effectively at home. Homeschoolers can benefit from this program as practice and review as an addition to their other music experiences.
 * 6. OVERALL EVALUATION**

It is a program that would require oversight by the teacher or parent. It would easy for students to leave the toggle helpers turned on to provide the answers. The toggle helpers would be an advantage to fully grasp the concept, but then should be turned off to get the most benefit from the trainers. Students may attempt to work on too much at one time. Again, monitoring to encourage them to master a few chords ro intervals, then add to what they have learned, rather than trying to learn everything all at once.

Rating: Good ***

Reviewed by Tammy Kuntz (10/28/2009)
 * 7. REVIEWERS NAME AND DATE OF REVIEW**