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This program uses hyperlinks which provide links to other pages within this program by simply clicking on any text which is underlined.
This also helps because theory, technique and style are all related so they need to be linked together.
Beginnings
The beginnings section is for absolute beginners who need to start with the very basics.
A collection of some of the easier parts on this CD-ROM are listed here for you to make you first steps on the keyboard easier.
Most people who own a keyboard should be able to go straight to the other sections to explore areas of interest and then other areas to make you a more versatile player.
Style Menu
The style sections are basically sequential in order of difficulty so you can work through various sections or jump ahead to areas of interest.
Not all of the sections are equally weighted as extra space is given for those categories which have proven to be the most popular and challenging.
The style menu contains various links to relevant theory and technique material.
These are all categorized in the theory menu and technique menu.
Technique Menu
The technique menu has all of the keyboard techniques listed together with video examples.
These technique lessons are also hyperlinked from the various other pages.
There are plenty of examples to work through in the technique menue as the section on Scale fingering has 3 videos and 48 sound files alone.
Theory Menu
The theory menu groups all of the theory lessons together.
There are links to this information in other sections wherever it is relevant.
Definitions of musical and equipment terminology are given in the glossary.
Most definitions are also provided as hover text.
Sections within the theory menu are very practical as theory is easier to understand in the context of actual music.
Videos
Clicking on one of these icons plays digital video footage.
These MPEG videos were filmed at quarter screen size to maintain a modest frame rate on most computers.
Windows Media Player can play these at full screen as a "view" option.
Sound Files
A left mouse click on one of these icons plays a sound file.
Most sheet music will also play by clicking it.
This is always indicated by this symbol:  to the left of the sheet music.
With the exception of the WAV samples in the metal section, all of the sound files are in MIDI format and will open the animated keyboard once you click on them.
Animated Keyboard
This animated keyboard comes to you courtesy of VanBasco software.
It is extremely useful as each key on the piano is illuminated in real time to show you which notes to play.
The authors have graciously consented to it being used on this CD-ROM.
As a freeware program, you can recommened it to any other people who might like to download it from VanBasco.com.
It contains its own help menu by clicking on the "?" mark as indicated below:
For our purposes as an inclusion on enable keyboard, the following two windows should be used as required:
Control Window
The control window allows you to slow an example down using the tempo slider if you want to make it easier to learn.
MIDI Output Window
The output window is very useful when an example contains more than one instrument.
The blue box makes an instrument the focus by turning down the volume of all of the other parts.
You can completely mute the other instruments by clicking the red box next to them.
By isolating instruments you can determine what parts are displayed on the virtual keyboard.
Glossary
The glossary is provided for quick reference.
Some of the terms are linked back into other lessons to provide a context for the information.
Print Music
High resolution graphics of the sheet music contained in this CD-ROM can be found in a folder called "Print Music".
Unlike the on-screen images from the CD-ROM itself which have been scaled down to screen size (GIF format), the high resolution images (JPEG format) are much larger and clearer.
They have also been formatted to an A4 page size for easy printing.
Musical pieces have the enable software logo as a page header and copyright information as a page footer.
Generic images such as scales, etc. do not have the copyright footer or logo.
In either case you are welcome to print them out for your own use or to use as a teaching resource.
They may not be sold or published in any form as this would breach international copyright laws.
To find out the name of a piece you would like to print:
hover your mouse over the image;
press the "right-click button" on your mouse;
select the "Save picture as" option and note the name
of the file (don't save the file as this is the reduced quality version);
and
this is same name as high-resolution file you need to access from the "Print Music "folder.
Performance Credits
Keyboards and all sequencing: Mark Hile
About the Author - Mark Hile
A professional piano teacher at Ian Steed’s school of music for the last 11 years, with many of his students continuing to go on and work in the industry, music has long been a major part of Mark's life.
Beginning his main instrument, piano at the age of 9, he has included in his ‘musical journey’ explorations of many other instruments, (drums, bass and brass), as well as styles, (rock, jazz, and classical). At 17 he entered the “Canberra Institute of the Arts” learning Jazz piano under the instruction of John Black.
This he accompanied with gigs at various local venues, which later progressed on to regular work with local rock bands, the highlight being various supporting gigs with many international acts as well as local industry heavy weights. With session work and TV appearances under his belt he has also completed transcription, scoring and performing work for national theatre productions, TV and film projects.
When an old friend Brendan Jacobs approached him to compile content for a keyboard CD-ROM he jumped at the chance to be able to share with others the techniques and ideas he has accumulated from over twenty years of ‘hands-on’ experience.
About the Editor - Brendan Jacobs
Brendan Jacobs initiated this CD-ROM as a follow-up to the enable Bass CD-ROM for bass guitar. He is also the editor of the enable Guitar and enable Drums CD-ROMs also available in this series. Brendan recently completed a Masters Degree on the use of animation to teach musical theory. This can be viewed at www.brendanpauljacobs.com
Copyright
The copyright on this program belongs to Mark Hile, BJ Multimedia and Enable Software Pty Ltd.
Copyright on the musical content belongs to Mark Hile and BJ Multimedia.
System requirements
Minimum: Pentium 100 or greater, 16MB RAM, 4x CD-ROM, sound card, approx. 500MB free hard disk space.
Recommended: Pentium 233 or greater, 32MB RAM, 8x CD-ROM, sound card, approx. 500MB free hard disk space.
Recommended OS: Microsoft Windows 95, 98, NT4.0, 2000, Me, XP.
Contact
Email any queries to brendan@enablekeyboard.com
Also available in this series:
  
Click here to purchase enable Keyboard
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