This program is shareware. The shareware fee is US $20.
This program may be copied freely, provided it remains unchanged and comes along with all the files, but it may not be sold or distributed or used commercially without permission of the author.
If you use the program longer than 30 days, please pay your shareware fee. You will receive the code to switch off the shareware notice. All future updates are free, i.e. the code remains the same. Please support the shareware concept. Thanks!
Please send your comments, suggestions, bug reports and your shareware payment to:
Lars Peters
Leibnizstrasse 9
22089 Hamburg
Germany
Lars_Peters@MagicVillage.de
LarsPeters@aol.com
You can always find the latest version in English and German at <http://members.aol.com/LarsPeters/>.
Please also read the file "How to Register".
Using This Program:
I think this program should be pretty easy to use. It contains four different tests which are:
Intervals
Chords
Scales
Pitch
(I don't know if the pitch test is really useful for obtaining perfect pitch, but you can use it as a different kind of interval test, anyway:
First you should open the pitch test and then click any answer button while holding down the Option key to get a note for comparison. Now you can determine each note in relation to the last one before that. I think this is a pretty good way to get a grip on your intervals theoretically.)
Every test starts up with a dialog to select which items (intervals, chords, etc.) you want to be tested on.
You can also select several items simultaneously by clicking and dragging (just like in the Finder). If all items were selected already, they will be deselected.
In addition to that you can select the interval (or "range") in which the notes should be, i.e. you can set an upper and a lower limit for every note that will be played. After releasing one of the "Range" menus you will hear the note you selected ╤ the only exception to this is the pitch test, so you won't hear, what a C or a B sounds like before you start the test.
Exception: If "Play Bassnote One Octave Lower" is checked in the preferences dialog, the bassnote of a chord might be up to one octave lower than the lower limit you have set.
You can test yourself using ascending, descending or harmonic intervals or chords. For some obvious reasons the program won't test you on scales using harmonics.
If you choose "Random" the program will randomly play one of the "directions" you have selected. For scales, that means always "ascending" or "descending", because everything else wouldn't make much sense.
If you choose "Combined" you will hear the same thing in different "directions" (one after another in the order you selected, e.g. first ascending, second descending, third harmonic). For scales, that always means: first ascending, second descending.
When the program plays something for you just click the button which you think contains the right answer. The right-answer-button will flash in any case, so you can see what you were supposed to hear. If you're not sure, just click "Play" to hear it again.
Note:
You can switch off getting asked for chord inversions. All checked inversions will still be played. Please bear in mind, that an inversion of one chord might sound very similar to another chord. There might be some misunderstandings, if you don't know which inversion has been played.
The "Statistics" window shows you how you did on each item (black means right answer, gray means wrong answer). Changing the direction (ascending, descending, harmonics) might ╨ depending on the preferences ╨ reset your statistics.
You can change the volume and the duration using the appropriate sliders.
Using the "Sound" menu you can change the sound that is used for the tests. You probably won't want to use the wave table sounds, but I've built them in anyway (see "Compatibility:").
If you want to install sounds using ResEdit I recommend that you ensure your sound will play a C when played by this program while no windows are open ╨ otherwise you will screw up the pitch test. You should also try to adjust the volume.
MIDI:
If you want to use MIDI, you will have to get OMS 2.0 or higher (from Opcode, e.g. at http://www.opcode.com, or you might find it on the CD-ROM of a computer or music/keyboard magazine).
If you are using a PowerBook, make sure OMS isn't using the serial interface before putting your computer to sleep. You can do this by:
a) closing all applications that use OMS,
b) selecting a Mac sound,
c) deactivating the serial interfaces (OMS MIDI Setup) or
d) activating a program that doesn't use OMS and making sure that OMS doesn't keep control in the background (OMS MIDI Setup).
When selecting a patch, you can switch to a dialog by holding down the Option or Command key (while clicking the bottom pop-up menu), provided your MIDI Device supports names for patches.
Tip:
You can use QuickTime Musical Instruments via OMS if you don't have any MIDI devices but are looking for more sounds. (You'll need the QuickTime Music OMS Driver).
Use of MIDI is limited if you don't register! You'll be able to check it out, but MIDI will be switched off after ten plays (each time you start the program). If you're not planning to register, you might not want to download OMS since it's really big!
Preferences:
General:
"Remember:":
When these options are checked, the program will remember these settings. Test means which interval, etc. was checked. Sound means volume, duration and sound used.
"Display Warning Before Ending a Test":
If this option is checked and you open a test while another one is still open, you will be asked if you really meant to do this.
"Repeat Wrong Answers":
This determines, whether the interval, etc. is played again after you selected a wrong answer.
"Only When -Key is Pressed":
The program will repeat wrong answers only if you hold down the -key while clicking.
"Use MIDI":
You can switch off MIDI so that you don't get an error message at start-up if you don't have OMS. The program also starts a lot faster since OMS doesn't have to be loaded. Changes take effect the next time you start the program.
"Wait After Selecting a New Patch":
The program pauses for two seconds, allowing your MIDI device to load the new sound. This makes sense, especially when using QuickTime.
Statistics:
"Reset Statistics on Change of Direction?":
This determines whether the statistics will be automatically reset on a change of direction (ascending, descending, harmonic).
"Open Statistics Automatically":
When this option is turned on, the statistics window will open automatically when you begin a test.
Chords I:
"Play Harmonics ╔ as Long as Arpeggios":
You can choose whether harmonically played chords should be sustained one, two or three times longer than arpeggios (ascending, descending), without changing the duration slider.
"Play Chord Within one Octave":
If this option is checked, all chord tones will be played within the same octave. Otherwise the chord is going to be spread out randomly across two octaves.
"Double the Bassnote for Triads":
This determines whether the bass note of a triad should be doubled one (or two) octaves higher, so you can't distinguish triads from seventh chords simply by counting the number of pitches.
"Play Bassnote One Octave Lower"
The Bassnote will be played one octave lower, so that there is a larger interval between bassnote and chord.
Chords II (Inversions):
"Ask for the Inversion if the Quality is Wrong":
This determines whether you will be asked for the inversion, if you had the chord quality wrong. If this is not checked, the program will go on to the next chord.
"Mark the Inversion as "Wrong" if the Quality is Wrong":
If this is checked, the inversion will be marked "wrong", if you had the chord quality wrong, even if you had the inversion right.
"Mark the Quality as "Wrong" if the Inversion is Wrong":
If this is checked, the chord quality will be marked "wrong", if you had the inversion wrong, even if you had the chord quality right.
If you don't know the scales:
Open the interval test and select the scale you want to know about from the "Set" menu. This will show you the scale's intervals over two octaves. Please bear in mind though, that e.g. an augmented fifth will be displayed as a minor sixth.
Compatibility:
This program requires System 7. If you are using a version lower than 7.1.3, you'll probably have to install the "Sound Manager" extension (3.0 or higher) contained in Apple's System Update #3 for System 7.1. If you still have problems, try using wave table sounds. (Older models like Mac Plus and Mac Classic are not capable of opening four channels of sampled sound at the same time.)
