The Multimedia Technologies Applications indd

Used Internet links of manufacturers and distributors of music and 
multimedia software
http://www.disk.cz/disk/default.csp
http://www.sibelius.com/home/index_fl ash.html
http://www.capella-software.com/capella.cfm
http://www.fi nalemusic.com/fi nale/
http://www.gvox.com/encore.php
http://www.steinberg.net/en/products/cubase/start.html 
http://www.cakewalk.com/
http://www.steinberg.net/en/products/sequel.html

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The Use of Computer Applications in Teaching 
Music Theory at Art Schools
Lucie Kunovová
Music theory at basic art schools is compulsory in music specialization for the 
1
st
-5
th
grade of the 1
st
cycle. This subject does not enjoy a big popularity at most 
schools and most pupils would perceive it as a necessary or unnecessary hardship 
when they study playing the instrument or as an opportunity for an afternoon fun 
with friends. Therefore, today there are many efforts, especially in basic education, 
focus on teaching and its diversifi cation, making it more pleasant and naturally more 
effective too. These trends are supported by manufactures of educational programs 
focusing on teaching and practising music theory, intonation, and aural analysis, as 
well as notation and composition programs.
Presented contribution is focused on three teaching programs: ScoreTrainer, 
RhytmusTrainer and EarMaster.
The program ScoreTrainer is available in two versions: Standard and Professi-
onal. The version Standard is designed for individual users and for non-commercial 
purposes. The Professional version has been developed for teaching at music schools. 
The aim of this interactive learning program is to improve skills of practical reading 
notes. Three basic modes of operation of the program are determined for it: Learning 
Mode, Practice, Quiz. The following modes are available for all tasks located in the 
application ScoreTrainer, which are for reading notes, their plotting and guessing 
words compiled from notes and letters (it pays for letters that cannot be written in 
musical alphabet). In the mode Practice the computer evaluates answers but does not 
record results. The Quiz mode is the most complicated one and is limited by timing. 
If the computer is connected to the printer, it is possible to print a certifi cate when 
playing has fi nished, which is an equivalent to a report on playing. There are 20 levels 
of diffi culty – from the very simple set of notes c – g across the notes cross stitch 
and minor to the very diffi cult bass ones. Reading is may be in treble or bass clef, or 
both at the same time. Notes can be entered the computer with using a mouse, virtual 
instruments on the screen (small keyboard, violin or guitar fi ngerboard, line buttons 
and so on) or with the connected MIDI keyboard. Audio output can be obtained from 
connected MIDI keyboard or other MIDI device containing sound bank, from the 
headphone output of the sound computer card (headphones) or from line output of the 
sound card (computer or other active speakers). The teacher can change the fi les of 
exercises in professional version for pupils and so to prepare a different exercise for 

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UCIE
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each pupil. The success of the pupil is recorded on the scoreboard for the teacher and 
the pupil to have a view of right and wrong answers. In the setup menu of games we 
can change differently possibilities and diffi culty of individual games, set of notes, 
importance of the octave (whether to identify the right note name only or the octave 
as well), further signature key, treble and bass clef (or both), the limit of the lowest 
or highest note.
Program evaluation: The program is especially suitable for younger students of 
music theory who are thus free to choose the diffi culty and can practise their know-
ledge of notes. This leads to independence and responsibility. The great advantage 
of this program is the Czech version. Teacher does not need to translate words from 
a foreign language which might be diffi cult for children to understand. I usually use 
the program ScoreTrainer to teach in 1
st
-3
rd
grade. Reading words pieced together 
from notes and letters is a very popular activity.
Unforeseen errors of the program appeared to have been disadvantage so far 
because the program was closed and then hard to start again.
The program RhytmusTrainer is focused on rhythm teaching. It is used to impro-
ve the skills of practical rhythm reading. It comes in two versions too: Standard and 
Professional (designed for teaching at music schools). We can choose from several 
options: Rhythm exercises, Listen to the rhythm, Percussion and Dynamic play. In 
the mode of rhythm practice the pupil’s task is to play displayed rhythm (with spa-
cebar or MIDI keyboard). The computer analysis the executed response in a real-
time, which is displayed in coloured rectangles (the greener colour the more precise 
rhythm interpretation) and after the strategy of choice diffi culty of another bar is 
intelligently changed. The pupil can play the bar up fi ve times and audio metronome 
helps him to be precise. Finally evaluation comes and possible printing a certifi cate 
(report). The program offers making new music bars or putting together new combi-
nations from more than 1,000 existing bars. The possibility of individualization for 
each pupil separately is also the advantage (the question is to what extent it is feasible 
in real teaching …). The exercises can display all lengths of notes, activate syncopa-
tion, triplets and ligatures, choose a slower or faster pace regarding advancement of 
students, selects all possible types of bars (4/4, 9/8, 5/4, 12/8 etc).
In my opinion the exercise Listen to rhythm in which we can hear one bar or two 
bars with rhythmic-melodic theme and have to determine which record in four offe-
red records is right is more interesting.
In the application Drums the pupils have a choice of drum kit of 9 instruments and 
with a simple mouse click they mark a certain instrument with half period (or quarter) 
to play. Visual score is immediately transmitted to the sound. There is a choice of 
various bars and sets of percussion instruments (such as jazz, symphonic, rock), and 
moreover, the individual instruments can be exchanged for others.

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41
T
HE
U
SE
OF
C
OMPUTER
A
PPLICATIONS
IN
T
EACHING
M
USIC
T
HEORY
AT
A
RT
S
CHOOLS
Dynamic game is based on bird fl ight, or how strongly the pupil plays, so high 
the bird fl ies.
Program evaluation: The program is convenient and easy for practising rhythm 
and fi ne adjustments. The advantage seems to be not only exercises of the right 
rhythm but also observance of note lengths and Czech version of the program as well. 
Children’s most favourite part appears Listen to the rhythm. In the actual practice of 
rhythm could be problems with delayed Space (mostly caused by hardware confi -
guration of the whole computer), these ones, however, can be removed in the setup 
menu. The disadvantage is frequent failure or incorrect program displaying.
The teaching program EarMaster is designed for exercising aural analysis. It 
helps to develop skills of intonation recognition, harmony and rhythm. The pro-
gram offers 651 teaching lessons focused on listening, comparisons and records of 
intervals of varying diffi culty, chords, recognizing scales, reading and typing out the 
rhythm, rhythmic and melodic dictation. Entering answers to questions is realized by 
pupils using the tools on the screen (virtual keyboard, guitar or violin fi ngerboards 
etc) or singing or clapping to a connected microphone or playing an external MIDI 
keyboard. To analyse the signal from microphone, the technology of Sound-2-midi 
is used and no any special additional hardware is required but just plug a micropho-
ne into computer sound card. The program EarMaster is available in two versions, 
EarMaster Pro and EarMaster School. The EarMaster School is especially designed 
for teaching needs as it contains all features of version Pro and in addition features 
to address specifi c educational needs to create their own teaching practices. Tutor 
Editor allows teachers to create their own lessons, check students’ work and even 
send tasks by e-mail.
The advantage of the program is easy orientation, a Czech version (including 
Czech supporting songs), further lessons divided in two parts – standard and jazz 
(challenging exercises for advanced users), the possibility to defi ne 120 own chords, 
120 chord sequences and 120 scales (chords are possible to defi ne in close and open 
harmony), the option to switch tones between the classical and sol-fa, possibility of 
transposition of instruments and many others.
Each program will start a wizard that helps choose the system user or customer 
(customer is for more advanced users with own chords and scales), further a standard 
or jazz lesson and a specifi c selection of exercises (recognition of intervals, their 
comparison, chord identifi cation etc.). In the next step, the user selects the exercises 
from the simplest to most diffi cult, of course it is recommended to start with the sim-
plest exercises. During exercises it can be entered a command to play a new question, 
to repeat the question or even play the user’s answer. After the computer evaluation 
the right answer is in green colour and wrong in red one. The user can see his percen-
tage score and detailed statistics in the results.

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Evaluation: The program EarMaster seems to be a well-developed teaching pro-
gram with the rich amount of lessons and exercises. It is user-friendly and hardly had 
any technical problems while working. Thank to its focus the program is especially 
suitable for older students.