What is WebPractice?
WebPractice is a new and exciting way to practise musical instruments; a combination of contemporary multimedia technology and traditional music notation. It is available to anyone who subscribes to our site. Subscriptions can be paid monthly or annually.
What music is available to practise using WebPractice?
Lists of music for different instruments and different styles will continue to grow and can be heard and viewed in the Music Cupboard.
What’s in the Music Cupboard?
- Audio extracts of all the tunes with their accompaniments.
- Individual pdf files of all the music to be viewed and/ or printed.
Click on an Instrument to display the list of tunes available
Click on a Tune Title to hear a short excerpt
Click on the open in the pdf column to view the music notation of that tune.
The Notes column shows which notes are used in that tune.
Most accompaniments have any easier and more difficult part that can be played to it. This allows for:
- Everybody in the class can take part whatever their ability
- Ensemble’ playing within the classroom or with the family at home.
Having practised using YmarfWe one group/ individual could play from the printed music whilst the others are being taught via the computer or Interactive White Board.
What are the WebPractice tools?
Choosing to hear the Melody and Accompaniment
Clicking the appropriate tick box gives the option of hearing, or not, the melody and accompaniment. These choices can be made as the music is playing and not cause it to stop.
Practising with the melody will improve:
- playing in tune (intonation)
- the reading of music notation
Eventually playing without hearing the melody will give the freedom of interpretation; having perfected the technique of playing the notes using WebPractice.
Practising with the accompaniment will:
- encourage a lot more practice
- improve playing in time
- be very enjoyable
Occasional practising of sections at a slower speed without the accompaniment could concentrate the mind on a particular difficult technique to master.
Beat Counter
If the Beat Counter box is ticked the beats of the bar will appear in time with the music above the appropriate pace. This not only acts as a conductor keeping the beat but also really improves the reading of music notation. The more you play the more you will understand. No more ‘I don’t know how it goes’ which ahs lead to so much incorrect practice.
Changing Tempo
All melodies and accompaniments can be heard and therefore practised at various speeds. There is no loss of audio quality when the tempo is changed.
Playing with the accompaniment at slower tempi make practising so enjoyable and less frustrating. Even playing at half speed it feels as if you are performing.
Changing tempo whilst the music is playing will stop the current melody and/ or accompaniment and it will take a few seconds to download the new tempo.
Repeating a section of the music
By entering a start bar and end bar and clicking the Repeat Box the chosen section of music will repeat until you stop and un-tick the Repeat Box.
When you press the Play Button the music will start from the bar before you have chosen, giving a full bar of beats introduction before you start. The audio will fade up. The music will begin to fade out at the start of the last bar you chose. Therefore if you want to practise the full bars of 3 to 5 inclusive:
enter 3 as the Start From Bar and 6 as To Bar. The music will fade up through bar 2 and fade out through bar 6.
Note Names
When the Note Name box is ticked the names of the notes of the tune will appear as they are played under the music notation.
They can be left on until the notes are remembered; and then switched off.
Breath Marks/ Bow Marks
Where appropriate these rehearsal marks can be displayed by ticking the box.
Words
For some tunes words are available. They appear under the music notation.
If the Words Box is ticked whilst the Note Names are displayed the Note names will disappear; and vice versa.
Recorder Fingerings
Click on the notes name and the relevant recorder fingering diagram will appear to the right of the music notation.