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FAQ
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How do computers make music?
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There are two basic types of sounds
you will hear on your computer.
- Audio: a recording
of music or sound. The music on
a CD played on your home music system
is uncompressed audio, like a computer
WAV file. An MP3 is a compressed
version of an audio file, which
reduces the file size, but also
the quality. The quality of an audio
file is dependent on the rate at
which it was recorded, and the amount
of compression used to store or
transmit it.
- MIDI: Computer
sound cards can mimic the sounds
of real musical instruments. MIDI
(Musical Instrument Digital Interface)
creates a series of instructions,
generated from a file or a keyboard,
that tells the sound card how to
play these sounds. Sound cards vary
greatly in the quality of the MIDI
reproduction. Most modern sound
cards contain real audio recordings
of individual notes (called samples),
though the cheaper sound cards may
generate the sound of an instrument
artificially.
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What is Music Theory? |
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 MUSIC THEORY is basically the study of how music is put together. It's the mathematics, science and physics of music. We feel it is important that the student learns at least the basics of music theory to gain a better overall understanding of the "logic" of music.
While the Piano Wizard is a powerful tool to help teach the physical aspects of playing the piano, when combined with a good understanding of the logic behind it presents the student with a powerful learning method. Look at is as left brain - right brain syncronization. Many teaching methods today fail to teach the importance of music theory, or at least introduce it to the student too far down the line. If the this information is passed on to the student in the early stages of learning, the student's mind will "open up" and he or she will not only be better prepared to learn and understand the lessons ahead, but will enjoy the experience more. Before long, the student will move ahead of the class.
The best pitchers and hitters in baseball understand the "theory" behind the game - not just the how to's but the whys. It's no different when fundamentals like these are applied to music.  Catherine Schmidt-Jones, "Introduction to Music Theory," Connexions, March 14, 2005, http//cnx.rice.edu/content/col10208/1.5/.
Instructor: Catherine Schmidt-Jones
Course Author: Catherine Schmidt-Jones
Course Description: This course introduces the basic concepts and terms needed to discuss melody and harmony. It is intended for teens or adults with no background in music theory but some familiarity with reading common notation and playing an instrument (or singing). Concepts covered include interval, major and minor keys and scales, triads and chords.
Contributing Authors: Catherine Schmidt-Jones, Russell Jones
This work is licensed by Catherine Schmidt-Jones under a Creative Commons License and reprinted by permission. For more information, please contact the author.
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What is MIDI? |
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MIDI stands for Musical Instrument
Digital Interface and has the industry
standard among electronic musicians,
because it's a powerful tool for composing.
It allows musicians to be more creative
on stage and in the studio, it allows
composers to write music that no human
could ever perform, and it allows the
distribution of music in a standard
format. MIDI is a standard communications
protocol that allows electronic musical
instruments to 'talk' to each other.
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Does MIDI make good quality music? |
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In the early days of computers, MIDI
often used a technique called FM synthesis
to re-create instrument sounds. Usually,
the quality of music generated this
way was very poor. Children's toys and
handheld video games often still generate
sound in this way.
Many advances have been made over
the years through the implementation
of 'wavetable' technology. This takes
real recordings ('samples') of musical
instruments and allows your computer
to replay them at different pitches,
volumes, and lengths, using the information
provided by a MIDI file or MIDI-enabled
instrument such as a keyboard. Generally,
the more expensive the sound card,
the better the quality of the sound
reproduced, though nowadays even some
inexpensive sound cards or built-in
sound chips can produce reasonably
high quality sound. Sampling technology
has become so good that MIDI is now
routinely used in professional recordings
and stage work, and although the very
high quality (and expensive) equipment
used is out of reach of most home
users, many excellent computer sound
cards are available.
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Are all MIDI files of the same quality? |
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No. MIDI files contain the instructions
on which notes are played, but also
information on 'how' those notes are
played, such as the duration and volume
of each note. They may even contain
parameter information on how effects
like tremolo and vibrato should be applied
to individual notes and instuments within
the piece. These are often required
to make instruments sound realistic
and convincing, and to make the music
more interesting to listen to. WizardTunes
produces only professional quality MIDI
files, made by talented musicians who
take the time to generate quality results.
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Are MIDIs legal? |
| A MIDI file has the same status as
any other form of copyrighted music,
and so it is illegal to use one without
the permission of the copyright holder.
Very many of the MIDI files you will
find on the Internet are illegally distributed.
WizardTunes only supplies MIDI files that
are licensed, and recompense the artists,
publishers, composers, and music companies
for their work.
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What are WizardTunes? |
| WizardTunes are specially
designed MIDI files that have been created
or converted for use with the PREMIER
version of the Piano Wizard. In other
words, they are plug and play! Read
more about how to use Wizardtunes here.
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How can I improve the quality I hear? |
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Since WizardTunes are created from
MIDI files, the quality of the sound
you hear is only is good as the sounds
generated from your own sound card.
If you wish to improve these sounds,
you should consider upgrading your sound
card. If your computer uses an 'on-board'
sound chip, this can often be replaced
by a dedicated sound card. Check with
your computer supplier or the manufacturer's
website. Using a sound card specifically
created for audio recording can greatly
improve the quality of your sound.
Your speakers can also be the source
of low quality sounds. Good speakers
can improve your sound and make listening
to music on your computer much more
enjoyable.
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What Are People Saying About Piano Wizard? |
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What People Are Saying About Piano Wizard Learning the Easy Way
"In my 25 years of teaching piano, this is the fastest and easiest way I've seen to get anyone started, keeping them joyfully engaged and practicing, and then painlessly reading music"
Dr. Don Beattie Ph.D
Director International Beethoven Society
Learning Disguised
"The learning-disguised-as-games is something dear to my own heart. Piano Wizard is a poster child for such thinking. Not only do I see the game as great for music teachers but for parents who can't afford music lessons, and plenty more who won't sign their kids up because they don't want a repeat of the lessons they had as kids. Piano Wizard neatly sidesteps those two common concerns, while addressing the core desire."
Philip Johnston
Author, and Music Teacher |
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Can't find the tune you want? |
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Looking for a special song but can't
find it anywhere? WizardTunes can create
it for you for use with your Piano Wizard,
or for any other use.
WizardTunes' professional MIDI programming
is completed to suit your specific
needs. Pricing begins at just $50
per song. As always, you can be assured
that the owner's copyright will be
respected. For a quotation, please
contact
us.
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