Whether you need to practice your sight reading skills, improve your ear training abilities, or just learn the principles of music theory from the ground up, Practica Musica has it covered.
This music training software includes more than 100 theory and ear training activities, each allowing students to focus on specific skills, such as rhythm tapping, interval recognition, chord spelling, polyphonic dictation, etc. The difficulty level ranges from the very basic (whole steps versus half steps) to the very advanced (2-part atonal dictation, voice leading in the Bach Style).
Best of all, Practica Musica allows students to work at their own pace, providing interactive feedback and tracking user progress until mastery of each concept is achieved! This is a tool you can grow with for years.
What makes Practica Musica different?
It's interactive
Not just a series of buttons or frozen pictures of music, Practica Musica is built on a real notation engine so that it can display editable music in any number of parts. Music you can see, hear, and change. You can even do "real-time" exercises in which you tap keys on the computer or on an external piano keyboard. Practica Musica supports multiple types of input: from a microphone using Vocalis™ pitch recognition technology (microphone not included), from the computer's letter keys 'piano', from the screen piano or fretboard using the mouse, or from an external MIDI keyboard, or any combination of these.
It's flexible
If the vast array of learning activities doesn't contain exactly what you want, the Instructor Options allow you to alter any existing activity or even create new ones from scratch.
It's complete
Practica Musica covers both ear training and music theory at all levels of difficulty for both beginning and advanced students, and even includes notation tools you can use to write and print your own music. Those notation tools are particularly useful for students writing a melody or a chorale or other composition as a school assignment.
It's universal
Your purchase of Practica Musica allows you to install it on Macintosh OS X (native; also runs on Intel Macs) or Windows (98/ME/200/XP) or Macintosh OS 9.1-9.2. The student progress reports, activity files, and music files created by one type of computer can be read without alteration on the other - so you can create music or activities on a Macintosh and send them to a Windows user with no problem. Students can freely switch from one type of computer to the other without losing progress points.
It's polyphonic
Many theory and ear training activities have been included in Practica Musica that take advantage of the program's unique polyphonic capabilities. Practica Musica can perform rhythm tapping or sight reading exercises in two parts and can tutor students through more advanced ear training exercises such as four-part dictation or chord progression identification. In the chord progression exercises, the voicing of each chord can be displayed in full.
It's creative
Though Practica Musica contains several activities with large libraries of precomposed examples it is not limited to these because it can invent its own music. Practica Musica can create endless melody examples for sight-reading or dictation and endlessly varied chord progressions, too. You'll never run out of new material for practice.
It includes a coordinated textbook
“Exploring Theory with Practica Musica” (Evans) is a friendly and engaging textbook that provides full coverage of music fundamentals topics, plus a section of tear-out written exercises and music for class use. Using Practica Musica in conjunction with Exploring Theory enables students to put concepts into practice with immediate feedback - "Textbook Activities" illustrate and reinforce nearly every topic introduced in the book.
Students respond enthusiastically to this multimedia approach because it makes the subject matter both more accessible and more vital, and the Student Edition makes this advantage available to academic institutions at textbook prices. Exploring Theory is supplied in digital form with the downloadable editions, and in both print and digital form in the boxed editions.
A Wide Variety of Customizable Activities
Practica Musica includes more than 100 activities, 27 of them specifically designed to accompany Ars Nova's textbook, “Exploring Theory with Practica Musica”. As more activities are created, they are posted to a special section of Ars Nova's web site for free download. Here is a list of activities included with Practica Musica.
HEARING PITCHES
- Repeat Pitches:
This simple exercise is designed for the microphone input in Practica Musica 4.5. Listen to the sounded note (best with headphones or with the volume low) and try to repeat it clearly so that the program recognizes what you sang. You could also use an acoustic instrument for input, in which case this becomes an exercise in finding a pitch by ear on your instrument.
- Absolute Pitch:
There is no evidence that everyone can acquire absolute pitch (often called 'perfect pitch') and that is why this is not included in the standard activities. The latest research seems to indicate that if you have the gene for absolute pitch you may be able to develop the ability to know the identity of a pitch without a reference point. But if not, you'd still be in the company of many great musicians who lacked absolute pitch but had a good sense of relative pitch.
- Custom Absolute Pitch:
Same as the Absolute Pitch exercise, except this version lets you choose the materials.
- Mistuned Notes:
Use your ear to judge whether notes are too sharp or too flat, in context. This requires using the "sampled" instrument sounds, which are the ones represented by pictures of instruments at the right side of the screen piano (the sampled instruments are currently the only ones that can be adjusted microtonally. Best sounds for this purpose are the Guitar and the Pipe Organ). Levels 1 and 2 each present 5 simple melodies in which several notes are mistuned. You use the choice box tools to label each as '+' (too sharp), '-', (too flat), or 'OK' (just right, in equal temperament). Level three does the same thing with brief chord progressions in which some chords contain a mistuned note.
- Diatonic Pitch Patterns:
Four diatonic variants of a melody are presented on four staves, and one of them plays. Which one was played? Make your choice by choosing the letter of the staff that was heard. This is similar to some questions on the Advanced Placement Theory exam.
- Chromatic Pitch Patterns:
Four chromatically altered variants of a melody are presented on four staves, and one of them plays. Which one was played? Make your choice by choosing the letter of the staff that was heard. Like Diatonic Pitch Patterns, this is similar to some questions on the Advanced Placement Theory exam.
SCALES AND KEY SIGNATURES
- Scales:
Four levels of difficulty; level 4 includes transposed church modes. Choose the appropriate key signature and play or write the requested scale, ascending or descending as asked.
- Custom Scales:
Choose which types of scale you want to work on. Practica Musica will then ask you various of them at random in various keys. You must choose the appropriate signature and play or write the scale in the given direction, ascending or descending.
- Spelling Scales:
One level, from Textbook Activities. Choose the appropriate key signature and write the requested scale, using the correct spelling for each note (e.g., choose Eb if it is necessary instead of D#).
- Scale Ear Training:
Listen to various scales and identify them by ear. Level 1 is beginning difficulty (just major vs. natural minor); Level 2 is intermediate (distinguishing different minors), and Level 3 is moderately advanced (distinguishing the church modes).
- Custom Scale Ear Training:
Listen to various scales and identify them by ear, but in this 'you-choose' activity you can pick which scales you want to practice with. You can pick any traditional scales and some artificial ones such as the octatonic.
- Degrees:
You are asked to play various degrees of various scales, e.g. the 6th degree of the E major scale. If you make a mistake the program will identify the scale degree you played, e.g. "No, you played the lowered sixth degree in E major."
- Key Signatures:
This is an activity that simply quizzes students on the identity of various key signatures in the common clefs. The first two examples in each level also provide some onscreen explanation of how to identify key signatures. Level 1 is for major keys, level 2 is for minor.
- Building Key Signatures:
Build requested key signatures by clicking a sharp or flat symbol directly on the staff. You can build signatures in any clef, and will be scored for the correct order and vertical position of each symbol. One level is for sharp signatures, the next for flat signatures, and the questions cover both major and minor modes (example question: Please build the key signature for F# minor).
- Tonics:
The student is presented with a key signature identified as major or minor, and simply plays the tonic note. The student can use any preferred clef. Level 1 covers major keys and level 2 the minor keys; the instructions window provides hints on identifying the tonic.
READING PITCHES
- Lines and Spaces:
This is a beginning exercise in pitch reading. Level 1 randomly generates passages that use only the spaces of the treble clef, level 2 melodies use only the lines. Levels 3 and 4 do the same thing for the bass clef.
- Single Pitches:
This beginning activity tests your ability to read pitches on the staff, but it presents the notes individually and adds time pressure: to obtain full points you'll want to play the requested note before the balloon pops. In Single Pitches you must complete each level in order - you can't do level 2 until you've done level 1.
- Reading Treble Clef:
One level, from Textbook Activities. A series of pitches is presented in whole notes in the treble clef. Play at your own speed.
- Reading Bass Clef:
One level, from Textbook Activities. A series of pitches is presented in whole notes in the bass clef. Play at your own speed.
- Reading in Keys:
One level. Read simple melodies in various key signatures. You can choose the clef, but the program will choose the signature.
- Reading Accidentals:
Two levels, for treble and bass clef. Whole note melodies are again presented, but now they include accidentals.
- Pitch Reading:
Four levels: naturals, with accidentals, with key signatures but no accidentals, with key signatures and accidentals. See a series of notes on the staff and play them without regard to rhythm. You can change the clef if desired.
- Custom Pitch Reading:
This is a you-choose-the-materials version of the Pitch Reading activity. You can decide what sort of melody you'll be reading, and in what clef, key, and meter!
- Transposed Pitch Reading:
Do you play a transposing instrument? You'll want to try this transposing version of the Pitch Reading activity, in which you can read melodies transposed to match the key of your instrument.
- Custom Transposed Pitch Reading:
This is the same as the Transposed Pitch Reading exercise, except in this one you can choose the type of melody you work with, as well as the clef, key, and meter.
- Custom Vertical Reading:
Here the student plays intervals, triads, and seventh chords on sight. In this "you choose" activity the student can pick the types of examples that will appear. This can also be considered a keyboard familiarity exercise.
- Custom Library Pitch Reading:
This is a form of the Pitch Reading activity that allows you to enter your own melodies and then practice reading them. You can also save melodies and open them later for practice. This activity covers just pitch, as with the original Pitch Reading activity, so rhythmic values are not counted when you practice playing the melody. You can use any clef and of course any key. This activity could be used with microphone input since rhythm is not involved, so it would be useful in practicing the singing of melodies with difficult intervals.
READING AND WRITING PITCHES
- Transcribe Alto C:
The creation of this sample activity is described in the 4-part movie series Creating An Activity. You are asked to transcribe given melodies from the alto C clef to the octava G clef, which reads like the treble clef but an octave lower.
- Tonal Transposition:
One level. Given a short melody (generated anew each time), transpose it tonally to begin on the requested note. The key does not change.
- Real Transposition:
One level. Given a short melody (generated anew at each exercise), transpose it to the requested key, and also choose the appropriate key signature.
PITCH DICTATION
- Grow Melody Pitch Dictation:
This pitch dictation activity uses only eighth notes, but the melody gets longer as your score rises. You'll begin with 4 notes, rising to 16 at the end of each level. Level one is major, level two minor, and level three is atonal, the most difficult. Though this is a dictation activity you're allowed to enter your answer by repeating it on the keyboard, so this could also be seen as a melodic memory exercise.
- Progressive Pitch Dictation:
Four levels, each with 10 composed melodic examples increasing in difficulty. Keyboard input is disallowed in the current version of this.
- Pitch Errors:
Listen to melodies that have 1 or more "wrong notes" - notes that the program plays at the wrong pitch. Your job is to find and correct the errors in pitch notation.
- Pitch Dictation:
Four levels. Enter the necessary notes on the staff by choosing the note tool and clicking in the staff. Keyboard entry is not allowed; you must know where the notes belong on the staff. Notes can be dragged up or down after entering, and you don't have to do the melody in order - you can write the last part first if you want. You don't have to think about rhythm in this; the correct rhythmic values will automatically appear as you enter the notes.
- Library Pitch Dictation:
This activity comes from Practica Musica 3, and is a pitch dictation activity based on the same 39 melodies found in the older program. For best results you should use Practica Musica 4.11 or later with this.
- 2-Part Pitch Dictation:
Four levels. Each level presents 2 or 3 short 2-part examples, which must be written down by ear. Using the keyboard to input notes is not allowed in this exercise, since that would change the nature of the task: you must click the note tool in the staff to enter notes. Rhythms are provided; you just find the pitches.
- 4-Part Pitch Dictation:
One level, with examples drawn from the chorales of J.S. Bach. Using the keyboard to input notes is not allowed in this exercise, since that would change the nature of the task: you must click the note tool in the staff to enter notes. Rhythms are provided; you just find the pitches.
- Dictation with Chords:
This activity combines melodic dictation with chord identification. Using the same library of Bach chorale excerpts as Library Chord Progressions, this activity goes further by asking the student not only to identify the chords, but also to write out the soprano and bass voices.
- 4-Part Pitch Dictation with Chords:
This is similar to the Dictation with Chords activity and is based on the same 55 examples from Bach chorales, except that you must supply all four parts instead of just the soprano and bass. As before, rhythms are provided; you just find the pitches. You may want to change the instrument sound of each staff to make the voices more distinct - to do that just click on the instrument name at the left of each staff.
- Atonal Dictation:
Take dictation in atonal series from 2 to 6 notes in length. This is like the standard Pitch Dictation exercises except that note values are all quarternotes, and melodies are generated at random using 12-tone series. Yet there is still some logic to the melodic shape, where possible, so these passages will tend to look like composed series. An instructor could easily modify this activity to produce longer series, for example, of 12 notes.
- Custom Atonal Dictation:
This is the same as the Atonal Dictation exercise except that it has just one level and you can choose for yourself how long to make each melody example. To change the length of examples, click the "Choose Material" button and change the number "length of example in beats." By default the exercise is set to create quarter-note melodies in 4/4, so the number of notes will match the number of beats.
- 2 Part Atonal Dictation:
This might be the most difficult dictation exercise - 2 simultaneous atonal lines of melody. At least you don't have to provide the rhythm values: this exercise is set up for pitch only, with rhythmic values supplied automatically. You must enter notes by clicking them directly on the staff.
- Custom 2 Part Atonal Dictation:
This is exactly the same exercise as the 2 Part Atonal Dictation exercise, except that in this one you can choose the materials used for the random melodies - you can make the melodies longer or shorter, more disjunct, different types of rhythm, etc.
READING AND WRITING RHYTHM
- Begin Reading Rhythm:
One level, from Textbook Activities. Instead of generating its examples at random, this activity uses a small library of 10 progressively more difficult examples. You must tap the rhythm of the melody you see, keeping in time with the metronome.
- Rhythm Matching:
Four levels. Hear a bried melody and tap its rhythm from memory, keeping in time with the metronome.
- Placing Barlines:
One level, from Textbook Activities. Melodies are generated at random in various meter signatures; you place the barlines where appropriate.
- Writing Rhythm:
Two levels: simple meter and compound meter. Using the note tools, write the rhythm of the melody example you hear. These are generated examples; always new. Pitches are automatic.
- Reading Syncopation:
One level, from Textbook Activities. Like Begin Reading Rhythm, this uses a library of 10 composed examples that involve syncopation. You should tap the rhythm of the melody you see, keeping in time with the metronome.
- Reading Triplets:
One level, from Textbook Activities. Like Begin Reading Rhythm, this uses a library of 10 composed examples that involve triplets. You should tap the rhythm of the melody you see, keeping in time with the metronome.
- Rhythm Reading:
Four levels. See a melody and tap its rhythm, keeping in time with the metronome.
- 2-Part Rhythm Reading:
A small library of examples gives you practice in trying to tap a rhythm with your left hand at the same time as you tap a different pattern with your right. Use the middle row of keys left of the letter H for the left hand part; use the same row but right of H for the right hand. Pitches are automatic; use two fingers of each hand to play any pair of keys in the required area. On a midi keyboard, this exercise could be developed into a two-part sightreading exercise, with the hands dividing at the keyboard split point (middle C, by default).
- Rhythm Dictation:
Four levels. Using various note values, write the melody you hear, and don't forget the barlines. Pitches will be provided automatically; this exercise is scored for rhythm only.
- Library Rhythm Dictation:
Like Library Pitch Dictation, this is a PM4 version of the rhythm dictation activity in Practica Musica 3 that used a library of 39 melodies.
- Custom Rhythm Matching:
Like the standard Rhythm Matching exercise, this is a test of pattern memory, but you can choose how long the examples will be and how complex. Listen to the example and then try to repeat it, tapping on the middle row of computer keys (or midi instrument) in careful time with the metronome.
- Custom Rhythm Reading:
It's sight-reading, but for rhythm only. You'll hear the notated pitches, but your job is to tap the notated rhythm on the middle row of computer keys (or midi instrument), staying carefully in time with the metronome. You can choose how long each example will be and how complex.
- Tricky Rhythm Tapping:
This rhythm tapping exercise can be very difficult. It uses randomly generated unpredictable and complex rhythm patterns in various meters, with ties and rests included. The second level adds triplets to the mix, but fewer sixteenth notes. Like the other rhythm reading exercises, this is performed by tapping any keys in the middle row of the letter keyboard.
PITCH AND RHYTHM TOGETHER
- Pitch-Rhythm Reading:
Four levels, using generated material that is new every time. This is a sight-reading exercise for melody in real time. It is difficult to do this one without using an external MIDI keyboard for input.
- Custom Sight Reading:
This is a realtime sight-reading exercise for melody that lets you choose what sort of melody to hear, how long, the key, clef, meter, etc. This would be difficult without an external MIDI keyboard.
- Pitch-Rhythm Dictation:
Four levels, using generated material that is new every time. You must write the notes in the staff (keyboard input is disallowed) and you are responsible for both the rhythm and the pitch. This is traditional melodic dictation.
- Library Full Dictation:
This is the same activity that in Practica Musica 3 was called PitchRhythm Dictation using library melodies. The 39 melodies are again arranged in 4 levels of difficulty.
CHORDS, SINGLE
- Recognizing Triads:
One level, from Textbook Activities. Identify displayed triads as major or minor.
- Building Triads:
One level, from Textbook Activities. Write major or minor triads on the requested roots. Correct enharmonics are required (you can't use D\# in the place of Eb, or vice-versa).
- Chord Playing:
Four levels. Play the requested chord on the screen keys, letter keys, or an external MIDI keyboard. Or enter it on the staff manually. Correct enharmonics are supplied automatically.
- Chord Spelling:
Four levels. Enter the requested chord. It's best to use the screen's enharmonic keyboard or else place notes in the staff manually, because here you must choose the correct enharmonic spelling for each note.
- Chord Ear Training:
Four levels. Using the multiple choice boxes, identify the sounding chord by ear. It allows you to compare a "wrong" answer with the "right" one by listening to the two side by side.
- Hearing Chord Inversions:
This chord ear training activity concentrates on distinguishing between different inversions. Level one begins with major triads in root position, 1st inversion, and 2nd inversion, then proceeds to minor triads and finally to a mixture of major and minor triads in various inversions. Level 2 follows a similar path for the dominant 7th and minor 7th chords, adding the 3rd inversion available to seventh chords.
- Recognizing 7ths:
One level, from Textbook Activities. Identify displayed seventh chords using multiple choice boxes. Includes the common seventh chords: dominant (major-minor), major, minor, dim., half-dim.
- Building 7ths:
One level, from Textbook Activities. Write the requested chords in the staff, or find their notes on the enharmonic keyboard. Includes the common seventh chords: dominant (major-minor), major, minor, dim., half-dim. Correct spelling is required.
- Secondary Dominant Sevenths:
You are asked to play or write various secondary dominant seventh chords in various keys. For example, "V7 of iii in D major." Practica Musica will comment on any errors when possible, telling you the actual function of the chord you entered ("That was the V7 of vi in D major," "The V7 of iii in D major would be C# dom 7"). Level 1 covers major keys, Level 2 minor keys.
- Chords in Context:
Chords in Context resembles Chord Playing, except that you are asked for chords not by root name (e.g. C# major) but identified by Roman numeral in their key context. For example, you may be asked to play "ii6 in the key of E," which would be F# minor in first inversion. The levels are like those of Chord Playing: triads, inverted triads, seventh chords, inverted seventh chords. Corrections to your playing are also written in context, for example, "What you played was vi in the key of E."
- Visual Chords:
Four levels. Identify the displayed chord by choosing from multiple choice boxes.
- Custom Ear Chords:
Choose the chords you want to learn to distinguish and Practica Musica will give you examples to identify, built on various roots, in open or close positions as you request.
- Custom Chord Playing:
Custom Chord Playing is like the Chord Playing activity except that you can choose which chords you want to work with and whether they will be inverted or not. Practica Musica will ask you to play the requested chord types on various roots.
- Custom Chord Spelling:
Custom Chord Playing is like the Chord Spelling activity except that you can choose which chords you want to work with and whether they will be inverted or not. Practica Musica will ask you to play the requested chord types on various roots.
- Custom Visual Chords:
Identify chords by both sight and sound, and choose which chords you'd like to work with. You can chose to distinguish different chord inversion as well as chord types.
- Custom Secondary Dominant Sevenths:
This is the same as the Secondary Dominant Sevenths exercise, except that you are allowed to choose which keys to work with.
- Spelling Augmented 6th Chords:
Provides practice in learning to spell the augmented sixth chords in various keys. 'Spelling' means that you must know whether a note is, for example, D# or Eb. Such enharmonic distinctions are important in understanding how these chords work.
- Chord Pitch Patterns:
Similar to some questions on the Advanced Placement exam, this exercise presents four chords and plays one of them. Which one was played? Possibilities are major, minor, augmented, and diminished triads, inverted.
CHORD PROGRESSION
- Recognizing Primaries:
One level, from Textbook Activities. This again is chord progression ear training, but deals only with the primary triads I, IV, and V.
- Hearing Altered Chords:
Two levels of chord progression ear training: Level 1 covers Secondary Dominants and Level 2 deals with the Neapolitan and Augmented Sixth chords. You are not required here to distinguish by ear among the several augmented sixth chords, but you must distinguish them from the Neapolitan and from other chords.
- Chord Progressions:
Four levels. Using only your ear, identify chords in a progression by Roman numeral. Click on the desired numeral box and then click in the box for that chord to identify it. When you begin, each box in the music window contains only a number, telling the beat number of that chord so that it's easier to keep track of them.
- Library Chord Progressions:
This works the same as the previous Chord Progression activity, but instead of randomly generated chords it uses real-world examples excerpted from Bach chorales. Includes 55 examples in 4 levels of difficulty.
- Custom Chord Progressions:
Custom Chord Progressions resembles the Chord Progression Ear Training activity, except that here you get to choose what sort of chords you'll be working with, and how long the progressions will be. You can also choose whether you'll have to identify inversions or just listen to the chords in root position.
INTERVALS
- Identify Steps
This is an even easier form of the beginning textbook activity called wholestep-halfstep. In this variation, the steps are displayed in staff notation and the corresponding piano claves are highlighted as the notes play. Then then student identifies the step as either a wholestep or a halfstep.
- Wholestep and Halfstep
- Octaves:
One level, from Textbook Activities. Listen to various intervals and identify them as Octave or Not an octave.
- Interval Playing:
Four levels of difficulty. Play the requested interval on the computer piano or on an external keyboard. Enharmonic equivalents are allowed.
- Interval Spelling:
Four levels of difficulty. Write the requested interval on the staff, or play it on the computer's enharmonic keyboard. You must distinguish between enharmonic equivalents (know, for example, when to use D# instead of Eb).
- Interval Ear Training:
Four levels of difficulty. Identify the interval by its sound alone. Uses multiple choices boxes. It allows you to compare a "wrong" answer with the "right" one by listening to the two side by side.
- Identifying Intervals:
One level, from Textbook Activities. See and hear various intervals and identify them by choosing a box from multiple choice.
- Speed Intervals:
One level, from Textbook Activities. This is the same as Identifying Intervals, but speed counts.
- Building Intervals:
One level, from Textbook Activities. Write the requested interval ascending or descending from the requested starting note. Correct enharmonic spelling is required.
- Visual Intervals:
Four levels of difficulty. Identify intervals by sight, using multiple choice.
- Custom Visual Intervals:
Identify intervals that are displayed and also sounded. You can pick the intervals you want to practice with, the clef in which you want to see them, and also choose whether they will be within the chosen clef, in ledger lines above it, or in ledger lines below it.
- Custom Ear Intervals:
You can pick the intervals you want to learn to distinguish, and Practica Musica will ask to identify them by ear, ascending or descending, melodic or harmonic as you request.
- Interval Series:
This advanced ear training activity trains your memory as well as your ear. You listen to a series of harmonic intervals and then identify them by ear, with points taken off not only for errors but also for repeated hearings of the series. The series grows in length as you progress.
- Custom Interval Series:
This is a "you choose" version of the Interval Series ear training activity. You can pick the harmonic intervals included in each example, and the number of intervals in each example. The goal is to develop your memory as well as your ear. Difficulty is from intermediate to advanced, depending on your choices.
KEYBOARD FAMILIARITY
- The Keyboard:
One level, from Textbook Activities. Not really an exercise, this simply displays a piano keyboard with the keys labeled. As you click on notes or play them using the letter keys piano, text appears to identify half steps and whole steps as you play them. No staff notation appears.
- Pitch Matching:
Four levels. Two pitches are played and the first one is both shown in staff notation and highlighted on the piano keys. Play the second note.
- Custom Pitch Matching:
As in the standard pitch matching exercise, you hear two notes, see only the first, and are asked to play the second one. In Custom Pitch Matching you can choose what sort of intervals will be involved, and whether they will be ascending, descending, or both.
MELODIC DEVELOPMENT
- Shaping Melody:
This is not scored for points. Given the rhythm of an existing melody, build a new melody whose movement follows principles of melodic movement discussed in Chapter 10 of Exploring Theory. Results can be saved and printed.
- Tonal Sequencing:
One level. Practica Musica generates random brief melodic ideas, which you transpose tonally by the interval of a second to create a typical sequence.
VOICE-LEADING
- Chorale Writing:
Provided are the chords of an actual chorale - but they are presented in parallel voicing, with no regard to voice leading or proper doubling. Drag each note to change its pitch, and if desired add some notes of smaller value to make passing tones and other elaborations. A full set of editing tools is supplied, the result can be saved and printed.
- Non-Harmonic Tones:
This is a sample of the type of activity that can be created using item labels. In this brief exercise the student is asked to use multiple choice boxes to identify labeled nonharmonic tones in two Bach Chorales. The exercise could also be turned into a quiz by checking the "one-time only" option in the Scoring window of Edit Activities.
- Realizing Roman Numerals:
This is an advanced activity in converting Roman numeral chords into 4-part polyphonic writing in the Bach Vocal Style. Practica Musica will mark parallel perfect intervals, direct perfect intervals, and other departures from the style.
MISCELLANEOUS - WRITING, PLAYING, LISTENING:
- Examples, Chapters 1-5:
Presents the examples from Exploring Theory, Chapters 1-5. You can hear the examples as you read the book. In the digital form of Exploring Theory provided with Practica Musica 5 these examples are also present as QuickTime movies.
- Examples, Chapters 6-9:
Presents the examples from Exploring Theory, Chapters 6-9. In the digital form of Exploring Theory provided with Practica Musica 5 these examples are also present as QuickTime movies.
- Examples, Chapters 10-13:
Presents the examples from Exploring Theory, Chapters 10-13. In the digital form of Exploring Theory provided with Practica Musica 5 these examples are also present as QuickTime movies.
- Meter Examples:
From Textbook Activities, and not scored for points. These are examples of various meters, which you can listen to with the metronome playing so that you hear the beat clearly.
- Modal Melodies:
This activity creates melodies in your choice of pitch set, and lets you hear them, edit them, and/or save them. The melodies don't employ standard cadence formulas, but since they do begin and end (usually) on the tonic they will give much of the "feel" of each of the scales chosen. Note that the modal scales are transposed for the given key; if you choose a key signature of one sharp, for example, the Phrygian mode will have B natural as its tonic.
- Class Music:
This presents all the music found in the Class Music section of Exploring Theory with the chance to use Active Listening to learn your part. It also gives you an example of what can be done with the Rhythm Band game, which is entertaining, educational, and generally leads to some breakage of crockery.
- Active Listening:
Active Listening is the act of listening while taking part in the music. It has been found that if you tap even just the rhythm of one part in a composition as you hear the others, you hear the details better - you are involved. It's fun, too, not difficult since the pitches are provided, and provides both practice in reading rhythm and a greater familiarity with polyphonic music. It is also a good way to learn your part in a chorus. There are a number of examples that work well, but you can add to them by using the Open command to open any Songworks II music file. It should be one that has no more than one line of melody in each staff.
- Rounds:
This is Active Listening for rounds - a great way to practice singing a part in a round so that you won't fall on your face when you try it with friends. A number of rounds are provided - you pick whether you want to begin or to come in with one of the later entrances. Then tap the rhythm of your part and hear the others accompany you. If you get mixed up the others will stop at the nearest convenient place and wait for you. And they'll jump ahead if necessary. But best results come when you get it right. This is also practice in rhythm reading.
WRITING MUSIC (NOTATION TOOLS):
- Melody Writing:
Similar to the same activity in Practica Musica 3, use this writing tool that to create your own melody, save it and print it. This can also be used by an instructor to create examples for use in custom activities.
- Composition:
You are presented with tools that allow you to write using the grand staff, or to add or delete staves as needed. Results can be saved and printed.
- 4-Part Writing:
The standard music editing tools, but set up specifically for 4 part writing. Results can be saved and printed.
- 2-Part Writing:
The standard music editing tools, but set up specifically for 2 part writing. Results can be saved and printed.
- Orchestra Writing with transposing staves:
In this writing activity there is also a button for setting the transposition interval of any staff. This allows you to include staves for transposing instruments such as a Bb Clarinet. With the staff's transposition interval set properly, the music appears as it would in the player's part and a typical conductor's score - transposed - but sounds as it would when played. As with the other writing activities, there is no limit on the number of staves you can add.
Each of the above activities can be customized to meet the needs of a specific individual or curriculum – instructors can even create their own activities for inclusion in their students' activities folders.
Practica Musica 5 contains all the great features found in previous versions, plus these useful additions:
Big Notes option
At any time you can toggle between normal and double-sized music by clicking the music size tool at the upper left of the music window. This enlarges everything in the music window, including text.
Exploring Theory onscreen
A digital edition of the coordinated textbook “Exploring Theory with Practica Musica” is included onscreen in its own menu. Pages are laid out just as they are in the print version of the book. What's most impressive about the digital textbook? The music examples are "live!" Each music example in the digital book is a QuickTime movie - click and you'll see it come to life and play (Windows users can download Apple's QuickTime free). Most examples are brief but several are much more extensive than the examples in the printed book - for example, the illustration for Sonata form is the entire first movement of Mozart's 29th Symphony, in which you watch the 1st violin part and read scrolling comments on the form as the music plays. Note: the Exploring Theory textbook with movies is a large file (40MB); it is a separate and optional item in the program installer for that reason. If you have a slow internet connection and want to use the digital book you may prefer to order the CD rather than the downloadable edition.
MIDI Export
You can export any music example or problem as a MIDI file. This is also useful for your compositions made with the writing tools - an exported MIDI file can be played by any computer and can even be converted to an MP3 using software such as Apple's QuickTime Pro and iTunes.
WebStudent activities
Instructors who have made customized versions of Practica Musica activities can now upload them to their class's WebStudents account. Once the special activities are on Ars Nova's servers, students using WebStudents anywhere in the world can open those customized activities within Practica Musica simply by clicking the "Choose a class activity at WebStudents" command. The program will automatically open the remotely stored activity and run it on the student's computer - there is no need to download the file and locate it; all that is required is an internet connection on the computer.
Skill Graphs
The Skill Graph is an optional addition to progress reports that displays a chart showing how the student's scores have changed since first attempting an activity. The graph also states the date of the first and most recent use of each activity. The graph is based on percentages of correct answers versus problems attempted.
Activities for Version 5
Several version 5 activities are based on a design that resembles questions in the AP Music Theory exam: four music examples are displayed and one is heard: the student decides which was the one that sounded. Another idea is found in two of the beginning-level activities of Course1: instead of identifying an interval or chord alone, the student is presented with two in succession and is asked which was played first. This technique is particularly helpful in the beginning stages of learning.
Capabilities for Version 5
There is the ability to incorporate moveable-do solfege symbols (tonic is always do) into an activity. These can be displayed on the keyboard, or above the notes, or both. There is an ability to play a multistaff piece while emphasizing one of the voices - particularly useful in polyphonic dictation exercises. Music files of your own creation can be used as audible examples playable with a button. Activities can automatically move on to a specified different activity, allowing you to create activities in series.
Easier use on school computers
The Student Edition CD can run from its CD even if write access is available only for the student's own partition on the computer. This is particularly useful when combined with Webstudents online record storage.
Course One
"Course 1: The Basics" is a linked series of 10 activities that takes the student from one exercise to another. Each activity is a prerequisite for the next one, and each activity automatically launches the next activity once a student has gained proficiency on the current topic. Reaching the conclusion of the series provides a real sense of accomplishment: the student has learned and has shown evidence of having learned. This beginner course provides a carefully planned introduction to the basics of music theory and ear training:
- 1. Distinguishing whole steps from half steps
- 2. Playing whole steps or half steps
- 3. Introduction to the major scale.
- 4. Playing a major scale melody (with automatic accompaniment)
- 5. Beginning to read pitches, using the treble clef
- 6. Distinguishing interval types (2nd from 3rd, etc.)
- 7. Distinguishing interval qualities (major/minor, etc.)
- 8. Reading simple rhythm notation (uses the computer keys for tapping)
- 9. Reading rests (adds understanding of rests)
- 10. Major and minor triads
Note: The Standard Edition comes with 4 student files and one instructor file (for access to the special options for the instructor)
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Notes on academic/theological versions:
Note: The Standard Edition comes with 4 student files and one instructor file (for access to the special options for the instructor). |
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Theory/Ear Training
