LITTLE MUSICIAN beta - Near-Final version - DOWNLOAD HERE

[KL]

Thank you all for your very helpful feedback, and your very encouraging words - we're really thrilled that so many of you seem to be liking it!

We're trying very hard to have this released early next month, and I think we should be roughly on schedule.

For those of you new to this beta testing, please see this introductory thread first:
http://forum.brillkids.com/little-musician-general-discussion/little-musician-now-in-open-beta-testing-(with-a-complete-curriculum)-!/

So here's a new version of the beta build.  Main changes:

RAINBOW COLORS
- It was clear from your feedback that rainbow colors was the way to go, so we've implemented it into the curriculum.  For Sem1 and 2, virtually all notes on the staff (except in Rhythm) will show either rainbow-colored notes, rainbow-colored icons, or icons.  We decided to remove uniform-colored notes as that would be confusing.  So in the first year, we're using color-association to make the notes and pitches more easily identifiable.  We'll start dropping it come Sem 3 and 4.  btw, we have more than 10 new sets of Rainbow-colored icons. You can see them in Media Library / Icon Sets.

RHYTHM
- We now start with quarter notes/crotchets, then eighth notes/quavers, before introducing half notes/minims and whole notes/semibreves.

CLAP-ALONG
- We now start with 'every beat' instead of 'first beat'.  We've also added a few more clap rhythms which are more challenging, like 2+3, 3+4, and even 'mixed' (which changes clap rhythms during the song).  You can adjust this setting during playback itself.  And glad to tell you that the timing problem has been fixed.

KEYBOARD
- We also now have rainbow-colored highlights as well as key-labels.


Still to come:

- RESOURCES Section - Instead of the DOWNLOAD button amongst the main buttons on top, you'll see RESOURCES, and in it will be a directory of embedded YouTube links that will show videos of instruments, composer pieces, and popular classics.  After a day's lesson ends, you will also be taken to a page here which shows videos of all the Knowledge lessons (instruments/composer and classics) shown that day.

- Crash during Chord Recognition lesson - we're still looking into this bug and should have it fixed soon.

- Solfege actions. Please see this thread:
http://forum.brillkids.com/little-musician-general-discussion/solfege-actions-used-in-lms/


Installing Little Musician Beta v1.0.564

[EDIT: REMOVED]

[monika2001]

I have upgraded to this version, but I am unable to import new content:  "Error has been happened during Import operation" 
Beautiful program, thank you! My son has hooked immediately :-)  From the first day he became absolutely dependent, we played ABC clapping around 100 times :-) "I want a boy and a triangle", on the next day he requested "Re" :-)))"  and he sings along as well. It is going to be hard morning the 10th of may :-(
Please get in ready for sale asap !

[bjaekel39]

I was able to upgrade but not do any of the other steps. I am asked for a password.

This is a wonderful program.

Briana

[Mae_Jakob_Ka]

Successfully upgraded my software.
Thanks!!

[Kezia]

I have upgraded to this version, but I am unable to import new content:  "Error has been happened during Import operation" 

Can you kindly try restoring the backup file first (Step 3 above), and after that import the content pack (Step 4)?

I was able to upgrade but not do any of the other steps. I am asked for a password.

If you're using Internet Explorer, your browser may have saved the backup and content files as *.zip files instead of the correct file extensions. Please try changing the file extensions to the correct ones as shown above -- *.lmsb for the backup file and *.lmspk for the content pack.

For detailed instructions, see: http://support.brillkids.com/entries/20432501-the-content-files-i-downloaded-were-saved-as-a-zip-file-and-now-i-can-t-import-my-lessons-completely

[Mum]

Congratulation Team BrillKids. Another superb program!         

We are all enjoying LMs, especially my daughter who has been learning solfege at Yamaha Music.

As usual I do have a few questions to run by you.   

1. Is it possible for me to set the “Auto-Forward slides” selection to “on” for "Solfege Intro" and "Chord Recognition" and “Auto-Forward slides” to “off” for "Hear and Sing (Chords)"?

I like to slow down the lesson (by clicking the mouse) for my 4 year old to give him time to reply when the “?” appears for the chords, but don’t feel it necessary to click through some of the other lessons. It looks like many of the lesson types are all bundled into one for setting "Auto-Forward slides".

2. Would it be possible to select how many times the “Clap-Along” song is repeated in a lesson?

At 4 and 7 years of age, my children are probably much older than Monika2001’s son (who sounds sooooooooo adorable) and now that we are up to Lesson 11 (at a rate of 1 or 2 lessons each day) their interest is not holding for the “Clap-Along” song due to the number of repeats. Today they said they had sore hands! 

3. Is there a reason our “Clap-Along” song’s display seems to be disjointed today?

Yesterday after downloading the update I set Master Settings > Clap-Along > Clap Beats to “1” because by Lesson 2 my 4 year old had mastered the first beat clap (just like many others described, he did clap every beat in Lesson 1) and after trialling the every beat default setting my 7 year old preferred the first beat option.

I didn’t notice anything different with the Lesson we played yesterday with a Clap Beat of “1”, but today the falling icon didn’t fall smoothly as shown in the “Display” tab in “Setting”. The icon always stops about 1½ inches above the line and then reappears on the line for the clap. This makes it harder for my children to follow and clap-along. The character’s image it disjointed too. I have tried other lessons and reset the Master Settings but the problem remains the same.

Am I imagining that something has changed? If there is a problem, what steps can I take to fix it?

4. Will the course eventually incorporate someone singing a song in solfege while the notes appear on screen? My daughter loves to sing the solfege when she knows it for the “Clap-Along” songs.

Thank you,

Mum.

[monika2001]

Thank you, Kezia,
I was not reading properly. Now I have succesfully imported the new content. 

Ad/ RAINBOW COLOURS:
Very good idea. I think this really gives program a new dimension. Will the rainbow colorcoding be program-wide? With the last version the change has been made in curriculum, but when I go through Play and Edit and Music notes-  they still do show up in „old“ colours. It would also be handy if there was an option to choose either rainbow colourcoding or all-black (for advanced user).

In curriculum, when it comes to Music Appreciaton, my son asks me to stop it (shots seem to be too long for him, probably) . He asks me to play either clapping or note recognition and wants me to repeat it on and on. So, I ended up setting Play and Edit and Music notes. He loves clicking through it SO MUCH! I think, he just feels like HE WAS  PLAING MUSIC, and this gives him the drive.

I am musiacally naive, but my understandig is that, clapping accoding to melody means we are clapping-out notes, is that correct??? If yes, I would have suggestion you make the falling icons rainbow colourcoded and labeled . That would acualy translate all the nursery rhymes into Solfege! We could than clap plus sing along in Solfege, or perform Solfege actions plus sing along in Solfege. Or the cartoon girl or boy could do Solfege actions as well  -  challenge for you :-)

It would also be handy to have an option to choose colour coded keyboard in Free Play section.

[KL]

1. Is it possible for me to set the “Auto-Forward slides” selection to “on” for "Solfege Intro" and "Chord Recognition" and “Auto-Forward slides” to “off” for "Hear and Sing (Chords)"?

Yes, but unfortunately it would be a lot of manual work. Right-click on any folder, choose Expand All to expand all folders, then select all the items you want to change the settings of by using your mouse click while holding down Ctrl, then click on Edit Lessons on the right hand of the screen. Then find autoforward somewhere, click on the red button to turn it green, change the setting to AF on, then hit APPLY.

2. Would it be possible to select how many times the “Clap-Along” song is repeated in a lesson?

Not right now, I"m afraid. Probably in the next major update (v2) we'll have auto-generated courses like what you'll see in LR v3 tha'ts coming.  In the meantime, I suggest you switch the clap setting manually every time you're playing the lesson to make it more challenging and varied.

3. Is there a reason our “Clap-Along” song’s display seems to be disjointed today?

A lot of LMs is dependent on your computer processing power and RAM. If it played fine before and not today, it could be that there's less RAM at that time. Try rebooting the computer.  If the problem persists, create a Diagnostic report and send it in to our Support.

4. Will the course eventually incorporate someone singing a song in solfege while the notes appear on screen? My daughter loves to sing the solfege when she knows it for the “Clap-Along” songs.

Have you tried the Children's Songs lessons under Play & Edit? The songs are sung out in solfege.  We have not incorporated them into the Course in Sem1+2.  Partly cos it's very processor intensive and may not work well for everyone.

Will the rainbow colorcoding be program-wide? With the last version the change has been made in curriculum, but when I go through Play and Edit and Music notes-  they still do show up in „old“ colours. It would also be handy if there was an option to choose either rainbow colourcoding or all-black (for advanced user).

Actually, I noticed the same thing just yesterday and realized I had forgotten to change it there. You'll get both versions (rainbow and non-rainbow) in the release.

In curriculum, when it comes to Music Appreciaton, my son asks me to stop it (shots seem to be too long for him, probably) .

This is our recommendation we write in the Teaching With Little Musician booklet that will come with the program:

During Music Appreciation lessons, try to identify instruments that can be heard in the pieces being played (eg., "That sounds like a clarinet!", or "What do you think that instrument is?").  You could also dance or move to the music, clap along to the beat, or pretend with your child to be the conductor of the music!

See if that helps.

I am musiacally naive, but my understandig is that, clapping accoding to melody means we are clapping-out notes, is that correct??? If yes, I would have suggestion you make the falling icons rainbow colourcoded and labeled .

No, clapping to the beat has nothing to do with notes.  You can be tone-deaf but still have a good sense of rhythm - very separate things, though both very important in musicianship.

It would also be handy to have an option to choose colour coded keyboard in Free Play section.

There is. Just click on the cog-wheel (settings) icon on the top right of that window pane and change the settings there.

[monika2001]

Q: I am musiacally naive, but my understandig is that, clapping accoding to melody means we are clapping-out notes, is that correct??? If yes, I would have suggestion you make the falling icons rainbow colourcoded and labeled .
A: No, clapping to the beat has nothing to do with notes.  You can be tone-deaf but still have a good sense of rhythm - very separate things, though both very important in musicianship.

I did not meen clapping to the beat, but clapping to the melody (last option in the menu selection). Anyway, some of the songs might be probably to quick for that. I am glad there are some nursery rhymes in solfege. That is exactly what I was missing.

[Mae_Jakob_Ka]

KL, would you consider adding some graphic thingie like in Window Media Player into the Music Appreciation lessons?
 

[KL]

KL, would you consider adding some graphic thingie like in Window Media Player into the Music Appreciation lessons?
 

Yes, it's something we are looking into, but even if it's feasible, it won't be in v1 of the software.

[mumof1]

My 2 year old loves LM,but gets disturbed and cries (he thinks I am going to exit the program)when need to press CLICK for "Solfege Intro" and "Chord Recognition" and for "Hear and Sing (Chords)"  .Anyway I can make the slides to move on auto forwarding instead of manual click.Can explain steps in detail as I really cannot figure which folder in one of your replies earlier.Thanks

[evaszabo]

Hi
I have started to test it w/my son but had to interrupt.Now , downloaded the new test version but cant start it at all, neither the wiping out file cannot be opened.Maybe I did something wrong..
Thnx
Eva

[bella]

welll I am missing so much of the forum discussions , so just found now the new update. my kids love LM , their favorite is the clapping section , my hands get sore but not theirs . i do have a suggestion for the music apreciation section , although my kids have no problem with it , they twirl and dance or try to be the conductor , why leaving the screen blank and not display a photo of the composer instead ,
thank you brillbaby for a beautiful program
viv

[monika2001]

I have also missed a lot of forum disscussions and news. I have logged in after a longer gap (too busy with a new baby :-)
But I agree with Bella, it is pitty to leave the screen blank - how about a video shot of the playing orchestra with a real conductor conducting the piece we are listening to ?  We could see the instruments "in action" and imitate the conductor :-)

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