Tech: Karaoke-type thing for teaching chords

Subject: Tech: Karaoke-type thing for teaching chords
From: Steve Parkes
Date: 14 Aug 08 - 04:05 PM

My friend Carolin, whistle player of some talent, has recently gone in for the tenor uke, and wants to accompany my mandolin. She can't read music (nor me) and I'm trying to find a way of letting her practice on her own to midi tunes. She's got Noteworthy Player & I've sent her some NWC files with chords "texted" on the score, but she can't quite manage it. Can anyone recommend any kind of (free) karaoke prog that will let the chord names appear at the appropriate point in a tune? Or any other way of doing it? (And yes, we do practice together when we can!)

Subject: RE: Tech: Karaoke-type thing for teaching chords
From: GUEST
Date: 14 Aug 08 - 04:43 PM

Learning the names of the chords and practising counting should help

Followed by learning the names of the chords and practising counting

Followed by learning the names of the chords and practising counting

Followed by learning the names of the chords and practising counting

Subject: RE: Tech: Karaoke-type thing for teaching chords
From: katlaughing
Date: 14 Aug 08 - 04:45 PM

When my sister taught me a few chords on a baritone uke, she just gave me the words to the songs with the chord names written above the appropriate spots. Of course, they were songs I already knew. Would that not work, or am I misunderstanding your question?

Subject: RE: Tech: Karaoke-type thing for teaching chords
From: Rabbi-Sol
Date: 15 Aug 08 - 02:39 PM

2 midi karaoke programs that would help are Van Basco and Notation.

Both are free downloads.
                                                       SOL

Subject: RE: Tech: Karaoke-type thing for teaching chords
From: Steve Parkes
Date: 16 Aug 08 - 05:45 PM

Songs no probs -- she's very good at that. It's tunes -- can't sing along.

Subject: RE: Tech: Karaoke-type thing for teaching chords
From: katlaughing
Date: 16 Aug 08 - 06:06 PM

Well, the BBC Virtual Session does include music, but it also has the chords above the appropriate spots and an audio of each tune to play along with...maybe that would be doable?

Subject: RE: Tech: Karaoke-type thing for teaching chords
From: GUEST,pattyClink
Date: 17 Aug 08 - 11:45 AM

Get a web cam.
Play for her, calling out the chord names as the changes arrive.
Maybe do it once slow speed, and one at 'normal speed' so she can practice with you.
Send her the file, (or put it on YouTube for everyone to use!)

Subject: RE: Tech: Karaoke-type thing for teaching chords
From: Howard Kaplan
Date: 17 Aug 08 - 11:33 PM

Using Noteworthy Composer, instead of inserting the chord names above the music as text fields, insert them below the music as lyrics. This will mean that you need to mark most of the notes as "Lyric syllable: Never". The easiest way to do that is to select the entire melody, right click it, select Properties, select the Notes tab, and set the Lyric Syllable property for all notes to Never. You can then mark selected notes to have lyrics syllables (which are, in your case, really chord names).

Save the file as a Type I MIDI file as well as saving it as a .nwc file. Using Van Basco's Karaoke player, as suggested above, will let you display the lyrics (chord names) in your MIDI file without converting it to a .kar file. I don't know what other Karaoke players have that nice feature.

Note that there seems to be a bug in one or the other program that, in my test file, prevented the first note's lyric syllable (chord name) from displaying. I worked around that by putting a rest and a bar line in front of the beginning of the real melody.

Subject: RE: Tech: Karaoke-type thing for teaching chords
From: pavane
Date: 18 Aug 08 - 02:40 AM

My program HARMONY can create Karaoke MIDI files (file type .KAR) with the chords displayed instead of the words, if that helps.
(Actually, they are just the same as MIDI files except for the embedded text)

You don't have to edit the file at all, to do this. It works directly from the displayed chords if you choose this option.

Download here

Subject: RE: Tech: Karaoke-type thing for teaching chords
From: pavane
Date: 19 Aug 08 - 02:20 AM

refresh

Subject: RE: Tech: Karaoke-type thing for teaching chords
From: Mooh
Date: 19 Aug 08 - 08:35 AM

http://beatlesite.info/ ...has the index.

http://www.beatlesite.info/rick/beatlesite/obladioblada.shtml   ...is an example from the index.

It's the Beatles, but it's cool for beginner ukulele players, showing the chords as the tune plays.

Peace, Mooh.