Using the internet is wonderful for accessing knowledge. While studying for my CSET math exams I took Calculus from MIT, went through Sal Khan’s videos on Statistics and read up on math history all from my own computer! There are numerous math resources online to help students learn, but you have to know what you are doing in order to find what you are looking for. I am skilled at doing this and know which keywords will produce the content I am desire.
I figured the same must be true with music. After an hour or so, I came up with some pretty good resources. I found an online tuner, a couple of saxophone videos, and a great program called Smart Music.
Smart Music is like a library, class, and coach all at the same time. You can search for any level music for any instrument. The music appears on your screen and you play along. It records you and gives you a percentage and analyzes the notes you missed. More importantly, it simulates playing in a full band which is SIGNIFICANTLY more difficult than playing alone. Many schools use this as homework to help students work on a piece they are playing. You can even submit your score to a teacher.
While Smart Music allows for great practice, it can’t fully take the place of my personal tutors who help me with tone, posture, and dynamics. Technology can’t teach everything in math or music, but it can provide beneficial instruction in each!
Below is a recording of my attempts at Smart Music.