TOJET: The Turkish Online Journal of Educational Technology – April 2016, volume 15 issue 2
80
Julliard Music Adventure, Their Lives and Music, Art and Music, Piano Suite Premier can be given as samples
for such type of software. Beside this, interactive prepared online tutorial programs also provide visual and
auditory content about music styles, music types, music history, famous composers, country music, music
instruments etc. While these programs can be used with CD-DVD players, they can also be run on the Internet or
be used upon installing them on a computer.
2. Drill and Practice Softw
are
Drill an
d practice software allow the student to practice and the students are both able to measure and evaluate
student’s basic knowledge on music history and music theory. Students also perform works regarding musical
listening, reading, writing and musical form or harmonic analysis. This software is able to provide a more
persistent learning since it allows a drill and practice at desired level and desired amount. While the student can
answer the questions by using the computer keyboard, he can also get a feedback by using a microphone. Some
of the software stated by Nart (2010), Önlü (2007) and Levendoğlu (2004) are Ear Master, Note Card 3.3 Music
Lesson 1-2, Mibac Music Lessons, Aurailia, Essential of Music Theory, Practica Musica and Music Goals.
There is also some software designed for instrument training among this software which offer an interactive
music education. For example Piano Professor, Guitar Method, The Violin Tutor, Recorder Teacher, Singing
Tutor. Programs like Bandin-a-Box, Cakewalk, Smart Music, Interactive Songbook and Vivace which allow the
users to accompany the music provided by the software (arranged background music), can be mentioned under
this heading.
3. Game Software
In
most of this software that is aiming to teach music by games, there is a scoring system (for evaluation) as in
the interactive computer games. Music Ace, Adventure in Music Land, Ear Challenger, Pattern Block Rock,
Classics for Kids, Game Roomby NY Philharmonic, Music Lab/Musical Skies/InstrumentGarden/Symphony Hall
and Music Mountain by SFS Kids.com and Maestro: Virtual Orchestra Game can be considered as examples for
this type of interactive software. Also there are many games able to be accessed on the Internet presented at the
web address http://www.cornerstoneconfessions.com
under the title “The Ultimate List of Online Music
Education Games” along with their links.
4. N
otation Software
Software like Sibelius, Finale, Encore, Autoscore, Overture, Rhapsody, Music Time, and Magic Score School
can be given as examples for notation software. The most commonly used ones in Turkey are “Finale” and
“Sibelius”. Notation programs are computer software which allows all the musical elements related to music to
be written, edited, arranged and recorded and reproduced according to the rules. Notation prepared with this
software can be listened by the sound-cards on the computer and allow the user to make corrections and/or
modifications on the work, too. Such that it also contributes to the development of the creativity of the user by
this experimental working environment it provides. The sound-card on the computer is sufficient for the
vocalization of different instruments sampled with software, but it remains insufficient at the vocalization of
country specific folkloric instruments. While sound values of modal music works (sounds with commas) are not
included in the software, the musical elements used in modal music are able to be added as figures and fonts to
some of these programs.
5. Seque
ncing and Recording Software
One of the most important headings which come to the forefront by the utilization of computers in music
education is the MIDI [Musical Instruments Digital Interface] technology. MIDI can be defined as a numeric
data transfer protocol which only
transfers and allows the sharing of data between electronic instruments
(electro-piano, electro-drum, and electronic wind instruments), computer software and the entire MIDI standard
supporting devices. Also stated in the definition, MIDI “transmits only data, no sound”. For example, when you
press on the key “do” on the keyboard, the MIDI protocol sends multiple data like; at which octave this “do”
note is, at which strength it sounds or its musical duration to the software used on the computer in order to record
this. While there are sound databases on some electronic instruments with MIDI connection, there are also
electronic instruments without a sound database on them and only designed in order to use the sounds of the
computer software.
After the subscription of the MIDI protocol in 1982–1983, software in accordance with this protocol are
developed. “Cakewalk”, “Cubase”, “Logic Audio”, “Pro Tools” and “Nuendo” are some of these software.
The most spread used sound recording software in Turkey is “Cubase” (Günay & Özdemir, 2012, p.208). All
processes performed with this program are realized with all electronic instruments connected to the computer
and supporting the MIDI standard. While the MIDI connection was established only by using a special cable
before, the usage of USB cables became widespread for the MIDI data transfer during the recent years. The data