What is iBegin^®?

Who Is This CD Designed For?

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Who Wrote This?

Coming Soon: More downloadable iBegin® interactive files to play along with, as well as printable parts and scores.

iBegin^® Interactive Software

Beginning wind instrumentalists will never have to practise alone again when they learn with iBegin® Software.

iBegin® is a new, unique, interactive software package which enables beginning wind instrumentalists to play along with a synthesized full wind band when they practise, or to play along with their own part, should they prefer.  If students follow the course and practise daily, it will take them from being complete beginners to players of intermediate standard.

iBegin® CDs will work with Windows 98 or later with a sound card and external speakers, Mac OS9, Mac OS 10.2.8 or later, and contain:

* Note by note instructions to enable beginning instrumentalists to read music as well as basic music theory.

* The facility to adjust the speed of the playback whilst maintaining the pitch of the music.

* 155 scores with designated, commonly numbered instrumental parts to play along with and print out (the Flute CD contains Flute parts, the Clarinet CD contains Clarinet parts, and so on).

* The facility to play along either with the part by itself, or with the complete band.  If students have no printer, they can play along with the part or score on-screen.  Recommended screen resolution is 1152 x 768, but iBegin® will work with resolutions as low as 640 x 480.

* The facility to search iBegin® for any word or topic.

* Pictures and diagrams to help students to see clearly which fingers are to be used when learning new notes.

* Audio examples of notes so that students can hear if they are playing the right notes.

* A complete set of  interactive major scales and arpeggi with both on-screen and printable parts and a complete, interactive, printable fingering chart.

*The opportunity to learn the basic functions of a notation program.

* Parts for students to play along with professional recordings of orchestral works, which are easily found at local CD shops.

* Illustrated instructions on routine instrument maintenance.

* The facility for teachers to use the synthesized playback of a full wind band for classes with incomplete instrumentation, thus enabling their students to have a full band experience, where they would otherwise have none.

* The facility for teachers to select single or discontiguous instruments to play back from the full score, or whole sections or parts of sections, to enable students to hear their parts alone or in conjunction with other parts.  The facility to be able to slow down the playback is invaluable to beginners experiencing difficulties with certain passages or techniques.

* The facility for teachers to select which instruments to playback from the full score, by accessing the mixer and muting unwanted instruments.

* The facility for teachers to able to use iBegin® CDs in conjunction with other band books.  Scores and parts for non-copyright tunes in other band method books will be available either on the CD, or as free downloads from the internet.

* Unison scores when new topics are introduced, so that beginners will not be confused by hearing harmony from other instrumental parts.

* Music theory topics include:  Notes of Treble or Bass clefs, Bars & bar lines, Whole bar rest, Time values of notes, Dotted half note, Crescendo, Decrescendo, Dotted quarter note, Time signatures, 1st & 2nd time bars, Tie, Anacrusis, Slur, Staccato, Key signatures, Rests, Da Capo al Fine, Ternary form, Dal Segno, Sharp, Flat & Natural, Syncopation, Dynamic markings, Tempo markings.

Who wrote this CD?

To contact the author, send an e-mail to iBegin@original-works.co.uk