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[frasene]

Hello

This french python/gtk program for Linux and XO (OLPC) is a music software coming with a scales/chords catalog, displaying relations between scales/chords and pictures on how to play these on music instruments (piano, clarinet, guitar, harmonica, recorder).

Copies d'écran

To download :

Page de téléchargement sur Sourceforge

If you have any questions...

Bye

[frasene]

Hi,

The english translation of this software is now available directly here :

http://sourceforge.net/project/showfiles.php?group_id=246342&package_id=300548&release_id=661615

or using the links of the previous post.

The software includes now the standard translation system (xgettext) with the french or the english languages.

Thanks

[frasene]

Hi,

Simple sound has been added to hear the scales and chords...

http://sourceforge.net/project/showfiles.php?group_id=246342&package_id=300548&release_id=674003

Bye

[mavrothal]

Excellent addition!

It's probably just me, but I find it more visually apparent if the images for the clarinet, recorder but specially the guitar are mirror images of the instrument.
In the guitar the bottom to top order of the strings is particularly confusing (to me...)

[frasene]

Hi mavrothal,

Thank you for your remarks...

So for the guitar, I could add a button for an horizontal symetry and another for vertical symetry (or just one with the four possibilities of view).

For the recorder and clarinet I draw the instrument as if they were just in front of me... I could add a button to give the possibility to have a vertical symetry but is it really a good feature ?

So you practice all these instruments ? Have you an another idea to help the musician ?

Thanks

[mavrothal]

So for the guitar, I could add a button for an horizontal symetry and another for vertical symetry (or just one with the four possibilities of view).

That would be very handy.

For the recorder and clarinet I draw the instrument as if they were just in front of me... I could add a button to give the possibility to have a vertical symetry but is it really a good feature ?

Is probably an overkill... unless you use the instruments for the first time, is not going to make any difference.

So you practice all these instruments ? Have you an another idea to help the musician ?

Not, in a very long time. But a couple times a year I dust them...

Additions-wise, I guess for beginners some documentation would be handy....
Also some exercises with visual aid may get people going. Like, playing a simple tune and highlighting the notes on the instrument, though this may be a significant amount of programming.
The way the activity is now it assumes that the user knows some theory and helps him/her to visualise on the instruments, however specially for young kids that try on their own or with minimal help, is the other way around. So if you have the chance you may want to expand it to a practising/tutoring direction.

Thanks again for your work.

[frasene]

Hi,

I have put a new version of the software on the Sourceforge site.

http://sourceforge.net/project/showfiles.php?group_id=246342&package_id=300548&release_id=677962

Very simple ear training is added. When a scale or a chord is selected, it is possible to play to simple games like to recognize a note or an interval after heared a sound. If you want to practice specific things you can select the tab notes (instead of scales tab or chords tab) and select all the notes or just specific notes (to hear the difference between specific intervals). According to my level, it is not so easy for me to recognize all the notes or intervals...

The other features discussed on the previous posts will come later...

Bye

NB : the software can be used in closed mode with the two pads on the screen.

[mavrothal]

VERY nice addition indeed!

I 'm assuming should not be very difficult and would be nice if in the "theory -> ear training -> tones" it also plays the tones when you select the notes so you can "train" your ear in advance :-)
In the instrument tab (piano and guitar in particular), addition of some visual cue when scales, chords or notes are played would be very handy for the beginner. Such a function could be a nice foundation for future "exercises" but I guess it would add a complicated programming layer.

Please keep it up. Thanks again.

PS: You may also want to add a link in the http://wiki.laptop.org/go/Activities/All site (hopefully someone is keeping up this site...) since in the activities.sugarlabs.org shows as "experimental" and requires login (?!?) to get the download. I do not know if it has problems in 0.84 or other hardware but in the XO-1 under os767 is fast and flawless. Certainly a worthy activity addition

[frasene]

Thanks for your support...

I put the software on the sugarlabs activities site too with specific english xo screenshots (on the sourceforge site, there are french screenshots for several linux computers) for those who want to see te software before downloading it...

http://activities.sugarlabs.org/fr/sugar/addon/4080

Bye

[frasene]

Hi,

I post a new version of the software...

The feature added is : when you select a scale, a chord or a set of tones, it is possible to play (clicking on buttons) the tones, the intervals and the chords (3 or 4 notes) created with the selected notes (harmonisation in english ?).

https://sourceforge.net/project/showfiles.php?group_id=246342&package_id=300548&release_id=679290

Bye

[mavrothal]

Much better than I thought!
But it would appear that is getting "heavy" for the XO. Changing scales in the new "playing" tab is getting sluggish (3-5 sec). OK after it loads though

[frasene]

Hi,

The long time is due to the search of the name of the chords corresponding to the notes.

On my EEE PC, it takes 1 or 2 seconds max and on a recent PC, it is not, obviously, an anoyment.

The chords are issue to the harmonisation of the scale : for each note of the scale, it is taken one note out of two of the notes of the scale to create the chords with 3 or 4 tones...

Sample :

C Major scale : C D E F G A B

For the E tone :

Chord with 3 notes : E [F] G [A] B => E G B => Em
Chord with 4 notes : E [F] G [A] B [C] D => E G B D => Em7

I will try to improve this... But you can try to intall "python-psyco" with yum on the XO, the software use "psyco" if it is installed and it will probably improve the speed.

Bye

[mavrothal]

But you can try to intall "python-psyco" with yum on the XO, the software use "psyco" if it is installed and it will probably improve the speed.

It did! Now instead of 9-10 sec it takes 5-6! (I measured this time )
Pretty good for a small library/program.
I wish other activities use it more. It makes a difference. Doubles the XO speed with just a bit(?) of extra coding!
Thanks

[frasene]

Hi,

You have to had some simple instructions in each python program (each activity) in order to activate "psyco".

Example of code to put at the begining of the program.

Code:

try:
import psyco
psyco.full()
print "'Psyco' actived !"
except ImportError:
print "'Psyco' unvailable !"

For more information :

http://psyco.sourceforge.net/

Bye

[mavrothal]

Hi,

You have to had some simple instructions in each python program (each activity) in order to activate "psyco".

Example of code to put at the begining of the software.

try:
   import psyco
   psyco.full()
   print "'Psyco' actived !"
except ImportError:
   print "'Psyco' unvailable !"

Bye

Well... adding this in the beginning of webactivity.py it did speeded up Browse but had no effect on TamTam or Speak. Maybe there is more to it... unless if once invoked by one application it stays there