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> Will you be able to improvise after enough of this? Play songs by ear? How many Herbie Hancock's have you come across after finishing a grade 1 piano book? O

> Will you be able to improvise after enough of this? Play songs by ear? How many Herbie Hancock's have you come across after finishing a grade 1 piano book? Of course a single exercise app or book isn't going to create the perfectly rounded musician. For a child or beginner player, this looks like a great tool. Advanced musical skill is entirely composable. Having solid improvisational skill or technical ability largely depends on how much you practice those various facets of your instrument. The reality is that probably 95%+ of people who pick up an instrument in their lives never make it to that point anyway. You're trying to critique this tool with the expectation that a single learning resource should address all aspects of playing an instrument, when that's never been true of any musical learning resource ever.

drchopchop 6y ago
It's a nice tool, didn't intend to come off that negatively. More of a thought experience about the limitations of these types of tools. I'm not sure it's quite beginner level, as I don't see anything that shows you where the note is on the keyboard? You'd have to start with a bit of reading knowledge, or be willing to just hit random keys until you figure out the mappings.
- jacquesm 6y ago
  If you notice the video linked (you really should not be downvoted for good input like this), then you'll notice that my son Luca is playing a piece which is fairly repetitive, but he did not have any instruction at all, the app helps you figure out what is where all by itself, 'random' keys will quickly guide you to the right keys. and then from there once you get the hang of it relative movement should come fairly naturally. The biggest hang-up is the piano keyboard itself with its unequal spacing between adjacent white keys.
- hashkb 6y ago
  HN can be weirdly sensitive to comments about music being hard; fundamentals being mandatory, etc. I bet if we criticized the code on Music News (not a real thing) it'd be the same way.
cblconfederate 6y ago
i think op may be hinting that learning basic chords and scales (which is not difficult) makes it much more fun to play things (and thus more productive) rather than trying to follow each note on a pentagram.

drchopchop 6y ago

It's a nice tool, didn't intend to come off that negatively. More of a thought experience about the limitations of these types of tools. I'm not sure it's quite beginner level, as I don't see anything that shows you where the note is on the keyboard? You'd have to start with a bit of reading knowledge, or be willing to just hit random keys until you figure out the mappings.

jacquesm 6y ago
If you notice the video linked (you really should not be downvoted for good input like this), then you'll notice that my son Luca is playing a piece which is fairly repetitive, but he did not have any instruction at all, the app helps you figure out what is where all by itself, 'random' keys will quickly guide you to the right keys. and then from there once you get the hang of it relative movement should come fairly naturally. The biggest hang-up is the piano keyboard itself with its unequal spacing between adjacent white keys.
hashkb 6y ago
HN can be weirdly sensitive to comments about music being hard; fundamentals being mandatory, etc. I bet if we criticized the code on Music News (not a real thing) it'd be the same way.

cblconfederate 6y ago

i think op may be hinting that learning basic chords and scales (which is not difficult) makes it much more fun to play things (and thus more productive) rather than trying to follow each note on a pentagram.