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Hello! The app on the phone has got so much better so good job on that. I would quite like the possibility to have a library of downloaded videos on my phone like on Spotify, so that I don't have to use big amounts of data when using the app outside of a WiFi connection. I would also find it useful if each lesson on repertoire would have a full performance of the piece by the teacher attached in order to be able to see body position, pedalling , hand position etc throughout the piece and see all the elements of the lesson blended into a performance.
Other than that, bravo for your work Dominic et al!
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The core of Tonebase for me is the classical repertoire presented, dissected, and given opinionated guidance by artists who care deeply about all aspects of the piece. Context, overall arc of, technical analysis, minutiae of fingering, interpretation, etc., etc. Sooo good. I like everything else too, but please "budget" so to speak such that this core is continuously invested in and expanded.
That said, some comments:
- Some sites make it a setting whether you always want light, dark, or "system determined" themes. The overwhelming number of requests above seem to prefer light, but I have worked with plenty of people who like dark too.
- The All Scores and Syllabus buttons at the bottom are great. they're quite valuable for returning to the lessons which I do quite a bit. Work for a while on one piece, try another, come back later...
- In general, mobile apps on my iPad *can* work well, but they tend to box you into a certain navigational structures, and I will frequently prefer the "mess of tabs" in my browser so that I can stash where I've been and go back to it quickly without waiting for multiple navigation updates. Which is to say, please don't switch entirely to the app, sacrificing the website.
I'm sure I'll have more things to say after I've spent more time with it. Love what you do here.
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I love the quality of the content and I like that you are focused on classical piano. I think that and your advanced content makes the site unique.
For improvements I would love to be able to create folders in the bookmarks section. I also think a monthly newsletter with information about live classes, challenges and more could be a nice way to get members updated and more engaged.
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I have decided to work on Schubert's Impromptu in A flat, Op. 142, No 2 for the latest Piano 4WI.
I looked on the available courses and saw that Irene Kim did a live session 0n 27 May 2021. This was very difficult to locate and when I did the recording kept freezing, which I assumed was due to current data transfer problems. I gave up but forgot to log out and then suddenly (20 minutes later?) Dominic said that he understood that some recipients were having problems, which meant that the recording had not been refreshed to remove the time lags, etc.
I suggest we go back to these older recordings by including them in future 2WI and 4WI to enable the technical people to refresh the content, which would improve the archive over time.
I abandoned trying to pursue the recording in the current circumstances.
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I am enjoying the many workshops by Dominic Chelli but am finding it difficult to locate some of these. For example, A Guide to Hanon’s Exercises was discovered by chance as Dominic sent out a recent email with a link. Having lost the title and the link, I searched for this in Workshop without any luck, as it is not listed under Dominic’s name or in any other location that I could find. Sometimes it is difficult to know what category a search would be in or where to go further if not found. Unless one remembers the name of the lesson/course/instructor, these hidden gems are difficult or impossible to locate.
I am paying much more attention now to immediately bookmarking an interesting sounding item I come across and setting it aside for later as too much time is being spent on without results on Search.
Another wish is that my place would be held in a video. I have been returning to Rebecca Penney’s lesson on Chopin’s Nocturne Op. 27 #2 fairly frequently over the past several days and find it necessary to pull the timer along to find where I left off. Yes, I could write down the time elapsed but forget.
Is it possible to make my job easier? I would have more time to practice!
Thank you, Dominic, for sending that link as it was precisely what I needed at that moment. -
I love this site and don’t have much to add to what’s already been said. I do have one simple request, though … when I first open the site, a music quote flashes on the screen … but it disappears before I can read the whole thing! I’m not a slow reader, so I’m guessing other people miss it as well. Not a major problem with the site, but it would be nice to be able to read the quote without feeling rushed.
I love tonebase and have learned so much. Thank you!
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This may be somewhat off base, but would Tonebase consider expanding it's focus on Classical to possibly include Soul Classical, as in Alexis Ffrench scores. His style of expression absolutely sings to my soul. Certainly I look to Tonebase to be building a strong foundation of basic piano skill, however I think Alexis Ffrench would add a bit of fun factor to a fair amount of peoples repertoire, not to mention offering a means to play perhaps more expressively. Your thoughts???
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The use of screen real estate on tablets for the live events is atrocious.
2/3rds of the vertical space is taken up by 3 buttons that redirect you away from the video you are trying to watch!
1/6th of the vertical space (half that remains) is given to a header, leaving only 1/6th of the vertical space for the video.
Half the horizontal space of the video area is just blackness.
This means you are only using 1/12th of my screen to show the video.
There is no button to go full screen. Rotating the tablet sideways does nothing.
I don't know if this is limited to live events, but that's where I keep running into it - the embedded vimeo viewer.
It was disappointing to finally buy a large-ish tablet for tonebase use only to have tiny, tiny videos.
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I only use the platform on my laptop. But it fails to keep track of the courses I have completed. Although the website currently lists that I have "completed" seven courses, if I check what's "in progress," many more are completed than just seven. I've only been on the platform about six months. At first this didn't bother me. But I use Tonebase so much now (because it's GREAT and I LOVE IT) that keeping track of what I'm working on is a little frustrating.
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I am new to tonebase and so far absolutely loving it. The content is thoughtful and high quality, I only wish I had found this app sooner.
The only improvements I can think of would be matters of convenience. It would be nice to be able to group my content and to access the library with workbooks etc., as well as the forum, directly within the app.
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These comments are from using the app on an Android phone:
. Upon login, I'm asked which instrument. I have signed up for only piano. I don't want to be asked every time.
. When exiting from YouTube, the app goes back to the high-level menu. It should return to where I jumped from.
. Community Forums: there is to much scrolling to find the latest activity.
. Community Highlights: they seem random. I don't know what the comments refer to. I'd like to the community forums I'm active in.
. When adding an event to a calendar, please allow other calendars like Google. The .ics files are good only for Outlook.
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Make it easier to email support. I am on the site and can't find any kind of a link for support. If I do a search for support, nothing comes up.
I want to email support to ask about an issue that comes up in the app. Every time I open the Tonebase app, I get a popup suggestion that I re-enable my notifications for the app. I don't want to do that, so I click "Cancel." The next time I open the app, and sometimes when I'm just going from one area to another in the app, the pop-up is there again. It is very frustrating because I don't keep notifications on for any app.
Maybe this is just an issue with my phone (which is why I'd rather just email support than post this on a forum), so if anyone knows how to fix this, please let me know.
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It is good to read everyone's ideas. It speaks to how valuable Tonebase is for people's growth.
I would like to see a page similar to My Content, only list in descending order all of the material you post. I would use this page to see the recent stuff you of posted and then select what is most interesting. The current way is by hunting, clicking, and having to return and click. It makes me think and remember too much.