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I am new here and find some navigation very weird.
1) when I hit the " discussion of the week" on the home page of the app, I get directed to this forum. But when I switch to another app or Chrome or anything to look something up, the forum is closer and my writing gone! Instead the tonebase app shows the home page again.
2) The quiz put a video in my practise plan that is part 3 of a course. I wanted to watch the previous videos as well in case they could teach me interesting things. But the headline isn't a link. I found no way to find the videos other than going to the library and type in search words. Would be better to be able to navigate the full course. I think it works in the desktop version, but not in the app. (Android)
Also the links from the newsletter lead me to the home page instead of the topic, although my android device openes all tonebase links directly in the app.
And then I have some remark from a beginner point of view:
3) I watched some videos on basics, that were adressed for level 1. In the scales video Ben mentioned half and whole steps, without even showing notes or a highlighted scetch of the keyboard. I could follow because I am grade 4-5, but a true level 1 just understands NOTHING. Is there something I missed? To me the logical way to explain scales , intervals etc is to SHOW them both on the keyboard and the notes on the staff and to highlight relevant things, build connections to previous knowledge etc.
Edit: Watched more videos of the theory series, there the notes and keyboard are displayed, and it is easy to follow! I also liked the explanations and how they built bridges to formerly learned content.
4) In other videos some exercises were shown, like the 11 Russian arpeggio chords". The score showed a bunch of notes, and as a grade 4 I can figure out myself what chords they are. But a level 1, and the video is a level 1 video, is lost! I miss an explanation what the steps of the exercise are, what chords you progress through and how you can transpose it to other keys. (He just says "Minor major diminished inversions" but not which... that's not 11, especially not on C. I think I spotted some F I versions, but a beginner does not expect that!
There is also no workbook, so if I wanted to do the exercise I needed to screenshot the score and then figure out the chords and then think what number the other chords which aren't C have and what inversion they are to apply it to any other key. A grade 1 can't do that!
Also I find many beginner videos go soooo fast. As if they were aimed for higher grades to refresh their basics, not for beginners to learn and understand well.
5) I am confused: Grade 4 repertoire has a Beethoven Sonatina that is clearly a beginner piece, maybe grade 2 Abrsm, as well as Für Elise which is at least abrsm 4, this Year's syllabus in 6 I think... and a Kuhlau grade 5. Quite a difference in difficulty!
6) I would wish for a graded suggestion of repertoire (or better: etudes/exercises if existant) to practice the skills. I really like the skills videos, it would be great to know: Ok, the mentioned 4321-note repetitions happen to appear in piece x (level x) and piece y (level y) or: Czerny etude xyz focusses on exactly this skill. So that we can practice those new skills on easy material instead of probably having to learn a piece that takes months only for this one bar that included the skill we wish to train.
7) How can I de-check watched videos? They are marked as completed, because I watched them. But that doesn't mean I have worked on them yet...
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To show the major impact of women composers on the ‘classical’ canon, Tonebase could usefully start by focussing on the music of Helene de Montgeroult; a phenomenal virtuoso whose music and piano methodology influenced composers from Chopin to Debussy and Saint- Saens. An amazing woman
.https://cjhazel.co.uk/blog/151022-historical-women-pianist-composers-in-paris/
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I’m a late beginner to student to piano and I’m supplementing my live lessons with an instructor with ToneBase and I’m greatly enjoying it. Currently working through the Music Theory Basics course which is super informative.
It would be nice if the Course Syllabus page that shows each chapter in the course would allow the student to download the relevant workbook for each chapter. Currently I have to go into the chapter and trigger the video to get the course workbook.
Just a small quality of life enhancement, thanks for everything.
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Love the site. Here are my suggestions:
1) I think it's critical to get a camera either on the foot or on the dampers so we can follow pedaling very easily (for us at a more intermediate level).
2) There really should be a way to sort ALL videos in order of the latest uploads. I feel like this is a basic function that I have been unable to do
3) Videos should have release dates so we can track how much content is coming out and when. I feel like I would have no idea if nothing new came out for 3 months in a row. Doesn't inspire great confidence in the value proposition when it's this way.
Bonus: As much Garrick Ohlsson as humanly possible.
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I am a long-time member and enjoy the site very much. My favorite sessions are the individual teaching lessons with a running line of piano notes and teacher markings below. This mixed with real time demonstrations at the keyboard are extremely valuable. While I agree it might be cool to see the pedal foot movements, I doubt it would enhance the lessons much over just a verbal statement of how the instructor is pedaling.
Thanks for your great work.
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Another two: on my Android tablet app I can't reply to this thread when vertikal, no box to type something in. Horizontal works.
And I went to my practise plan, it shows 2 "finished" courses, but I can't click/rewatch them. No link. The last one is checked because I watched it, but I haven't practised yet! I would like to rewatch it, now I have to try to find it via the search... doesn't make much sense to me.
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Hi I would love to see maybe a little more organization in the community forums page. Things seem sort of all just mixed together and there are old challenges mixed in with current ones so I find it a little hard to find things that are current. It would nice to maybe have a sub-page where the old challenges and things get moved to.