Synthesia product review - Awesome way to learn piano pieces!
TLDRPiano player Chuck reviews Synthesia, a software that helps learn piano pieces through falling bars on a keyboard, making music learning fun and accessible. It supports various keyboards, offers 177 songs, and can slow down songs for practice. The software is highly recommended for its ease of use and effectiveness.
Takeaways
- 🎹 Synthesia is a software designed to help piano players learn songs, especially those who struggle with traditional music notation.
- 📚 It visually represents music through falling bars that indicate which keys to press, making learning more intuitive and engaging.
- 🔌 Synthesia is compatible with various keyboards, both old and new, including those with MIDI jacks or USB MIDI connections.
- 🎵 The software offers a library of 177 songs, with the option to add more or import your own MIDI files for learning.
- 👐 Synthesia allows users to practice with both hands, one hand at a time, or just the melody, adjusting the difficulty to suit the learner's skill level.
- 🛠️ Users can customize the interface, such as turning on or off note labels, finger hint numbers, and octave indicators, to aid in learning.
- 🎶 The software includes a 'recital' mode where users must play the song correctly at full speed to pass, adding a challenge and gamification element.
- 👨🏫 Synthesia can be used for beginners to advanced learners, providing a fun and interactive way to learn piano without the need for traditional sheet music.
- 💻 The software is user-friendly with a simple interface and settings that can be adjusted to fit the user's needs, such as input and output device setup.
- 💰 Synthesia is reasonably priced, offering a one-time purchase with free updates, making it an affordable tool for piano learners.
Q & A
What is the name of the software discussed in the video?
-The software discussed in the video is called Synthesia.
What does Synthesia software do for piano learners?
-Synthesia software helps piano learners to play songs by showing falling bars on a keyboard instead of traditional music notation, making it easier for those who may not read music well or want a different way of learning.
How does Synthesia make learning piano more interactive and fun?
-Synthesia makes learning piano fun by turning the learning process into a game, allowing users to learn songs by following falling bars on the keyboard and pausing until the correct notes are played.
What types of keyboards can Synthesia work with?
-Synthesia can work with any keyboard that has either the traditional 5-pin MIDI jacks or a USB cable for transmitting MIDI to the computer.
How many songs come with Synthesia software?
-Synthesia comes with an initial library of 177 songs.
Does Synthesia software have the capability to record performances?
-No, Synthesia does not have the capability to record performances. Users need to use another program to record their performances into MIDI format.
What is the Synthesia virtual piano and how is it used?
-The Synthesia virtual piano is a feature that allows users without a physical keyboard to use their computer keyboard to play notes shown on the screen, with specific keys assigned to different musical notes.
How does Synthesia help users learn songs by separating them into parts?
-Synthesia allows users to practice songs by separating them into left and right hand parts, and even halts the playback until the user correctly matches the keys to be played.
What are the different learning modes available in Synthesia?
-Synthesia offers learning modes such as practicing the melody with one hand or both, practicing rhythm at a constant speed, and a song recital mode where users must play the entire song correctly without mistakes.
How does Synthesia assist in learning music notation?
-Synthesia can display music notation alongside the falling bars, allowing users to learn how to read notes at their own pace, especially when the playback is slowed down.
What additional features does Synthesia offer to enhance the learning experience?
-Synthesia offers features like finger hint numbers to guide which fingers to use for certain notes, octave labels, and the ability to loop sections of a song for focused practice.
Outlines
🎹 Introduction to Synthesia Software
Chuck, the 'Piano Man,' introduces Synthesia, a software that helps piano players learn songs without traditional music notation. The program visualizes music with falling bars on a keyboard, making it accessible for beginners and fun for experienced players. Synthesia is compatible with various keyboards, utilizing MIDI over USB for newer models. It offers a unique learning experience by separating songs into left and right-hand parts and pausing until the correct notes are played, turning practice into a game-like experience.
🛠️ Exploring Synthesia's Features and Setup
The script proceeds with a walkthrough of Synthesia's features, emphasizing its user-friendly interface and setup process. Users can set up their input and output devices, including a virtual piano for those without a physical keyboard. Synthesia comes with 177 songs, but users can add more. It lacks recording capabilities, requiring external software for MIDI recording. The program also gamifies learning with user profiles and online scoring, and it offers various learning modes, including practicing melody and rhythm separately, and a 'song recital' mode for full-speed performance attempts.
🔍 Customizing Learning with Synthesia
The video script highlights Synthesia's customization options, allowing users to adjust the speed of learning, hide or show note labels, and use finger hint numbers for guidance. It also explains how to turn on octave labels and English note names to assist beginners. The software provides a way to view music notation alongside the falling bars, offering a comprehensive learning tool for those looking to improve their piano skills.
🎼 Advanced Learning Techniques with Synthesia
Chuck demonstrates how to use Synthesia for more complex pieces, suggesting slowing down the tempo for easier learning and utilizing sheet music for a deeper understanding of the music. He also touches on the ability to loop sections of a song for focused practice and the option to display fingering for advanced learners. The script showcases the versatility of Synthesia in handling different versions of songs, from easy to complex.
🎵 Synthesia's Free Play and Instrument Variety
In the final paragraph, Chuck discusses Synthesia's free play mode, which allows users to explore different instruments beyond the piano, such as various types of organs. He emphasizes the value of the software, its ease of use, and the ability to import any MIDI file into Synthesia for learning purposes. The script concludes with a strong recommendation for Synthesia, highlighting its affordability and the enjoyment derived from using the software for learning and performing music.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Synthesia
💡MIDI
💡Piano learning
💡Music notation
💡Falling bars
💡Interface
💡Virtual piano
💡User profiles
💡Song categories
💡Finger hint numbers
💡Looping function
Highlights
Synthesia is a software that helps piano players learn songs without needing to read music notation.
It visually represents notes as falling bars on a keyboard, making it easier to understand and play.
Synthesia can be used with any keyboard, whether it has MIDI jacks or uses USB for MIDI transmission.
The software allows users to learn songs by separating them into left and right hands, and it halts until the correct notes are played.
Synthesia includes 177 songs by default, with the option to add more songs over time.
It does not record files but allows users to play back MIDI files and learn how to play them.
The software has a simple interface with minimal choices to avoid confusion.
Users can set up their input and output devices in the settings, including using a virtual piano with the computer keyboard.
Synthesia gamifies learning music, making it more engaging and fun.
The software provides options to slow down songs, practice melody and rhythm separately, and attempt full-speed recitals.
Users can display or hide note labels, finger hint numbers, and octave labels to customize their learning experience.
Synthesia allows users to loop sections of a song for focused practice.
The software offers different levels of difficulty for songs, from easy to harder, catering to various skill levels.
Users can choose different types of pianos and organs for their playing experience.
Synthesia is highly recommended for its value and effectiveness in teaching piano.
The software is priced around $50 U.S., offering a great value for its features.
Synthesia can be used to convert any MIDI file into its format, making it versatile for various music pieces.