SINGING

   SING allows you to test and improve your singing ability through the
following vocal training functions:

   PRACTICE        -  Displays a real time pitch graph display while you sing
   SING SONG       -  Lets you test and improve your singing of songs
   SING EXERCISE   -  Leads you through a sequence of vocal exercises

   GET             -  Get a song or disk from a file
   TRANSPOSE NOTES -  Transpose song up or down in pitch using arrow keys
   SETUP EXERCISE  -  Select voice played and sung and control exercises

   These functions require a Tandy computer with sound input capability, or
an 80286, 80386, 80386SX, or faster computer with the Sound Blaster board
from Creative Labs Inc.  You will also need a high quality electret
microphone such as the Radio Shack model 33-1060.  For best results, use the
windscreen supplied with the microphone and hold the microphone approximately
one inch or less from your mouth.  (See the special note below and additional
instructions in the INTRUDUCTION and SETUP help screens).


RETRIEVING SONGS AND EXERCISES

   Before using the SING functions you can use the GET, TRANSPOSE NOTES, and
SETUP options included on the SING menu to retrieve a song or exercise from
disk and adjust its pitch to a range comfortable for your voice. Retrieve the
song/exercise with GET.  Then check the pitch of the song/exercise by playing
several notes with the spacebar.  If the pitch is too high or too low for
your voice, you can use TRANSPOSE NOTES to raise or lower it in single note
steps, or you can use the CLEF control in SETUP to raise or lower it by a
full octave (See the help item for the SETUP screens for more information).


LEARNING TO SING WITH THE PRACTICE SCREEN

   The PRACTICE option provides a real time pitch graph display useful for
self paced learning of songs or exercises.  By comparing the solid black
line representing your pitch to the dashed line representing the note being
played, and by listening carefully to the sound of your voice, you can learn
to recognize when you are singing on-key.  You can hit Enter to play the note
above the cursor while singing the note.  You can also play through the song
a note at a time while singing by hitting the Spacebar.  On difficult parts
of the song you can back-up using the left arrow or Page Up keys and then
sing those parts again.  To have the computer play the song for you while you
sing, hit the = key.

   As you sing, remember to listen to the sound of the notes and the sound of
your voice.  After you use the pitch graphs for a while you will begin to
recognize when you are singing correctly from the sound alone.  This is a
subtle process, but a very important one.  With just a little practice, you
will begin to hit notes correctly the first time, before you even look at the
display.  When this happens, you are well on your way to mastering your
singing voice!

   As you become more proficient, you should concentrate on the quality of
your pitch.  Try to transition smoothly from one note to the next on the
graphs, and to sing steady tones that result in smooth, flat lines.

   If you like to sing along with the radio or with records, you should use
the listening skills you developed while using the Music Transcription System
II.  As you sing, always listen carefully to the sound of your own voice.  If
necessary, turn down the radio or record (CD) volume so that you can hear
yourself better.  The more you practice, the better your singing will
become.  Use the Music Transcription System's Practice screen periodically to
maintain and improve your pitch matching skills even after you become
proficient at singing on your own.

   If you're a more experienced singer, you may wish to experiment with
vibrato effects which show up as wavy lines on the Practice screen.  You may
also wish to try the sight-singing or harmony exercises included on the
disk.


SINGING EXERCISES

   The SING EXERCISE option is intended for use with the vocal training
exercises on the disk, but it can also be used to practice singing songs one
line at a time.  When you select SING EXERCISE, the program will play the
current line of the song or exercise to let you hear the notes, and then play
the first note of the line again to give you a reference pitch.  On the count
of four, you should begin singing while the program plays the line again.  At
the end of the line, the program will check to see how many notes you sang
correctly. If you sang all notes correctly, you will hear a brief tone and
will be shown a summary of your current score before the program advances to
the next line.  If you miss one or more notes, a vertical line will be drawn
on the pitch graph through the notes missed, and the program will play the
notes you sang together with the proper note pitch so that you can hear the
difference.



SINGING ENTIRE SONGS

   When you want to try singing an entire song you can use the SING SONG
option.  SING SONG displays two lines of a song at once just like the PLAY
function on the main menu.  This allows you to look ahead in the song and see
the notes on the next line as you sing.  The Enter key, Spacebar, and = keys
work the same in SING SONG as they do in PRACTICE and PLAY, but the display
provides pitch feedback so you can judge your progress.  When you sing a note
correctly, a check mark will appear above the note.  When you are off-key, a
horizontal line will be drawn above or below the note to indicate whether you
are sharp or flat, and by how much. When you use the = key to play and sing
the song, the program will display a summary of how many notes were correct
when you reach the end of the song, or when you stop part way through.


      *****  SPECIAL NOTE FOR TANDY 1000 SL/TL COMPATIBLES  *****

   If you experience problems with the program recognizing the notes it is
playing instead of the notes you sing, please see the special note at the end
of the help screen for SETUP.