Arrangement Exercises Options

[jimmynitcher]

Does anyone know where i could access exercises for sequencers that help beginners write in different styles of music?
Or if anyone has ideas of their own?
Thanks v much
j

[midiwife]

Dear jimmynitchher,

This is an interesting topic for me. I teach music technology in an adult education setting in London. Previously I worked with children and young adults using mainly Cubase and audio editors such as Cool Edit Pro (on pc). Now I use macs.
I'm of the opinion that the default settings of most sequencers - i.e., 4/4 time and 120 bpm had (and probably continues to have) a massive influence on dance music production. The challenge is to get students to experiment with time signatures and tempi. Using the mastertrack in Cubase permits the insertion of time signature and tempi changes but it's not immediately intuitive. Nor is the abilitiy to map the mastertrack to ad lib phrases where the tempo can swing about.

You could direct them to change the time sig and tempo before starting but I think a better approach is to use midi files.

I've used midi file downloads to introduce the idea of musical styles with a good deal of success. There are literally millions around and classical midi files provide a very interesting way to show how such arrangements are put together. The nice thing is that Midi files can be imported into practically any sequencer so you're not limited to any particular platform. Examination of the parts themselves is possible with graphic sequencers. Also manipulation of the parts themselves is possible. A great reference tool.

Computer music magazine used to run a series called Style Counsel which featured latin and other midi files which were also useful. You can still access these on the web at www.computermusic.co.uk where they're also hosting a disucssion on music theory for computer musicians. A good site.

I think that graphic sequencers make for one of the most powerful education tools that music teachers have ever had at their disposal due to the visual and audiitory feedback possible in what was previously often an abstract subject.

If you'd like to correspond offlist you're more than welcome. I've been teaching this for about 7 years and have a great deal of material I've accumulated that might be of less interest to those on the forum.

Kind regards, midiwife.