Posts Tagged ‘keyboard’

« Older Entries

Learn How to Type for Free!

January 2nd, 2013

Hi! It’s Wednesday, January 2, 2013 and time for Language Arts at ClickSchooling!

Recommended Website:

Typing Tutor: Free Online Typing Tutor

Age Range: 9 and up (approximately, with parental supervision)

ClickScholar Rita suggested this ad-supported website that offers a complete typing course (for beginners to advanced students) absolutely free! (Registration is required.)

The program supports all major international keyboard formats, and displays key position and proper finger placement to help keep beginners from looking at their hands. In addition to practice exercises, there are several typing games that reinforce skills while they entertain.

Helpful tips are constantly provided to reinforce proper typing techniques.Typing tests are provided and students can track their progress with detailed graphs and statistics. As a student progresses, the program “learns” which keys cause the most difficulty and creates custom lessons focusing on the student’s top 5 most troublesome letters. When a student completes a lesson, they earn a virtual trophy.

As I mentioned, this program is ad-supported which is why it’s free. If you don’t want the ads displayed, there is a reasonable fee-option to remove the ads.

No comments »

Posted in language arts

Tags:

Free, Fun Music Theory & Games!

September 22nd, 2012

Hi!  It’s Saturday, September 22, 2012 and time for Music at ClickSchooling!  

Recommended Website:

PracticeSpot.com

Age Range: All (with parental supervision)

This commercial website offers free music theory, lessons, drills, and games.  When you get to the site you’ll see some of the highlights of what is offered in this free section, and then a menu that includes:

*Practice Spot’s Rhythm Gym – Get interactive practice in counting rhythm and time signatures in written music. Click on “Quarter Note Quest” or “Eighth Note Challenge” and then follow the instructions that will take you through each exercise until you gain proficiency.  You’ll see a piece of music. The idea is to clap out the rhythm correctly.  Once you do, you can listen to a midi file and hear it played correctly.  You can also print out the music and practice on a keyboard offline. Once you’ve completed all of the exercises satisfactorily, you can print out a certificate of achievement.

*Music Crosswords – Have fun solving these puzzles that test your knowledge of music and musicians.

*Sightreading Genie – Get over 100 exercises to test your music sight reading ability.

*Chord Wizard – This interactive guide helps you find and learn all of the chords by displaying them on a keyboard.

*Note Reading Wizard – Choose between treble or bass clef, select space or line notes, and then test your skill.

There are more offerings, including “Scales Chef” – a tool to help you learn all 24 major and harmonic minor scales. Unfortunately, the “Scales Chef” wasn’t working properly when I visited the site. Nevertheless, you’ll find plenty of free content that is operating properly that will help music students and teachers alike.

No comments »

Posted in music

Tags:

Free Music Lessons, Worksheets, Games & More!

March 10th, 2012

Hi! It’s Saturday, March 10, 2012 and time for Music at ClickSchooling!

Recommended Website:
Making Music Fun

Age Range: 6-11 (Grades 1-6, with parental supervision.)

This ad-supported website provides engaging, FREE music appreciation resources including music lessons, interactive games, printable sheet music and music theory flashcards designed for kids.

When you get to the site you’ll see three menu choices that include:

*Oliver Octopus Arcade — Play music theory arcade games and learn to identify the whole note, half note, eighth note, etc. Learn note names for the treble and bass clef.

*Print It! — Get free printable sheet music that you can preview and listen to online. From beginner to intermediate players – you’ll find sheet music for the piano, violin, flute, recorder, trumpet and trombone.

Don’t miss the “Free Composer Worksheets” too! Print out fun wordsearch and dot-to-dot puzzles based upon your favorite classical composers including Bach, Beethoven, Bernstein, Chopin, Gershwin, Joplin, Mozart, Prokofiev, Tchaikovsky and more!

You’ll also find practice charts, theory worksheets, and even printable award certificates.

*Music Library — THIS IS AN AMAZING RESOURCE! Access an archive of FREE music lessons on video for piano, recorder, flute, clarinet, trumpet, guitar, percussion, and bagpipe. There are even video flashcards for learning music theory!

You’ll also find biographies of great composers in the baroque, classic, romantic, and modern music eras.

Learn the instruments of the orchestra (woodwind, brass, string, percussion, and keyboard) with highlights about their history, how they are played, how they are made, and other fun facts.

Don’t miss the “Homeschool Music Resource Index” of suggested music activities created just for homeschool parents. Print out music lessons that help children learn about tempo, rhythm, pitch, musical symbols, form, and much more.

There’s even a “Jazz Index” with lessons and resources for learning about jazz music and great jazz musicians.
 
This site provides the very best in blending music with educational technology.

 

No comments »

Posted in music

Tags:

Music Theory Lessons & Activities

February 12th, 2011

Hi!  It’s Saturday, February 12, 2011 and time for Music at ClickSchooling!

Recommended Website:
MusicTheory.net

Age Range: 6 and up (with parental guidance; non-readers will need assistance)

At this deceptively simple site you can learn music theory and more for free!  If you have a passion for music or just want to get the hang of it, you’ll enjoy the activities, many of which contain audio clips to enhance learning.

When you get to the site you will see tabs for “Lessons,” “Exercises,” and “Tools.”  Choose the “Exercises” tab to jump right to the activities and quizzes where you can learn and/or test your knowledge about:

  • Notes
  • Key Signatures
  • Generic & Specific Intervals
  • Chords
  • The Keyboard
  • The Fretboard
  • Interval, Scale, & Chord Ear Training

Each exercise can be set to the most basic level or customized to your preferred level.  Take the quizzes to test what you know. For example, try and identify the scales by ear.  If you get too many wrong answers on the quizzes, you can go to the lessons and study to learn more. Then try the quizzes again.

Music students of all ages will enjoy the ”Tools” section that lets you create music pieces and then run an analysis to tell you what you have done.  Fun stuff!

Enjoy!

 

Diane Flynn Keith
for ClickSchooling
http://www.ClickSchooling.com

No comments »

Posted in electives, music

Tags:

Play Virtual Gamelan Instruments!

June 12th, 2010

Hi!  It’s Saturday, June 12, 2010 and time for Music at ClickSchooling!
 
Recommended Website:
Gametone Instruments

Age Range:  All  (with parental assistance)

This website provides the opportunity to play virtual Gamelan-influenced instruments online for free!  What is “Gamelan”?  It’s a musical genre that originated in Indonesia featuring gong-like drums, chimes, xylophones, plucked string instruments, and more. 

This site is sponsored by a group of musicians called the Gametones who improvise music on homemade Gamelon-type instruments. They offer visitors the opportunity to play virtual versions of their instruments.

When you get to the site you’ll see three main options that include:

*Play the GameGongs – Use your mouse of keyboard as a virtual mallet to play the gongs made out of old paint can lids and hubcaps. You can also play loops of recorded songs and improvise as you play along.

*Play the Drone Gambria – Use your mouse to click on tongs and create your own musical composition. This also offers loops of recorded music that you can use to play along.

*Play the Game Chimes – Click on pictures of metal tubes to create short bursts or sustained tones. Play the pre-recorded loops as you experiment with the various sounds and tones.

Note:  It may take a few minutes for all of the sounds to completely load. Be paitent, turn on your speakers, and then use your mouse to create your own musical “click compositions” with the Gametone instruments.

By the way, there are other links on this site but they led to error messages when I tried them.  Parents, as always, should preview and supervise exploration of this website.

No comments »

Posted in music

Tags:

Interactive Music Games & Quizzes (CSAW)

April 17th, 2010

Hi!  It’s Saturday, April 17, 2010 and time for Music at ClickSchooling!
 
Recommended Website:
Music Tech Teacher

What a find! This website provides over 100 free interactive music games and quizzes that teach music theory (including the names of music notes and rhythms) and the names of musicians and composers.

When you get to the site you’ll see the extensive menu that includes:

*Music Information: Theory – Learn the names and sounds of instruments, musicians, composers, music terms, scales, treble and bass clef note reading, rhythms and rests, and more.
 
*Flash Piano Practice – Use your keyboard to practice playing Chopstix, Twinkle, Twinkle, Ode to Joy and more.

*Quizzes – Select the right notes on the keyboard to help Mighty Music Man move a piano, play instrument scramble, do a music word search or hangman puzzle, or test your knowledge of instrument “families.” Discover what you know about music terminology, tempos, and technology. Match composers with compositions, learn some jazz music trivia, play a game of musical “Jeopardy,” and fill in the missing notes on popular musical pieces. Test your sense of rhythm and your knowledge of music intervals, scales, and chords. You won’t believe the selection!

*Music Mazes and Puzzles to Print – Enjoy a selection of printable music-themed mazes to print out and do offline, along with all kinds of free music theory worksheets.

This is an amazing resource for music students and teachers alike, and earns a ClickSchooling Award for excellence.

No comments »

Posted in music

Tags: