What would you want in a MIDI course?

[JohnG]

Hi guys and gals (as Jimmy would say)!

Please would you give me your input, especially if you're new to editing or creating MIDI files. You're ideas would help me greatly. Captain Chaos (ta Dah!) as a teacher your input would be very helpful too.

I currently run a MIDI course for our local adult education school.
It's called "Making Music with MIDI" (or Musik Machen mit MIDI). It was chucked together rather rapidly a couple of years ago and I'm not entirely happy with it's content, neither I think are my students. Maybe a bit too technical and not enough focus on 'music' and the 'home studio' in retrospect.

My current thoughts are to revamp it significantly. It would run for 90 minutes once a week for a total of 15 weeks. In that time I would hope to start making people fairly self-sufficient in creating and editing MIDI files in their own home studio, whatever that may be.

The idea I have is to split every lesson into three parts. Roughly 30 minutes on MIDI, 30 minutes on music (i.e. reading a score not teaching them to play) and 30 minutes looking at home studio set up (i.e. sound card/module, audio card, keyboard, sound fonts, virtual instruments, sequencing programs, that sort of thing). At this time I don't have any PCs allocated to me although I'm hoping that will change in the course of time.

That means I've got just seven and a half hours on each topic. Actually that ain't long.

So, if you were to attend such a course, what would you want to see in it? What would you expect in the first lesson and what would you expect to be able to do by the last?

Would you expect to be given sequencing software? Clearly it couldn't be a commercial one without incurring cost, I'm thinking Anvil Studio.

Would you expect to be given homework and would you do it? i.e. here's a simple one line piece of music, either play it in or step sequence it for next week. Submit a MIDI file to my email address and I'll check it and give you feedback.

I'd really appreciate some input here and all suggestions (keep it clean !) will be listened to and will almost certainly end up in a course. The trouble is I did it the hard way and got where I am by trial and error over many years and, no doubt, wasted many, many hours along the way down blind alleys. My aim is to shorten that learning process as much as possible.

If I complete it and get asked to run it, then I'll probably have to write a handout and make some powerpoint slides. For those who contribute I'll copy those privately to them together with any MIDI files and associated material.

So come on please, do a brain dump for me. Remember it's for beginners so no 'advanced SysEx messages for a Tyros 4' please. Those sorts of things might go into a later course if this one is successful.

As usual ... no, no, that's not appropriate here!
And thanks in advance.
JohnG.

P.S. I'm not expecting a huge dissertation on the entire contents (if you even have it) just drop by from time-to-time as thoughts occur to you.

[frank]

1 Note values and tech jargon converted to musco's jargon.
2 Drum kit notes
2 Controllers/what they do and how to use.
3 Basic midi drums and bass note input.Cutting and pasting.
4 Building the midi further. Balancing vol and pan.
5 Intro's and Outro's
6 System Ex and using markers.

My 2c as we are using dollars

[freeway]

Hi John

Well first off I think it's a brilliant idea to run these courses wish we had something like that here. Well me personally speaking I'm more into the practical side of learning , I realise theory is the backbone of every learning curve but in the time frame you got personally speaking I'd save the theory for homework... instead just giving a very basic run through as you go along ..

I'd prefer myself the visual rather than the textbook learning . For example a PC equipped with a free sequencing prog as you mentioned as well as maybe a midi keyboard so we could actually watch the input of notes that would fascinate me as a beginner for sure ...then for homework after each lesson maybe write down everything thats been discussed and any questions perhaps they might have on anything they didnt understand .


In other words I'd concentrate more on the practical side of midi as well of course a brief explanation during the lesson and leave perhaps the technical jargon as homework with a simple glossary explaining all the midi terms and functions etc.

Thats just my tuppence worth on the midi side of things anyway maybe I'm talking through my hat but for me personally in a crash course so to speak it would need to be mainly hands on to keep me interested.

If I come up with any further suggestions or input I'll let you know........

Keep up the great work John

Barry

[JohnG]

Thanks very much Frank,

To clarify.

1/ Note values. e.g how a quarter note converts to a pair of MIDI events? Ticks etc?
2/ Drum kit notes. How each note maps to a particular drum, cymbal etc?
two twos got in there somehow!
3/ Controllers. The main ones e.g. cc#0, cc#32, cc#7, cc#11, pitch bend etc?
4/ Basic MIDI drums and bass input. Okay.
5/ Cutting and pasting. Yes.
6/ Building MIDI further. Styles etc? Doing harmony is level 6 in the music exams! Way beyond beginners IMO. You've got to tackle circle of fifths, understand chord structure and inversions and all sorts. Chord sequences, e.g. blues structure and so on. I could fill all 15 lessons on just that, not that I understand it that well.
7/ Volume and pan. Quite so. And is the file for pleasure or for a backing track and therefore use of stereo vs. mono?
8/ Intros and outros. Again music theory and a lot for beginners. But use of styles again maybe.
9/ Markers. Yes, and some other meta events like lyrics and tempo?
10/ I knew SysEx would crop up. My view, SysEx is too complicated, except as an introduction, as it is all hardware specific. If e.g. you're explaining it for Roland, you have to explain how to calculate checksums too. The basics of SysEx e.g. what they're used for in the main. Manufacturer codes. Using Windows calculator in scientific mode to do binary and hex calculations? Phew! I can do it no problem but then I've been doing that and octal too since 1966. For beginners?

Further thoughts on my comments would be much appreciated.
Thanks very much again.
Yeah! I suppose I should be using cents too as I live in the Eurozone.
But heck I just love those old pennies.
Must nip off and spend one now.
All the best,
JohnG.

[simmo123]

Hey John,it goes without saying....count me in....Simmo

[JohnG]

Thanks Barry,

Yeah that was my idea too. Mainly practical. Although I have found that some people really need help with explaining the theory in a practical way. Somehow hearing chords and inversions and progressions etc. makes more sense when you hear it.

I tried to get a classroom with a dozen PCs in it, they have them, but for MS Office training etc. Then there's all the rigmarole of "will the software conflict with what is already there?" "Speakers? Why speakers? Too much noise! Disturb the other classes" "Headphones, we don't have any. Who pays if they get stolen. You would have to issue them and collect them." WHAT! You want a MIDI keyboard connected to each PC?" "Who's paying?" "This isn't a music school, forget it!"

You wouldn't believe the hassle!

With the current class I take in a laptop and a 32 key controller keyboard and use MIDI-OX to see what actually happens on screen. Then I need a sound module (MU128), USB interface, speakers, a projector, cables and so on. To lug in a dozen sets of headphones as well ... it ain't gonna happen. And I don't get allocated a parking place.

I want to encourage the students to get their own set up from day one. I'd use Anvil just because I can't teach Sonar and Cubase and Pro Tools and Ableton Live and Acid and ... you get the picture.

So there's a limit on how practical I can be, or rather, how practical they can be in class. At the moment I can show them how it's done, how to connect stuff up, some ideas on programs like Cubase and Sonar. And of course note entry, setting up Program Changes, tempo, pitch bend, stuff like that. But I get some people who are classical music based and want to create backing tracks for choir practise at home others who are aspiring rock musicians, and yet further ones who want to create dance track loops. Quite challenging.

Sound negative? Nah! There are some practical obstacles to be overcome and if I can make it successful, then I may just get a slice of budget. A few keyboards to share maybe.

Thanks for the thoughts though Barry and please keep them coming.
All input and ideas are worth looking at.
I'm very grateful for them.
Best regards,
JohnG.

[JohnG]

Okay, here's another question.

Just what goes in that first lesson?

You've got 30 minutes on MIDI, some will ask "what is MIDI?" others "how do I input pitch bends on Piano Roll View?" Aargh!
30 minutes on home studio set up. Some won't have anything yet, others will already have a keyboard PC, maybe Sonar LE, Cubase LE, Ableton etc that shipped with the hardware.
30 minutes on music. Not so hard, note durations, the stave, time signatures 4/4 3/4 etc. Piano keyboard layout.
Remember you will get a lot of different levels of knowledge in the participants from zero to quite a bit.

I know, it's a toughie!
JohnG.

[modbod]

John

I attended such a course at night time a few years ago and found it quite useful. The main benefit I got, as a complete novice and amateur musician, was how to set up a very basic home studio with keyboard, midi and audio interfaces and pc. I had bought a basic version of cubase software and subsequently did a bit of home recording of some audio tracks from keyboard to cubase via the audio interface. Also learned a bit about microphones and the different sorts of cables, jacks etc.
The course I attended spent a bit of time using "Reason" but I never bothered with this software afterwards and instead I use cubase.
The way the course was structured was the teacher had a projector linked to his laptop and showed his presentation on a large screen. He could go into the software on his pc such as Reason and do various live operations on the screen. He also had some small speakers and a midi keyboard controller so we could hear some of his midi/audio files. As students we just had hardcopy notes.

What I also found v useful at the time was "tweaks guide" which has a large range of explanatory material starting from the 'noobs guide" and working upwards. Here is a link to that material in case you may not have seen it. I think it is sponsored by ZZSounds.com but is still very useful I find and explains things very clearly at my basic intro level.
www.tweakheadz.com/laboratory/index.html


Rgds, Michael

[JohnG]

Thank you Michael,

An interesting point of view, Michael, and one I had considered. it has always come up on previous courses and I believe I probably don't spend enough time on the issue. That of getting those with little or no equipment up and running is priority number one.

In your opinion is it worth spending maybe an hour out of the first hour and a half dealing with this issue? Looking at PC, interface, sound card / module or virtual instruments, mixers, keyboards, PA if required and so on, mic(s) cables etc.

i.e. what are you trying to achieve, and how will you achieve it?

Then just do an intro to MIDI and music in the half hour left?

Thank you for reminding me of the 'tweak' site. I'd quite forgotten it. It's got some very useful stuff there, but IMO more focussed on the dance music sequencer market. There are certainly some well written tutorials there. I shall read through it all again before writing my own version. If nothing else (and there is a lot else) it goes through the things you need to consider when building a studio, and naturally has access to a huge range of music oriented hardware at ZZsounds.

Yes, I too use a projector coupled to a laptop suitably connected to various bits of kit. I try not to focus on any particular software and Reason I think is more dance oriented. I had thought of focussing on Sonar but after the terrible user comments on the Cakewalk forum about X1 (it's as if war has broken out) I'm no longer sure I want to be seen supporting it!

Thanks once again for your input. And if you have any further thoughts on the bits you found most / least useful please chuck them into the melting pot.
Best regards,
JohnG.

[weegeo]

Brilliant idea John my 2D`s worth i have never sequenced at all i left that to the techno in my band lol but now that i am at a loose end it`s something i`d love to try,so for me it would have to be very basic and explained in fairly simple terms


weegeo

[modbod]

Hi John

I would be reluctant to try to advise on how to divide the available time on the course. What might suit one person may be boring or alternatively too detailed for someone else.
I guess you will have to try to anticipate the needs of your audience and to have stuff prepared in anticipation and then play it by ear when you meet with the audience. The difficult bit is probably going to be trying to satisfy everybody's needs at the same time.
The course I was on was a bit wider than just MIDI and was called "digital music production using a pc" or some such title. It sought to cover most things at a high level rather than getting overly technical on the issues and kind of assumed that most of the audience were "noobs". That assumption was certainly valid in my case and I think most people there were beginners.

Rgds, Michael

[maverick]

hi john id also be interested in your suggestion as weegeo said ive never sequenced a song myself i just doctor someone elses files to what i want and would like to have a go at it also i dont play the keyboard by the way thanks for all your previous advice im getting to grips balancing midis now
maverick(jim)