Music matters

Getting started in music is easier with so many software available on the Internet. This week, we take a look at some of them which help you get to grips with basic chords and strings.

Guitar Calculator 1.0

SpeedScape Software's Guitar Calculator V1.01 is a valuable resource that implements several features in a single guitar tool.

It has features such as point and click, formula/note view, and minimize to tray. Using the power of your computer, you'll soon be playing all the songs on guitar you want.

You can also learn chord construction, ear training and some music theory, all with an easy-to-use interface that's perfect for guitarists of all ages and levels. Guitar Calculator lets you learn at your own pace, in your own home. It's ready when you are.

Platform: Windows 95/98/NT/2000

Filesize: 926 KB

Download Location:

www.musicianxpress.com/

guitarcalc/main.html

Purchase Info: Shareware

Hendrix: The Guitar Chords Generator

In this tool, you can choose the chord formula from a list of standard chords. Set the chord formula by working directly on the musical intervals. Load the most common chords from a chord collection and set the fret band to develop all chord's positions.

You can graphically modify positions on the chord fingerboard window. The software attributes possible chords naming to positions which the user enters by using the mouse.

You can also point out most suitable fingering position and choose from the summary page the chord position to work with.

Besides, you can develop chords position on a variable number of strings, with a minimum of three ones. Set the guitar tuning by choosing among a lot of ''open'' tunings or to set a custom tuning.

Platform: Windows 95/98

Download Location

http://space.tin.it/musica/

pamereu/index.htm

Purchase Info: Freeware

Guitar Sidekick

Guitar Sidekick can be used while on a notebook, while someone else is using the phone, or can be used to save precious money. This freeware is your personal chords chart, scales chart, tune-by-ear tuner, and metronome.

Platform: Windows 95/98/2000

Filesize: 4 MB

Download Location:

www.guitarsrule.com/

downloads/sidekick/win/

Purchase Info: Freeware

Guitar Pro Manual

Guitar Pro Manual is a hyperlinked electronic book on learning to play the guitar. Over 70 illustrations, all chords, scales, music theory and playing techniques are studied.

No prior knowledge of music is required. Authored by a GIT graduate, this book runs as a stand-alone program.

No external viewers, no install/uninstall operations required.

Platform: Windows 95/98

Download Location:

http://savasan.tripod.com/

Purchase Info: Shareware

Instrumental ABC

If you ever wondered about all of the musical instruments that make up a symphony band, this is the program to find out the details. It includes pictures, descriptions and the different sounds of over a dozen musical instruments.

Platform: Windows 95/98

Download Location:

www.nigrinsoftware.com/

Purchase Info: Shareware

SunMetronome

SunMetronome is a slick, graphically attractive music utility for music students and professional musicians that includes a metronome, tuner, CD player, recorder and Pocket (MIDI) Piano.

This program's handy features allow you to play small music themes using keyboard, play many predefined chords and scales, transpose chords, analyse their structure and more with built-in Pocket Piano.

You can also select any beat (range 0-6), set up complex rhythm (such as 2+3, 2+2+3) and use it as a digital metronome.

With a round scale and a red hand that can be easily dragged with your mouse to set a metronome rhythm from 0 to 177, this powerful music practice/composition utility is convenient to use.

Users can select a pitch tone from the menu, or generate a tone of any frequency (range 90-4200 Hz) and use it as a tuner for the music instruments.

You can hear and see notated versions of polymetric examples for practising purposes. Listen to your audio CDs with a fully functional built-in CD player, all immediately accessible with a single mouse-click.

You can also record your playing and save it as .wav file for further use.

Platform: Windows 95/98

Filesize: 3.01 MB

Download Location:

http://users.yubc.net/x sslavko/page5.html

Purchase Info: Freeware

Compiled by C. Ramesh

Please e-mail us at eworld@thehindu.co.in if you have queries on computer usage or if you find an interesting way of using the computer.