Impro-Visor (free software for the improviser)

---

Impro-Visor is a free software tool for helping improvisers work out solos in the form of leadsheets. It has auto-accompaniment based on chord changes. Licks can be saved in a database and recalled. It will also generate licks on its own. The website is http://www.cs.hmc.edu/~keller/jazz/improvisor





This post contains the following attachment types:

-image/jpeg

File Utilities

---

Audio file conversion and compression utilities:

7-Zip is a great (free) compression utility for those of you stuck with Windows built-in snail-speed zipper. Install it and then it will show up in the context menu (right-click). Way faster for zipping up a directory full of files. Get it here: http://www.7-zip.org/




This post contains the following attachment types:

-image/x-png

-image/x-png

Jazz Arranging course by Chuck Israels

---

Chuck Israels' course on arranging for jazz, "Exploring Jazz Arranging", which is used at Juilliard, is online at Northern Sounds: http://www.northernsounds.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=107
As with the Rimsky-Korsakov course, there are real-time examples, like the following:

Principles of Orchestration Online

---

There's an online version of Rimsky-Korsakov's "Principles of Orchestration" at Northern Sounds:
http://www.northernsounds.com/forum/showthread.php?t=45270



This post contains the following attachment types:

-image/pjpeg

Transcription Tool - Amazing Slow Downer

---

The ability to slow down a phrase for transcription is available on many packages, but most that I've heard introduce artifacts at some point. The AmazingSlowDowner has a mode, Slow Down Type IV, which does an outstanding job of slowing the music and NOT introducing the Lost In Space sound. Check it out:
http://www.ronimusic.com/





This post contains the following attachment types:

-image/pjpeg

Ear Training

---

For online ear training (and a music theory resource), the following is great:
http://musictheory.net/

For a standalone applications, the Functional Ear Trainer is pretty nice:
http://www.miles.be

and the GNU Solfege is great:
http://www.solfege.org/

But at least for me, one of the best opportunities to listen is in the car, where neither of the above are available. I also thought that having an aural answer to whatever ear training challenge was presented would be nice (so you don't need to look at the title for the answer). The solution seemed to be mp3s of intervals, chords, etc., so I wrote a little program to create these, and below is a zipped up folder of a sample of these. Each file is an interval, followed by a pause, then the answer as a major scale fragment, with any alteration to the interval as a downward step at the end of the scale fragment.

You can download them and put em on your iPod or burn em to a mp3 cd, and do some eyes-free ear training.

sheet music links

---

Walrus Music
Big Band charts, Little Big Band charts, Small Group charts, Sax Ensemble, Trombone Ensemble, Brass Ensemble and Wind Ensemble pieces:
http://walrusmusic.com/

MusicNotes
Search for a tune below:




This post contains the following attachment types:

-image/pjpeg

Functional Ear Trainer - ear training freeware

---

This is a great, free, ear training application for Windows, that you can download here:
http://www.miles.be



This post contains the following attachment types:

-image/pjpeg

Sight-Reading for Guitar and Bass

---

Hi, you guys maybe interested in SightReader Master for guitar and (4,5 or 6-string bass). It's at my site www.prolevelguitar.com



This post contains the following attachment types:

-image/gif

Audacity - Free Audio Editing Software

---

Audacity is free audio editing software, available for Windows, Mac, and Linux. You can use it for transcribing (slowing down, looping, frequency analysis), multitrack recording, or editing (mixing, VST effects, etc). It's completely free, and supports many file formats and plugins.




This post contains the following attachment types:

-image/pjpeg

Fake Book Index

---

Here's something useful - a searchable database of a bunch of fake books:

MWSnap to capture cropped screen images

---

MWSnap is a handy freeware application available from the following site,

http://www.mirekw.com/winfreeware/files/MWSnap300.exe

that allows you to quickly select and capture a portion of the screen and (automatically) save it to an image file (which could then be directly uploaded into your post).