Rookie lesssons - some assumed knowledge make things difficult

A place to discuss Playground's main curriculum, the Bootcamp.
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playgroundtrial
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Joined: Sat Mar 28, 2020 12:00 am

Rookie lesssons - some assumed knowledge make things difficult

Post by playgroundtrial » Sat Mar 28, 2020 12:04 am

Hi Support.

See attached screenshot. I am working through Rookie Bootcamp lessons.

But I have no idea what "measure 14" is.

It hasn't been explained anywhere up to this point.

Can someone please look at this and explain why - am I supposed to know this as a beginner?

I can always Google to find what that is but that defeats the purpose of paying for software to teach me.

Thanks
Screen Shot 2020-03-28 at 12.58.24 pm.png
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sw1tch73ch
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Re: Rookie lesssons - some assumed knowledge make things difficult

Post by sw1tch73ch » Tue Mar 31, 2020 12:31 am

Look at the music and find the number at the top left right above each "system" of measures - a system being one set of measure that are physically connected. The full set of systems make the score (and in sheet music, not grades). Each measure is separated from the others by a vertical bar. There are usually four or five measures in a system. The leftmost one will have a number over it, that will be the measure number. So if the first one is 9, then the one to the immediate right is 10, and the next one 11. You can use those to find 14. That location is where you'll change hand positions.

If marked up a version of that screen - I added in red in all the measure numbers not already there. The first if not numbered is assumed to be 1. I've circled the three measure numbers that were included. Keeping the measure numbers only at the beginning of each system reduces clutter and should make the sheet music more readable.
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== Just keep playing. Just keep playing. Just keep playing, playing, playing! ==

-- jbs --

playgroundtrial
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Re: Rookie lesssons - some assumed knowledge make things difficult

Post by playgroundtrial » Fri Apr 10, 2020 12:52 am

Thanks @sw1tch73ch !

I did find that after googling but my feedback to @andrewwegierski was this should have been explained before the terminology gets used.

Just feedback.

andrewwegierski
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Re: Rookie lesssons - some assumed knowledge make things difficult

Post by andrewwegierski » Fri Apr 10, 2020 9:45 am

Good feedback. It's easy for something like this to slip through the cracks on our curriculum. I'll forward to the team.
Andrew Wegierski

Customer Support Representative
Music Arranger

support@playgroundsessions.com

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sw1tch73ch
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Re: Rookie lesssons - some assumed knowledge make things difficult

Post by sw1tch73ch » Sat Apr 11, 2020 10:03 am

playgroundtrial wrote:
Fri Apr 10, 2020 12:52 am
Thanks @sw1tch73ch !

I did find that after googling but my feedback to @andrewwegierski was this should have been explained before the terminology gets used.

Just feedback.
That's a good plan. They do need to cover all those aspects of music that some of us that have been around it a while take for granted as understood. This is one of those "How to read and understand music notation" learning opportunities.
== Just keep playing. Just keep playing. Just keep playing, playing, playing! ==

-- jbs --

Twright
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Re: Rookie lesssons - some assumed knowledge make things difficult

Post by Twright » Sun May 03, 2020 7:47 pm

Wait until you get to lesson 60 and they start taking about F sharp like they've explained that before. Nope. Had to Google that, too

playgroundtrial
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Joined: Sat Mar 28, 2020 12:00 am

Re: Rookie lesssons - some assumed knowledge make things difficult

Post by playgroundtrial » Mon May 04, 2020 10:18 am

Twright wrote:
Sun May 03, 2020 7:47 pm
Wait until you get to lesson 60 and they start taking about F sharp like they've explained that before. Nope. Had to Google that, too
Oh dear.

Hope this feedback makes it to the team.

EFlatMajor
Posts: 147
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Re: Rookie lesssons - some assumed knowledge make things difficult

Post by EFlatMajor » Mon May 25, 2020 4:19 pm

I don't think the problem here is with PGS, I think the problem is the way it is being used.

If you made it to Lesson 60 without knowing what # means then congrats, that is an accomplishment in itself. :)

What people need to know is that the bootcamp lessons are not standalone. There are courses that get unlocked during your trip through the bootcamp and it is expected that they are done.

There is a course "Reading Music - Staff Notation (Rookie)" that covers all the music theory you need to know for at least the Rookie bootcamp. It covers the clefs, staff lines, notes, ledger lines, accidentals (sharps, flats and naturals) as well as key signatures. Lots of videos (Phil I think) and even more practice exercises.

I believe the course unlocks when you run PGS for the first time. If you complete it early on, you'll have no problem with unexplained terminology later on.

There is another course "One-Octave Scales" that you should do as well, this will help prepare you to play in keys other than C Major (Like E Flat :D )

The "Hanon - Virtuoso Pianist" course is all about building muscle strength in your fingers.

There are other courses as well that simply provide more practice for what you have already learned.

Don't skip the courses - they are as valuable a teaching tool as the bootcamp lessons themselves.

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