Frustrated by timing problems and not being able to move on in program

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Sandhya60
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Frustrated by timing problems and not being able to move on in program

Post by Sandhya60 » Wed Apr 18, 2018 6:09 pm

Im frustrated at the fact I have the notes but the speed problem of getting the notes to hit the dot just right is frustrating, because it counts against you!. Not to promote the other company I work with, I work on Piano Marvel as well, and they allow you to work on small bits in a practice mode, that still earns you the points so you can progress!
Is there an option to take each piece in small bites but still get through it with a score accumulation?

Its very hard when the game becomes trying to match the speed bar exactly. In fact, I can even take a metronome down to 20 ..i.e. just a hunt and peck speed and I focus on the matching the dot to the note and loose the aspect of actually playing the song. I then attempt to speed it up just so I can make it to the end with some continuity and then at regular tempo I seem to not be able to get that dreaded bar that moves to strike at the exact moment I am striking the keys.

anyone else frustrated by not being able to move on even though you have the notes but cannot get the scoring to work with the speed bar? :evil:
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andrewwegierski
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Joined: Fri Apr 06, 2018 4:37 pm

Re: Frustrated by timing problems and not being able to move on in program

Post by andrewwegierski » Wed Apr 18, 2018 8:11 pm

Again, thanks for the post. Happy to work with you on ensuring your equipment is all communicating properly. Send screenshots of what you're seeing at the end of your lessons.
Andrew Wegierski

Customer Support Representative
Music Arranger

support@playgroundsessions.com

scirocco
Posts: 33
Joined: Sun Jul 09, 2017 3:25 am

Re: Frustrated by timing problems and not being able to move on in program

Post by scirocco » Thu Apr 19, 2018 6:11 pm

My impression is that the app responds differently to different songs. I don’t find that it’s wrong as such, but on some songs it is unbelievably picky about late notes.

As a beginner my timing isn’t good enough to be absolutely perfect every time, so you end up playing notes a fraction early just to make sure you won’t be late. This is counterproductive and sounds bad.

On other songs it seems much more tolerant if you are a fraction late. To be fair I haven’t checked in the help notes if there’s a setting to adjust the tolerance.

Russ1409
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Joined: Mon May 18, 2015 8:08 pm

Re: Frustrated by timing problems and not being able to move on in program

Post by Russ1409 » Fri Apr 20, 2018 10:50 am

scirocco wrote:
Thu Apr 19, 2018 6:11 pm
My impression is that the app responds differently to different songs. I don’t find that it’s wrong as such, but on some songs it is unbelievably picky about late notes.
I haven't had this experience myself. I think I've been very lucky in my setup as I just plugged in my computer to the piano and off I went. Isn't there a sensitivity setting for tolerance on the grading of notes? Perhaps it needs a little tweeking? I'm just spitballing here. It seems (from my experience) that this shouldn't be an issue.

Sandy, right now, when you just practice small pieces of the song, it doesn't score your time. I like to practice small chunks on repeat, and get no credit for it. It's an oversight in the scoring, to be sure, since that's a very important part of PGS's teaching. But, getting the satisfaction of playing the bit correctly soon becomes enough positive feedback. However, no, you aren't missing a setting somewhere. Maybe future updates will address this.

Also, Sandy, I've had songs where I just couldn't get the timing right. I'd get so mad at myself! When I did that, you know what I did? I turned off the immediate feedback, so the computer didn't tell me if my notes were "red." Just play the song and enjoy the fact that you are playing it. Do that a few times, turn the scoring back on, and I'll bet your scores go up.

scirocco
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Joined: Sun Jul 09, 2017 3:25 am

Re: Frustrated by timing problems and not being able to move on in program

Post by scirocco » Fri Apr 20, 2018 7:26 pm

Russ1409 wrote:
Fri Apr 20, 2018 10:50 am
I turned off the immediate feedback, so the computer didn't tell me if my notes were "red." Just play the song and enjoy the fact that you are playing it. Do that a few times, turn the scoring back on, and I'll bet your scores go up.
I agree completely. I’ve also come to realise that focussing on the visual feedback (moving cursor, note colours) is wrong. Sure, you use the moving cursor to keep yourself roughly lined up where you need to be, but music is played by ear and feel of the rhythm.

Trying to use the cursor as your exact timing guide is not the way to go. Worst of all, you can get dependent on it and may have a hard job transitioning to paper music.

Russ1409
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Joined: Mon May 18, 2015 8:08 pm

Re: Frustrated by timing problems and not being able to move on in program

Post by Russ1409 » Sat Apr 21, 2018 10:08 am

scirocco wrote:
Fri Apr 20, 2018 7:26 pm

Trying to use the cursor as your exact timing guide is not the way to go. Worst of all, you can get dependent on it and may have a hard job transitioning to paper music.
Yes to this a hundred times over. It's easy to get caught up in the PGS interface, because it's so good, and forget that the final goal is to actually not use it. If turn it off early and somewhat often, it won't be such a shock down the road.

dndro
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Joined: Tue Apr 10, 2018 5:14 am

Re: Frustrated by timing problems and not being able to move on in program

Post by dndro » Mon May 28, 2018 11:03 am

Hi...

Trying to get the timing with the line on the screen is sometimes hard for beginners (like me)..

You can do a couple of thing to get better in timing.. Try to count yourself the rythm (as they show in some videos: one, and two, and three, and four, and..), or try to actívate the 'hands' and listen to the correct timing.

It works for me in some faster songs... :-)

andrewwegierski
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Joined: Fri Apr 06, 2018 4:37 pm

Re: Frustrated by timing problems and not being able to move on in program

Post by andrewwegierski » Tue May 29, 2018 2:21 pm

Yes, counting rhythms out loud is an excellent piece of advice for any musician! Forming oral and physical connections with your brain is sure to help you out.
Andrew Wegierski

Customer Support Representative
Music Arranger

support@playgroundsessions.com

smthng
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Joined: Fri May 04, 2018 4:19 pm

Re: Frustrated by timing problems and not being able to move on in program

Post by smthng » Tue May 29, 2018 2:50 pm

I had this problem with a couple of songs. I never figured out if it was the song that was the problem (meaning the timing was actually off somehow) or if it was just the tempo or composition of the song that made me think the timing was off. I think Game of Thrones rookie was one of them. Regardless, I've found that turning off the metronome and/or the accompaniment on those songs made a big difference. I always felt like I was behind on GoT when the accompaniment played, but had no problems with just the metronome. There were others that were the other way around. Try both ways to see if it makes a difference.

Paulopedia
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Joined: Wed May 30, 2018 1:25 am

Re: Frustrated by timing problems and not being able to move on in program

Post by Paulopedia » Wed May 30, 2018 3:30 am

I just starting using Playground Sessions and I haven't run into this yet. However, as with Piano Marvel, I don't time the notes by what I see on the screen. I tap my foot and count and I play when the appropriate beat comes along.

I see that you can highlight sections of a song, like in Piano Marvel, in don't know if you get points for playing these bits and pieces as I haven't tried it. However, just highlighting a difficult section and practicing it until mastered should make it easier to master entire pieces.

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