FAQs
Here are some FAQs for ABC Music Home School- click the wee orange arrow to open the answers.
Please bear with us- we will add more info here as we catch up with ourselves!
I clicked SHARE THIS LESSON and it opened an email.
Where is my link?
Clicking that button automatically opens your email client and generates an email.
The email contains text that looks like this:
The link is the text surrounded by the red box in this picture - NB It won't have the red box on your computer but it will look like this.
You can either send on that email OR copy & paste the link into a text or social media message etc.
Whomever receives the link will be able to click on it to access the lesson.
My browser is saying Flash is blocked.
How can I unblock Flash on Chrome web browser?
Can I use ABC Music Home School on a phone or a tablet?
Except for the Style & Genre module, most of the ABC Music Home School website currently uses Flash interactive movies.
Flash does not run on Android or iOS tablets or phones - so to fully use this website you will need to use a laptop or a PC.
We are working hard to convert as much as the site as possible to MP4 videos, which will allow the people without access to a PC or laptop at home to use more of the site on phones and tablets- please bear with us.
We will be shortly provided some downloadable instrument apps for Android & iOS tablets and phones -
allowing you to use these as instruments whilst using ABC Music Home School..
How do I use ABC Music Home School Resources at home?
I don't have any instruments.
Can I make and use homemade instruments?
There is advice on making homemade instruments here:
ABC Home School- Home-made Instruments
There is advice on making home made instruments in Kitchen Drums Episode 1.
And there is advice on playng them in subsequent episodes, and also in Amy's Early Years Lesson 1.
Can I use virtual instruments on my smart phone or tablet?
Yes.
We are making a free App you will be able to download on the App store for iPhones and iPads,
and on Google Play for android phones and tablets. We have a basic version nearly ready,
and we will be launching and evolving it as soon as we can, until it has virtual instruments for all our activities.
We currently have an App for Early Years and Lower Primary coloured chime bars to show you,
which will be appearing on the App store very soon. Here is a video about the beta version of the app:
Or you can try the App on screen here-
Click on 'Choose' and click on the bars to change the pitch.
If you want to use virtual chime bars for lower primary activities on a phone or tablet right now-
search for the App ''Xylophone: Marimba, vibraphone' on the App store or Google Play- to get you started.
Our own app is coming very soon!
instructions for Chime Bar App- Lower Primary...
How do I choose the number of chime bars?
Click on the number of chime bars you want at the top left:
so for three chime bars...
How do I change the pitch of a chime bar?
Click 
and click on a chime bar to change its colour and pitch.
When you are happy, click 
, and you are ready to play.
On a tablet or iPad I tap the bars to play them.
How do I play from my computer keyboard?
Click 
and the key you need is displayed beneath each chime bar.
Can I have two players on the same keyboard?
Click 4:4- to have a set of 4 chime bars at each end,
with a different set of keys controlling each set,
at opposite ends of the keyboard.
Using 'Choose'. you can set the pitch of each chime bar individually-
so you have the same pitches at each end or different pitches, it is up to you.
I'm not keen on the black background. Can I change it?
Yes.
Click on the white block next to the full screen button, 
and it changes to looks like this: 
instructions for Chime Bar App- Upper Primary...
How to Use the ABC Chime Bar App...
Watch this video...
Instructions in words and pictures...
i) Select
then click 
.
ii) Select 4 at top-left: 
iii) Select your pitch palette in the right- eg for Sad 4... 
iv) Then click 
at the bottom right.
Now you see the four keys on your computer keyboard you can use
to play each of the virtual chime bars- here the keys 'B' 'F' 'J' and 'Y'.
Can I have two players on the same keyboard?
Click 4:4- to have a set of 4 chime bars at each end, with a different set of keys
controlling each set, at opposite ends of the computer keyboard.
Click on 
, and you can change the pitch of each chime bar individually-
by tapping on the arrows, up or down.
If you wish, you can change the pitches so you have the same set of chime bars at each end, that match your pitch palette.
Then two players can play on the same keyboard at the same time.
How do I play along with the composition?
The simple answer is, use the App on a phone or iPad (when it is ready)
or copy the composition into a handout.
Start the pitch composer playback in one browser window,
then change to a second window, containing your Chime Bar App,
and follow the handout.
If you want to see both the Chime Bar App and the pitch composer,
on your computer screen at the same time- read on...
Watch this video...
Open and size 2 windows on your browser- one for the composer and one for the Chime Bar App-like this:
Press at the bottom right, and use the key commands to play the App in the right window,
and watch the left hand window to follow the composition.
Remember, for the key commands to work,
you must click on the browser window containing the Chime Bar App
so it is selected- shown by a grey bar at the top of the window (Safari)
or drop shadow round selected window (Chrome).