MIDI Lesson with easy beat
Sequencing a MIDI file to use
with improvisation activities in
the middle school music class
Where to find MIDI files
• Blues MIDI files - from
http://members.fortunecity.com/ajsmidi/
docdoc/docblues.html
• Or search - terms: blues MIDI
twelve-bar blues MIDI
• http://google.com
http://lfa.atu.edu/music/barber/jazz
/iaje.html
To Loop a few measures in order to
practice improvisation, chords, or
scales…
• Songs in twelve-bar blues form are very good
for this type of exercise.
• Go to website and
ctrl + click on the
file you want
• Download to desktop
• Drag & drop on easy beat typer to convert
• Click on file to open in easy beat
QuickTime™ and a
TIFF (Uncompressed) decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
http://lfa.atu.edu/music/barber/jazz
/iaje.html
• Click the Loop button to turn it grey
• Set the numbers of the measures to you wish
to repeat (loop).
• Change the tempo for students to formulate
patterns or to practice scales.
QuickTime™ and a
TIFF (Uncompressed) decompressor
are needed to see this pi cture.
http://lfa.atu.edu/music/barber/jazz
/iaje.html
• Click Green arrow to play.
• Click Blue square to stop.
• Click Red circle to record.
http://lfa.atu.edu/music/barber/jazz
/iaje.html
• Click on the speaker icon to mute as in
#2.
http://lfa.atu.edu/music/barber/jazz
/iaje.html
Changing Keys
• Modifying the key only changes the way notes are
displayed (adding and removing accidentals as
needed).
• To transpose notes, select them,
then press the command key and
hit the up/down arrow keys. Each
step transposes the notes by a semitone. To
transpose an entire track, select all notes using
command-A.
• You can transpose and Save As… Students can then
open the file for the chord or scale they wish to
practice.
http://lfa.atu.edu/music/barber/jazz
/iaje.html
• You can Save As… LoopBluesDm
all Loop files in the same folder.
Save
• You can delete the measures following
your loop to confine practice to the part you
desire.
• You can save as a MIDI file and drag to a
new GarageBand project window and you
have a quality sound file to practice or to
put on a CD or the web.
http://lfa.atu.edu/music/barber/jazz
/iaje.html
Lesson plan at
http://lesson.taskstream.com/lessonbuilder/v.asp?LID=kkfvhqh1cizizscu
http://lfa.atu.edu/music/barber/jazz
/iaje.html