SolFa Mode-Go-Round Lite 2.0
Device: iOS Universal
Category: Music
Price: $.99, Version: 1.1 -> 2.0 (iTunes)
Description:The SolFa Mode-Go-Round is a combinatorial musical instrument that familiarizes you with solmization and its music-theoretical underpinnings. The app develops further the mathe-musical exhibit Tonkreisel in the Math-Adventure-Land in Dresden. You can take the app everywhere: to the subway (with headphones), the choir, the gaming night and the music lesson. You can use it to just play and listen or to sing along with it and test your skills and knowledge.The Playing Area:The playing area and its interactive transformation are deliberately simple and self-explanatory.* A circular disk is divided into seven equally sized colored segments. They represent the seven scale degrees 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 of the diatonic scale. * Touching these segments triggers the sounds of pre-recorded solmization syllables (do, re, mi, fa, so, la, ti), in the range of two octaves. * The round shape of the instrument invites you to enjoy playing chords, voice leadings, canons, and sequences together with others. You understand some music theory along the way.The Configurations:The instrument offers 84 different configurations, which you may alter while playing.* Musically, these configurations correspond to transposed church modes. Each of the 12 tones C, C#, D, Eb, E, F, F#, G, G#, A, Bb, B can be used as a tonic in each of the seven church modes Ionian, Dorian, Phrygian, Lydian, Mixolydian, Aeolian, Locrian.* Mathematically, the 84 configurations form a single long cycle, and can be accessed by repeatedly pressing the # - button or (in the opposite direction) by pressing the b - button.* You may trace these alterations in terms of the rotation of a regular 12-gon against the fixed seven-scale-degree-disk. A single alteration has an angle of 1/84 of the full circle.The Syllables:* By default the syllables do, re, mi, fa, so, la, ti correspond to positions in the diatonic step pattern, composed of 5 whole and 2 half steps. The syllables mi and fa always include a half-step. The same holds for the ti and do.* On the outer ring of the instrument all seven syllables are listed at all seven segments. In each configuration seven white rays mark the actual syllables, which are associated with the scale degrees.* In addition to the default meaning the syllables can alternatively refer to note names or to scale degree numbers. There are different solmization traditions, which prefer the one or the other correspondence.* You can choose between all three possibilities, both with respect to the sounding syllables as well as with respect the symbols displayed inside the disk segments.Extended Possibilities of the Full Version:* You can adjust certain sound parameters such as duration, decay time, repeat mode and arpeggio.* You can link the app to an external MIDI sequencer on a Mac (via WiFi) in order to make recordings or to solmizate Midi Files.* You can switch between two modes of motion: Rotating 12-gon (the notes) against the stationary seven-scale-degree disk, or vice versa.* In the center, instead of the color red (for the first degree), you can choose to display the color of the respective do-step. It refers indirectly to the major scale.* On the colored fields, both inside and outside, you can choose to display syllable, scale degrees, note names, or nothing.Proposals for Experiments / Games / Exercises:On the SolFa Mode-Go-Round website you can find various suggestions (some with video clips), * Explore the modal character differences with monophonic and polyphonic examples,* Play diatonic sequences with fixed and varying configurations,* Develop your knowledge in two-part counterpoint,* Play modulating canons,* Study the voice leadings between diatonic triads and seventh chords* Try multiple alterations and understand their enharmonic reinterpretation,* Use of the SolFa Mode-Go-Round as a "Rosetta Stone" of solmization methods.Enjoy the SolFa Mode-Go-Round!
What's New
New features:* The mode-picker additionally supports major/minor terms.* A vibraphone sound can be used instead of solmization.* Hold/Stop: When you tap the "hold" button, the currently played notes are kept until you tap their note-heads or until you press the "stop" button.Bug fixes:* We have corrected Fixed-Do solmization.Documentation:* Updated documentation.* All main views now have an info-button showing you the help screen for the current context.Demos:Some features of the Full version (see below) are demoed in this version.* If you notice disabled controls, they are only available in the Full version.* Recording is disabled.* File exchange is disabled, including MIDI files and sound fonts.* MIDI connections are not possible.Have fun!If you do, please tell others, rate this version on the App Store and like it!The Full version has been updated and contains many new features: The SolFa Mode-Go-Round is now multifunctional and can be used without recourse to church modes and solmization. New features: chord and cannon-generator, hold-button, solmization and/or instrument sounds, channel-based settings, loading of sound-fonts and MIDI files, multitrack recorder and player, note visualization on the keyboard. A second solmization voice. We have corrected Fixed-Do solmization.New MIDI features:* A simple built-in MIDI recorder and MIDI player: You can record your own performance, download MIDI files, play them and add new tracks.* Support for sound fonts: You can install arbitrary sound fonts and assign particular sounds to each of the 16 MIDI channels.* Two sounds at the same time: Each MIDI note generates both an instrument and a solmization sound. You can set their absolute volume or use MIDI panning commands to set their relative volume. * Note visualization: Note-heads in different colors and sizes with a 16-bit mask show you all current MIDI notes on the playground.Fine grained MIDI mixing: For each of the 16 MIDI channels you can specify processing properties which are combined with global settings:* Are notes processed or filtered out? You can disable distracting voices while you learn your own voice.* Are notes displayed on the playground? You can selectively display your voice or others.* Instrument vs. Solmization volume: Listen to the solmization of your voice by setting the solmization volume of all other voices to zero.* Instrument sound: You can distinguish different voices aurally by assigning them different sounds.* Should program, volume and panning MIDI commands be processed? MIDI files contain such commands to adjust the sound. Choose no to keep your own sound settings for analyzing instead of enjoying the score.* Should the app interpret some MIDI events as mode changes? Choose no to modulate yourself at the right time. With the built-in MIDI recorder, a music notation software or a MIDI sequencer you can add special mode-changing events.Sounds:* Two solmization voices are available: "Erlebnisland" is the sound that was recorded for the original Tonkreisel exhibit. "Bruno" is a synthesized single voice. It is more regular and has better timing.* When playing on the playground, you can choose to have the notes additionally interpreted by the MIDI processing pipeline. This way you can play arbitrary sounds.Chord / Canon Generator:The chord / canon generator allows you to trigger chords with up to 4 extra notes, based on the input notes. For this, you set arbitrary diatonic intervals and delays.* With positive delays, you generate note-against-note imitations of your improvised melody.* Before you play the next note of the leading voice, see preview and suggestion notes to avoid irregularities.* Previews notes are known to be automatically played together with the next note. * Suggestions are all notes which may be played without violating the rules of first species counterpoint.
SolFa Mode-Go-Round Lite