Sheet Music Tomplay anyone?

[Mix O Lydian]

I'm curious to hear what people think of Tomplay.

I just got it, because I want to improve my sight reading, without having to spend a fortune on sheet music or books, try out different types of music and I liked the playback features.

BUT... I'm noticing some idiosyncrasies with the way the scores are written and with the backing tracks that aren't so great.

I have a year's subscription, so I'm kinda stuck with it for now. But I'm finding a lot of the arrangements a bit cheesy and elevator music-y.

I'm wondering who (or what) generates the scores and backing music, it sometimes has a "not real" quality to it?

What are your views?

 

[mizmar]

Some people like it - according to search... But..

without having to spend a fortune on sheet music

You said you're subscribed to

Sounds good. I can't find that tutorial on Sax School Online (McGill) or Online Sax Academy (Paul Riley)?

Both of which provide many arrangements and backing tracks + demos that can be used as ear training + tutorials on songs. Maybe not all the songs you want;

but what's missing from the pedagogical point of view?

 

[Mix O Lydian]

Some people like it - according to search... But..

You said you're subscribed to

Both of which provide many arrangements and backing tracks + demos that can be used as ear training + tutorials on songs. Maybe not all the songs you want;

but what's missing from the pedagogical point of view?

So when I got Tomplay, I left OSA, thinking I would just follow the McGill Sax School lessons until the year's subscription runs out. Tbh, I struggled running both these schools together, because they are both so detailed. Tomplay worked out cheaper than OSA overall and was just sheet music, so I thought I'd use it for fun.

Tomplay works out at about £7 per month if you divide my annual outlay by 12. So I could just ignore it if I don't like it I guess!

 

[atwl77]

I considered it in the past, but from what I've read, they've had a lot of complaints about shady practices regarding the way they charge their subscription fees and not offering refunds.

Also, I've already been doing what Tomplay does, but without using their services -- by using MuseScore (on PC). Of course, I have to hunt down scores on my own, sometimes even searching for MIDI and importing them, but what they do can generally be done in MuseScore (the PC version, not the phone/tablet one), with just some extra work involved.

Do be aware that by following a cursor, while it is fine with helping you improve the pitch part of sight reading, but it does little to help with reading rhythm. In fact, the moving cursor telling you exactly when to play the note can be a crutch, unless you're already pretty good/confident with your ability to read rhythm.

 

[Mix O Lydian]

Do be aware that by following a cursor, while it is fine with helping you improve the pitch part of sight reading, but it does little to help with reading rhythm. In fact, the moving cursor telling you exactly when to play the note can be a crutch, unless you're already pretty good/confident with your ability to read rhythm.

I always ignore the cursor and focus on the rhythm and reading. I can't get rid of the cursor but i just don't pay attention to it!

 

[turf3]

When I feel the need to buff up my sightreading I just check out method books from the local public library. Doesn't even have to be saxophone books. Just shuck your way past the places where the music runs off the horn.

 

[Jeanette]

Charity and secondhand book shops often have cheap music books or scores

 

[Mix O Lydian]

I know this isn't a live discussion but I just wanted to say, so as not to mislead anyone, that I have since discovered that you CAN remove the annoying cursor on Tomplay!

 

[eb424]

I use the same principle but on paper. I buy the sheet music from musicnotes at 3 for £10 and the backing track from karaoke version. Transpose and write out. That way i can use them in my fund raisers, without having to have the internet. Four songs at kv is £10 so not a cheap way of doing it but i have the pdf of the music a backing track that i can manipulate and practice of transposing and reading for abot £6 a song.