1. Install the game for free
The game can be installed from the iOS AppStore for iPhones and iPads, or from Google play store for Android phones and tablets. Below are links to the product pages in the shops. Tadadaa Instrument Games works on all modern Apple devices and most Android devices.
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2. Loudspeakers and microphones
Tadadaa Instrument games plays the click signal and performance samples via loudspeakers. You can use the loudspeakers of the phone/tablet or connect the device to external loudspeakers. We recommend the latter as it gives better sound quality – it is just more enjoyable. You can use Bluetooth loudspeakers/home audio system or connect to the amplifier with a cable, whichever is easier for you.
When you start the game, it will ask for access to the microphone. This is needed, so that the game can hear what you are playing and can grade it and give feedback accordingly.
You can easily test the operation of both loudspeakers and microphones within the application. These are the first two icons in the bottom bar.
3. Choose your instrument
You can choose between flute, violin, viola or cello. Once you select the instrument the game knows which pieces are fit for the instrument and will transpose the music to match the pitch range when necessary. Yes, the clefs are right for your instrument, we thought about that.
The chosen instrument is always visible in the top bar of the game.
Tadadaa Instrument Games has a built-in tuner, so you can check that the instrument is properly tuned or verify your pitch. In general, we consider A4 to be 440Hz, but you can change this if needed (in some places A4 is 442Hz, so this is fully supported).
For the string instruments (violin, viola, cello), the tuner even shows which string is being played. Strings with good tuning are marked with green, so that you do not need to worry about what it is in tune and what is not.
The tuner is accessible with the third icon in the bottom bar.
4. Have fun
Now it is time to play! There are two separate games with the app:
- Melody game, where you play certain melodies – either exercises or well-known classical pieces. The melodies start from simple (scales, open strings) and progress to more advanced exercises and compositions.
- Prima Vista game, where the app creates new exercises in real-time. Works great for improving your sight reading skills!
The selected mode is always visible in the top bar. For both games, you can select whether the score is presented in standard notation, or as a graphic melody curve. You can also adjust the tempo as needed: Play very slowly when trying out something for the first time and increase the tempo from there.
You can scroll through the available levels to choose what to play. This is the fourth icon in the bottom bar. Just go through them from left to right!
For each note that you play correctly, you get a star – either gold, silver or bronze, depending on how good your timing and pitch were. There is real-time feedback, carefully designed to give instant reward, but not distract you with excessive eye-candy.
After playing the game, you can look at the details of your gameplay. This view shows the deviations from target pitch and -time for each note, so you can spot which parts of the song need more practice. Your guess is correct: This is the fifth icon in the bottom bar.
As you play, you also earn in-app currency for buying different characters and props for the characters. Small things are important, and this was the first thing that our little test users asked for! Go to the top-right menu to reap the benefits of playing hard.
Some of the above features are limited with the free download. By subscribing to the Pro version, you get full access to everything, and you also support all the work that goes into making this game. If the game works for you, please subscribe, from the "unlock" option in the top-right menu.
5. New game levels
We upload new tunes and exercises to our server regularly, so that there is a steady supply of fresh music for you to play. Follow us on Facebook to receive news.