Updated on 2.6.13 I have to be honest, I was a lazy person and I still am because although I love music and I have always promised myself that one day I would learn to play, I have never done it yet.
The problem is not so much the will but rather the patience and time to follow lessons and study music theory, notes, scores, keys and so on.
Since I discovered how many free programs allow you to play music on your computer even without knowing anything about theory, I have had several satisfactions.
However, playing is another thing therefore, regardless of the kind of music you are passionate about and the instrument, those who have always said "I would like but I can't" to learn to play, can take advantage of a free program that allows you to learn musical notes, play them and learn with exercises and practical guides .
Many computer programs that allow you to learn to play have an approach that still requires considerable effort and, above all, they make you pay dearly.
Jalmus instead is an open source software in Java, in Italian, which works on Windows, Linux and Mac .
It can be installed on the computer and makes learning notes and music theory very easy and also fun with a midi synthesizer.
Jalmus is especially recommended for pianists but, due to its intuitive approach, it can also be used by those who are learning to play other instruments.
The interface is very simple to understand, in Italian and, above all, interactive, with suggestions and advice that appear on the screen.
First of all, after opening Jalmus, you go to select the Italian language from the Settings menu , Language .
The first section includes the exercises, where you can test the reading of the notes, the rhythm and a score, to test the current skills and the ability to distinguish the notes.
From the lessons section, you can choose one of the 12 learning guides from the list which become more and more difficult as you go along.
Although this part of the program has not yet been translated and is in English, each lesson is absolutely understandable because it is interactive and played live through the Midi synthesizer .
For all the exercises and lessons, there is the keyboard, a piano that can be used to practice.
The Midi options from the parameter menu allow you to choose what type of sound to play during the exercises and lessons, whether the piano, the guitar, the organ or many others.
From the settings menu you can choose the rhythm of the exercises, whether slow or cheerful, the G key or the F key, sharp or flat, short or minimal rhythms, whether or not to enable the metronome.
For its simplicity and its fullness, I must say that this Jalmus is an exceptional program, which can help any music lover, for all genres, to learn to play, whether you start from scratch or already have experience.
A similar and alternative program that offers interactive exercises and guides for those who want to learn to play a musical instrument is Musician Training Center for Windows 8, Windows 7, Vista and XP, free of charge.
The course can help you understand and read chords, scales and rhythms and learn how notes are played on guitars, pianos and other instruments.
Those who want to learn to play the piano can take online lessons .
I remember, in other articles, the program to write notes on the computer and the musical keyboard or piano to be played on the PC .
