Step1 – Follow the interactive lessons
Step2 – Practice and develop skills with interactive play along software
Step3 – Record & Analyse your performance
Step4 – Recorded performances can be stored online in your ePortfolio
Step5 – Performances stored online can contribute to accreditation
Step6 – Perform live in a band
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Step1 – Follow the interactive lessons
Multimedia rich guitar, bass, keyboard & drum lessons
Detailed narrated lessons, instructional videos & graphics.
Students login to Gigajam VLE and select the instrument they wish to study. They choose their lesson and follow the on screen instructions. These are made up of narrated lesson notes, how to videos, TV shows, printable notes and graphics.
Step2 – Practice and develop skills with interactive play along software
The first level of interactivity is playing & practising exercises with interactive software
GigajamXtractor is a powerful MIDI player/recorder
Students can practise their exercises along with the GigajamXtractor Player. They can alter the tempo of the backing track and change the mix of the instruments. They can also mute the instrument guide track and play on their own with the backing band.
Step3 – Recording and Analysing performances
The second level of interactivity allows students to have their performances analysed.
Simple MIDI instruments can be connected to Xtractor and performances recorded
If students have access to a MIDI instrument they can record their performance of an exercise and listen to how well they have played. They can then chose to Analyse the performance, using the GigajamAnalyser and see how their performance compared with the original exercise file. The Analyser provides note for note analysis, statistics on notes played, as well as an overall grade in percentage terms.
See Analysis example here
Students can repeat this as much as they like to develop their playing of the exercise.
Step4 – Recorded performances can be stored online to create an ePortfolio
All students have a locker where they can upload all their performances.
Once happy, students can save and upload their perfromance to their online Locker (ePortfolio) where they can store all of their work. Students can view all their stored work, comment on their performances, link to videos and audio files of performances and make and receive comments.
Step5 – Performances stored online can contribute to accreditation.
All students have a locker where they can upload all their performances.
Each exercise uploaded adds to the completion of the course and students can see at a glance how they are developing. Certificates are automatically produced upon completion of lessons and grades.
NB: – Students can follow the programme of study for a Level One Arts Award and Gigajam are working with the London College of Music to provide a university accredited Performance Award in Schools Music, leading to a Level 2 certificate (equivalent to GCSE).
Step6 – Performing live in a band
There are songs available for students to play as they pogress through the course.
Students can play the vamps and songs available through the course, which build directly on the skills they have learned. All the parts for the songs are written so that students can form bands together and if there are missing band members students can use Xtractor to play along with, simply replacing the missing band members.
Studio recorded versions of the songs are available as well, which can be played using Gigajam’s Webplayer (link to grade 3 tracks).
More Band Tracks
This is how students will sound
Here are some more band tracks available from Gigajam:
Torture | Berlin Wall | Darkened Streets | Who Says It’s Raining
More about Gigajam
Gigajam provides high quality instrument learning in guitar, bass, keyboard, drums and music theory. It uses the internet so that pupils can interact live with digital technology in the classroom, and then carry on learning outside or in their homes.
When it comes to progression, the beauty of Gigajam is that pupils constantly assess their progress as they learn. Teachers can immediately see how they are doing and give them feedback. Learning is accelerated and measuring attainment is quick and effective. Pupils of all backgrounds and abilities are motivated. They can work individually or in groups, and they can perform solo or in bands from Day 1.
For more information on Gigajam, please feel free to contact:
Brian Greene
T: 01494 534880 | M: 07976 208859 | E; brian.greene@gigajam.com