From: tomh@tellabs.com (Tom Huber)
Subject: Re: Seeking Opinions on Miracle Piano Teacher System
Organization: Tellabs, Lisle,IL
Date: Wed, 6 Jan 1993 18:30:39 GMT

In article <1993Jan4.222653.19681@nynexst.com> rsilvers@nynexst.com (Robert Silvers) writes:
>In article <1993Jan4.203452.8850@cs.ucla.edu> gds@cs.ucla.edu (Greg Skinner) writes:
>>I don't understand.  I have been taking lessons for two years, but I
>>can practice whenever I want. (If it's late at night, I just use
>>headphones.)  I think that piano instruction is good for correcting
>
>You can practice, but there is no one there to correct your mistakes.  A
>Miracle or an instructor can do that.  The Miracle is like a live-in
>instructor.
>
>>Also, I have seen (new) keyboards advertised for as low as $100.  That
>>plus a workbook (about $15 from any sheet music store) and a weekly
>>lesson should get one as far as the Miracle system gets them.
>
>	Maybe you can get keyboards for $100 (are they velocity sensitive,
>have MIDI, and 16 note polyphony?)  That and a workbook would NEVER, NEVER,
>NEVER, get you anywhere near as far as the Miracle.  I mean the Miracle will
>demo the song for you, then you play it and it tells you what you did wrong.
>Workbooks don't know if you hit the wrong key, or with bad timing.  Have you
>really used this system?  I mean for a few hours anyways?  I can't imagine a
>real instructor being as effective, let alone a workbook.
>
>						--Rob.

I take great exception to the idea that the Miracle system is more effective
than weekly lessons with a piano teacher.  Yes, the Miracle can tell you if
you played the correct notes at the correct times, but there is MUCH MORE to
music than playing the correct note at the correct time.  The Miracle can't
tell you if your hand position is correct or if your fingers are properly
curved. It doesn't know if you are using the correct fingering for a phrase.
It can't teach you to play expressively.  It can't suggest techniques for
learning a difficult piece (this may be one reeason why it doesn't attempt to
teach the user anything difficult:-).  It can't force you to commit a piece
to memory, an essential part of learning to play any instrument.  A piano
teacher can and will teach all of those things.  A piano teacher will also be
able to teach music theory much more effectively than a computer program.  I've
had 11 years of piano lessons, and I'll guarantee that I learned more from my
teacher than the Miracle system (or any other computer program) could ever
teach me.  

For learning some very basic skills, and some very basic songs, the Miracle
may be useful.  For any sort of serious musical study, there is no substitute
for a competent teacher.

Tom
-- 
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tomh@tellabs.com    |        |   My opinions are, by definition, my own. 
Tom Huber           |   GO   |      
Tellabs             | IRISH! |   You can't fool all the people all the time,
Lisle, IL           |        |   but if you succeed once, it lasts four years.
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Newsgroups: rec.music.synth,rec.music.industrial,rec.music.makers.synth