Web-Based Learning Tool Helps Students Write Music, Learn to Play Drums

Learning how to play a musical instrument is no easy task. Understanding how to read music, tune instruments and play the right notes are just a few of the challenges young musicians face when first learning their craft.

Technology, however, has helped to shorten this learning curve for Liz Ficalora’s drum students. In an article by Kristen Kindoll of The Tennessean, Kindoll reports that Ficalora, a Nashville-based drum teacher, uses a web-based software program called Drum Chart Builder to help her students create their own drum music.

Drum Chart Builder helps Ficalora’s students create drum charts, a key skill to learn when mastering the drums.

Drum charts map out a song’s form: intro, verse, chorus, bridge, solo, tag and ending. Drummers must then count how many musical measures or bars are in each song. Once the song form is devised, drummers will listen and determine what drum patterns flow together successfully with all types of songs.

Drum Chart Builder simplifies the drum chart learning process by allowing students to create and edit charts electronically. Students can add common song elements with quick menus, as well as load an MP3 file and auto-count measures.

Ficalora was quoted as saying that when she was learning how to play the drums, she was never taught how to write out drum music, which inspired her to adopt Drum Chart Builder into her lesson plans.

With instruction from teachers like Ficalora and web-based learning tools such as Drum Chart Builder, students are now granted the opportunity to not only learn from a drumming experts, but also learn on their own time through the use of highly advanced web-based tools and software.

Web-based software such as Drum Chart Builder helps drum students expand on what they are learning, and often helps to quicken the learning process. Having access to web-based tools helps students build skills at home, in school, and anywhere internet is available.

What to Know About Web-Based Learning Tools

Web-based learning tools continue to impact education in various study areas, from helping students learn quadratic equations to helping them learn to play instruments. As more web-based tools are created to focus on niche activities, subject areas and interests, it is likely that many teachers will be utilizing these tools to further enhance their instruction.

Before teachers implement web-based learning tools, there are few factors that need to be taken into consideration:

Will this web-based tool help you to accomplish learning goals? There have been many instances in which teachers adopt web-based tools because they have learned about them on the web or from a fellow colleague, but don’t consider how that tool will specifically help their students learn better and achieve learning goals. Be sure to consider what you are trying to accomplish before implementing a web-based learning tool.

Is this web-based tool accessible from numerous devices, web browsers? It’s important students can access web-based tools both in school and at home. With certain devices only providing access to certain web-browsers, the web-based learning tools you choose to implement should be accessible through any web browser.

Does this web-based tool collect data? Data-fueled learning tools are a great way to measure student progress and enable personalized learning, however it is important teachers ensure that the web-based tools they are using protect this data and store it securely. To learn more about safe web-based learning tools, check out Three Steps Every School Should Take to Protect Student Data.

To learn more about Drum Chart Builder, check out the video below.