Reference Guide

Table of Contents

Free Play Mode

The Free Play mode in JazzPianoLab allows you to explore and practice without restrictions. It's designed to give you complete freedom while providing helpful visual feedback and guidance.

Getting Started

To access Free Play mode, simply click on "Free Play" from the main menu. In this mode, you can:

  • Play freely on your MIDI keyboard or the on-screen piano
  • See real-time chord identification as you play
  • Use the built-in metronome to practice with timing
  • Record your performances for review

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Toolbar Controls

The Free Play mode features a comprehensive toolbar with controls to adjust your playing experience:

MIDI Controls

  • MIDI Reset: Sends MIDI reset messages to stop all currently playing notes and reset all controllers. Useful if you experience "stuck" notes.
  • VST3 Instrument Mute: Toggle button to quickly mute/unmute the current VST3 instrument without changing other settings.

Metronome Controls

  • Enable/Disable Metronome: Toggles the metronome on or off.
  • Set Tempo: Opens a modal window where you can specify the beats per minute (BPM) for the metronome.
  • Set Time Signature: Opens a modal window to configure the time signature (e.g., 4/4, 3/4, 5/4, etc.) used by the metronome.

Music Theory

  • Set Current Key: Opens a modal window to set the current major key, which affects how chord symbols and note names are displayed, particularly regarding enharmonic equivalents (e.g., whether to show F# or Gb).

MIDI Recorder

  • Record: Starts recording your MIDI performance.
  • Play: Plays back your most recently recorded performance.
  • Stop: Stops the current recording or playback.
  • Save to File: Opens a dialog to save your recorded performance as a standard MIDI file.

Display Options

  • Windowed Mode: Toggle button that attaches/detaches the Virtual MIDI keyboard from/to the application's main window. When detached, you can position the keyboard independently, which is useful for multi-monitor setups or to optimize screen space.

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Controls and Features

The Free Play interface provides several components to enhance your practice:

Tool Bar

As described in the Toolbar Controls section above, the tool bar provides quick access to essential functions like MIDI reset, metronome controls, key selection, recorder controls, and display options.

Musical Staff

The musical staff displays real-time information about your playing and current settings:

  • Current Tempo: Shows the current beats per minute (BPM) setting
  • Time Signature: Displays the current time signature (e.g., 4/4, 3/4)
  • Metronome Status: Visual indicator showing whether the metronome is enabled or disabled
  • Current Key: Shows both the name of the selected key and its corresponding key signature (accidentals) on the staff
  • Note Display: Shows pressed keys as notation on the staff in real time
  • Note Names: When enabled, displays note names to the left of the staff for each pressed key

Virtual MIDI Keyboard

  • Key Visualization: Displays key presses in real-time with customizable colors
  • Note Names: When enabled, displays the names of notes above each key
  • Sustain Pedal Indicator: Shows the status of the sustain pedal on either the left or right side of the keyboard (if configured to be displayed)
  • Pedal-Sustained Notes: Visually indicates which notes are being sustained by the pedal

Other Features

  • Chord Display: Shows identified chords as you play according to your chord identification settings
  • Windowed/Attached Mode: Flexibility to have the MIDI keyboard attached to the main window or as a separate floating window

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Tips for Free Play

  • Use the chord identification feature to learn new chord voicings
  • Practice with the metronome to develop steady timing
  • Record yourself and listen back critically
  • Experiment with different keys and time signatures to expand your musicality
  • Customize the visual settings to suit your learning style
  • Use tool bar to quickly access different settings

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