I woke up way to early this morning and having nothing else to do and at the risk of getting flamed, I will add my 2 cents to this thread. I really do think you two are saying the same thing. I don't believe that the flight simulators tell you how to solve the problem by flashing 'push here' instructions in your face which is what the fingering app software does. You have to understand the problem and solve the problem by thinking about how to solve it, developing reaction time along the way, and that comes from intense studying the hard way. It supplies an incredibly useful, and necessary, tool when taking an airplane up in the sky is impractical and potentially harmful.
Now, at the risk of really getting flamed, I think the fingering app software may have some value. I have only been playing the horn for two years since putting it away in 1972. Fingerings are not intrinsically in my fingers yet. I understand what they need to be but my brain to finger connection doesn't come naturally yet. Many times I have trouble going to sleep (yes I have sleep issues) and I mentally review the fingerings for scales and the passages I am working on. I make my fingers move, hopefully correctly, while I'm doing this and I can feel in my fingers where a fingering is awkward and that another solution would be better. I know what the other solution might be because I have studied the fingerings and then I try that in my head. Sometimes I may not be selecting the correct fingering. Where is the harm in having my iPhone laying on my chest and pushing the software generated buttons, not looking at them, and hearing that what I'm doing is correct? I am not suggest ing in any way that this would replace the hard work needed on the horn. I see it potentially as an additional tool that can be used when putting the horn on ones face is completely impractical. Another situation would be on a subway train while commuting for example. I really don't see how this can hurt. (It is true that I'm not sure how the F /Bb trigger works.) If the software is used to replace time spent on the horn, or to try to avoid learning the hard way, that's bad. I'm just suggesting that there are some possible uses for it that may help some students. The current marketing for the software implies that this software can replace work done on the horn. That's bad marketing. It doesn't necessarily mean it's bad software. Sincerely, Tina 4th Chair, Riverhead Community Band 4th Chair, Shoreham Wading River Community Band www.newhornist.com On Jun 20, 2010, at 5:17 AM, Hans Pizka wrote: > William, > > now you made me really angry by your inability to understand things. > You cannot mix pears & apples. > Nobody is perfect prepared for every extreme situation which might > happen due to certain circumstances, which cannot > be anticipated (see volcanic ash cloud, giant waves in the ocean, > earthquakes, helicopter falling down mid in town, etc.), > but everybody can be prepared to master nearly every "variable" in his > or her profession by proper training, > which simply begins with understanding how things work or how the > rules are. The proper training includes > exercises as well, but the exercises alone will not bring any value if > the rules are not understood. Without understanding > the rules & the "mechanics" of things & actions, one will remain > helpless in extreme situations, > no m atter inside any simulator or in reality. > > Why simulators were built, dear William, you do not need to explain > that to me. This is common knowledge. Or would you assume > I would advocate learning these things with life airplanes & live > passengers ? How stupid do you think were other people ? > Or would you say, I would advocate car accident experiments with life > passengers instead of dummies ? > > Learning by doing, yes, but this is the second step, not the first. > Theory comes first. Understanding. > > What I advocated, was: learning understand the things & rules first, > but not with prechewed learn-ware. > When I was in school, we did not have the system of "just mark the > right answer by a cross", we had to think about the answer & formulate > the answer in undertstandable sentences. Quite a difference to todays > school system. > > But all this is not comparable with the horn. IS IT TOO MUCH, to > understand & remember the scales, the harmonics & the > possible fingerings ? Is it too much to find out the "alternate" > fingerings ? Is it too difficult to write the several series of natural > pitches, one above the other e.g. in double lines (written pitch & > concert pitch) BY YOURSELF, to find out the alternating fingerings ? > Way too much for many, it seems. > > PS: Do you know, who constructed the first ejector seat ? > > > _______________________________________________ > post: [email protected] > unsubscribe or set options at > https://pegasus.memphis.edu/cgi-bin/mailman/options/horn/tina.barkan%40mac.com _______________________________________________ post: [email protected] unsubscribe or set options at https://pegasus.memphis.edu/cgi-bin/mailman/options/horn/archive%40jab.org
