| Music Theory Card Games |
where there are no roadblocks or short circuits
| April Fool’s Joke – 4 Weeks of Classes |
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| Symbols – 12 Weeks of Classes |
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| Musical Terms Board Game |
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| Musical Morse Code Game Templates |
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Violin – Master Class –Module 1 -Pre-Twinkle Parts of the Violin and bow
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One bit of information is presented on a large picture followed by a series of descriptions. With each pass through the book, a new description can be added. Eventually, the part and its use are understood without extra effort. Enjoy Learning the names of the parts of an instrument is foundational to the study of that instrument. Instructions can be laser-focused by the teacher and carried out by the student without terms like: “Put your thumb on the ‘thing-a-ma-jig’ while you are bringing the ‘whachamacallit’ to the ‘bottom’. Teachers can use the book on their computers to teach the parts of the instrument. Be sure to check out the playing card games “Go Fish” and “Memory for Non-Readers”. Templates are available. Next, get acquainted with the strings on the violin and the position needed to play with quality.
Parts of the Violin and Bow
Parts of the Violin
Parts of the Bow
Parts of the violin study cards
Parts of the violin memory game
Parts of the violin go fish card game
Violin Beginner – Know Your Strings
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Remember to have a great playing position and great bow hold as you attempt this first challenge. Play the rhythms Charlie Brown and Snoopy, Strawberries – Strawberries, See You Later Alligator, I Love (sh) Mom
Violin – Master Class – Beginner Bowing Speed Exercises
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9 classes of songs and games using only the open strings
3 – Violin Beginner Bowing – Speed Exercises
Walking bows
Running Bows
Jump Rope Bows
Hopping Bows
Rolling Around Bows
Stretching bows
Toe Touching Bows
Twirling Bows
Open Strings Card Game
Scales Aren’t Just a Fish
Violin – Master Class – Let Your Fingers do the Walking – Exercise play-alongs
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5 Classes of exercises and practice on your fingers in the first position. 1st finger on the A string songs with sheet music and play-along music. Second finger on the A string songs and sheet music. Mary had a Little Lamb. Digital Books – Let Your Fingers Do the Walking. Songs for the third finger on the A string and Songs for the first finger on the E string. This book sets you up to play Twinkle and the songs in the Twinkle Master Class
Violin – MasterClass – Lunch Anyone – Let’s make a musical sandwich
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Make a sandwich means to learn the structure of a piece of music. You will learn rhythms and put them together into a song. Starting with practice songs for just the individual fingers you will quickly learn the proper placement of your fingers. By the time you are done this module, you will be playing lots of tunes. Mary had a little lamb, Hot Cross Buns, and the rhythm sandwiches.
Violin – MasterClass – Let Your Fingers do the Walking – Exercise play-alongs
First Finger on the A String
Second Finger on the A String
Let Your Fingers Do the Walking
Review: Mary Had a Little Lamb
Flash cards
April Fool’s Joke
5 Classes of exercises and practice on your fingers in the first position. 1st finger on the A string songs with sheet music and play-along music. Second finger on the A string songs and sheet music. Mary had a Little Lamb. Digital Books – Let Your Fingers Do the Walking. Songs for the third finger on the A string and Songs for the first finger on the E string. This book sets you up to play Twinkle and the songs in the Twinkle Master Class
Violin – MasterClass – Lunch Anyone – Let’s make a musical sandwich
Mary Had a Little Lamb
Bread and Cheese Sections (A) (B)
Make a Charlie Brown Sandwich
Make a Strawberry Sandwich
Make a See You Later Alligator Sandwich
Make an I Love (sh) Mom Sandwich
This is a big one: ALL 7 PRE-TWINKLE CLASSES FOR 3 MONTHS
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If you have any interest in the Whole Enchilada: Please contact me at carolanderson@scalesarentjustafishthingschool.com
The Whole Enchilada – Classes at your level and at your speed
If you are a violin student and would like personal support, the ability to move through the material from Twinkle to Vivaldi and the Bach Double Concerto – at your unique personal speed – then this one time offer is perfect for your needs. You will have the ability to Face-time me- (a Suzuki teacher for 30 years), email support and mp4 videos, mp3 audio, downloadable books, sheet music and music theory games and templates. It is the whole enchilada. As you progress, new material will be opened for you. To move on you will need to spend a little time with me either online or send me a video of your progress, making sure you understand the music and have done the work. You will be required to memorize certain pieces of music so you can pull it out of your memory at any time. We will schedule a time to talk after each session or we can wait until you feel ready and set the time then. No stress … for the year.
Violin – Master Class – Twinkle Class of Gum Drop Notes & Nursery Rhymes To Play
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Hold onto your bow because it is going to be flying now. So many new songs to play. Twinkle, Baa Baa Black Sheep, ABC Song, This Old Man, Lightly Row, A All The Way, Song of the Wind, Row Row Row Your Boat, Rain Rain Go Away, Pussy Cat, Pease Porridge Hot, Diddle Diddle Dumplin, Chippy (Go Tell Aunt Rhody) London Bridge is Falling Down, Five Little Ducks, The Wheels on the Bus, Three Blind Mice, Old Mac Donald, Ring Around the Rosie,
Violin – Master Class – The Guppy School
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The Guppies is the level after the Twinklers. It is ‘Book One (level 3). Pre-Twinkle, Twinkle, Guppies, Salmons and Graduates make up Book one. Scales Aren’t Just a Fish Thing is an amazing method of teaching music theory and sight-reading at the same time, while having fun. Every possible crutch to learning is given. The method uses the concept of nurturing into learning not testing so our brains don’t set up a roadblock before we get started with learning to sight-read music. This volume of ‘The Big Book of Gum Drop Notes’ book one, includes both color-coded notes with stems indicating the string the note is played on and the notehead indicating which note is played and black notes. The following songs are included: Hey Diddle Diddle A Frog Went a Courtin’ A Peanut sat on a Railroad Track Hickory Dickory Dock Oh Dear What Can the Matter Be Here We Go Around the Mulberry Bush Anchors Aweigh O Come Little Children Long Long Ago May Song Old MacDonald Had a Farm Allegro
Violin – Master Class – Salmons
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The tunes in this level of the Big Book of Gum Drop Notes are a bit of a challenge. Salmon swim against the current. It is a challenge for them but they are mono-focused. They want to accomplish the task. This is what will be required of us in this level of playing. Using the ‘gumdrop notes’ makes it easier. Almost too easy. It doesn’t seem to be an upstream battle. It isn’t our goal to become sophisticated or classy. Our goal is to learn to sight-read music as if it were a second language. Learning happens best when we are having fun. Most of all, our purpose is to ignite our sleeping brains, by using music as the catalyst, to pull each of us through whatever it is that challenges us. The Gum Drop Notes are an amazing system of color-coded notes structured to teach music theory without our being aware. Here are a list of the tunes: Perpetual Motion Doubles – Perpetual Motion – Solo – Alouette – Andantino – Ring Around the Rosie – Allegretto – Animal Fair – All the Pretty Little Ponies – Happy Birthday – Ode to Joy – Etude – Solo – Etude Doubles Bingo – Solo Bingo with rests
Violin – MasterClass – Graduates Book One
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The Scales Aren’t Just a Fish Thing method works so quickly and efficiently that students fly through the curriculum, memorizing along the way. Why? Because every modality is addressed. And with that, each student is learning through their own unique learning style. Color-coding notes, play-along music, hints along the way to prevent anything incorrect from being learned, all makes this not only efficient but a yummy way to learn, practice and work until you master the results. Gum Drop Notes aren’t sophisticated and classy but they take a student through a ‘dark forest’ of the unknown task and make it enjoyable. Violinists can assure themselves that they are playing correctly because each note has a bowing indication and each stem of the note reminds the student on which string they should be playing that note. An Open E string tone can be played, and often should be played with a fourth finger on the A string. Lots of reasons why but does a four-year-old care? No, they will play it correctly and understand fully down the road. They will shake their head at your explanation and when they are eight acknowledge what you said. At four, they have the capability to play well and efficiently but want it at lightning speed. Gum Drop Notes offers this and much more. Give them a try.Nick Nack Paddy Wack Gavotte by Gossec and many more
A Year in Level Two
Level Two- purchased separately on a monthly subscription or as a one year study program
Songs from the great composers from years past and their biographies
Keepers Level – Chorus from Judas Maccabeus
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Handel was a prolific composer. He invented the English oratorio. His most famous oratorio was “‘The Messiah’ So what’s an oratorio? It is like an opera where people sing, chamber groups play and orchestras are hired and it tells a story. The difference? The opera uses costumes and performers. The oratorio is just singing. Chorus was an oratorio performed at the Theatre-Royal in the Covent-Garden. Chorus is the first song in book two of the Suzuki repertoire.
Keepers Level – Musette by Bach
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Keepers – Musette by Bach – is the second song in the Suzuki Violin repertoire. The color-coded sheet music, play along mp4 videos and audio files help the student memorize the song and techniques almost like magic. Try it.
Keepers Level – Hunter’s Chorus by Carl Maria Von Weber
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The musical story of The Hunter’s Chorus is about ‘marksman’ or ‘hunter’ who relies on magic. Hunter’s Chorus. This is called Jägerchor in German. This means the “Master of the Hunt” The tune of the Hunter’s Chorus is in act 3, It is the chorus about the joy of hunting
Mp4 play along videos at various speeds, mp3 audio to download and listen to when you aren’t actually practicing. Downloadable sheet music.
When studying a piece of music, it is always fun to know a little about the composer. Each song in the “Keepers” Book 2 has an insightful discussion about the composer imaging what he might have been thinking or what his life might have been like. “Hunter’s Chorus” is found in the Suzuki repertoire and color-coded in the Scales Aren’t Just a Fish Thing curriculum. To study a piece correctly, it helps to know the correct bowing and the correct fingering. Scales Aren’t Just a Fish Thing teaches complex music theory concepts with clues and crutches throughout the song. Memorize the music quickly while learning subtle bits of theory by using the play-along music at different speeds.
Keepers Level – Waltz by Johannes Brahms
Waltz is a Suzuki song in Book 2. It is a great opportunity to understand repetition in songs and dynamics.
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Keeper Level – Long Long Ago by Thomas Bayly
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Keepers Level – Bourree By George Frideric Handel
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Bourree by Handel is one of my favorite songs in the Keeper Level. Be sure to learn the previews first and well because the whole song is based on how they are played. I like to start with a small bow and open the bow as I go through the run. This is a fun, secret way to get the sound to become fuller.
Keeper Level – The Two Grenadiers by R. Schumann
The musical story of two French soldiers returning home after a war. Lots of expressive passages and bowing. Take your time and play it with energy and expression.
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When you sign into this masterclass the links will open. Enjoy the journey. Email me with questions.
Mp4 play along videos at various speeds, mp3 audio to download and listen to when you aren’t actually practicing. Downloadable sheet music. All for less than the price of one violin lesson or a cup of coffee a day. When studying a piece of music, it is always fun to know a little about the composer. Each song in the “Keepers” Book 2 has an insightful discussion about the composer imaging what he might have been thinking or what his life might have been like. “The Two Grenadiers” is found in the Suzuki repertoire and color-coded in the Scales Aren’t Just a Fish Thing curriculum. To study a piece correctly, it helps to know the correct bowing and the correct fingering. Scales Aren’t Just a Fish Thing teaches complex music theory concepts with clues and crutches throughout the song. Memorize the music quickly while learning subtle bits of theory by using the play-along music at different speeds.
Witches Dance – Paganini
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Witches Dance is so much fun to play. Lots of arpeggios and a final run. Try to learn them first and your life will be a lot easier.
Gavotte from “Mignon”
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Gavotte from Mignon is a step up the ladder. Give it a try and you find that you are a better player for having taking this class
Keeper Level – Gavotte by Lully
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If I asked you to tell me how many A’s are played in this run how long would it take to count them? 15 seconds? A is red. It is a warm tone and red is a warm color. Now, how many notes are played on the A string? Look at the stems. That tells the secret. Red stems are played on the A string. This is great when learning to shift into higher positions because an F# can be played on the A string and that gives you a clue where ‘I suggest’ it be played. Of course. It is up to you. You are the musician and you need to listen to the quality of the sound and then adjust the location it is played.
Mp4 play along videos at various speeds, mp3 audio to download and listen to when you aren’t actually practicing. Downloadable sheet music. All for less than the price of one violin lesson or a cup of coffee a day.
When studying a piece of music, it is always fun to know a little about the composer. Each song in the “Keepers” Book 2 has an insightful discussion about the composer imagining what he might have been thinking or what his life might have been like. “Gavotte by Lully” is found in the Suzuki repertoire and color-coded in the Scales Aren’t Just a Fish Thing curriculum. To study a piece correctly, it helps to know the correct bowing and the correct fingering. Scales Aren’t Just a Fish Thing teaches complex music theory concepts with clues and crutches throughout the song. Memorize the music quickly while learning subtle bits of theory by using the play-along music at different speeds.
Keepers Level – Minuet in G by Bach
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Lots of previews….lots of bowing techniques.
Take it slowly and learn the previews well before attempting the song.
Mp4 play along videos at various speeds, mp3 audio to download and listen to when you aren’t actually practicing. Downloadable sheet music. All for less than the price of one violin lesson or a cup of coffee a day.
Keepers Rigoletto and Teddy Bear’s Picnic – Amazing Grace
Two of the most interesting songs to learn that can make solos or living room concerts lots of fun.
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Keepers Level – Minuet by Boccherini
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Minuet by Boccherini is not as hard as it seems at first. Simply take it in pieces….’ one little bit at a time’ and you will master it quickly
When studying a piece of music, it is always fun to know a little about the composer. Each song in the “Keepers” Book 2 has an insightful discussion about the composer imagining what he might have been thinking or what his life might have been like. “Minuet by Boccherini” is found in the Suzuki repertoire and color-coded in the Scales Aren’t Just a Fish Thing curriculum. To study a piece correctly, it helps to know the correct bowing and the correct fingering. Scales Aren’t Just a Fish Thing teaches complex music theory concepts with clues and crutches throughout the song. Memorize the music quickly while learning subtle bits of theory by using the play-along music at different speeds.
Mp4 play along videos at various speeds, mp3 audio to download and listen to when you aren’t actually practicing. Downloadable sheet music. All for less than the price of one violin lesson or a cup of coffee a day.
Minuet by Boccherini is not as hard as it seems at first. Simply take it in pieces….’one little bit at a time’ and you will master it quickly.
Level Three- purchased separately on a monthly subscription or as a one year study program
The Manatees – Level Three
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| Manatees Level – Minuet Three by Bach | |
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| Manatees – Gavotte in G Minor | |
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| Manatees – Humoresque by Dvorak | |
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| Manatees – Gavotte in D Major by J.S.Bach | |
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| Manatees – Gavotte by Becker | |
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| Manatees – Bourree by Bach | |
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A Year in Level Four
Level Four- Dolphins
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| Dolphins – Seitz 1 Concerto No2, 3rd Movement | |
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| Dolphins – Seitz 2 – Concerto 5 1st movement | |
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Dolphins – Seitz 3 Concerto 5 3rd Movement
Give this a try. Mp4, Mp3 audio, downloadable sheet music. Lots of previews. Practice with the previews until you can play them up to speed and then work on the entire song. Don’t stop until you can play it well…..memorized. The cost of a few cups of coffee.
Seitz – mp4, mp3, downloadable sheet music and harmonies. Give it a try but take your time and learn the bowing techniques, the ups and downs, and the speed at which some of it is played. Go til you’ve got it!…Be able to play it along with the play along music.
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| Dolphins – Lullabies Schubert and Brahms | |
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| The Dolphins – Concerto in A Minor 3rd Movement – Antonio Vivaldi | |
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| The Dolphins– Concerto in A Minor 1st Movement – Vivaldi | |
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| The Dolphins – Bach Double Concerto for Violins in D Minor Try the class now! | |
Add on Master Classes
– Monthly subscriptions (second month is at a reduced fee)
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| Selfie Profiles | |
“Who are the Super Heroes?”
“Super Heroes are Happy”
“Super Hero Test and answers”
“Facial Dominance”
“Eye Dominance”
“Hand foot and ear dominance”
“A Goal without a Plan is just a Wish”
“A Study in Happiness and Commitment”
“Comparing Stress vs Burnout”
“Don’t think about Fish”
“I Played the Truck”
“The Parking Lot and the Why Behind our Choices “
“Desirable qualities and Undesirable flaws and why does that matter when studying music?”
“Compliant or Cooperative – Which is better?”
“How We are Wired and Why it Matters When Learning Music — or anything for that matter”
“What Others Think and Why it shouldn’t Matter”
“Organized Clutter”
“Wait for it!”
“The Perfect Storm”
“Winter Doldrums”
“Creatively Strengthening Mini Minds”
“The dimmer switch on progress”
“The Pattern Interrupt”
“Moments are the ‘bytes’ of our life”
“Practice with sticking power”
“3 Steps: Make a dream a vision and then a reality”
“Healthy Model vs Diseased Model”
“Smorgasbord Feast for the Brain”
“Chatting with the birds”
“What if you knew the end of the game at the beginning?”
“Planting Seeds”
“Don’t fight the Loss – Define and Fight the battle”
“Take Back Your Life and Make it Happen”
“5 points for making memories”
“Igniting Sleeping Brains Strategy”
“The 8’s week one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight”
“Crutches to Creativity”
“See – Hear – or Move to Process Information and life around you”
“Mind Control – I feel Happy, I feel Healthy, I feel Terrific!”
“Playing Music at the Grandparents’ house”
“Memorial Day”
“The Flow”
“Enriching the Brain”
“You deserve a break today ….if…. “
“Character First “
” Four D’s We can Influence and One we Can’t”
“Are you in the cycle of the revolving door?”
“Anchors in Life”
“Capture the Moment”
“Mommy Manifesto”
“It’s Easier to Start Something than Finishing it”
“The Psychology of Choice”
“What is Scales Aren’t Just a Fish Thing?”
“When children’s or our eyes are distracted – focus”
“The value of speed and games in learning”
“Three kinds of Music Readers”
“Creatively strengthen music students”
“Life is better when in balance”
“A cup of tea”
“Perfection vs Excellence”
“Greenhouse Mentoring”
“Today I identified with a gas station”
“What is the Gas that Runs the Motor that Feeds the Meter?”
“Practice – A little thought on a little change”
“Drift – Driven – Design your Practice”
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| Violin – Early One Morning | |
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| Violin – Pachelbel’s Canon – MasterClass | |
Pachelbel’s Canon starts with previews of the most difficult passages. Once the previews are mastered, the student then begins the song with ‘candy cane’ notes. The notes are color-coded and lettered to give a solid foundation. Eventually, the student moves to black notes with very few prompts.
A fun duet completes the book using the skills from Pachelbel’s Canon.
Scales Aren’t Just a Fish Thing is a system to teach complex music theory concepts, sight-reading and how to play the violin, teaching students to memorize repertoire rapidly and deeply.
This Master Class has all the stems colored to indicate the string the note is played on for the violin but it can be used for two or three pianos, mandolins, harps etc. to play as a round as well.
Pachelbel Canon Preview (very slowly)
Pachelbel Preview
Pachelbel Preview (Very Slowly)—
Pachelbel (Very Slowly)
Pachelbel First Shift
Pachelbel Preview 3 Rhythm
Pachelbel – the complete song
Pachelbel – trio
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| Violin – MasterClass – Canons (most in the key of C) | |
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| Violin – MasterClass – Fiddle Tunes – Gum Drop Notes | |
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| Violin – MasterClass – Fickle Fingers Companion Books Finger Positions | |
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| MasterClass – Christmas Sheet Music and Play-along for Violin, Piano and Cello | |
Using Gum Drop Notes is simple
With a degree in psychology and 30 years as a violin teacher, this incredible method developed to help students, no matter the age or learning difference, in their quest to deeply understand music theory, sight-reading and the actual tones being played.
The Gum Drop Notes color coding does not represent any psychological issue. We aren’t really seeing colors as we play. What is happening is that each note becomes a tone with a unique sound and color of its own. It takes on a characteristic that can be identified.
Keep in mind that the colors of the notes are subliminally teaching complex music theory concepts without a word of lecturing. Stem colors indicate the string the note is to be played on. Sharps and flats are reinforced by a circle of the color the note is moving toward. Card games to go along with the sheet music tunes teach the order and relationship of notes, symbols and rhythms, etc. Play-along movies bring the student up to polished speed and teach the the tune before the student begins to study the music.
It all seems too good to be true, but once you begin to use the Gum Drop Notes sheet music, play along mp4, and card games, you will be amazed at how fast you learn music theory and the music you are studying and memorizing.