First issued in unfinished form in 2000, and finalised at Version 3 early in 2005, the Theory of Music Workshop CD-ROM is the giant end-result of an activity that began twenty years before with a little Theory program for the Spectrum home computer.

The CD-ROM adds a new dimension to the design of the paper Workshop with some 70 on-screen Lessons which can take a keen student right through the course, with the back-up of the entire resources of the print edition all tucked away on a little disc -- along with a variety of introductory pages and a menu structure to make it very easy to navigate and use.
 

The program, which works like a huge web site, is equally at home in a young student's bedroom or with a class (using headphones) in a school computer room, all working at their own pace.  Copyright restrictions are minimal. Worksheets and Factsheets can be printed out from the computer as needed, and then photocopied if numbers are required.  The program can be copied to a network server.  Additional copies of the CD can be bought at a greatly reduced price, or in certain circumstances may be made "in-house" on CD-R.  (For full information on Licensing and Copyright, visit Specimen Pages .)

The Theory of Music Workshop CD-ROM should run on any Pentium® (or equivalent) computer with Windows® (98 or later), Internet Explorer (5 or later) and any version (from 2 onwards) of Windows Media Player.  Other browsers and media players can be used, but perfect performance is not guaranteed.  Some Mackintosh® users have reported satisfactory results, but others have had problems.

THE TOPICS

The course is laid out as a series of Topics (corresponding to the Worksheet numbers of the print edition).  Some short Topics occupy only part of a Worksheet/Factsheet, and these have a letter in their designation, e.g. 4a, 4b.  In the CD-ROM version, the user has the option of printing out the parts of sheets separately or taking the two small Topics on one page as in the print edition.  

A MENU
(non-working screenshot)

As this example shows, all the menus include summaries of the Topics covered, and so provide a reliable guide through the course.  The buttons call up the various components as required.

THE ON-SCREEN LESSONS
 

These Lessons have a resource denied to more traditional forms of Theory publication:  SOUND -- used to illustrate, to make real, to test, to coach, and occasionally to entertain.  Most sound clips are "played" at will by the user, and so do not cause unwanted delays.  As well as musical sounds there are many speech clips, offering further explanation, "footnotes" to the on-screen text, and  pronunciations of all the foreign words Theory students may need to know.  The Lessons are highly interactive, with question-and-answer episodes, ear tests, trails to follow, and optional "Mouse games" and "Mind games" to confirm understanding. The Lessons take their own fresh approach to the subject, at no time repeating any material from the print edition, but the user is sometimes referred to a Factsheet or a Handbook page for further help.

The Lessons are notable for their in-depth treatment (together with the Factsheets and Handbooks) of the "creative" Topics (composing a rhythm or melody).

THE FACTSHEETS
 

There is a single Factsheet for each Topic, which may give a concise summary if the Topic is large, or enter on a fresh treatment if there is more room.  The Factsheets may be either viewed on screen or printed for reference.

THE HANDBOOK PAGES
 

In the CD version, the Handbook text is split up and made available for each Topic as a separate extract.  Some of these "Handbook lessons" are of minor interest in the light of the on-screen Lessons, but others provide further valuable insights, especially on exam technique and musical handwriting.  Some users who like to have material to read away from the computer may well buy the printed Handbooks as a companion to the CD-ROM.

THE WORKSHEETS
 

There are three Worksheets for every Topic (the 0 Series, Set A, and Set B).  Each series is a course in itself, but two or all three Worksheets for a Topic may be worked in succession if more practice is needed.  For this purpose the Worksheets for any one Topic are (wherever possible) different enough to maintain some interest.

The Worksheets are still "paperwork" -- an essential element in the study of Theory.  It is not possible to "do" the Worksheets on screen.  They must be printed out and written on.

THE ANSWERS
 

The buttons with lower-case letters bring up the Answers to the Worksheets (except in the "creative" Topics, for which, of course, no set answers can be given).  The answers are given in concise form -- not as "worked copies" of the Worksheets.

Obviously the Answers will usually be consulted on-screen, but they can be printed out if needed.