MusicLab Harmony uses the same interface and student tracking as MusicLab Melody.  In fact, if you have both programs, they will share the same database and reporting modules.  As the name implies, MusicLab Harmony deals mostly with teaching students about harmony, starting with basic intervals and ending with advanced chord progressions.

MusicLab Harmony Levels

Although the material covered in each level may vary slightly depending on the module, the concepts covered in each level usually carry over in each activity.  Harmony starts with major and perfect intervals in Level One before adding minor intervals in Level Two.  Other intervals are introduced in Levels Three and Four.  In Level Six, major, minor, augmented, and diminished triads in root position are covered.  By Level 10, triads in all positions have been covered and seventh chords are introduced.  By Level Thirteen, students must identify all seventh chords in all inversions. 

Levels Fourteen and Fifteen are used to help students identify chords within the context of a tonality (functional harmony.)  Four part harmony is introduced at Level Sixteen, where all the keys are major, and all chords are diatonic and in root position.  By Level Nineteen, the progressions include suspensions unaccented passing and neighboring tones.  Levels Twenty to Thirty become increasingly complex, ending with the French, German and Italian augmented-sixth chords, along with as the embellishing diminished-seventh chord. 

Although Harmony starts with fairly easy exercises based on intervals, it progresses to university level material over the course of thirty levels.  This is the most comprehensive musicianship program I have evaluated yet.

Music Lab Harmony Activities

Name

Name involves aural identification – naming an interval after it is played, for example, or identifying the chords used in a four-part chorale after listening to it.  This is one of the most difficult activities for students to practice without the assistance of someone else.  MusicLab handles the job quite well.

Analyze

Whereas Name was aural identification, this activity involves visual identification.  After seeing an interval or chord, students are asked to name it.

Sing

One of the most challenging, but rewarding modules, students are asked to sing intervals, chords and even four part chorales (one part at a time, of course!)  Students receive immediate, graphical feedback of their singing.  For instrumentalists, I have always believed that “if you can sing it, you can play it!”

Echo

MusicLab Harmony’s Echo module in can be practiced using an on-screen keyboard, but is much more effective when use with a MIDI keyboard.  Students play back intervals, chords and chorales that they hear.

Play

Play is similar to Echo, but students play what they see, rather than what they hear.  They are not given the actually pitches, but instead are asked to play a given interval, etc.

Notate

The Notate level is an interactive worksheet.  Students are asked to notate intervals, chords and even four part chorales on-screen!  They can receive immediate feedback, and Harmony is smart enough to check for parallel fifths!  As a teacher, this is exciting for me – it really saves me a lot of marking.  For the student, they can find out right away if they are right or wrong – instead of waiting a week to find out that they made a mistake!

Read

The Read module in MusicLab Harmony is a sight-reading exercise - you see it, you play it.  Unlike the play module, the notation is given and students play what they see on a MIDI keyboard.  This is the only module that actually requires the use of a MIDI keyboard.  If you do not have a keyboard connected to your computer, you will have to skip this exercise.  For more information on connecting MIDI devices, please see our Buyer’s Guide at http://www.kellysmusic.ca/interguide.asp

Write

Write is the classic dictation exercise.   Students listen to the examples, and then use the on-screen tools to write what they hear.  In the practice mode students can take as long as they like, but the pressure is on when they want to take the quiz!

Summary

If you try the demo, the first thing you will notice is that MusicLab is not bright and colourful.  When students get a question correct, a little green light flashes and the next question is played automatically.  An incorrect response causes the question to be repeated.  There are no happy sounds or animated characters, but the upshot is that the program is fast and effective – there is no wasted time here.

I found the program to be quite motivating, despite the lack of colour.  The motivation that MusicLab seems to provide is intrinsic motivation as students reap musical awards, rather than bright colours and happy faces.  Beginner students will need more than intrinsic motivation to keep them going, but more advanced students will enjoy their heightened level of musicianship.

Even though I am a trumpet player, my favourite part of the program is the sight-singing component.  Provided you do not use an expensive mic (cheaper ones don’t pick up overtones that confuse the program), the sight singing is very accurate and effective.  I’m always amazed at the improvement in my students’ aural skills after only a few sessions with MusicLab.

MusicLab Harmony is a real time saver, given that it will automatically mark students’ work!  Given the wide range of content it covers and its comprehensive range of activities, this is an invaluable tool.  Despite its drab interface, MusicLab gets results.