This is a short blog to explain why such a great app ended up being obsolete. A tiny bit of background to start: In October 2012, after extensive writing, testing, developing, piloting and adjusting, and a HUGE monetary investment, Apple finally approved our ScaleBlitzer app – a tool for students to use to practice and […]
Exciting homework update for ScaleBlitzer
ScaleBlitzer now has a brand new feature: You can now access all of your Past Homework! You might be thinking, ‘what Past Homework?’ Well, up until now, you have only ever seen the Current Homework list (the one that can only hold 16 items). When items were ‘deleted’ from there, they were still stored in […]
ScaleBlitzer Case Study – Sharon
I’m really excited to share this feedback from Sharon, one of our ScaleBlitzer customers. She kindly forwarded on an email she sent to her entire school – check out some the wonderful results the students have achieved: Hi everyone! This is an email to update you on what is happening with students with Scale Blitzer. […]
Technique Tips: How Not to Offend
Technique is an incredibly subjective issue. Get 10 piano teachers in a room and you will have 10 different techniques. Dare to criticise someone else’s and you’re in for a long night. I’d like to start this article by describing three personal experiences, all to do with comments on technique. Many years ago when […]
Violin scales are mind-boggling (to pianists)
The Violin Stage 1 instrument pack has just been released for ScaleBlitzer, and I think I have grown a few brain cells in getting my head around scales for strings! Being a pianist and never having played a stringed instrument myself, I was pretty ignorant when it came to technical work for strings. So, in […]
Introduction to ScaleBlitzer Video
UPDATED: Latest video updated 23 April 2013 We are in the process of making a few short videos about ScaleBlitzer. Soon there will be a whole bunch of ‘how-to’ video tutorials on how to use it and get the best out of it, as well as testimonials from happy customers. For now here is a […]
Eight Essential Reasons to get ScaleBlitzer
Here’s eight reasons why ScaleBlitzer is a big boost for students practicing their scales: You will actually WANT to practice your scales. Yes, really. ScaleBlitzer remembers your homework and keeps track of your progress, testing you more on the scales you have trouble with The fact that you have to rate yourself each time you […]
Digital Natives – Teaching Styles
At the recent Piano Festival at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music I gave a presentation called ‘Teaching Digital Natives’, in which I discussed the ways in which technology has changed the learning styles of the current generation. There were 120 piano teachers in the room, of various ages and stages of teaching. We started the […]
New Feature in ScaleBlitzer v 1.2
ScaleBlitzer 1.2 has just been released and it contains a groovy new feature called ‘Device Transfer’. Imagine you’ve been using ScaleBlitzer for a while on the family iPad. You’re number 12 on the ScaleBlitzer leaderboard and you have about 30,000 points – well done! Then you receive an amazing birthday gift – your very own […]
Great Pianists Depend on Scales – by Abe Cytrynowski
Wilhelm Backhaus: (Germany, 1884-1969) Backhaus was a most highly esteemed pianist. One of the greatest Beethoven exponents of his generation, he regularly toured the music centres of the western world, and his brilliant performances would often leave audiences open-mouthed. Asked about his remarkable command of the keyboard and his practice program for the concert stage, […]