NAME

       pianobooster - learn the piano just by playing a game

DESCRIPTION

       Piano  Booster  is piano teaching software that can provide piano lessons for beginners as
       well as for advanced players. It can be used for teaching music theory and is  useful  for
       piano practice and learning piano technique.

SYNOPSIS

       pianobooster [flags] [midifile]

OPTIONS

       -d, --debug
              Increase the debug level

       -h, --help
              Display a help message

       --lights
              Turn on the keyboard lights

       -l, --log
              Write debug info to the "pb.log" log file

       --midi-input-dump
              Display the midi input in hex

       -q, --quick-start
              Quick start

       -v, --version
              Display the version number and exit

       --Xnote-length (EXPERIMENTAL)
              Display the note length

       --Xtick-rate=RATE (EXPERIMENTAL)
              Adjust the tick rate in mSec, the default being 4 (12 windows)

USAGE

       Piano  Booster  is a fun way of playing along with a musical accompaniment and at the same
       time learning the basics of reading musical notation. The difference between playing along
       to  a  CD  or  a standard midi file is that Piano Booster listens and follows what you are
       playing on a midi piano keyboard.

       The program has been designed to allow you to play along on a midi piano keyboard with the
       scrolling  notes  shown  on  the  screen.  The  notes  you press on the keyboard appear as
       coloured lines on the musical stave, the colour of which depends whether you have  pressed
       the right or wrong note.

       A  different  musical  instrument sound is used for your playing depending whether you are
       playing the right or wrong notes. This feature also allows Piano Booster to be  used  with
       printed  sheet  music so you can hear if you are playing the right notes while at the same
       time keeping your eyes on the printed score. The music  accompaniment  will  automatically
       wait for you to find and play the correct notes in the piece.

       Timing  markers  show  whether you are playing ahead or behind of the beat. They appear as
       white crosses that are drawn over the note.

FEATURES

       - Piano Booster follows you when playing along to a musical accompaniment.  If  you  stop,
       then so does the music.
       -  Play  a  single hand and Piano Booster will play the other hand, as well as the rest of
       instruments, in time with you.
       - Change the speed of playback to match your playing ability.
       - Transpose +/- 12 semitones without stopping the play back.
       - Change the Key Signature of the piece.
       - Plays any standard midi or kar file.
       - Play along to any instrument in the midi file.
       - Adjust the volume of the current part or the volume your piano part.
       - See how accurate you're playing.
       - Change the start bar to start playing from any bar in the music. The repeat bars  allows
       you to practice just a few difficult bars continuously.
       -  Timing  markers  are  white  crosses  that are drawn over each note and show if you are
       playing ahead or behind the beat.
       - A different instrument sound is used for the right and wrong notes that you play.

SEE ALSO

       You can find more about the game on its homepage: http://pianobooster.sourceforge.net/

AUTHOR

       The game has been written by Louis J. Barman <louisjb@users.sourceforge.net>. This  manual
       page was written by Miriam Ruiz <miriam@debian.org> for the Debian project.

                                                                                  PianoBooster(6)