20

I am a professional trombone player and private lesson teacher in the DFW area. Everytime I have ever tried to discuss, with a MakeMusic customer rep at midwest or TMEA, why smartmusic does not cater more to the professional player crowd I have always been met with arrogance and dismissal. This "new smartmusic" seems to be more of the same. There is even less quality repertoire on here for trombone, in addition to the quality of the piano parts being garbage. Can someone explain to me why the company that makes Finale, with all of their sound libraries, chooses to use a piano sound that is worse than anything I would use on finale? I am speaking specifically about the Bordogni/Rochut accompaniments. The old Smartmusic sound files had sustains, rubato, and surprise, surprise DYNAMICS. The sounds on this new one are horrible. 

I honestly have no idea why I am leaving this note because band directors will continue to give them money for a horrible product. Nothing will change until someone comes up with something better. 

63 comments

  • Avatar
    Ryan Ballanger
    2

    Yes! I have been using smartmusic for more than 15 years, and while I really applaud the usability improvements they have made in the chrome version, I think these are areas for improvement:

    - "Follow me" is gone - this was great for solo repertoire so the accompaniment would adjust to your tempo, wait for fermatas, etc
    -  customizable accompaniments are missing
    - Microphone level adjustments
    - Recording quality is very poor
    - Pieces I know I practiced a few years ago are no longer there. While the sheet music is really, really nice, even without it smartmusic was very usable.
    - The accompaniment parts are lower quality (crackling and distortion, especially when adjusting tempo)
    - Cannot record yourself playing with the accompaniment.
    - For duets (out of method books), you cannot select playing one part only, they are either both on or off...

  • Avatar
    JoAnn Orpen
    1

    I have used Classic Smart Music for many years.   I am currently trying to get used to the New Smart Music.   I appreciate VERY MUCH that Smart Music made it free for students during the school shut down.   I am finding plenty of issues however.   One that I have run into several times today is that I wanted to assign accompaniments to my students for solos that I had given them before school let out.   I had the books labeled as having Smart Music accompaniments so I know that they at least used to be in Classic Smart Music.   They are not in the new version.  Two examples -  The Canadian Brass Book of Easy Horn Solos and Elementary Trumpet Solos.   Why isn't all of the repertoire available?   

  • Avatar
    Trina Hodgson
    3

    As a cellist and mother of a young cellist (at the time) I got on the bandwagon with SmartMusic way back in 2003. My father, a flutist felt it was fine for the wind instruments. I found the microphone issue too buggy to use with my son. The "follow me" could not follow him...so I have not used it since then.

    With this Covid problem, I decided to try it again. Being a studio instructor, I was not part of the appropriate education sector to get the "free" version they are currently offering. So, after seeing the hype on a string teacher forum, I decided to pay for a premium subscription for the year and experiment again. I thought I'd use SmartMusic for Scales, Sight Reading and Solo accompaniments. I liked the idea that the program would help them fix notes, intonation, and timing/rhythm. I hoped it could help them have a useful new tool to add to their practice strategy arsenal.

    In very "method" book I've experimented with outside of the Suzuki Repertoire (which uses the original recordings), the synthesizer sound is flat and without dynamics or expression. Expression and musicality is an integral part of artistry. In string playing, a coordinated gesture determines the dynamic, intonation and inflection of a musical idea. Developing a refined ear is key for students to develop that in their own playing.

    I also put great importance on tone quality. In string playing, tone has an elasticity through the bow stroke that makes it clear and resonant. SmartMusic's "expert" example provided as the "Play" sample is flat...implying through its model that simply moving the bow back and forth to make a sound is sufficient. 

    I tried making an assignment of a spot in a solo piece (a slurred down-bow triplet with a staccato up-bow)...the SmartMusic play "example" plays the staccato as a whole quarter length (sounding legato)...which leads me to surmise that the smartmusic playback does not integrate articulation (?).

    The "vibrato" on the synthesized cello sounds 'wobbly" -- and why is vibrato used for scales, anyway? I have a trained year, and cannot find the center of the pitch for the scales when it is so wobbly. Also, vibrato is something that creates depth and color and has to vary with the dynamics, musical direction, and intensity of a given instance. I want my students to become accustomed to that kind of artistic application as their model, not just an "on" vibrato that has no aesthetic sensitivity. Could it be possible to have the option to actually turn the vibrato off on a playback?

    Is it possible for me to change the fingerings that are in the music? I would like to be able to change the fingerings so the students do not play in first position when I want them to play in fourth. They will play what they see, and having them "remember" a fingering that they are not looking at is difficult...even for me!

    Wind instruments have more limited fingering options so the fingering chart options are helpful. The cello music that goes beyond first position does not have fingering charts for those positions (for instance, the G above middle C). Is this by design?

    I may use smart music for the sightreading creator...that looks interesting, but I have not tried that one out, yet.

    Are there any other studio string instrument instructors (not orchestra) finding smartmusic a useful tool for their students? I'd love to know how you are using it effectively.

     

  • Avatar
    ROBERT FREAR
    2

    I was an absolute devotee of Classic SmartMusic. I used in constantly in my own practice as well as my studio. The new version is a travesty. The engineers at SmartMusic have no idea how or why we used the program. This is the worst rebuild since Apple ruined FinalCut Pro. I put in hours and hours of work creating .smp files that are now rendered useless. Especially in this time of social distancing and trying to get senior recitals finished this is terribly disappointing. As someone said earlier, I wish they would have asked some professionals!

  • Avatar
    Veronica Mascaro
    2

    I totally agree with you Jonathan. The loss of the Intelligent Accompanist is a huge NO DEAL for me. I’ve been using SmartMusic since the days of the black floppy discs. The loss of Major repertoire is a nonstarter for my advanced students. 

  • Avatar
    Len Bowers
    0

    Thanks for all the warnings. I am still using classic, and have on and off for years.

    The most criminal thing about this forced 'upgrade' is that the website makes it impossible to find out in advance what is missing from the new version. Only by persistent search did I find this blog entry, which confirmed that my worries about reduced repertoire were true (and that I should have been worried about a lot more).

    So thanks everyone who has shared here, as you have saved me my next renewal fee.

  • Avatar
    Doug Worthen
    1

    I have used Smartmusic since 2005 for college level and semi-professional users as well as beginning students. Remember that many educators will leave this platform and never come back. I am sorry to see such a great product reduced to a completely useless program. You really should change the name of this product, so people will not waste a year's subscription thinking that their automatic renewal would give them access to the features that you had. We expected MORE, not LESS. The new version is useless. I am embarrassed to have been suggesting this product to other professors when all the best repertoire and sound quality is now gone. I will cancel Southern Illinois University's subscription, and warn my students as well. What a shame.

    Edited by Doug Worthen
  • Avatar
    Chris Coulter
    2

    Absolutely awful. I can't believe how difficult and "not" user friendly they've made this "New" Smart Music. I want to use it with my students during the crisis as they're home probably for the rest of the school year, but the interface is proving to be so hard to navigate. It's hard enough right now with the students at home, and I thought using this would help, but it's as bad as the Classic Coke to New Coke was. If I'm having a hard time, I can't imagine what my middle school students would think. VERY disappointed.

  • Avatar
    DENNIS ROBERTSON
    1

    I started using smart music in the early days when a floppy disk “key” was needed for each piece of repertoire. Coda Music, the parent company, was located in Eden Prarie, MN. They improved the SmartMusic by by upgrading the app every few years with CD, and eventually DVD upgrades. Like apps of old, you had a “forever” license each time you upgraded. The next “new” thing was the subscription. For an annual fee you could download the entire SmartMusic library of repertoire, whether it was classical, pop, method books, band works, orchestral works, or even Christmas Music. It was during this period I became a facilitator for Coda, demonstrating SmartMusic at schools and music conventions. All of the features were the main selling points of the program. I, too, used SmartMusic as an undergraduate to train for my oboe juries. It was that good! In the last few years, since Coda (Make Music) has sold the company, the quality and features began to drop. The Classic version emerged a few years ago (still with much of its repertoire, only dumbed down with midi piano), but with expanded wind ensemble repertoire used by most colleges and universities. I have taken advantage of the free download of “New SmartMusic.” Almost all of my library is missing. A small fraction of the repertoire pieces I teach are no longer there. I can’t find a tuner, or metronome, and, the “Follow Me” feature is gone. Pulling the “copyright” excuse is not valid as royalties were paid to the publishers each time a piece of music was used by the subscriber. Cookies in each subscribers computer would keep track of the number of times a piece was used, and report it to SmartMusic at the yearly subscription renewal. I cannot get any of the pieces to load, nor do ai have actual access to my library as it is now “in the cloud.” So, in my opinion, educators beware. Test the product thoroughly before you plunk down your school budget for something that has become so inferior.

  • Avatar
    KARL SCARBOROUGH
    1

    YES!!! Classic version was so much better.  Here I bragged about the SM program to all my parents, then when we got sent home with the virus problem, I sent out notices about the free program for teachers and students.  I am so disappointed in the program.  So many kids don't have internet, Classic you could load up and go.  Intelligent accomp is gone.  Can't upload mp3s.  I used them to load up recordings of the music we were playing.  Students can't record and upload their recordings to download on iTunes to burn cds.  (unless I am missing something).  

    I used to have kids record themselves on several songs, then put the recordings on iTunes and give them to their parents for Christmas, or just have them on cds.  Can we do that any more?

    Come on SM, read these comments, seems to me like there is a great interest in some of these things. 

     

  • Avatar
    Henryk Sienkiewicz
    0

    I have been using Finale since 1989 and version 26 is pathetic, I have to spend most of my time messing around with Garritan sounds than writing music, but now I cannot write anything because of a message, 'Finale's audio engine failed to load please restart Finale' I has refused to function completely, I have tried redown loading the program, I really need to get on and finnish my latest composition. I think I need to get a new program from somewhere else. Can some one help quickly. Henryk Sienkiewicz U.K. <henrykpp@gmail.com

  • Avatar
    Tom Shook
    1

    loved Classic!!! I HATE the new smart music. It's lagging, has no follow me feature, slow loading. Ditto to what everyone else has said.

     

    THIS IS A PIECE OF CRAP

  • Avatar
    Dennis Herrick
    0

    I started with the predecessor to SmartMusic, Vivace. It required a purchased cartridge for each repertoire item. Our school spent over 3K on accompaniments because it was that good. Students walked into their first rehearsal with a pianist already knowing the accompaniment. Then SmartMusic came out and our 3K investment was worthless (For a time they did offer a 1/2 off discount using our 3K as a credit to pay other other half, but after a time they said sorry we're not keeping to that promise)

    Then we eventually got to the subscriptions. Couldn't use it very well because we didn't have great internet coverage in the practice rooms. Eventually spent money to fix and and things were working fine. Personally I have 471 Finale created files.... Several from publishers providing files for the entire book (Like Complete Concone Studies). When I talked to someone about new SmartMusic they told me that there was a new version of Finale coming out that could convert these files. I'm retired and rarely use Finale now, so this would be a big expense for a program I don't really need, to convert files that most likely won't work the same.

    How could the ones I have possibly be converted without out "wait for note" (which I was told was no longer available) along with all the other MISSING items that I have been using since Vivace!!! This is such a HUGE step backwards. They have completely abandoned the original purpose of the program, which was providing intelligent accompaniment.

    I tried to find out about what literature was available in the new smart music and didn't get an answer other than more is coming. From reading here it seems that most of the literature is I've used since Vivace is NOT available and won't be.

    I can't count the number of people/students who use this program because I recommended it. I can no longer do that. I suspect that they get a lot of money from all the schools where students have to get the program.  And I suspect that's the bottom line. Not a quality piece of software, but collecting money. If Classic SmartMusic expired today there's no chance I'd renew. Can it improve enough by August so that I would renew?? Given how it's "working" now I'd guess 100% that no it can't

    It's hard to think of Classic SmartMusic not being part of my practice routine. But with essential features missing, and literature being missing it's hard to think of it NEW SmartMusic BEING any part of my routine.

  • Avatar
    Robert Lopez
    0

    Have you all tried to import and play an XML or midi file?  What a joke!  BRING BACK CLASSIC!

    Edited by Robert Lopez
  • Avatar
    Ryan Campbell
    1

    I have to agree with the unanimous position in this thread.  This new SmartMusic is trash.  As a parent of a student musician who has been assigned smartmusic due to remote learning/covid-19, this is a huge step back from the original smartmusic I dealt with when they were in middle school.  I too am amazed that someone decided that a browser was the way to go.  I get that cross-platform development is expensive, but your choice of using a browser is misplaced and problematic.  The browsers aren't there yet, and while this may have worked back in the days of Flash, it's a mess with different browser implementations across different OS's.

    Trying to get music submitted without massive lag on the mac is very frustrating.  My bass player has tried both direct to a Scarlett 6i6 and a mic'd up amp through another audio interface (Zoom H6).  The interface to make mic setting changes is a joke.  Playing music, even if it is homework, has become a chore, and not a joy.  Way to make an app a buzz kill.

    I'm going to assume that there were legal/licensing issues and that's why classic development was dropped.  If so, that's a shame and I hope you are able to recover.  If not, and this was somebody's great idea, well I hate to break it to you but the consensus is you blew it.  You may have got lucky by getting all of these desperate teachers as "customers" in a time of need, but next semester is going to be rough if the feedback here is any indication.

  • Avatar
    GARY WINDER
    4

    In 1993 I was hired by Coda Music to help launch this amazing program called Vivace which later became SmartMusic.  As a clarinet teacher this was the answer to my prayers...an accompaniment program where tempos could be customized for each student.  I stopped teaching and playing for many years until this week when I got a free subscription to smartmusic only to find out you can’t do any of the cool things the program was originally intended to do...what happened?

  • Avatar
    Dennis Herrick
    2

    I also started with Vivace also but kept using it until SmartMusic came and kept using SM Classic which could do (as far as I can remember) all of the things Vivace could do. That's being killed off in August.

    Now it seems to me that the philosophy that started with Vivace and SM - to create an excellent accompaniment program - no longer exists. From experiences I've read about here, solo accompaniment is a side effect now; I can't get anyone to tell me what literature is available in New SM. They say to try it and see. But since NEW SM can't do "wait for note" or use a footpedal no one has explained how to resume the music after a fermata, or a cadenza, or how to work a rubato (no intelligent accompaniment at all) or simply a few a cappella measures. I really can't think of any of my solos that can work without those.

    It seems to have no relationship to Vivace OR to SmartMusic, and it should probably have a new name to go with an entirely different product

  • Avatar
    STEVE GILBERT
    0

    I am long time SmartMusic user and been very happy with Classic.  Does anyone have any suggestions for a way to supplement the new SmarMusic to regain the features being lost?  Or complete alternatives?

  • Avatar
    Melanie Marshall
    2

    I am hoping that there might be an "open source" project that will spring up the way MuseScore did. But, I'm afraid that , because of the music library and copyright protections for the music, it would not be possible.

    In my opinion, the online "Smart" Music should still be in beta testing. It should not be live. They are charging the users to do their testing for them. That is a shameful practice. With these types of cost-cutting measures, Smart Music is doomed to become a low-quality "tool" that some educators can use to a limited degree.

    It won't take long before the lack of functionality, the poor performance of Smart Music, and the nature of our internet system in general, will limit the value to the owners or investors and it will disappear. I hope there's a replacement waiting in the wings that is developed by musicians and educators for musicians and educators.

    Personally, I'm sick of the constant "Uh oh" page errors, inconsistent navigation, obvious lack of testing, and the lag caused by the nature of the internet. The 100mbps connection here is not the problem. Downloads are needed for every single action. That's not going to work.

    One last small gripe.... Will it EVER remember my instrument at least during one practice session?? GEEZ! That's pretty basic stuff.

    Classic was wonderful for 10+ years. It's sad😢

  • Avatar
    DENNIS ROBERTSON
    1

    I think it is Alfred Music that is the parent corporation that owns the MakeMusic software. A serious letter writing campaign may have some effect. I feel that most professionals and teachers are agreeing, that the online version is just plain lousy. Latency, and the lack of being able to follow the soloist are the main complaints. For the program to work, the player must be installed on the computer or tablet. Files containing the media can be stored online, but downloaded complete as needed by the program to end the latency problem. I am so disappointed that Alfred and MakeMusic have trashed a really fine software that has served for nearly 30 years. This will be my last subscription unless they restore Classic.

  • Avatar
    Kenneth Webb
    2
    • I used smart music classic in the past and absolutely loved it.  So many things about this web version are frustrating.  

       

      1. it is slow and clunky

      2. no longer intuitive

      3.  where is all of the old music?

      4. where is the fun scale background music?

      5. importing new music is not as good as it was before.

      6. assigning lessons to students is a long and drawn-out process.

      7. the new version is a downgrade of the last one.

      8. I want to use smart music without needing the internet.

      9. classic was more efficient and worth the money

      10.  follow me feature was invaluable

      11. web version lags on recordings

      12.  features are hidden and difficult to find

      13. even the login screen is hard for new students to find

      14.  where is all of the music?

      15. during a 30 minute practice time web version gets stuck loading method books at least 10 times.  

      so many more things that annoy me with this web version. 

       

      Please bring back the classic smart music.  the price of the web version should be so much less as we are limited in what we can do. As others have said it is a definite downgrade.  The biggest thing, I want to be able to use it offline and have the old music back.  

      I think unless classic stays I may just have to go.  I was talking this program up at my new school and almost had them sold.  Then I signed up and couldn't do what I used to.  I recommended that they do not sign up for this web-based version.  I have 480 students. I plan on using my current subscription and then my students and I will not be renewing unless classic is here to stay and has the features that I know and love.   
     
     
     
  • Avatar
    WILLIAM NORRIS
    1

    I am so happy to see how many people think the new SmartMusic stinks!  I am a retired band director and have been using SmartMusic Classic personally and in the classroom since the beginning, twenty something plus years.  The new SmarMusic has eliminated a lot of rep in the Jazz area and what there is you can't transpose.  I have to agree with the comments from everyone else here so there is no reason to repeat it.  I love the old SmartMusic and used it in my band room and with the community band I conduct now.  MakeMusic is going to lose a lot of long time loyal customers if they discontinue Classic.  I'll be one of them.  DON'T TAKE AWAY SMARTMUSIC CLASSIC!  I'll look for an alternative like the one mentioned in one of the posts above.

  • Avatar
    Brent Pittman
    1

    I have been a classic user for the past 14 years and our school switched as the classic was going to be discontinued in a year so we thought we would get a head start.  The new SM has been a very big disappointment.

    1)  One cannot hear the accompaniment when students submit recordings.  Very difficult to assess and especially hard when students are improvising solos.

    2)  Method book accompaniment sound is very poor if you change the tempo even by 1 beat per minute.

    3)  One cannot upload mp3 music, which was very useful.  Even though SM has a large band library there is certainly repertoire that is not included and it would be nice to have students play along with recordings and record themselves.

    4)  Lots of solo repertoire is gone.  Was this a copyright issue?

    5) Inbox on assignments is gone.  It can be challenging when you are in semester 2 and attempting to find your assignments.  There is lots of searching.

    6)  The practice tools no longer exist.  The tuner and recording feature was awesome for students. Students could record themselves with a live accompanist.  Yes there are are other programs, but SM used to have it all.

  • Avatar
    Sue Mark
    1

    I am confused as to why SmartMusic hasn't fixed all the issues EVERYONE seems to be having. I paid $2160 for my students to ALL have access to SM (who would have known everyone else gets it for free b/c of COVID). Many of my kids have issues signing on, especially if they have an iCloud email. It's not as easy to navigate anymore. AND... wait for it... I've complained about this from the beginning... PERCUSSION parts can not be assessed because some genius put them into SM using the TREBLE CLEF! The classic version didn't do this and was GREAT at giving drummes a fairly good assessment of what they played. Since they did this, the program won't recognize percussion sounds. But if you play everything on a concert C, you get a great grade. Most of my drummers (33 in all) have drum pads and sticks at home. The classic SM picked up drum pads perfectly. But the new version doesn't. And it barely picks up percussion instruments. I was told the kids have to go in each time and choose to play using the clapping mode. Well, I assign their parts in clapping mode - it doesn't matter - it doesn't work. Please give it a try: go to the Alfred's Drum Method Complete book and open up the first exercise. It's in treble clef. I wasted over $200 for my drummers who can't use this effectively at all. Without naming another program out there, I went to a conference and attended a few of the competitor's sessions. They basically took all that is wrong with SmartMusic and made sure it works in their program. Let's not get me started on the fact that you MUST use Chrome or you can't use SmartMusic! The competitor's program can be used in any format on ANY device including PHONES! I will be switching to them in the fall! Since SmartMusic refuses to address the concerns of their customers, their message is clear: send us the money at your own risk. So sad! 

  • Avatar
    Brent Pittman
    1

    What are the other programs?  I would be very interested, after 14 years of an amazing SM and then the new on is so poor.  Please reply.  Thanks

     

  • Avatar
    Dennis Herrick
    1

    I have a theory that would explain most of which Sue Mark just mentioned. Original Vivace and Classic SmartMusic HAD to have been designed by a musician. It seems to me they must not have musicians involved in the development process any longer. Who cares what clef is used? Who cares that "wait for note" and footpedal are no longer supported? Just dump all literature with rubato, cadenza, etc. Who cares that there isn't any significant literature (as a trumpet player, I looked at ALL the Bb Trumpet/solo/classical/advanced and after eliminating all the MakeMusic literature there were TWO (TWO!!!) solos.) To be fair they had their own edition of the Haydn and Hummel concertos, but I assume those accompaniments aren't available in a print edition. But if you're NOT a musician, who cares about such stuff!! If everything is a MakeMusic edition it's all so much easier! Who cares if there's problems running it. There isn't any competition.

    When I look at the 15 items listed earlier by Kenneth Webb, I can see a non-musician not knowing or caring about much of it!

    To be completely honest I just can't see any other reason why a great working program would end up do dumbed down

    Edited by Dennis Herrick
  • Avatar
    Dennis Herrick
    1

    I posted yesterday that with New SmartMusic I searched Bb trumpet solos/advanced and published (not MakeMusic) and found there were only TWO. I just did the same with Classic and found 48. Most of the rest of the things don't matter if there's no literature!!!!!!!!!

  • Avatar
    Kenneth Chia
    0

    I need help cancelling the New Smartmusic.   It just isn't useful to me anymore because more than half of the flute repertoire I used to use has been stripped away, both in Classic and New Smartmusic.   

    As typical of a company struggling to make their product relevant, instead of assuaging the customer's concerns, they seemed to have removed all information and access both in software and on the website as to how to cancel it.   I've tried going into the account to manage subscription, but there doesn't seem to be any way at all...

    Can anybody help?  I've been using this stuff as far back as when it was Vivace and accompaniments came in cartridges, so it's not like I haven't been loyal or given the product it's due try.   

  • Avatar
    Dennis Herrick
    0

    My guess would be you can't cancel but wait for it to expire...

  • Avatar
    DENNIS ROBERTSON
    1

    They have your money. Have you seen the latest: they recommend that you try and have silent rehearsals via Zoom with SmartMusic playing the accompaniments. What accompaniments? Really a sad state of affairs!

     

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