Year 7 · keyboards and Chromebooks

Plug in and play

numbiano.com/tools/progression/

Set up

  1. 1Plug the USB cable into the socket on the back of your keyboard marked USB TO HOST, and the other end into the Chromebook.
  2. 2Switch your keyboard on.
  3. 3Turn the keyboard’s own volume all the way down. It is sending notes to the Chromebook, not sound.
  4. 4Plug your headphones into the Chromebook — not into the keyboard.
  5. 5Open numbiano.com/tools/progression/
  6. 6Press Connect a keyboard. If a box asks about MIDI, choose Allow.

You are ready when a green dot and your keyboard’s name appear under YOUR KEYBOARD.

Play

  1. 7Choose your Tonal Centre using the black button at the top right.
  2. 8Press Play. The band starts, and one bar lights up at a time so you can see the chord coming.
  3. 9Play along using the numbers shown underneath the chords. All seven of them work.
  4. 10The ringed numbers are the notes of the chord sounding right now. Land on a ringed number as the chord changes.

What to play, in order

FirstOnly the 1 and the 5. Nothing else. Get them exactly on the beat.
ThenAdd the 3. You are now playing the notes of the first chord.
ThenUse all seven numbers, any order, any rhythm.
LastEvery time the chord changes, arrive on a ringed number. That is the step from playing notes to playing music.

Record yourself

  1. 11While the band is playing, press Record.
  2. 12Play for four bars.
  3. 13Press Recording to stop. Your part now loops round with the band.
  4. 14Play something new over the top of yourself. Two parts, both yours.

If something is wrong

No sound at allHeadphones go in the Chromebook, not the keyboard.
You hear yourself twiceThe keyboard’s own volume is not down. Turn it to zero.
“No keyboard found”Check the cable is in USB TO HOST, the keyboard is on, then press Connect again.
“The browser would not allow it”You must be on numbiano.com, not a saved copy of the page.
Record does nothingPress Play first. You can only record while the band is going.