EarTestonline Introductory Page

What It Is

EarTestonline is an interactive, online, ear training exercise.

You can jump right in and try EarTestonline, but it might be helpful to peruse a page of ear training help with more details about what EarTest is and how to practise with it.

What It Requires

WWW Browser Setup

In general, EarTestonline requires your WWW browser to have support for JavaScript and for embedded midi objects.

In particular, I have tested EarTest with these setups:

Internet Explorer 6 for WinXP with standard installation. Works well (must use BGSound; BGSound is now the default)
Opera version 5--doesn't work (not surprising, as Opera's main fault is Javascript incompatibilities)
Netscape 3.0 for Win95, with Netscape's built in audio plug-in LiveAudio (npaudio.dll). Works well.
Netscape 3.0 for Win95, with the Crescendo plug-in. Works with one exception (can't change MIDI instrument).
Internet Explorer 3.0x for Win95, with Crescendo plug-in. Works with one exception (can't change MIDI instrument).

The further your setup diverges from the above, the less likely it is to work well. MIDI over the web ought to be a straightforward proposition, but apparently there are still a lot of bugs to be ironed out. Javascript has a few bugs, as well.

Computer MIDI Setup

In addition, your computer must have the capability to play midi files, usually in one of these ways:

through a dedicated midi card and synthesizer,
a synthesizer hooked up through the midi port on sound card,
or on a sound card's built in synthesizer.

If you can play midi files on your computer (using, say, Windows' Media Player), you should be OK.

The Technical Help Page has more details about what is needed and how to get it running.

Where It's Going

EarTestonline is basically finished now. I may do some tweaking to get it to work more smoothly with more platforms and browsers.

Using the techniques I have developed here, other ear training exercises can easily be developed--say, practicing intervals, discriminating between different chords, even practicing short melodies or chord progressions. Look for more ear training exercises to be added here in the coming months.

How You Can Get It For Yourself

You can now download a zipfile containing all files need to run EarTestonline. EarTest runs nicely from your local hard drive, or you can install it on a nearby WWW server.

Where You Can Go

Go to EarTestonline.

Go to EarTraining Help.

Go to EarTest Technical Help.

Go to Brent Hugh's Music Instruction Software Page.

Where It Came From

The keeper of this page is Brent Hugh (brent (at) brenthugh.com) ). Feel free to email him with any questions about, problems with, or complaints regarding the page.