Here are four lesser-known aspects of SmartMusic I thought you might enjoy:

Reverb
Not everyone knows that SmartMusic has reverb controls! To access them, select the “Settings” tab and click on “Advanced Settings.” Press the play button to hear a sample piece play while you adjust the room type and amount of reverb SmartMusic will include with your performances. There’s even a sense of humor exhibited in the list of room choices.

“My Part” Playback
When you select a band, orchestra, or jazz ensemble piece, the “Solo Line” button becomes a “My Part” button. You hear a MIDI piano playing your part. Note that in swing pieces, “My Part” doesn’t play back. The thinking behind that is that you probably don’t want your students modeling their sense of swing after a computer.

Reference Information
Prior to opening most repertoire in SmartMusic, you can click on “Composer/Composition Notes” to learn more about the piece and the person that wrote it. Similarly, in the Help menu look for “Symbols and Terms.” Here you’ll find pictures of musical symbols along with their definitions.

The Play Test
When you’re checking out your speakers to balance volume or to position them, a cool little piece plays. In fact, you’ve already heard it if you played with the reverb setting. This tune has been in SmartMusic forever. It’s Allegro from the Sonata No.2 for Flute by J. S. Bach. If you’re feeling feisty, use SmartMusic’s Quick Search to check out this piece on your instrument. It’s a fast one!