A Handy Hint for Learning New Tunes

Steve Turner · Post by **Steve Turner** » Tue Dec 11, 2001 6:53 am

I thought readers of this forum might be interested to know about a Winamp plugin that I recently found. The plugin is called 'Slow Me Down' and allows one to alter the tempo of an MP3 file without altering the pitch (however, the pitch can also be adjusted independently of the tempo so that minor tuning differences can be dealt with).

In practice, this means that if I want to learn a tune from an MP3 file, but the tune is being played a little too fast for me, I can slow it right down, and pick out the individual notes at a much more leisurely pace. However, the beauty of the plugin is that the pitch of the tune remains unchanged. Basically, its a bit like sitting next to a great piper, listening to him/her play a tune, and then saying "could you play that again, but much more slowly so I can try to learn what you are doing"

The plugin (and the Winamp program) can both be downloaded from the Winamp site:

Winamp player:
http://www.winamp.com

Plugin:
http://www.winamp.com/plugins/detail.jh ... ntId=21827

I hope fellow pipers find this tool to be useful

All the best,

Steve

KelticRazor · Post by **KelticRazor** » Tue Dec 11, 2001 7:25 pm

Steve this is awesome!! It works great!

Thank you for the great link!

--KR

Steve Turner · Post by **Steve Turner** » Wed Dec 12, 2001 3:39 am

Hi KR

Glad you like the plugin and thanks for your reply.

Steve

Ron Rowe · Post by **Ron Rowe** » Wed Dec 12, 2001 10:45 am

You should post that plug in in the whistle and flute forum too Steve, it's a great tool.

Steve Turner · Post by **Steve Turner** » Thu Dec 13, 2001 8:10 am

Hello Ron,

You'll be pleased to know that I have now shared this info with the whistle and flute players.

All the best,

Steve

rorybbellows · Post by **rorybbellows** » Fri Feb 10, 2006 3:47 pm

Sounds like a handy bit of kit !!!

RORY

fearfaoin · Post by **fearfaoin** » Fri Feb 10, 2006 3:52 pm

This plugin is in fact by the author of the Amazing Slow Downer, and
I think it is the precursor to ASD. It doesn't have as large a range of
tempo or pitch changes, but it works just as well as that much-loved
program.

misterpatrick · Post by **misterpatrick** » Fri Feb 10, 2006 3:52 pm

On the Mac side there is a great little app called Amazing Slow Downer that also works with MP3, CD's, WAV's etc. It can also transpose, so I've used to for leaning tunes from C or B chanters.

Joseph E. Smith · Post by **Joseph E. Smith** » Fri Feb 10, 2006 5:11 pm

misterpatrick wrote:On the Mac side there is a great little app called Amazing Slow Downer that also works with MP3, CD's, WAV's etc. It can also transpose, so I've used to for leaning tunes from C or B chanters.

I didn't know that MacDonalds junkfood empire dabbled in music technology for us pipers. Wow, learn something new everyday....

phcook · Post by **phcook** » Sat Feb 11, 2006 3:05 am

You might also use Audacity, which is an open source software.

http://audacity.sourceforge.net/download/

Best regards
(and, JES, I really enjoy your kind of humour)

Joseph E. Smith · Post by **Joseph E. Smith** » Sat Feb 11, 2006 5:13 am

phcook wrote:You might also use Audacity, which is an open source software.

http://audacity.sourceforge.net/download/

Best regards
(and, JES, I really enjoy your kind of humour)

Humor? Humor? I am not funny... er, well... I mean I used to be... but I sought out treatment and am much more serious now... sort of.

Audacity is a good plugin, simple, easy to use, free. Most, if not all, of my clips on clips and snips were recorded using that free plugin from downloads.com.

ausdag · Post by **ausdag** » Sat Feb 11, 2006 3:40 pm

Joseph E. Smith wrote:
I didn't know that MacDonalds junkfood empire dabbled in music technology for us pipers. Wow, learn something new everyday....

Yeah, they do. Trouble is, everytime you load a file, you get a pop-up asking 'Would you like fries with that?'

maw · Post by **maw** » Sun Feb 12, 2006 2:22 am

Joseph E. Smith wrote: Humor? Humor? I am not funny... er, well... I mean I used to be... but I sought out treatment and am much more serious now... sort of.

Not funny anymore

Is it possible that a guy who once walked around like this: (the one with the pipes and not the arrow

)

Can ever become serious

Answers on a small postcard please

Joseph E. Smith · Post by **Joseph E. Smith** » Sun Feb 12, 2006 4:48 am

Ummm, uh.....heh...... ummmm......

Uilliam · Post by **Uilliam** » Sun Feb 12, 2006 12:53 pm

The plugin url has changed Steve sent me this one...
http://www.winamp.com/plugins/details.php?id=130624

Joseph I still walk around wearing a kilt and I am mostly serious....wi sassanachs..

Slán Go Foill
Uilliam