Welcome to tonebase – your online musical home and community. tonebase’s
mission is to deliver the highest-quality classical music education on the internet, and we’re so glad you’ve decided to be a part of it.
What are you hoping to get out of your tonebase experience? Whether you need structured practice, beginner-friendly instruction, or musings from the masters, it’s all waiting for you here on tonebase. Let’s jump right in.
TABLE OF CONTENTS a Introduction (3Y a Workbooks, Editions & Course Navigation (9Y
a Using the Site: Homepage (4Y a Live and Forums (10Y
a Course Library (5Y a Level System Quiz (11Y
a Filters (6Y a Structuring Your Experience (12Y
a Opening a Course & Search (7Y a Practice Log (14Y
a Using the Player (8) a Entertainment/Inspiration (15Y
a Contact Us (16) INTRODUCTION Depending on your goals, the way you use tonebase can look different.
Perhaps you’re very serious about improving at your instrument. You may be
struggling with a particular technique and need varied perspectives. Or maybe you
want to browse content freely to find what inspires you.
There is no one right way to use tonebase, but the methods included in this
document have worked well for others.
But first, over the next few pages, we’ve compiled a guide to using some of the site’s
most important features.
PIANO
USING THE SITE
HOMEPAGE When you first log in to app.tonebase.co/piano, you will be taken to Home. This is where your experience begins. You can search the entire site by clicking into one of the two search fields (the small one at the top left, or the larger one across the upper middle of the interface). Access your account settings by clicking on “My Account” in the upper right of the screen. The sidebar on the left of the screen shows videos that you’ve started but haven’t finished, as well as those that you’ve completed. It also shows your bookmarks (if you’ve added any). You can close the sidebar at any time by clicking the two arrows on the upper left of the sidebar, and you can remove videos from In Progress by hovering over them and clicking the X that appears.
Navigate the site by using one of the sets of buttons at the top of the screen. Course Library (pg. 5) allows you to browse our entire lesson library, look through categories, and apply filters. Live Events (pg. 10) lets you keep up with upcoming streams and watch all the past live streams, in case you weren’t available. Community Forums (pg. 10) is your destination for meeting other musicians and participating in guided events. Finally, Resources provides links to an ever-growing catalog of PDF resources (note that you can access more scores and workbooks by opening up lessons).
Notifications Search Account Site navigation
Close sidebar
New on tonebase Sidebar
Recommended Courses COURSE LIBRARY Search Navigate the site Account
Navigate the library:
Close sidebar
Sidebar
If you click on Course Library, you should see a screen that looks like this. You can still Search, navigate the
site, and access your account from the navigation bar at the top of the screen.
The four main buttons have changed. You can click Learn a Piece (pg. 6) to view our repertoire lessons, Build
Skills & Knowledge to view lessons on different techniques and musicial concepts, View Instructors to see a
list of all our instructors and the lessons they have recorded, and Past Live Events to access any live event
that you might have missed. Underneath those buttons, you can see our newest, featured, and some of our
most popular courses. New content is released regularly!
FILTERS Click Learn a Piece, and you should see this screen (clicking Build Skills and Knowledge shows a similar
screen). This shows all the lessons on pieces of music in the tonebase library. To refine your search further,
click Composer, Category, or Time Period.
In the middle of the screen, you have several options for organizing your view. You can click Filters to select
videos of different difficulty levels (All Levels shows our beginner-friendly videos, up to Advanced, which is for
the experienced guitarist). Click View As to change your view to Grid or List. Finally, you can Sort the lessons
by popularity, composer, instructor, alphabetically, or how recently they were released.
View As Sort By Filters
06 OPENING A COURSE First, let’s sort out our terminology. A course is a collection of related videos. A lesson is one individual video.
If you click on a course, composer, or artist from the Library, you will be taken to a modal, a secondary page
that gives you more information before you enter the lesson player. A course modal contains a description and
a syllabus showing all of the lessons within that course. You can start the course, or you can bookmark it for
later. Bookmarks show up on your sidebar on the Home or Library pages (pg. 4 and 5).
An artist or composer modal will show a short biography and all the lessons relevant to that individual. You can
click the X at the top right of the modal to exit and return to the previous page. Or, simply click anywhere
outside the modal, and it will close.
SEARCH Finally, if you want to locate something very specific, search for it anytime by clicking in the search box on the
header. You can search for lesson titles, artists, composers, styles, time periods, nationalities, opus numbers, or
genres, and our search engine will do its best to provide a match!
Search
07 USING THE PLAYER When you’re ready to click on a lesson, you will enter the lesson player, which looks like this on a desktop
computer. If you see the images but no controls, wiggle the mouse to bring up the control options.
Bookmark
Report a Problem
Go back Progress Share
Drag to change height of score
Download Resources Back Forward Change speed
Previous/Next* Notes Volume
Drag playhead Show/hide scores
See all scores/ Speed/quality/captions
syllabus Full screen
If a lesson has accompanying scores, they will display underneath the video in real time. This section of the
screen is called the score viewer. You can turn the score viewer on and off by clicking show/hide scores on
the bottom right corner of the interface. You can also drag the arrows between the video and the score to
change the height of the score relative to the size of the video.
Curious where a specific range of measures is discussed in the video? Click All Scores on the bottom center
of the player interface to browse every score image in the lesson. Click the image to jump to that point in the
lesson.
*The Previous/Next Lesson buttons will only appear if you are inside a course with multiple lessons.
08 HOW TO DOWNLOAD WORKBOOKS AND EDITIONS
To download any of our workbooks or editions, open the corresponding lesson. If we have supplemental PDFs
available for that lesson, you will see Download Workbook and Download Edition in the bottom right-hand
corner of the player. If you do not see these buttons, wiggle the mouse to make sure the controls are available.
If you still don’t see these buttons, we likely do not have a workbook or edition available for that particular
lesson. If you’d like to see us make a workbook for your favorite lesson, send our PDF team a message at
ethan@tonebase.co. Many pieces of music are still under copyright , so we cannot make editions for every
piece.
HOW TO NAVIGATE THROUGH A COURSE
A course modal (pg. 7) will display all the lessons within that course. Access the course modal from the library.
Click on any lesson in that course to enter the player. When watching a lesson inside a course, two buttons
appear at the bottom of the player that allow you to skip to the previous or next lesson in the course (in the
first lesson of the course, there is no previous button). The next lesson in a course will also play automatically
once the lesson finishes, with a five-second delay (pictured at the bottom).
09 LIVE AND FORUMS tonebase Piano has a vibrant live-streaming schedule, with new streams every week on new topics with new
special guests. Since we have tonebase users around the world, we unfortunately cannot accommodate all
time zones with every stream. However, all previous live streams can be viewed online immediately after
they occur. To watch a previous live stream, go to the homepage. Click Live Events and then Past Live Events
to filter through our library. tonebase organizes its streams into Workshops, Webinars, Live Lessons, and
Masterclasses.
To keep track of new live events, bookmark the page app.tonebase.co/piano/live/upcoming.
tonebase also has an active community forum, where you can stay in touch with other pianists! Visit piano-
community.tonebase.co or click Forums on the header of the site. Here you will find general discussions,
information on our two-week intensives, ask-me-anythings, private messaging between users, and much more.
10 PIANO
LEVELS SYSTEM START HERE For the musician driven to make focused and deliberate progress on their instrument, tonebase has created a tool for measuring your level of ability on a scale from 1-12. We will then show you which content is best suited for that level. Evaluate your abilities thoughtfully and fairly, and answer each question the best you can!
CLICK HERE TO TAKE THE QUIZ
11 PIANO
STRUCTURING YOUR EXPERIENCE
Once you know the level you are in, the following tips can make your tonebase
experience more successful:
[ From your level, pick a repertoire piece or two to work on. It could be something
you’ve already studied or a piece that’s brand new. What’s important is that it’s not
so easy that you’re bored with it and not so hard that it’s insurmountable. Each
piece you work on is a stepping stone, one building on top of the other. Be patient
yet demanding of yourself.g
[ Supplement that with videos on techniques that are difficult for you or that you’d
like to improve at. You might use the questions in the quiz as indications of what
you’d like to work on.g
[ Be sure to find instructors that you enjoy watching. We have many instructors to
choose from on tonebase, so you’re sure to find someone who inspires you! Look for
a variety of teaching styles. Some artists take their time, while others move more
quickly. Some use more analogies, while others remain very practical.g
[ If you’re a student or already taking lessons, search for videos that supplement
what you’re already working onX
[ Explore the videos in levels just below and above your assigned level; after all,
levels are just a suggestion!
12 STRUCTURE: SOME TIPS W Build a practice schedule for yourself)
W A practice log for you to use is included on the following page.I
W No two practice routines look the same. Most virtuosos have gone through a
period of practicing 4-5 hours a day, but meaningful improvement can be made
in as little as 15 minutes a day if you’re thoughtful with your time!I
W Take breaks when you practice, and set challenging but realistic goals+
W Utilize the Practice Diary on tonebase ForumsI
W Build a daily routine with tonebase
W Check out this blog article on building routines from tonebase Guitar!I
W Check out this blog article on practicing piano.I
W A good daily routine will usually consist of warm-ups, etudes, technique
exercises, and repertoire (with a healthy amount of rest).I
W Use tonebase every day for fastest improvement!I
W Watching a lesson
W Try following along with the edition while watching the lesson.I
W After viewing, download the workbook to help you review as you practice on
subsequent days.I
W Stay motivated and disciplined! Practicing an instrument is hard work.I
W Listen to recordings of other great pianists and watch videos of performances. -I
W (While you’re at it, check out the tonebase piano YouTube channel!)I
W When your piece is ready, play it for friends, family, peers, or record yourself!I
W To pick your next piece, select something slightly challenging but doable.I
W There’s no need to watch every lesson in a level. Improvement comes from
spending a lot of time with pieces and going deep.
13 My Practice Log Name Date
PIANO PIANO
ENTERTAINMENT/INSPIRATION
START HERE
tonebase can also be a great resource for those who want to listen to
conversations, learn new ideas, and explore rarely-heard pieces. If you aren’t
looking for a structured path through tonebase right now, we encourage you to
try the following tips to get the most out of tonebase:0
8 Search for musical topics that interest you, and bookmark videos you might
want to watch later.0
8 Look through all our categories and filter content by different parameters.0
8 Download and read through the workbooks and editions so you can take the
knowledge with you wherever you go.0
8 Finally, check out the tonebase blog for all sorts of tips, strategies, and
compilations that showcase all our platform has to offer.
15 PIANO
CONTACT US!
Check out our Knowledge Base for answers to frequently asked questions.
Consider signing up for one of our occasional two-week intensives if you want a
more personal and guided experience.
Stay engaged and active with your learning experience. Ultimately, you’re in charge of
your own learning and growth! We are always here to help when you have questions or
concerns. Thanks so much for being a part of the tonebase community.
Email us at team@tonebase.co for general questions, or ethan@tonebase.co for
