FIRST TIME HERE?

Step one: take a minute to get familiar with the controls:

Find the short list of items on the left side of this app window (the “navigation panel”). The little triangles beside each item will show/hide its contents, like many other Mac apps. Make sure they’re open (pointing down), please!

If you can’t stop yourself from clicking each item before reading through this (that’s OK), just click TuneLings Cloud to return to this page. 

(Don’t click the picture to the right, click on the real thing, to the left!)

Detail of TuneLings app window

Here’s what those items are:

  • TuneLings Cloud is a live, mini-web-site built into the app. You’re looking at the First Timer’s page right now – it lives under the Help menu. Please explore the rest of the Cloud sometime, and note that its Home page will be frequently updated.
  • TuneLings Store is where you go to get Music and TuneLings; it usually takes a few seconds for it to load. You’ll be going there shortly, but try to read through this page first.
  • TuneLing Media Library is where your Music lives, with or without TuneLings. You can drag any audio files into this, and play them with powerful features like speed and pitch controls, and looping, even without TuneLings. This works like an early version of iTunes.
  • “Slow Jam Track in G” is a built-in demo Track/TuneLing***. It’s a simple country playalong track with no vocals (but fake lyrics). You can use it to verify that everything is workingbut it’s also a great track for beginners to practice simple chords, and for anyone to practice soloing. When you click its title, you’ll see its Overview page. This has helpful information about the TuneLing. Ignore the buttons about audio files for now, but check out the text and chord symbols describing the contents.
  • Guitar View:  A “View” is the meat of the TuneLing – it’s what you actually use! This one shows (fake) lyrics, a large guitar neck, and a Chart – a moving display of the complete song.
  • Ukulele View: Like the Guitar View, but for Uke. 

To play a TuneLing:

  • Select one of its Views, either from its Overview or more easily, from the list in the navigation panel.
  • Press the SPACE bar to start or stop it. (You might need to turn your computer’s volume up.)

You can switch between items in the navigation panel’s list at any time. If you switch to any item that it NOT part of the current TuneLing, while it’s is playing, you’ll be prompted to make sure that’s your intention.

The other Help pages available from the Cloud’s menu, will give you more guidance, especially the Keyboard Shortcuts, and Basic Operation.

Step two: off you go to the TuneLings Store!

If you’ve ever bought anything online, you’ll have no trouble. Read the top of the page to get started, then choose some songs to buy. Note that each song has a preview you can listen to! 

When your first purchase is complete, it will automatically download and install your music and TuneLings, then present you with the Overview of one of the songs. Grab your instrument, select any View (there may just be one, initially), and start playback.

Be sure to take a look at the Basic Operation and Keyboard Shortcuts pages, from the Help menu, above. Play around and explore – you can’t hurt anything.

*** Our demo TuneLing (Slow Jam Track in G), is a generous gift from Shawn Fleming of guitarreferenceguide.com. Shawn is one of the best guitar teachers in LA, and a friend of TuneLings. Thanks, Shawn!