Frequently Asked (and Interesting) Questions (FAQ) - Resounz

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Music FAQ
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Music FAQ

The following are some questions that musicians and music students often ask (or should ask!).

How Should I Practice?

How to practice is a subject about which many books have been written. The following are some points worth considering:

• Practice musically. It doesn't matter whether you are practising scales or Mozart, musicality is essential - otherwise you are just producing sound not music!!! Amazing technical ability by itself is of limited value. A monkey can be taught to do impressive tricks. It's only when amazing technique and musicality are combined that you have something that you, and others, will actually want to listen to.
• If you practice only what your teacher tells you to practice, you are only half practising. You must be your own teacher as well. Use every minute of your practice time to learn from your own experimentation and questioning. Try to figure out why you are having difficulty with a particular passage or technique. If you only rely on your teacher then you will probably only ever get to be as good as they are, when really you should be aiming to be better than they are, even if they are the best musician you know.
• Use Practice Partner's many modules regularly. For example, improve your rhythm and evenness with the Metronome or improve your intonation with the Tuner.
• Quality not quantity. It is of little value to practise for hours if nothing of quality is being produced.
• Concentration is essential. Simple but true.
• Listen!!! You can "do" something over and over but unless you "listen" how will you know whether you have achieved what it is you are trying to do. Don't assume that just because you are "hearing" your practice that you are also "listening" to your practice. You hear sound all the time but practice is more than just hearing - it is listening. This can not be stressed enough. Some very distinguished music teachers even say that if you practice without listening then you are not practising at all!!! Try to imagine yourself as both performer and audience. Even if you play for your own enjoyment (hopefully you do enjoy your music making!) then you are the audience. Learn to listen. It is amazing how many performers obviously don't really listen to what they produce - otherwise they would try to improve!!!
• Don't just practice to be able to play a work accurately - practice it so as to interprate it musically and historically as well. A work played musically with the odd mistake is much more enjoyable than a note perfect but unmusical performance.
• Be regular. "Continuous and frequent" is a good way of thinking of this point. Ten minutes spent on an aspect of your technique three times a day will result in quicker and more reliable mastery of that aspect than one hour every other day even though the total time spent is the same. This is because of the way that the brain learns and remembers. Applying this can actually reduce your practice time in the long run.
• Know in advance what you are trying to achieve in your practice time. If you don't then the time spent will have been of little value to you.
• While repetition is an essential part of musical practice, repetition ad nauseam till you become bored or tired is not the best use of your time.
• Avoid practising for too long a time at once. This is, of course, not always possible because of many performers very busy concert schedule. But remember that if you are too tired and can't concentrate you may be doing more harm than good!!!
• Practising with someone else is very beneficial for intonation, rhythm, style, etc, etc... and it's fun!!!
• Ask a musician whose opinion you trust to observe one of your practice sessions and ask them in what areas you can improve. It is never too late to learn and improve.

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What Should I Practice?

What to practice depends a lot upon what performances you have in the near (and not so near!) future. Please consider these points:

• Long notes - these are very good for warming up and help with timbre (tone colour) development and control.
• Scales are the ABC's of music and should always be practised in as wide a variety of ways as is possible.
• Studies are important to build endurance and to improve certain aspects of your technique and so should not be overlooked.
• Obviously the works you will have to perform soon. Avoid practising works that you can play over works that you can't play or that you don't like.
• Think ahead to works that may be several months away but that you anticipate to be difficult. Start learning them in small sections as soon as possible.
• Practice sight reading - play anything - it all helps.
• Orchestral excerpts (or similar) help to prepare you for sudden changes in program and help to increase your general knowledge and musicality.
• Don't forget to have fun occasionally. Practice duets with someone or even record one part and then play the other part whilst playing the recording back. This will help your intonation, dynamics and rhythm enormously.

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When Should I Practice?

When you choose to practice depends on your personal circumstances. Here are some points to consider when choosing when to practice:

• Don't practice when you are very tired, upset or injured. You may be making your technique worse and resting would actually do you more good.
• Spreading your practice over the whole day (if you have to do a lot of practice) is more beneficial than trying to get your practice done all at once.
• If you know that you will be performing a particularly difficult work in the future, start practising it as soon as you can. "Pressure practice" at the last minute rarely achieves satisfactory results.
• Some people are "morning people", others are "night people", etc. If you do have a choice as to when to practice then practice when you feel the most awake and you can concentrate the best and thus achieve the most in your practice time.
• Consideration for others may also effect when you practice. Many laws exist in most countries pertaining to when you can make more than normal levels of sound - some are strictly enforced!!!

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Where Should I Practice?

Where to practice is not always something you have a great deal of control over but try to consider the following:

• Don't have any distractions. Such things as practising in front of the television while it is on are an absolute mistake. You can not concentrate properly.
• Don't practice in an overly flattering acoustic. You may sound your best in the bathroom but is that helping you to improve your timbre (tone colour)? On the other hand, practising in such places as recording studios can be difficult to get used to at first, but if you are going to be doing recordings you will have to get used to it at some time.
• Definitely never practice where you sound too loud and there is even a slight chance of hearing damage!!!
• Ensure adequate lighting.
• Ensure adequate ventilation.
• Try to avoid extremes of temperature. Being too cold can cause long term health (such as arthritis) problems. Being too hot can cause dehydration problems.
• Show consideration for others who may be also trying to practice or do another form of work, or may be trying to rest!
• Never practice backstage during a performance when there is a chance of being heard on stage.

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How Do I Listen Carefully?

The ability to listen carefully can be improved while not actually practising. Consider the following:

• When listening to other musicians performing, listen carefully to one particular aspect of their playing. (This does not mean listening for wrong notes, which anyone can hear without any effort!) Are they using the full dynamic range of the instrument / voice or that the work being performed requires? What about articulation - is it the same all the time or varied, or do different areas of the range of the instrument / voice show signs of difficulty? Is their timbre (tone colour) something special? Try to incorporate the good but avoid the bad in your own performing.
• When listening to other musicians practising, listen carefully to whether they tend to gloss over a particular weakness in their technique and ask yourself whether you do the same. Are they really practising or just filling in time? Are they practising too much or trying to achieve something that they are not yet capable of achieving? Do you fall into the same traps?
• Listen extensively to recordings, and not just of you own instrument / voice type. For example, many classical musicians tend to look down on such styles as jazz or Broadway songs and yet more and more orchestras are realizing that they have to play concerts of these styles of music because audiences demand it and they potentially can make lots of money! There is nothing worse than hearing Mozart played in the wrong style, and the same is true for all genres of music. For example, most opera singers massacre Broadway songs by trying to sing them with perfect diction or an inappropriate timbre, which only goes to show that they have never really "listened" to the original artists or indeed the composer's style of performance. If you have never really "listened" to any Dixieland or John Williams or Johann Strauss or Bread or Mahler or Fats Domino or Bach or Woody Herman or Andrew Lloyd-Webber or Pink Floyd or Palestrina or John Cage or Sousa etc., etc., etc., ... then how can you really perform their styles beyond your own, limited, interpretation??? It's not a matter of whether you like a particular style of music - it's a matter of performing all music the way the composer / style needs to fulfill its original intention. Listening carefully to recordings is one way to ensure that you come as close as possible to this.
• If you have the opportunity to travel, listen carefully to the local musical styles and timbres and also notice their performance techniques. There is so much music that is based on folk or popular music of past generations that to ignore the traditional style is to limit one's interpretative ability severely.

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How Can I Best Use My Time?

Correct use of time is an art in itself and is often a major reason why one person will advance faster than another in most areas of musical practice. These points may help you to make better use of your time:

• Establish priorities and stick to them.
• Set goals - based on your priorities - but be reasonable. Know your abilities and limitations and work within them. Don't constantly fool yourself into thinking that this time will be different, that you will be better organized with your time. Also don't compare yourself to what someone else can achieve unless your abilities, concentration, etc. really are similar.
• If you want a performance to go well then that requires sufficient time to achieve. Don't take on performances that you can't give adequate time to. The performance will suffer, as will your reputation, turning the time you spent on the performance into something negative.
• Practising to build your endurance is not something that you can save time on. Obviously endurance takes time to increase.
• Try not to let distractions such as telephone calls rob you of your practice time. Take the phone off the hook or use an answer phone.
• Many people do not like to time their practice but it is a good exercise to see if you really are doing as much as you think you are. Practice Partner's Alarmed Timer is perfect for this. Setting yourself a set amount of time that you will practice before you take a break can help you to be more disciplined and will ultimately help you to achieve more.
• Playing or singing for, say an hour, just so that you can say you did an hours practice is only deceiving yourself. It wasn't really practice and you probably didn't achieve anything worthwhile.
• If it takes you two hours to do what someone else can do in an hour - so be it. The point to remember is whether you have set out to do what you wanted to do.

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Are Scales And Studies Useful?

Practising what you can already play will be enjoyable but will not necessarily improve your overall technique. Scales and studies, on the other hand, may not be as enjoyable but will definitely improve your overall technique, which will mean that you will be able to play more music to a higher standard which will give you even greater enjoyment (and possibly make you more capable of getting or improving your work prospects!)

Scales:

• Don't neglect the harder scales.
• Practice ALL your scales slowly and quickly but not faster than your standard allows.
• Practice your scales in varied articulations.
• Practice your scales at varying dynamics.
• Use the Metronome to help your scales to be even.
• Use the Tuner to check for accurate intonation in your scales. Try to remember the "sound" of each scale.

Studies:

• Play studies musically - not just technically.
• Start slowly using the Metronome.
• Use the Tuner regularly but don't rely on it completely - you have to be able to hear accurate intonation yourself.
• Don't try to learn too much of the study in one practice session.
• Set yourself a goal of when the study needs to be mastered and work out the stages that you have to reach on the way to achieving that goal.
• Practice the study as a whole to help build endurance.

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What Should My Performance Expectations Be?

If you can't do it at home in your practice then you won't be able to do it on stage in a performance.

Having the attitude that the audience's presence will bring out the best in your playing is a recipe for disaster.

Just because you did well in your last performance, doesn't mean that the next one will go as well. You really are only as good as your NEXT performance!!!

Using drugs (such as coffee, beta-blockers or stronger) to improve your performance is not recomended. If you have to rely on them then you are heading for serious problems - this is a proven fact!!!

Lucky charms and the like only delude you into thinking that you are being helped to perform well, when really it's you doing it all along!!!

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How Can I Deal With Stress?

Stress is one thing that ruins most aspects of life in general, and music in particular. If you have problems with stress, consider the following that may be useful:

• Try to limit non-musical stress, especially leading up to and during important performances. You can not work at your peak if you a stressed about something. This is, of course, easier said than done but don't give into the feeling that you can't do anything about it.
• Food is a much over-looked area when it comes to reducing and even increasing stress. There are numerous books that describe the effects of certain foods on the body - some good, some bad. You need to know what effects such common things as sugar, coffee, chocolate, etc. have on your stress level - and not just in the few minutes after they are consumed but an hour or two or even a day later. A momentary good feeling may well be followed by a longer low feeling which won't help your stress.
• Sleep is important - too little obviously leads to tiredness and a lack of concentration - too much obviously leads to lethargy and sluggishness - all of which makes stress harder to cope with.
• Travel to do with your music can be a very rewarding thing but it can also easily increase stress because of changes of time zone, unfamiliar surroundings and people and food, tiredness, sightseeing, etc. Discipline is needed to treat the travel as a holiday or as work - with the obvious consequences.
• Drugs to help reduce stress, such as beta-blockers, etc. are available, but if you need to use them are you actually ignoring other areas in which you could reduce your stress. If you use them you may come to rely on them - which is an addiction.
• One of the best ways to reduce stress is to get on well with your fellow musicians - knowing that they are wishing you the best for your performance, and you for theirs, can help to reduce stress levels enormously. Some people try to cope with their own stress by putting down others so that they can feel better about themselves, but this is a self-destructive and ultimately unproductive situation for everyone concerned.

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How Can I Deal With Nervousness?

Being nervous is something quite natural and is experienced by most people. It can unfortunately harm a performance. The following are some ways that can help to reduce or even overcome being nervous:

• Have confidence in your abilities. Knowing that you are capable of performing well is a big step towards actually performing well. This is, of course, quite different from being over-confident. Thinking that you are the greatest musician since Bach is deluding yourself and will not help you to perform better than your abilities. Unfortunately, over-confidence is a big problem with some musicians that leads to serious problems in the long term for themselves and those with whom they work.
• Be prepared. It should be obvious but if you can't perform well in your practice then you are very unlikely to perform well when you really have to. Don't think that just because you got away with being unprepared once that you will always be able to do it.
• Get on well with your colleges. This is one of the most overlooked points that definitely can help to overcome being nervous! Knowing that they are wishing you the best for your performance, and you for theirs, can help to reduce nervousness enormously. Some people try to cope with their own nervousness by putting down others so that they can feel better about themselves, but this is a self-destructive and ultimately unproductive situation for everyone concerned.
• Sleep. Being tired means that you will not be able to cope with being nervous as well as you might.
• Don't try to perform what is beyond your capabilities. If you know that you are going to perform below your standard purely because the work is beyond your abilities at present, then you are only creating nervousness where there need not be any.
• Drugs to help reduce nervousness, such as beta-blockers, etc. are available, but if you need to use them you could be ignoring other areas in which you could reduce your nervousness. If you use them you may come to rely on them - which is an addiction.
• Don't look at the audience. This is may help and is worth a try.
• Memorizing works is only required occasionally - indeed many top musicians use music even in concertos! Unless you are very, very, very confident that performing from memory will improve your performance then it is not worth the considerable extra effort required and will only add to any nervousness. To test whether you really can perform a work from memory try this test, which was related by a winner of an international piano competition: perform the work not only without any mistakes but musically as well - while reading a book!!! If you get through the work to a high standard AND you know what you have read in detail, then you can be confident that you know the work from memory!!!

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How Can I Deal With Mistakes?

Mistakes will happen. They can be caused by any number of things including sudden distractions, being unprepared, concentration lapses, etc. What to do when you make a mistake is the real issue - not whether or not you are going to make any mistakes! Here are some points that you may find useful:

• Don't panic!!! If you are performing then it is in the past and there is nothing you can do about it. Worrying about it or even thinking about it at all is only reducing your concentration and probably increasing your nervousness and stress level, which is a sure way to make more mistakes. If you are practising then you have the opportunity to remedy the mistake.
• If you can't stop making the same mistake while practising then repeating it over and over is only learning the mistake! Leave that passage and come back to it when you are fresh or re-learn it from a very slow tempo as though it is something entirely new. Use Practice Partner's Metronome to help.
• If the mistake is caused by a weakness in your technique then time must be spent overcoming that weakness.
• If you can't figure out why you are making a mistake then ask for help from a more experienced performer.

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How Do I Improve My Endurance?

Endurance while performing or practising may not be of concern to you if you work as a professional musician and so are practising and performing regularly. Occasionally though, everyone has to perform a work or works that require more than your average endurance level. Bach and french ballet music are two good examples. Here are some ways to help build your endurance:

• If you can't get all the way through the work(s) in your practice then you won't be able to get through them in the performance. Endurance practice should be part of your practice every day building up to a tiring performance.
• Time your practice (with Practice Partner's Alarmed Timer of course!) to see if you really are doing enough to build up a good level of endurance. Time spent, though, is time wasted if nothing is actually being achieved!!!
• If you stand to perform then don't practice sitting. Practice in the position that you will be performing. The same can be said for temperature - if you know you are going to be hot while performing then practising in a comfortable temperature whilst checking your endurance is not realistic.

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Is Posture Important?

Correct posture is not something to leave till later to fix. Bad posture can, in the long run generally but sometimes very quickly, cause excruciating pain and even force a musician to give up performing. Bad posture can also lead to other musicians having a poor impression of your technique. To avoid all these things consider the following points:

• If it hurts you are doing something wrong!!!
• Prevention is much better than cure! Ask an experienced musician for advice and try their advice to see if it helps.
• Look at older musicians to see if they have any obvious signs of suffering from years of bad posture, and quickly learn what not to do!!!
• Good posture will not interfere with your technique - bad posture will.
• A very famous flutist once said that if you get tired playing the flute then you are playing it wrongly. This principle applies to all musicians' posture - good posture will enhance endurance - bad posture will limit endurance.
• Muscle tension is a sure sign of bad posture (or exhaustion!) - don't ignore it.
• If you sit in a chair to practice / perform then make sure the chair promotes good posture. If you can't sit in it for at least an hour without feeling sore or tired then change your chair immediately!
• Ensure that your music stand is at the right height for your height and instrument. Always adjust the music stand to you - not you to the music stand!!!
• Adequate lighting is essential for good posture, otherwise you may find that you are stooping over to read the music.
• For heavier instruments such as the cor anglais (english horn) and saxophones the use of a neck strap (or even a floor stand) can greatly aid better posture.

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What Is Over-use Syndrome Or Repetitive Strain Injury?

Over-use Syndrome or Repetitive Strain Injury is something that most musicians unfortunately will have to deal with eventually. It can cause excruciating pain and even force a musician to give up performing or even playing altogether, as well as limit their ability to do such everyday things as writing and driving. (Author's personal note: I had it when I finished my university degree and I couldn't even hold a pen let alone write with one! It was not very pleasant at all!) To avoid Over-use Syndrome or Repetitive Strain Injury please consider the following points:

• If something hurts stop and rest and fix whatever is the cause!!!
• Prevention is much better than cure! Ask an experienced musician for advice and try their advice to see if it helps.
• If you need to practise a passage repetitively, do it in short bursts over a whole day - not all at once.
• Muscle tension or twitching muscles can be a sign that you are doing something too much - don't ignore it.
• Good posture will help to limit the bad effects of repetitive practice. See the "Posture" help topic.
• For heavier instruments such as the cor anglais (english horn) and saxophones, repetitive practice holds added danger because of the extra stress on the muscles involved. Try using a neck strap (or even a floor stand).

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What Can I Do To Prevent Injuries?

Injury prevention can be obvious (e.g. don't go white-water rafting, climb cliffs or race motor cycles, etc.) or it can be more subtle and a seemingly safe activity causes an injury to slowly appear over many years. As the obvious possible causes of injury are so obvious there is no need to discuss them here. The more subtle causes of injury, that can eventually cause either pain or a disability making performing unpleasant, or even impossible, do need some consideration and generally sooner rather than later! Here is a list (which is, of course, only a start) of subtle possible causes of injury that a musician needs to be aware of:

• Posture. This is not referring to while practising or performing but to everyday activities such as simply sitting in a chair. Long term back pain, for example, can be avoided by proper posture early in life.
• Repetitive activities, such as typing or using a computer mouse. Ensure that you take breaks regularly to rest muscles and joints. Use Practice Partner's Alarmed Timer to remind you when to take a break.
• Cold. Such complaints as arthritis can definitely be affected by excessive cold.
• The common cold, the flu, etc. Many people recommend against practising a wind instrument when your ears or nasal passages may be congested or blocked as there is a possibility of damage to your ears. Consult a doctor if you are concerned.

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What Practice Equipment Should I Have?

Essential equipment needed for productive practice includes:

• Practice Partner Professional
• Pencil (2B)
• Eraser
• Music Stand (adjustable, strong, solid - not folding)
• Chair (if used, a chair should promote good posture - after all, you will be using it for many, many, many hours)
• Adequate lighting (natural if possible) and ventilation (again, natural if possible)

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What Performance Equipment Should I Have?

Essential equipment needed for a performance includes:

• Practice Partner Professional installed on a laptop to check tuning, time the performance, breaks, etc.
• Music Stand (adjustable, strong, solid - not folding, in good condition)
• Chair (if used, a chair should promote good posture)
• Adequate lighting (natural if possible) and ventilation (again, natural if possible)
• Good and comfortable earplugs.
• Refreshment - water is best because it doesn't affect your concentration or mood.
• A supportive audience!!!

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Is Instrument Maintenance Important?

Instrument maintenance is an important part of being a musician - you certainly would not want an otherwise first rate performance to be spoilt be a mechanical failure. A little but regularly is a good way to deal with instrument maintenance. Don't think that your teacher or a repairer will be able to come to your rescue just before a performance. Know how to do the basics yourself but leave major repairs to a very experienced craftsman.

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How Sensitive is the Human Ear?

The ear is most sensitive to sounds of frequency about 3,500 Hz (cycles per second) which is near the highest note a piccolo can produce, and for this frequency the threshold intensity (or the lower limit of intensity below which a sound is inaudible) is 0.0000000000000000155 of a watt, the pressure amplitude is about 0.00011 dyne per cm² and the displacement amplitude is about 0.000000000125 cm.

Putting these figures into more understandable common references gives the following:

The threshold intensity represents the intensity of the light and heat received from a 50-watt electric light bulb at a distance of 4,800 kms (3,000 miles) in empty space (i.e., if none were being absorbed by the atmosphere). That's more than the distance from one side of Australia to the other!!!

To understand the pressure amplitude figure, we need to know that the area of the human eardrum is about 1 cm² and the weight of a mosquito is of the order of 1 dyne. If, therefore, an insect of weight about one ten-thousandth of the weight of a mosquito were to dance up and down on the eardrum 3,500 times a second, we should hear a sound! Also, the normal pressure of the atmosphere is about 1 million dynes per cm². If this pressure in the outer ear is changed by one part in ten thousand million, and the change is repeated 3,500 times a second, a note would be heard. The necessary change in pressure would be achieved by moving the head up and down through a distance of one eight-thousandth of a mm (one thirty-thousandth of an inch).

Finally, the displacement amplitude - the maximum excursion of the air from its mean position during vibration - is only 0.000000000125 cm. This distance is almost unbelievably small. It is about one four-millionth part of the diameter of a fine silk fibre, one four hundred-thousandth of a wave-length of light, one eight-thousandth of the thickness of the thinnest gold leaf, one hundredth of the diameter of a molecule of nitrogen!!!

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Is Hearing Loss a Problem?

Hearing loss is a very serious issue to most people, but particularly so to musicians. Indeed it should be noted that many orchestras in the world require a hearing test to be taken before employment can commence.

Prevention is definitely better than a cure, so awareness to possible sources of hearing damage is vital. There are some simple steps that can be taken to minimize hearing loss that is not associated with old age or an injury:

• If it hurts it is damaging your hearing!!! This is so obvious it shouldn't need to be said but it is amazing (and worrying) to see the number of musicians (and non-musicians for that matter) who ignore this simple fact.
• If you notice pain or ringing in your ears see a doctor. Don't delay. Hearing loss can be, and most often is, cumulative. You may not notice it until it is too late. The growing number of musicians of all types in their 30's and even younger who have difficulty performing because of hearing loss is not to be ignored!!! Hearing damage can not be easily repaired - if it could there would be no need for hearing aids!
• Loudness is proportional to the distance from the audio source as well as to the intensity of the audio source. Since it is often not possible to reduce the intensity of the audio source in musical performance (otherwise required musical dynamic levels would be being changed to the detriment of the performance), other steps must be taken to reduce the apparent loudness of the source. These are listed in the points below:
• Use ear plugs! Don't be worried about how they look - your hearing is far more important than your vanity!!! Ear plugs come in a vast array of types and can cost very little. Try them all until you find some that work and are comfortable. Don't insert them too far. Ask other musicians what works for them. And don't forget to keep your ear plugs clean!
• Move away as far as is practical from the audio source. A small increase in distance can have a substantial effect.
• Use a physical sound barrier directly between your ears and the audio source. This can be a clear perspex screen mounted on a stand. (If the player who is producing the loud sound objects to this, stating that it interferes with their performance, try and be flexible but not to the point where your hearing is in danger of being damaged! Your long term hearing is more important!!!) You may be able to position yourself with a music stand or another musician between your ears and the audio source.
• Try not to have either of your ears pointing directly at the audio source. If the loudness level is only occasionally of concern, try to turn your ears away during those times.
• Head phones can be a big source of hearing loss - use with caution.
• Non-musical sources of hearing loss can be obvious, such as lawn mowers and power tools, or not so obvious, such as traffic noise and even your computer's fan(s) noise. Wearing ear plugs on long journeys may help to minimize ringing in the ears which can develop after long exposure to traffic noise. Your computer's fan(s) probably are audible and may be producing high pitched sound (test with the Timbre Spectrum) which after long exposure can cause ringing in your ears. Be wary of similar sources of possibly harmful audio sources.
• High pitched sounds are the easiest for the ear to hear so be particularly aware of close exposure to instruments such as the Piccolo.

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Is Audio Really Powerful?

The power actually radiated as sound by various musical instruments has been measured, and is given in the following table. The figures quoted are for maximum loudness unless otherwise stated.

From this list can be seen the vast range of power from the full orchestra playing fff to the solo violin playing ppp. The ratio is about twenty million to one. These figures are helpful when trying to minimize hearing damage. Also note how much of the power of the orchestra comes from one instrument - the bass drum. It supplies more than a third of the total power radiated. Ordinary conversation is carried on with very little power. It is interesting to note that it would need the power that comes from about two million people in conversation to run a 50-watt electric light bulb.

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What Should I Do About Contracts?

Contracts and working conditions are things that can take the enjoyment out of music. These points may help:

• Negotiating contracts and working conditions is not something that many people are good at. If the contract is important then seek professional help.
• Unless you know the person or company you are dealing with very, very well, you should always get all agreements in writing - and you should even if you do know them very, very well. If they refuse to put an agreement in writing it is only reasonable to assume that their word is suspect.
• If an agreement sounds too good to be true it probably is.
• Never assume anything. Circumstances can change quickly.
• Take time to think of everything that needs to be put in a contract. Don't rush into, or be rushed into, any contractual agreements.
• Only agree to what you know you can deliver.
• If you don't hold up your side of an agreement don't try to place the blame where it doesn't belong. You will end up with an unreliable reputation.

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Resounz does not deal with customer credit card details directly, but uses secure servers hosted by established Internet payment gateways. This means that we at Resounz never have access to any credit card details at all. The only information we know about your purchases is what you choose to put into your Resounz shopping cart.

Shopping online is becoming very common these days. For example, in 2002 over 60% of U.S. households were online, and more than half of these households shopped from home on a weekly basis. In fact, according to Ipsos-Reid, a leading research company, of the 100 million Americans who use the Internet, half of them will spend at least $500 shopping online in 2002.

It is worth noting the comments in the frequently asked questions (FAQs) developed by the OECD's Committee on Consumer Policy (2002), in consultation with experts from consumer groups and the business community, that are intended to educate consumers about the online use of credit and debit cards issued in any of the OECD's 30 Member countries. In the answer to the question "Is it safe to use a credit card (pay later) online?", the comment is made: "In general, it is just as safe to use a credit card online as off line. In fact, under the laws of some OECD countries, you have no liability if your card is used online without your permission. Card issuers may also offer protections for your online transactions... use a secure browser and look for a Web site's policy about the privacy and security of your payment card information. Read it. If it does not meet your personal privacy or security standards, consider doing business with another Web site."

If you think about it, shopping online (using secure servers, encryption and trusted companies as Resounz does) is actually safer than handing your physical credit card to a waiter in a restaurant who then takes your card out of your sight to process your payment, but could be doing other things with your credit card that you have not authorized. Similarly, giving your credit card number over the telephone or on a mail-order form is not very secure at all, and yet millions of people do these sort of things everyday without giving a thought to how potential risky such actions really are.

Here are some tips to help you minimize possible credit card fraud (online or otherwise):

1. If you are nervous about giving your credit card details to a particular retailer, or are at all suspicious about the reliability or credibility of a particular retailer, then DON'T give them your credit card details, or any other personal information for that matter!
2. Use a credit card with a low credit limit, so that in the event that the card or card details are stolen, they cannot be used to cost you large amounts of money.
3. Use credit cards issued from large, established, trusted banks only.
4. Check with your credit card's issuer what their policy is in relation to fraud, theft, refunds, etc.
5. If the worst happens and your credit card or details are stolen or misused, contact your credit card's issuer immediately and take whatever actions are required.

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What is the Resounz Online Refund/Returns Policy?

If you have any questions about the Resounz Online Refund/Returns Policy, please contact accounts@resounz.com.

Contents:

• Refund/Returns Policy
• Refund/Returns Policy Modifications

Refund/Returns Policy

Due to the nature of downloaded software, it is impossible for a customer to prove to Resounz that they have deleted all copies of previously purchased Resounz software, thus all sales are final. Our Refund/Returns Policy is thus similar to those of other online software companies. We generally provide FREE demonstration versions of our software (for example Practice Partner Demo 2.0) which you can download to enable you to assess the suitablity, quality, etc of the pay-for-use version software.

Refund/Returns Policy Modifications

Due to the constantly changing nature of business, we reserve the right to change, update or modify this policy at any time at our sole discretion, and will post any new Refund/Returns Policy here. Any such change, update or modification will be effective immediately upon posting on the Resounz Web Site. Purchases will be subject to the Resounz Online Refund/Returns Policy in effect at the time of purchase. By using or navigating around the Resounz Web Site, or by utilizing any of the services we provide here, you acknowledge that you have read and understand and agree to be bound by this Resounz Online Refund/Returns Policy. If you do not agree to be so bound, do not remain on the Resounz Web Site. You are responsible for checking the Resounz Web Site frequently to keep apprised of recent changes.

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What is the Resounz Licence Agreement?

The Resounz Licence Agreement is as follows. Please read it all now.

(Please Note: By installing any Resounz software, you indicate your acceptance of the provisions of this license agreement.)

Resounz License Agreement

READ THE TERMS OF THIS AGREEMENT AND ANY PROVIDED SUPPLEMENTAL LICENSE TERMS (COLLECTIVELY "AGREEMENT") CAREFULLY BEFORE OPENING THE SOFTWARE MEDIA PACKAGE. BY OPENING THE SOFTWARE MEDIA PACKAGE, YOU AGREE TO THE TERMS OF THIS AGREEMENT. IF YOU ARE ACCESSING THE SOFTWARE ELECTRONICALLY, INDICATE YOUR ACCEPTANCE OF THESE TERMS BY SELECTING THE "ACCEPT" BUTTON AT THE END OF THIS AGREEMENT. IF YOU DO NOT AGREE TO ALL THESE TERMS, PROMPTLY RETURN THE UNUSED SOFTWARE TO YOUR PLACE OF PURCHASE FOR A REFUND OR, IF THE SOFTWARE IS ACCESSED ELECTRONICALLY, SELECT THE "DECLINE" BUTTON AT THE END OF THIS AGREEMENT.

1. LICENSE TO USE. Resounz grants you a non-exclusive and non-transferable license for the internal use only of the accompanying software and documentation and any error corrections provided by Resounz (collectively "Software"), by the number of users and the class of computer hardware for which the corresponding fee has been paid.

2. RESTRICTIONS. Software is confidential and copyrighted. Title to Software and all associated intellectual property rights is retained by Resounz and/or its licensors. Except as specifically authorized in any Supplemental License Terms, you may not make copies of Software, other than a single copy of Software for archival purposes. Unless enforcement is prohibited by applicable law, you may not modify, decompile, or reverse engineer Software. You acknowledge that Software is not designed, licensed or intended for use in the design, construction, operation or maintenance of any nuclear facility or equipment, nor is the Software designed, licensed or intended for use in the design, construction, operation or maintenance of any military facility or equipment. Resounz disclaims any express or implied warranty of fitness for such uses. No right, title or interest in or to any trademark, service mark, logo or trade name of Resounz or its licensors is granted under this Agreement.

3. LIMITED WARRANTY. Resounz warrants to you that for a period of ninety (90) days from the date of purchase, as evidenced by a copy of the receipt, the media on which Software is furnished (if any) will be free of defects in materials and workmanship under normal use. Except for the foregoing, Software is provided "AS IS". Your exclusive remedy and Resounz's entire liability under this limited warranty will be at Resounz's option to replace Software media or refund the fee paid for Software.

4. DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTY. UNLESS SPECIFIED IN THIS AGREEMENT, ALL EXPRESS OR IMPLIED CONDITIONS, REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES, INCLUDING ANY IMPLIED WARRANTY OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE OR NON-INFRINGEMENT ARE DISCLAIMED, EXCEPT TO THE EXTENT THAT THESE DISCLAIMERS ARE HELD TO BE LEGALLY INVALID.

5. LIMITATION OF LIABILITY. TO THE EXTENT NOT PROHIBITED BY LAW, IN NO EVENT WILL Resounz OR ITS LICENSORS BE LIABLE FOR ANY LOST REVENUE, PROFIT OR DATA, OR FOR SPECIAL, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, INCIDENTAL OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES, HOWEVER CAUSED REGARDLESS OF THE THEORY OF LIABILITY, ARISING OUT OF OR RELATED TO THE USE OF OR INABILITY TO USE SOFTWARE, EVEN IF Resounz HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. In no event will Resounz's liability to you, whether in contract, tort (including negligence), or otherwise, exceed the amount paid by you for Software under this Agreement. The foregoing limitations will apply even if the above stated warranty fails of its essential purpose.

6. Termination. This Agreement is effective until terminated. You may terminate this Agreement at any time by destroying all copies of Software. This Agreement will terminate immediately without notice from Resounz if you fail to comply with any provision of this Agreement. Upon Termination, you must destroy all copies of Software.

7. Export Regulations. All Software and technical data delivered under this Agreement are subject to Australian export control laws and may be subject to export or import regulations in other countries. You agree to comply strictly with all such laws and regulations and acknowledge that you have the responsibility to obtain such licenses to export, re-export, or import as may be required after delivery to you.

8. Governing Law. Any action related to this Agreement will be governed by New South Wales law and controlling Australian federal law. No choice of law rules of any jurisdiction will apply.

9. Severability. If any provision of this Agreement is held to be unenforceable, this Agreement will remain in effect with the provision omitted, unless omission would frustrate the intent of the parties, in which case this Agreement will immediately terminate.

10. Integration. This Agreement is the entire agreement between you and Resounz relating to its subject matter. It supersedes all prior or contemporaneous oral or written communications, proposals, representations and warranties and prevails over any conflicting or additional terms of any quote, order, acknowledgment, or other communication between the parties relating to its subject matter during the term of this Agreement. No modification of this Agreement will be binding, unless in writing and signed by an authorized representative of each party.

11. Trademarks and Logos. You acknowledge and agree as between you and Resounz that Resounz owns the Resounz and related trademarks, service marks, logos and other brand designations ("Resounz Marks"), and you agree to comply with the Resounz Trademark and Logo Usage Requirements. Any use you make of the Resounz Marks inures to Resounz's benefit.

For inquiries please contact: Resounz. E-mail: legal_department@resounz.com

To navigate to the many pages in the Resounz website, simply use the standard drop-down menus under the main heading at the top of the page as well as the usual links and buttons on most pages.

Resounz is committed to respecting your online privacy and recognizes your need for appropriate protection and management of any personally identifiable information ("Personal Information") that you share with us. Resounz has established an Online Privacy Policy so that you can understand the care with which we intend to treat your Personal Information. Please view the Resounz .

Please Note: By installing any Resounz software, you indicate your acceptance of the provisions of the .