FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Send questions to info@ovelin.com if they are not answered below already.
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1. What equipment do I need to play WildChords?
iPad + Guitar (no additional equipment)
- iPad: 1 or 2
- A REAL guitar: Acoustic, Electro-acoustic, Electric (no need to plug it in)
- No additional equipment (no cables, microphones,…)
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2. Can I use an electric guitar?
Yes, just remember to turn off overdrive, distortion and fuzz effects, because the animals don’t like them. They prefer clean guitar sounds.
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3. Can I play WildChords on my iPhone (Android, Laptop, other device / platform)?
Currently only iPad is supported. We are working on the other versions already. Like us on Facebook or sign up for the newsletter and get notified when WildChords comes out on other platforms.
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4. How does the game know what I play?
WildChords uses the microphone built into your iPad to listen to how well you play. Our high-tech signal processing technologies (patent pending) can analyze individual notes (monophonic) and chords (polyphonic) in real time, and give you precise feedback on how well you did.
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5. Is it only for beginners?
WildChords is made for any person that is excited about playing guitar. However, the first exercises target mainly a beginner audience.
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6. Are there any harder levels?
Yes, you can try out harder levels in the DEMO exercise package (package 6 in the current version). Demo extreme for example is even hard for our guitar teachers! If the currently available packages are too easy for you, like us on Facebook, and we will let you know when we are ready with more advanced levels. Please feel free to send your suggestions too.
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7. I have never played a guitar before, can I still use WildChords
Yes, anyone can use WildChords. If it’s the first time you hold a guitar, start by watching our short intro videos on our Youtube channel. There are also helpful tips presented throughout the game.
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8. What do I learn with WildChords
You will learn the basics of guitar playing in a fun and exciting way, so you can start your guitar career (or at least one of the greatest hobbies in the world). WildChords will teach you the most common Chords (E, Em, A, Am, D, Dm, C, G, F, B and the O), and melody and scale exercises for lead guitar playing.
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9. What is the O chord
The “O-chord” is played without the left hand (all strings are played openly). This is not a popular chord (its actually called Em11), but it will help you in the beginning of the game to learn other chords.
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10. The animals wont follow, what can I do?
Technical issues (your setup):
- check if your guitar is in tune (use built-in tuner)
- make sure it is not too loud around you (turn of radio / TV)
- make sure you sit close enough to the iPad
Performance issues (how you play):
- Watch video on how to use chord exercises and play chords
- Make sure you don’t damp individual strings with your fingers (it will give you less points). You can test this in the chord trainer by plucking each string individually.
- Make sure you have the right timing (play when the time indicator is at the left end of the curbstone, let the sound ring throughout the entire stone with sound)
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11. Problems with the melody exercises (the one with the birds)?
If you cannot get the birds to fall asleep, here a few tips that might help:
1. Make sure you play the right string (the strings on the screen are upside down, meaning that the lowest string on the screen (fat string), corresponds to the up-most string on your guitar.) In other words, if you put the ipad flat on the table, and also the guitar flat on your knees, then it should correspond. This way of visualizing is the same as standard tablature, so you can play also other songs from sheets.
2. Make sure your guitar is in tune (check the tuner from the main menu)
3. timing: the “whole bird” is the right timing, so play when the spark hits the first leg, and you should be fine
4. no other sounds in the background: in this mode, WildChords listens only to the “loudest” frequency. meaning that if you strum other note, or there is other noise in the background, it may “overhear” the note you mean to play.
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12. How can I reset the game (e.g. my kid wants to start over)?
If you want to erase all your achievements and start over playing WildChords, there is at the moment only one way:
1. delete the app
2. download it again from the app store
3. if you have already bought new packages, you can redeem them by pressing “Restore” in “settings”
note:
- If you update the app without deleting the current version beforehand, your previous achievements and scores will still be there.
- Warning: if you delete WildChords, all your results will be deleted too, and you will have to start over collecting the animals.
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13. My fingers start hurting?
Don’t worry, that’s normal in the beginning. Play every day around 15 min for the first few days. Once your fingers got used to it, you can have much longer sessions.
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14. Who composed the songs for WildChords?
We have worked with different artists to create a set of nice songs that fit the game and the skill level of the user. Most songs were made by Markus Pajakkala aka Utopianisti, but we also got help from Roman Thür aka Reemes, the Finnish band Poutatorvi, Philippos Peristeris and Mihai Sorohan.
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15. Do you have well known songs in WildChords?
Not yet, but we are working on it. Meantime, the songs currently in WildChords might become well known one day.
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16. I could compose background tracks for WildChords! Interested?
Yes, we are always interested in working with creative minds from around the world. If you have a good song that you would like to contribute to the game, send it to us (preferably including the chords /notes to be played), and we will get back to you if we like it!
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17. I cannot start WildChords, or it crashes during playing! What can I do?
contact us at feedback@ovelin.com
Although we have tens of thousands of users who play WildChords without any problems, it seems that a small fraction of users cannot play WildChords (either it crashes on startup, or while playing).
->we have updated the app now, and since version 1.3 there were no more problems reported so far!
-> if you have ipad 1, make sure you don’t have too many other apps open at the same time. You can close other apps as shown in the video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-BpKelKliI0
