None of the programs is especially taxing on an average computer. However, it's best to have a decent sound card. If the sound is built into the computer's motherboard, you'll probably need a new sound card. Check the software's requirements, but a midrange sound card ($50-$100) probably will do.

If you have young kids and want them to explore music creation, look at Morton Subotnick's Making Music series. Making Music and Making More Music (www.creatingmusic.com, $29.99 each) are compatible with Mac and Windows operating systems. They won't teach your child to play an instrument, but they could awaken an interest.

These programs allow your children to test different sounds and instruments. They can mix and match musical phrases to create a piece. Or they can draw on a palette. Whatever is drawn will be transformed into musical notes.

If you want your children to learn the piano, Piano Suite Premier (www.adventus.com, $89.98 or $189.95 with keyboard) is an interactive program for Windows. It allows you to hook up a MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) keyboard to your computer. Every time you hit a key on the keyboard, it registers on the computer.

Piano Suite Premier handles the basics such as posture, finger placement, note locations, history and theory. After creating a profile, it will track completed lessons and give a proficiency rating. In addition to more than 500 practice pieces, there are games and a composition section.

Young adults should look at Instant Play Piano (www.topics-ent.com, $9.95) for Windows.

Although the program is not very extensive, it does incorporate a MIDI controller so you can hook up a keyboard to your computer.

The adult-oriented eMedia Piano and Keyboard Method (www.emediamusic.com, $59.95, or $149.95 with keyboard) is a more compre-hensive program for Mac and Windows.

It incorporates video and animations to teach progressively more difficult lessons. An animated keyboard tells you which keys to hit.

When tackling difficult pieces of music, you can slow the tempo. Once you know the piece, you can increase the tempo to normal speed.

If you'd rather tackle the guitar, there's the eMedia Beginner Guitar Method (www.emediamusic.com, $59.95, or $149.95 with guitar) for Mac and Windows. Using video and an animated fret board, it walks you through everything you need to know to start strumming away.

Unlike the keyboard programs, you can't plug the guitar into your computer for direct feedback. However, it does allow you to tune your guitar by playing notes into a microphone.

All of these programs are fine for learning instrument basics. And you won't have an instructor breathing down your neck. But technology still can't replace a warm-blooded human being.