Systems and methods for creating customized vocal ensemble arrangements

• US 10,698,950 B2
• Filed: 03/02/2018
• Issued: 06/30/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Steve Morell
• Original Assignee: Nicechart, Inc.
• Inventors: Morell, Steve, Morell, Tammy
• Primary Examiner(s): Chau, Dung K
• Application Number:
  US15/910,787
• Publication Number:
  US 20180253489A1
• Time in Patent Office: 851 Days
• Field of Search: 707734
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/61 Indexing; Data structures therefor; Storage structures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/635 Filtering based on additional data, e.g. user or group profiles
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/638 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/683 using metadata automatically derived from the content
• CPC Class Codes: G10G 1/04 Transposing; Transcribing
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2210/066 for pitch analysis as part of wider processing for musical purposes, e.g. transcription, musical performance evaluation; Pitch recognition, e.g. in polyphonic sounds; Estimation or use of missing fundamental
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2210/081 for automatic key or tonality recognition, e.g. using musical rules or a knowledge base
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2210/105 Composing aid, e.g. for supporting creation, edition or modification of a piece of music

Abstract

Systems and methods for creating customized vocal ensemble arrangements are provided herein. A user can specify a musical selection and provide information about an ensemble, such as the number of vocalists, vocal range, gender, and display preferences into the system. The system generates a conductor'"'"'s score and individual vocalist scores that have been customized for each member of the ensemble to match their individual vocal range and tailored to balance the entire ensemble.

Claims

1. A method of customizing a vocal ensemble arrangement, comprising:

providing a database storing alternative arrangements of a musical selection, each alternative arrangement having a different set of vocal parts;

determining a target arrangement type having the ideal number of vocal parts for the musical selection based on the individual vocal ranges of a selected ensemble of vocalists;

querying the database to determine whether a stored alternative arrangement matches the target arrangement type;

changing the target arrangement type to a stored arrangement type in accordance with a predetermined substitution rule if no stored alternative arrangement matches the target arrangement type;

assigning each vocalist of the ensemble to a vocal part based on the vocal range of the vocalist and the range of the part being assigned; and

generating individual scores for each vocal part.

2. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the assigning further comprises:

determining whether the vocal part being assigned includes at least one variation part,

wherein the assigning is further based upon the vocal range of the vocalist and the range of the variation part.

3. The method in accordance with claim 1, further comprising:

range-correcting the assigned part in response to a determination that determining whether one or more notes of an assigned part are outside the range of the assigned vocalist;

creating a new part from the range-corrected part; and

re-assigning the vocalist to the newly created range-corrected part.

4. The method in accordance with claim 1, further comprising:

generating an accompaniment score comprising at least one accompanying instrument part and at least one vocal part, wherein the accompaniment instrument part is selected from the group consisting of a standard notation version, a slash version, and a lead sheet version.

5. The method in accordance with claim 1, further comprising:

determining the ratio of the number of vocalists assigned to a first part to the sum of the number of vocalists assigned to the first part and the number of vocalists assigned to second part that is contiguous to the first part, and if the ratio is less than a predetermined percentage;

re-assigning the vocalists from the first part to the second part; and

eliminating the first part.

6. The method in accordance with claim 5, wherein the predetermined percentage is 25%.

7. The method in accordance with claim 5 where the first part is lower than the second part, comprising:

re-assigning a vocalist from first part to the second part if a highest note of the first part corresponds to a highest note of the vocalist'"'"'s range.

8. The method in accordance with claim 5 where the first part is higher than the second part, comprising:

re-assigning a vocalist from first part to the second part if a lowest note of the first part corresponds to a lowest note of the vocalist'"'"'s range.

9. The method in accordance with claim 1, further comprising:

determining which key encompasses the greatest number of individual vocalists'"'"' ranges; and

transposing the arrangement to the determined key.

10. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the individual scores for each vocal part includes the primary vocal part and at least one other representative vocal part of another section of the ensemble.

11. A system for customizing a vocal ensemble arrangement, comprising:

a database storing alternative arrangements of a musical selection, each alternative arrangement having a different set of vocal parts;

a processor in communication with the database;

a memory operatively coupled to the processor and storing executable instructions, which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to;

determine a target arrangement type having the ideal number of vocal parts for the musical selection based on the individual vocal ranges of a selected ensemble of vocalists;

query the database to determine whether a stored alternative arrangement matches the target arrangement type;

change the target arrangement type to a stored arrangement type in accordance with a predetermined substitution rule if no stored alternative arrangement matches the target arrangement type;

assign each vocalist of the ensemble to a vocal part based on the vocal range of the vocalist and the range of the part being assigned; and

generate individual scores for each vocal part.

12. The system in accordance with claim 11, wherein the memory further includes instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:

determine whether the vocal part being assigned includes at least one variation part,

wherein the assigning is further based upon the vocal range of the vocalist and the range of the variation part.

13. The system in accordance with claim 11, wherein the memory further includes instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:

range-correct the assigned part in response to a determination that determining whether one or more notes of an assigned part are outside the range of the assigned vocalist;

create a new part from the range-corrected part; and

re-assign the vocalist to the newly created range-corrected part.

14. The system in accordance with claim 11, wherein the memory further includes instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to

generate an accompaniment score comprising at least one accompanying instrument part and at least one vocal part, wherein the accompaniment instrument part is selected from the group consisting of a standard notation version, a slash version, and a lead sheet version.

15. The system in accordance with claim 11, wherein the memory further includes instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to

determine the ratio of the number of vocalists assigned to a first part to the sum of the number of vocalists assigned to the first part and the number of vocalists assigned to second part that is contiguous to the first part, and if the ratio is less than a predetermined percentage:

re-assign the vocalists from the first part to the second part; and

eliminate the first part.

16. The system in accordance with claim 15, wherein the predetermined percentage is 25%.

17. The system in accordance with claim 15, wherein the memory further includes instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to re-assign a vocalist from first part to the second part if a highest note of the first part corresponds to a highest note of the vocalist'"'"'s range and the first part is lower than the second part.

18. The system in accordance with claim 15, wherein the memory further includes instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to re-assign a vocalist from first part to the second part if a lowest note of the first part corresponds to a lowest note of the vocalist'"'"'s range and the first part is higher than the second part.

19. The system in accordance with claim 11, wherein the memory further includes instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:

determine which key encompasses the greatest number of individual vocalists'"'"' ranges; and

transpose the arrangement to the determined key.

20. The system in accordance with claim 11, wherein the memory further includes instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to include a primary vocal part and at least one other representative vocal part of another section of the ensemble in the generated score.