Interactive game providing instruction in musical notation and in learning an instrument

• US 20060252503A1
• Filed: 04/27/2006
• Published: 11/09/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/20/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hal Christopher Salter
• Original Assignee: Hal Christopher Salter
• Inventors: Salter, Hal Christopher
• Granted Patent: US 7,739,595 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/25
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 15/00 Teaching music metronomes G04F5/02
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 15/023 Electrically operated
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 15/04 with sound emitters
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/06 with both visual and audible presentation of the material to be studied

Abstract

A musical keyboard is connected to a computer. The computer implements a graphical user interface for teaching users to play the musical instrument. A computer readable music file, such as a MIDI file, is used to drive the creation of game objects that travel from a point of origination along a path toward a key of a virtual keyboard. In one form, when a user presses a key of the musical keyboard within a certain time window of arrival of the game object at the corresponding key of the virtual keyboard, the user is awarded with an audio presentation, a visual presentation and/or with game points. In a more structured learning mode, the game can be played with selectable, progressively more difficult challenges that the user masters on the road to proficiency.

Claims

1-35. -35. (canceled)

36. A method of instructing a user to read musical notation through interaction with a graphical user interface and an input keyboard, comprising the steps of:

generating the graphical user interface, having a first position, including a virtual keyboard positioned substantially at a top portion of the graphical user interface, the virtual keyboard having a plurality of keys corresponding to at least one octave and displayed in an orientation corresponding to the manner in which the keys are to be normally played with each key having a back portion substantially at a top of the graphical user interface and an opposed lower front portion, each key of the virtual keyboard having a corresponding key on the input keyboard;

incorporating a music file into the graphical user interface, wherein the music file contains data corresponding to an arrangement of at least a first and a second musical note in sequence, having a rhythmic pattern;

directing a first game object, representing the first musical note in the arrangement, upward, in a first substantially straight trajectory, toward the opposed lower front portion of a first key on the virtual keyboard, corresponding to the first musical note, such that the first game object will experience a first collision with the virtual keyboard in alignment with the first key;

directing a second game object, representing the second musical note in the arrangement, upward, in a second substantially straight trajectory, toward the opposed lower front portion of a second key on the virtual keyboard, corresponding to the second musical note, such that the second game object will experience a second collision with the virtual keyboard in alignment with the second key, according to the rhythmic pattern of the arrangement; and

awarding a value to the user based upon the user striking the corresponding key on the input keyboard within a set time tolerance hit window.

37. Apparatus for facilitating learning to play a musical keyboard comprising:

a computing element linked to the musical keyboard;

a display linked to the computing element and viewable by a user of said musical keyboard; and

software for execution on said computing element linking a virtual keyboard displayed at a top portion of said display when the software is executed by the computing element with actions by the user of said musical keyboard, the virtual keyboard having a plurality of keys corresponding to at least one octave and displayed in an orientation corresponding to the manner in which the keys are to be normally played with each key having a back portion substantially at a top of the display and an opposed lower front portion, the software directing the carrying out of;

loading a music file, the music file containing data corresponding to an arrangement of musical notes of a musical piece; and

progressing a plurality of game objects, representing the musical notes and being other than musical notation, from a lower end portion of the display upward, in a substantially straight trajectory, toward the opposed lower front portions of respective keys on the virtual keyboard, such that the plurality of game objects will experience a collision with the virtual keyboard in alignment with the respective keys which correspond to keys of the musical keyboard that are to be engaged by the user in order to play the musical piece on the musical keyboard, wherein

during a portion of the time that the music file is loaded, the plurality of game objects and the plurality of keys of each octave of the virtual keyboard are displayed color-coded with each other in a one-to-one correspondence.

38. The apparatus of claim 37, wherein the software further directs the carrying out of:

awarding a value to a user depressing the corresponding key on the musical keyboard, the value being awarded when the corresponding key on the musical keyboard is depressed within a set time tolerance hit window spanning an instant when a game object intersects with virtual keyboard.

39. The apparatus of claim 37, wherein the software comprises an interpreter for converting the data of the musical file into commands for generating the plurality of game objects.

40. The apparatus of claim 39, wherein the commands for generating the plurality of game objects drive a game object generator.

41. The apparatus of claim 40, wherein the game object generator is associated with a library of game objects.

42. The apparatus of claim 40, wherein the plurality of game objects progress with time from an initial launch position on the display toward the opposed lower front portions of the respective keys on the virtual keyboard and the time is adjustable by the user.

43. A method of using a computer in providing musical instruction comprising the steps of:

linking a musical keyboard and a display to the computer;

generating a virtual keyboard having a plurality of keys corresponding to at least one octave and displayed substantially at a top portion of the display in an orientation corresponding to the manner in which the keys are to be normally played with each key having a back portion substantially at a top of the display and an opposed lower front portion;

loading a music file, the music file containing data corresponding to an arrangement of musical notes of a musical piece stored in a computer readable format; and

progressing a plurality of game objects, representing the musical notes and being other than musical notation, from a lower end portion of the display upward, in a substantially straight trajectory, toward the opposed lower front portions of respective keys on the virtual keyboard, such that the plurality of game objects will experience a collision with the virtual keyboard in alignment with the respective keys which correspond to keys of the musical keyboard that are to be engaged by the user in order to play the musical piece on the musical keyboard, wherein

during a portion of the time that the music file is loaded, the plurality of game objects and the plurality of keys of each octave of the virtual keyboard are displayed color-coded with each other in a one-to-one correspondence.

44. The method of claim 43, further comprising the step of:

awarding a value to a user depressing the corresponding key on the musical keyboard, the value being awarded when the corresponding key on the musical keyboard is depressed within a set time tolerance hit window-spanning an instant when a game object intersects with virtual keyboard.

45. The method of claim 43, further comprising the step of:

converting the data of the musical file into commands for generating the plurality of game objects.

46. The method of claim 45, wherein the commands for generating the plurality of game objects drive a game object generator.

47. The method of claim 46, wherein the game object generator is associated with a library of game objects.

49. A computer program product, comprising a computer readable medium having stored thereon computer program instructions for controlling a processor to link a musical keyboard and a display and to control a graphical interface of the processor by directing the operations of:

generating a virtual keyboard having a plurality of keys corresponding to at least one octave and displayed substantially at a top portion of the display in an orientation corresponding to the manner in which the keys are to be normally played with each key having a back portion substantially at a top of the display and an opposed lower front portion;

loading a music file, the music file containing data corresponding to an arrangement of musical notes of a musical piece stored in a computer readable format; and

progressing a plurality of game objects, representing the musical notes and being other than musical notation, from a lower end portion of the display upward, in a substantially straight trajectory, toward the opposed lower front portions of respective keys on the virtual keyboard, such that the plurality of game objects will experience a collision with the virtual keyboard in alignment with the respective keys which correspond to keys of the musical keyboard that are to be engaged by the user in order to play the musical piece on the musical keyboard, wherein

during a portion of the time that the music file is loaded, the plurality of game objects and the plurality of keys of each octave of the virtual keyboard are displayed color-coded with each other in a one-to-one correspondence.

48. The method of claim 56, wherein the plurality of game objects progress with time from an initial launch position on the display toward the opposed lower front portions of the respective keys on the virtual keyboard and the time is adjustable by the user.

50. The computer product of claim 49, further directing the operation of:

rotating trajectories of the game objects from vertical where the game objects progress from the lower end portion of the display upward, toward the lower portions of the respective keys of the virtual keyboard that is displayed at the top portion of the display to horizontal where the game objects progress from a right end portion of the display leftward, toward the lower portions of the respective keys of the virtual keyboard that is displayed in an orientation corresponding to being moved counter-clockwise from the top portion of the display to a left end portion of the display.

51. The computer product of claim 50, further directing the operation of:

morphing of the plurality of game objects into musical notation.

52. The computer product of claim 51, wherein during another, later portion of the time that the music file is loaded, the musical notation and the plurality of keys of the virtual keyboard are displayed in black and white.

53. The computer product of claim 52, wherein prior to the other, later portion of time, where the musical notation and the plurality of keys of the virtual keyboard are displayed in black and white, some musical notation and some of the plurality of keys of each octave of the virtual keyboard are displayed color-coded with each other in a one-to-one correspondence while the remainder of the musical notation and the remainder of the plurality of keys of each octave of the virtual keyboard are displayed in black and white.

54. The computer product of claim 49, further directing the operation of:

awarding a value to a user depressing the corresponding key on the musical keyboard, the value being awarded when the corresponding key on the musical keyboard is depressed within a set time tolerance hit window spanning an instant when a game object intersects with virtual keyboard.

55. The computer product of claim 49, further comprising the step of:

converting the data of the musical file into commands for generating the plurality of game objects.

56. The computer product of claim 55, wherein the commands for generating the plurality of game objects drive a game object generator.

57. The computer product of claim 56, wherein the game object generator is associated with a library of game objects.

58. The computer product of claim 56, wherein the plurality of game objects progress with time from an initial launch position on the display toward the respective keys of the virtual keyboard and the time is adjustable by the user.

59. A system for facilitating learning to read musical notation on a standard staff, comprising:

a musical keyboard;

a computing element functionally linked to the musical keyboard;

a display, functionally linked to the computing element, viewable by a user of the musical keyboard;

a virtual keyboard displayed substantially at a top portion of the display, the virtual keyboard having a plurality of keys and displayed in an orientation corresponding to the manner in which the keys are to be normally played with each key having a back portion substantially at a top of the display and an opposed lower front portion; and

computer instructions, accessible by the computing element, configured to instruct the computing element to;

load a music file, the music file including data corresponding to an arrangement of musical notes; and

progress a plurality of game objects upward on the display toward the opposed lower front portions of respective keys on the virtual keyboard.

60. The system of claim 59, wherein keys of the musical keyboard are color coded to match a color coding of the keys of the virtual keyboard and to match a color coding of the plurality of game objects.

61. The system of claim 59, wherein the computer instructions are further configured to instruct the computing element to morph the game objects into musical notes.

62. The system of claim 60, wherein the computer instructions are further configured to instruct the computing element to not color code a game object.

63. A method of using a computer for facilitating learning to read musical notation on a standard staff, comprising the steps of:

displaying a graphical user interface, having a first position, wherein there is displayed a virtual keyboard positioned substantially at a top portion of the graphical user interface, the virtual keyboard having a plurality of keys corresponding to at least one octave of a musical keyboard with each key having a back portion substantially at a top of the graphical user interface and an opposed lower front portion; and

progressing a plurality of game objects, representing an arrangement of musical notes, upward toward respective keys on the virtual keyboard such that the plurality of game objects will experience a collision with the virtual keyboard in alignment with the respective keys on the virtual keyboard.

64. The method of claim 63, further comprising color coding the plurality of keys on the virtual keyboard in correspondence to color coded keys on the musical keyboard and in correspondence to color coded game objects.

65. The method of claim 63, further comprising rotating the graphical user interface counter-clockwise to a second position such that the virtual keyboard is positioned substantially on a left side of the interface and the plurality of game objects move leftward toward the respective keys on the virtual keyboard, such that the plurality of game objects will experience a collision with the respective keys on the virtual keyboard positioned substantially on the left side of the interface.

66. The method of claim 63, further comprising morphing the plurality of game objects into musical notation.

67. The method of claim 64, further comprising not color coding one of a plurality of game objects that are color coded.

68. The method of claim 63, further comprising introducing a series of visible staff lines defining spaces, wherein each of the plurality of game objects travels along a staff line or a space until colliding with the virtual keyboard at the corresponding key.

69. An article of manufacture comprising a program storage medium readable by a processor and embodying one or more instructions executable by the processor to perform a method for facilitating instruction of reading a standard musical staff, the method comprising:

displaying a graphical user interface, having a first position, wherein there is displayed a virtual keyboard positioned substantially at a top portion of the graphical user interface, the virtual keyboard having a plurality of keys corresponding to at least one octave of a musical keyboard with each key having a back portion facing a top of the graphical user interface and an opposed lower front portion; and

progressing a plurality of game objects, representing an arrangement of musical notes, upward toward respective keys on the virtual keyboard such that the plurality of game objects will experience a collision with the virtual keyboard in alignment with the respective keys on the virtual keyboard.

70. The article of manufacture of claim 69, wherein the method further comprises color coding the plurality of keys on the virtual keyboard in correspondence to color coded keys on the musical keyboard and in correspondence to color coded game objects.

71. The article of manufacture of claim 69, wherein the method further comprises rotating the graphical user interface counter-clockwise to a second position such that the virtual keyboard is positioned substantially on a left side of the interface and the plurality of game objects move leftward toward the virtual keyboard positioned substantially on the left side of the interface.

72. The article of manufacture of claim 71, wherein the method further comprises progressing the plurality of game objects, representing the arrangement of musical notes, leftward toward the respective keys on the virtual keyboard, such that the plurality of game objects will experience a collision with the virtual keyboard in alignment with the respective keys on the virtual keyboard positioned substantially on the left side of the interface.

73. The article of manufacture of claim 69, wherein the method further comprises morphing the plurality of game objects into musical notation.

74. The article of manufacture of claim 70, wherein the method further comprises not color coding one of a plurality of game objects that are color coded.

75. The article of manufacture of claim 71, wherein the method further comprises introducing a series of visible staff lines defining spaces, wherein each of the plurality of game objects travels along a line or a space until colliding with the virtual keyboard, positioned substantially on the left side of the interface, in alignment with the respective key on the virtual keyboard.

76. The article of manufacture of claim 69, wherein the method further comprises altering a property of the graphical interface to more closely simulate musical notation on a standard musical staff.

77. The article of manufacture of claim 76, wherein the property of the graphical interface is selected from the group consisting of orientation, game object color, game object shape, and virtual keyboard color.