Interactive game providing instruction in musical notation and in learning an instrument
0 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
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.
-
Citations
77 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. - View Dependent Claims (38, 39, 40, 41, 42)
-
-
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. - View Dependent Claims (44, 45, 46, 47)
-
-
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. - View Dependent Claims (48, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58)
-
-
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. - View Dependent Claims (60, 61, 62)
-
-
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. - View Dependent Claims (64, 65, 66, 67, 68)
-
-
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. - View Dependent Claims (70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77)
-
Specification