Method and system for generating musical variations directed to particular skill-levels

• US 20070022866A1
• Filed: 08/03/2006
• Published: 02/01/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: James Perla
• Original Assignee: James Perla
• Inventors: Perla, James
• Granted Patent: US 7,435,891 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 84/609
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 15/00 Teaching music metronomes G04F5/02
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/0008 Associated control or indicating means
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/015 Musical staff, tablature or score displays, e.g. for score reading during a performance. graphical musical score editing G10H2220/121; musical score displays resulting from a transcription G10H2210/086
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/151 Musical difficulty level setting or selection

Abstract

Various embodiments are directed to an automated method and system component for generating variations of one or more musical selections directed to particular students or to particular skill-levels into which students may be classified. The method and system component may be included in a wide variety of different music rendering, music display, and music instruction systems. In one embodiment, variations are generated by filtering each layer of a musical selection with respect to a number of common, musical elements, with the filtering chosen to reflect a selected or desired skill-level. In this embodiment, the layers of a musical selection include a melody line, a chord progression, and a bass line, and musical elements include key-signature, rhythm, pitch range, tempo and meter, and technique. Skill- level may be based on a numerically-encoded range of skill-levels, or may include a number of fixed skill-levels, such as beginning, easy, intermediate, and advanced levels.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method:

receiving a musical composition having an associated key signature and rhythm;

specifying a skill-level;

applying a key-signature filter and a note-speed filter to the musical composition to generate a variation of the musical composition with a new key-signature and a different rhythm that depend upon the selected skill level.

2. The computer implemented method as recited in claim 1, further comprising applying a rhythmic symbol filter to the musical composition such that the variation of the musical composition includes a reduced number of notation symbols.

3. The computer implemented method as recited in claim 1, wherein the key-signature and the note-speed filter are iteratively applied to each of a plurality of layers to generate the variation of the musical composition.

4. The computer implemented method as recited in claim 1, further comprising applying a hand/finger position filter to the musical composition such that the variation of the musical composition requires a fewer number of hand/finger positions.

5. The computer implemented method as recited in claim 1, further comprising applying a hand/finger position filter to the musical composition such that the variation of the musical composition requires fewer hand-position changes.

6. The computer implemented method as recited in claim 1, wherein the key-signature filter and the note-speed filter is applied to each of a plurality of layers of the musical composition.

7. The computer implemented method as recited in claim 6, wherein the plurality of layers include a melody line layer, a chord layer, and a base line layer.

8. A tangible storage medium comprising program instructions, wherein the instructions are computer executable to:

receive a musical composition having an associated key signature and rhythm;

receive a selected skill-level from a user; and

apply a key-signature filter and a note-speed filter to the musical composition to generate a variation of the musical composition with a new key-signature and a different rhythm that depend upon the selected skill level.

9. The storage medium as recited in claim 8, wherein the instructions are further computer executable to:

apply a rhythmic symbol filter to the musical composition such that the variation of the musical composition includes a reduced number of notation symbols.

10. The storage medium as recited in claim 8, wherein the key-signature and the note-speed filter are iteratively applied to each of a plurality of layers to generate the variation of the musical composition.

11. The storage medium as recited in claim 8, wherein the instructions are further computer executable to:

apply a hand/finger position filter to the musical composition such that the variation of the musical composition requires a fewer number of hand/finger positions.

12. The storage medium as recited in claim 8, wherein the instructions are further computer executable to:

apply a hand/finger position filter to the musical composition such that the variation of the musical composition requires fewer hand-position changes.

13. The storage medium as recited in claim 8, wherein the key-signature filter and the note-speed filter is applied to each of a plurality of layers of the musical composition.

14. The storage medium as recited in claim 13, wherein the plurality of layers include a melody line layer, a chord layer, and a base line layer.

15. The storage medium as recited in claim 8, wherein the key-signature filter utilizes a circle of fifths algorithm to select the new key-signature depending upon the selected skill level.

16. A musical system comprising:

a processor; and

a storage medium including program instructions executable by the processor to;

receive a musical composition having an associated key signature and rhythm;

receive a selected skill-level from a user; and

apply a key-signature filter and a note-speed filter to the musical composition to generate a variation of the musical composition with a new key-signature and a different rhythm that depend upon the selected skill level.

17. The musical system as recited in claim 16, wherein the instructions are further executable to:

apply a rhythmic symbol filter to the musical composition such that the variation of the musical composition includes a reduced number of notation symbols.

18. The musical system as recited in claim 16, wherein the instructions are executable to iteratively apply the key-signature and the note-speed filter to each of a plurality of layers to generate the variation of the musical composition.

19. The musical system as recited in claim 16, wherein the instructions are further executable to:

apply a hand/finger position filter to the musical composition such that the variation of the musical composition requires a fewer number of hand/finger positions.

20. The musical system as recited in claim 16, wherein the instructions are further executable to:

apply a hand/finger position filter to the musical composition such that the variation of the musical composition requires fewer hand-position changes.

21. The musical system as recited in claim 16, wherein the key-signature filter and the note-speed filter is applied to each of a plurality of layers of the musical composition.

22. The musical system as recited in claim 21, wherein the plurality of layers include a melody line layer, a chord layer, and a base line layer.

23. A computer implemented method:

receiving a musical composition having an associated rhythm;

specifying a skill-level;

applying a note-speed filter to the musical composition to generate a variation of the musical composition with a different rhythm that depends upon the selected skill level.

24. A computer implemented method:

receiving a musical composition;

specifying a skill-level;

applying a hand/finger position filter filter to the musical composition to generate a variation of the musical composition that requires simplified hand/finger positioning.

25. A computer implemented method:

receiving a musical composition;

specifying a skill-level;

applying a note-speed filter and a hand/finger position filter to the musical composition to generate a variation of the musical composition that depends upon the selected skill level.

26. A computer implemented method:

receiving a musical composition;

specifying a skill-level;

applying a rhythmic symbol filter and a hand/finger position filter to the musical composition to generate a variation of the musical composition that depends upon the selected skill level.