GENERATING CUSTOMIZED ARPEGGIOS IN A VIRTUAL MUSICAL INSTRUMENT

• US 20150013532A1
• Filed: 07/15/2013
• Published: 01/15/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Adam, Christof, Sapp, Markus
• Granted Patent: US 9,384,719 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 84/638
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 15/023 Electrically operated
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/0025 Automatic or semi-automatic music composition, e.g. producing random music, applying rules from music theory or modifying a musical piece automatically producing a series of tones G10H1/26
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/26 for automatically producing a series of tones
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/28 to produce arpeggios
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/106 using icons, e.g. selecting, moving or linking icons, on-screen symbols, screen regions or segments representing musical elements or parameters

Abstract

Systems, methods, and non-transitory computer-readable storage media generate customized arpeggios. An exemplary method includes providing a storage medium, including a database storing data corresponding to an arpeggio pattern to be played by a virtual instrument. The method further includes receiving a plurality of user inputs that enable a user to select a desired set of musical notes (e.g. a chord) other than the notes (e.g. chord) used to create the arpeggio stored in the database, without having to re-enter the note sequence. The method then includes creating the desired arpeggio for the selected set of notes by applying the stored arpeggio data from the database to the entered notes, and playing the created desired arpeggio

Claims

1. A graphical programming interface system for a virtual musical instrument, comprising:

a display;

a processor;

a storage medium, including a database storing data corresponding to a pitch sequence to be applied to a plurality of notes inputted to the system;

a user input that enables a user to input a desired pitch sequence to be stored in said database; and

a set of processor-executable instructions stored in said storage medium, said instructions being responsive to specific inputs entered by a user to create said desired pitch sequence data stored in said database, and to cause data corresponding to said created desired pitch sequence to be used by said system such that said virtual instrument is able to apply said desired pitch sequence to a plurality of notes inputted on the virtual instrument and play the inputted plurality of notes in the desired pitch sequence.

2. The graphical programming interface system as set forth in claim 1, wherein said desired pitch sequence comprises at least three notes.

3. The graphical programming interface system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the user input includes a musical instrument interface that enables a user to input a desired pitch sequence by actuating notes on said interface.

4. The graphical programming interface system as set forth in claim 3, wherein the musical instrument interface comprises a MIDI keyboard.

5. The graphical programming interface system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the user input includes a selectable graphical icon in response to activation of which the system stores said desired pitch sequence in said database.

6. The graphical programming interface system as set forth in claim 1, wherein said desired pitch sequence includes at least one repeated pitch, and the user input includes a selectable graphical icon in response to activation of which the system stores a desired pitch sequence including at least one repeated pitch in said database.

7. The graphical programming interface system as set forth in claim 3, further comprising computer-executable instructions for storing a velocity of an inputted note on said musical instrument interface.

8. The graphical programming interface system as set forth in claim 7, further comprising computer-executable instructions for storing a sequence of velocities of inputted notes on said musical instrument interface.

9. The graphical programming interface system as set forth in claim 8, further comprising computer-executable instructions that enable modification of stored velocity values through user input.

10. A method of creating an arpeggio pattern for a software-based musical instrument, comprising,

storing a sequence of a plurality of notes as entered by a user in an arpeggio mode of said instrument;

analyzing pitch relationships among said sequence of notes;

creating a pitch sequence corresponding to said pitch relationships;

storing the pitch sequence;

analyzing pitch relationships among a second plurality of notes entered by a user through said instrument;

applying said stored pitch sequence to the second plurality of notes in accordance with their pitch relationships; and

playing the second plurality of notes according to the applied stored pitch sequence.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the sequence of a plurality of notes contains at least one duplicate note.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising detecting velocities of entered notes of the sequence of plurality of notes, storing a sequence of velocities together with the stored pitch sequence, and playing the second plurality of notes in accordance with the stored velocities.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising modifying stored velocities in response to user input.

14. The method of claim 10, where notes are entered through a MIDI keyboard.

15. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing a plurality of computer-executable instructions for applying a pitch sequence to a plurality of notes entered on a virtual musical instrument embodied in an electronic processing device, the computer-executable instructions comprising instructions for:

creating desired pitch sequence data in response to input signals corresponding to notes entered on said instrument;

storing the desired pitch sequence data in a database;

applying stored desired pitch sequence data to a plurality of notes inputted on the virtual instrument; and

playing the inputted plurality of notes in the desired pitch sequence indicated by the stored desired pitch sequence data.

16. The computer program product as set forth in claim 15, further comprising computer-executable instructions for storing a velocity of an inputted note on said musical instrument.

17. The computer program product as set forth in claim 16, further comprising computer-executable instructions for storing a sequence of velocities of inputted notes on said musical instrument.

18. The computer program product as set forth in claim 17, further comprising computer-executable instructions that enable modification of stored velocity values through user input.

19. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing a plurality of computer-executable instructions for applying a pitch sequence to a plurality of notes entered on a virtual musical instrument embodied in an electronic processing device, the computer-executable instructions comprising instructions for:

storing a sequence of a plurality of notes as entered by a user in an arpeggio mode of said instrument;

analyzing pitch relationships among said sequence of notes;

creating a pitch sequence corresponding to said pitch relationships;

storing the pitch sequence;

analyzing pitch relationships among a second plurality of notes entered by a user through said instrument;

applying said stored pitch sequence to the second plurality of notes in accordance with their pitch relationships; and

playing the second plurality of notes according to the applied stored pitch sequence.

20. The computer program product of claim 19, further comprising computer-executable instructions for storing a velocity of an inputted note on said musical instrument.

21. The computer program product of claim 20, further comprising computer-executable instructions for storing a sequence of velocities of inputted notes on said musical instrument.