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

• US 7,739,595 B2
• Filed: 04/27/2006
• Issued: 06/15/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/20/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Allegro Multimedia, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Allegro Multimedia, Inc.
• Inventors: Salter, Hal Christopher
• Primary Examiner(s): Huynh; Ba
• Application Number:
  US11/411,835
• Publication Number:
  US 20060252503A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,510 Days
• Field of Search: 715/709, 715/717, 715/719, 715/772, 715/773, 434/81, 434/128, 434/118, 434218-233, 434379-393
• US Class Current: 715/709
• 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. 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 initially displayed substantially at a top portion of the display, the virtual keyboard having a plurality of keys and initially 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;

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

detect each pressing of a key on the musical keyboard; and

upon performance of a user reaching a threshold, as determined in response to detection of pressing of keys on the musical keyboard, rotate the virtual keyboard counter-clockwise to a position such that the virtual keyboard is substantially on a left side of the display 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 collisions with the respective keys on the virtual keyboard positioned substantially on the left side of the display.

2. The system of claim 1, 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.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the computer instructions are further configured to instruct the computing element to morph the game objects into musical notes.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the computer instructions are further configured to instruct the computing element to not color code a game object.

5. 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;

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 collisions with the virtual keyboard in alignment with the respective keys on the virtual keyboard;

detecting each pressing of a key on the musical keyboard; and

upon performance of a user reaching a threshold, as determined in response to detection of pressing of keys on the musical keyboard, 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 collisions with the respective keys on the virtual keyboard positioned substantially on the left side of the interface.

6. The method of claim 5, 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.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising morphing the plurality of game objects into musical notation.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising not color coding one of a plurality of game objects that are color coded.

9. The method of claim 5, 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.

10. 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;

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 collisions with the virtual keyboard in alignment with the respective keys on the virtual keyboard;

detecting each pressing of a key on the musical keyboard; and

upon performance of a user reaching a threshold, as determined in response to detection of pressing of keys on the musical keyboard, 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 collisions with the respective keys on the virtual keyboard positioned substantially on the left side of the interface.

11. The article of manufacture of claim 10, 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.

12. The article of manufacture of claim 10, wherein the method further comprises morphing the plurality of game objects into musical notation.

13. The article of manufacture of claim 11, wherein the method further comprises not color coding one of a plurality of game objects that are color coded.

14. The article of manufacture of claim 10, 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.

15. The article of manufacture of claim 10, wherein the method further comprises altering a property of the graphical interface to more closely simulate musical notation on a standard musical staff.

16. The article of manufacture of claim 15, 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.