Apparatus and method for visualization of music using note extraction

• US 7,875,787 B2
• Filed: 02/02/2009
• Issued: 01/25/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/01/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Master Key LLC
• Original Assignee: Master Key LLC
• Inventors: Lemons, Kenneth R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Fletcher; Marlon T
• Application Number:
  US12/322,482
• Publication Number:
  US 20090223348A1
• Time in Patent Office: 722 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 84/483.2
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/0008 Associated control or indicating means
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2210/066 for pitch analysis as part of wider processing for musical purposes, e.g. transcription, musical performance evaluation; Pitch recognition, e.g. in polyphonic sounds; Estimation or use of missing fundamental
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/005 Non-interactive screen display of musical or status data
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2250/235 Fourier transform; Discrete Fourier Transform [DFT]; Fast Fourier Transform [FFT]

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a system and method for visualization of music and other sounds using note extraction. In one embodiment, the twelve notes of an octave are labeled around a circle. Raw audio information is fed into the system, whereby the system applies note extraction techniques to isolate the musical notes in a particular passage. The intervals between the notes are then visualized by displaying a line between the labels corresponding to the note labels on the circle. In some embodiments, the lines representing the intervals are color coded with a different color for each of the six intervals. In other embodiments, the music and other sounds are visualized upon a helix that allows an indication of absolute frequency to be displayed for each note or sound.

Claims

1. A method for visualizing music, comprising the steps of:

(a) placing twelve labels in a pattern of a circle, said twelve labels corresponding to twelve respective notes in an octave, such that moving clockwise or counter-clockwise between adjacent ones of said labels represents a musical half-step;

(b) identifying an occurrence of a first one of the twelve notes;

(c) identifying an occurrence of a second one of the twelve notes;

(d) identifying a first label corresponding to the first note;

(e) identifying a second label corresponding to the second note;

(f) creating a first line connecting the first label and the second label, wherein;

(1) the first line is a first color if the first note and the second note are separated by a half step;

(2) the first line is a second color if the first note and the second note are separated by a whole step;

(3) the first line is a third color if the first note and the second note are separated by a minor third;

(4) the first line is a fourth color if the first note and the second note are separated by a major third;

(5) the first line is a fifth color if the first note and the second note are separated by a perfect fourth; and

(6) the first line is a sixth color if the first note and the second note are separated by a tri-tone;

wherein said identifying an occurrence of a first one of the twelve notes step comprises the steps of;

(1) receiving a raw audio input signal;

(2) performing a fast fourier transform analysis on said raw audio input signal to determine a first primary frequency;

(3) determining an occurrence of a first one of the twelve notes based on the first primary frequency; and

wherein said identifying an occurrence of a second one of the twelve notes step comprises the steps of;

(1) performing a fast fourier transform analysis on said raw audio input signal to determine a second primary frequency;

(2) determining an occurrence of a second one of the twelve notes based on the second primary frequency.