Method of providing musicians with an opportunity to learn an isolated track from an original, multi-track recording

• US 8,278,543 B2
• Filed: 02/08/2011
• Issued: 10/02/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/20/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Jammit, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Jammit, Inc.
• Inventors: Humphrey, Scott
• Primary Examiner(s): Qin, Jianchun
• Application Number:
  US13/023,466
• Publication Number:
  US 20110179940A1
• Time in Patent Office: 602 Days
• Field of Search: 846/02, 846/15, 844/70.R
• US Class Current: 84/602
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/00 Information and communication technology [ICT] specially adapted for implementation of business processes of specific business sectors, e.g. utilities or tourism healthcare informatics G16H
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 15/00 Teaching music metronomes G04F5/02
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/0041 in coded form
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/0066 using a MIDI interface
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2210/056 for extraction or identification of individual instrumental parts, e.g. melody, chords, bass; Identification or separation of instrumental parts by their characteristic voices or timbres
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2210/061 for extraction of musical phrases, isolation of musically relevant segments, e.g. musical thumbnail generation, or for temporal structure analysis of a musical piece, e.g. determination of the movement sequence of a musical work
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2210/385 Speed change, i.e. variations from preestablished tempo, tempo change, e.g. faster or slower, accelerando or ritardando, without change in pitch
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/015 Musical staff, tablature or score displays, e.g. for score reading during a performance
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/091 Graphical user interface [GUI] specifically adapted for electrophonic musical instruments, e.g. interactive musical displays, musical instrument icons or menus; Details of user interactions therewith
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/135 Musical aspects of games or videogames; Musical instrument-shaped game input interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2240/005 Data structures for use in electrophonic musical devices; Data structures including musical parameters derived from musical analysis

Abstract

A system, method, and apparatus for learning music through an educational audio track embodied on a computer readable medium are presented. The system can have components including a processor, an input device, a database, a transformation module, an emulation recording module, an integration engine, an output module, and an output device, wherein each component is operable in itself to perform it'"'"'s function in the system and operable with other system components to provide a system to a user for learning music.

Claims

1. A method of learning music, the method comprising:

obtaining audio files including

a multi-track digital audio file of a preselected piece of music having a plurality of audio tracks that include an isolated instrument audio track containing only audio from the isolated instrument, and an emulation audio track consisting of the multi-track digital audio file having the isolated instrument audio track removed; and

,

a variable timing reference track designed and provided for a user for the preselected piece of music, wherein the preselected piece of music was prerecorded, and the designing of the variable timing reference track includes creating a tempo map having variable tempos, rhythms, and beats using notes from the preselected piece of music;

transforming the multi-track digital audio file to include a variable gain ratio of (i) the isolated instrument audio track to (ii) an emulation audio track, wherein the emulation audio track represents a subtraction of the isolated instrument audio track from the plurality of audio tracks, and the gain ratio is selected by the user; and

,

emulating the isolated instrument audio track with a preselected musical instrument under a guidance of the variable timing reference track;

wherein, the obtaining, transforming, and emulating teaches the user the variable tempos, rhythms, and beats of the isolated instrument audio track.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

recording the emulated instrument audio track on a non-transitory computer readable storage medium;

combining the emulated instrument audio track with the isolated instrument audio track, the emulation audio track, the variable timing reference track, or a combination thereof, to transform the multi-track digital audio file into the educational audio file;

listening to the educational audio track; and

,

repeating the emulating, recording, combining, and listening until the user has learned the isolated instrument audio track on the preselected musical instrument to the user'"'"'s satisfaction.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the obtaining, transforming, emulating, recording, combining, listening, and repeating can be performed using a handheld device.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the device is a cellular device.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the device is a handheld video gaming console.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the notes are MIDI notes that were manually created using transients.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the emulating includes viewing music transcription and tablature data on a graphical user interface, wherein the music transcription and tablature data is synchronized to the preselected piece of music through the variable timing reference track.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the multi-track digital audio file of the preselected piece of music is an original, multi-track recording or a re-creation of the original, multi-track recording.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises selecting one or more bars of the isolated instrument audio track to enable the user to focus on emulating a section of the preselected piece of music.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the emulating includes viewing music transcription and tablature data on a graphical user interface, the graphical user interface that displays a looping page showing a bar or bars of the preselected piece of music for repeated playback, wherein the bar or bars are selected by the user for the repeated playback through a transport state selection, the transport state selection indicating a position in the piece of music according to the variable timing reference track.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the wherein the transport state selection includes tempo speed control.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the obtaining includes exchanging data with an external non-transitory computer readable storage media.

13. A method of providing users with an opportunity to learn music, comprising:

making custom audio files accessible to a user, the audio files including

a multi-track digital audio file of a preselected piece of music having a plurality of audio tracks that include an isolated instrument audio track containing only audio from the isolated instrument, and an emulation audio track consisting of the multi-track digital audio file having the isolated instrument audio track removed; and

,

a variable timing reference track designed and provided for a user for the preselected piece of music, wherein the preselected piece of music was prerecorded, and the designing of the variable timing reference track includes creating a tempo map having variable tempos, rhythms, and beats using notes from the preselected piece of music; and

,

making a system accessible to the user, the system operable to allow the user to

transform the multi-track digital audio file to include a variable gain ratio of (i) the isolated instrument audio track to (ii) an emulation audio track, wherein the emulation audio track represents a subtraction of the isolated instrument audio track from the plurality of audio tracks, and the gain ratio is selected by the user; and

,

emulate the isolated instrument audio track with a preselected musical instrument under a guidance of the variable timing reference track;

wherein, the providing, transforming, and emulating provides the user with the opportunity to learn the variable tempos, rhythms, and beats of the isolated instrument audio track.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising:

including in the system operability for the user to

record the emulated instrument audio track on a non-transitory computer readable storage medium;

combine the emulated instrument audio track with the isolated instrument audio track;

the emulation audio track;

the variable timing reference track;

or a combination thereof;

to transform the multi-track digital audio file into the educational audio file;

listen to the educational audio track; and

,

repeat the emulating, recording, combining, and listening until the user has learned the isolated instrument audio track on the preselected musical instrument to the user'"'"'s satisfaction.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the obtaining, transforming, emulating, recording, combining, listening, and repeating can be performed using a handheld device.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the device is a cellular device.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the device is a handheld video gaming console.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein the multi-track digital audio file of the preselected piece of music is an original, multi-track recording or a re-creation of the original, multi-track recording.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein the method further comprises selecting one or more bars of the isolated instrument audio track to enable the user to focus on emulating a section of the preselected piece of music.

20. The method of claim 13, wherein the emulating includes viewing music transcription and tablature data on a graphical user interface, the graphical user interface that displays a looping page showing a bar or bars of the preselected piece of music for repeated playback, wherein the bar or bars are selected by the user for the repeated playback through a transport state selection, the transport state selection indicating a position in the piece of music according to the variable timing reference track.

21. The method of claim 13, wherein the obtaining includes exchanging data with an external non-transitory computer readable storage media.

22. A method of creating a system that allows users to isolate all, or a portion of, a single track within a pre-recorded, multi-track recording, the method comprising designing a variable timing reference track for the pre-recorded, multi-track recording.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the designing of the variable timing reference track includes creating a tempo map having variable tempos, rhythms, and beats using notes from the pre-recorded, multi-track recording.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein the notes are MIDI notes that were manually created using transients.

25. The method of claim 22 further comprising providing a music transcription and tablature data on a graphical user interface, wherein the music transcription and tablature data is synchronized to the pre-recorded, multi-track recording through the variable timing reference track.

26. The method of claim 22, wherein the pre-recorded, multi-track recording is an original, multi-track recording or a re-creation of the original, multi-track recording.