Method of learning an isolated instrument audio track from an original, multi-track work

• US 8,278,544 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:
  US13/023,479
• Publication Number:
  US 20110179941A1
• Time in Patent Office: 602 Days
• Field of Search: 846/02, 844/70.R, 846/15
• 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 with repetitive changes in pitch, e.g. scratch DJ effects G10H2210/241
• 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 2220/091 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 GUI in general G06F3/048
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/135 Musical aspects of games or videogames; Musical instrument-shaped game input interfaces game background music G10H2210/026; musical game scoring or performance evaluation G10H2210/091
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2240/005 Data structures for use in electrophonic musical devices; Data structures including musical parameters derived from musical analysis audio retrieval G06F16/60

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 an isolated instrument audio track from a preselected piece of music through a user-created educational audio file, the method comprising:

obtaining a multi-track digital audio file produced from a multi-track audio recording;

wherein, the multi-track digital audio file comprises an isolated instrument audio track and an emulation audio track, the obtaining including accessing a database operable to store audio files on a non-transitory computer readable storage medium, the audio files including

the multi-track digital audio file of the preselected piece of music having the isolated instrument audio track containing only audio from the isolated instrument, and the emulation audio track consisting of the multi-track digital audio file having the isolated instrument audio track removed;

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

,

an emulated instrument audio track;

transforming the multi-track digital audio file to include a variable gain ratio of (i) an isolated instrument audio track volume to (ii) an emulation audio track volume;

wherein,

the isolated instrument audio track comprises a single musical instrument playing a preselected piece of music that a user desires to learn on a preselected musical instrument;

the emulation audio track represents a subtraction of the isolated instrument audio track from the plurality of audio tracks;

the emulated instrument audio track is created by the user;

the variable gain ratio is selected by the user; and

,

the transforming is performed using a transformation module embodied in a non-transitory computer readable storage medium and operable by the user to select the variable gain ratio to transform the audio tracks into clearly isolated tracks, or a mix of audio tracks, to assist the user in learning the isolated instrument audio track;

emulating the preselected piece of music by listening to the isolated instrument audio track and playing the preselected musical instrument to create the emulated instrument audio track;

wherein,

the emulating includes using an emulation recording module embodied in a non-transitory computer readable storage medium and operable by the user to record the user'"'"'s emulated instrument audio track on a non-transitory computer readable storage medium; and

,

the recording of the emulated instrument audio track is created by the user with guidance from the variable timing reference track and stored 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 using an integration engine embodied in a non-transitory computer readable storage medium and operable by the user to combine the audio tracks;

listening to the educational audio track; and

repeating the emulating, recording, combining, and listening until the user has learned the preselected piece of music on the preselected musical instrument to the user'"'"'s satisfaction.

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

3. 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.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the emulating further comprises reading a digital musical transcription and tablature display corresponding to the isolated instrument audio track.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the method is performed using a handheld device.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the device is a cellular device.

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

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the variable gain ratio is not limited to a ratio of audio tracks that are in either an off or on state.

9. A method for learning an isolated instrument audio track from an original, multi-track recording, the method comprising:

accessing a database operable by a user to access audio files from, and store audio files on, a non-transitory computer readable storage medium, the audio files including

an original, multi-track audio recording;

an isolated instrument audio track from the original, multi-track recording;

and,

a variable timing reference track designed for the preselected piece of music; and

,

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 audio files using a transformation module embodied in a non-transitory computer readable storage medium, wherein the transformation module is operable by the user to select a variable gain ratio that includes a ratio of (i) an isolated instrument audio track volume to (ii) an original, multi-track audio recording volume to transform the isolated instrument audio track into a clearly isolated track to assist the user in learning the isolated instrument audio track by emulating the isolated instrument audio track, wherein the emulating includes using the variable timing reference track;

wherein, the system functions to provide the user with the tools to learn the isolated instrument audio track in the original, multi-track recording.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the notes are MIDI notes that were manually created using transients.

11. The method of claim 9 further comprising:

receiving output from an output module through an output device; and

,

manipulating playback using a transport state selection;

wherein,

(i) the output device comprises a graphical user interface operable to display a looping page showing a beat, bar or bars of the isolated instrument audio track for repeated playback;

(ii) the beat, bar or bars are selected by the user for the repeated playback through the transport state selection; and

,

(iii) the transport state selection indicates a position in the piece of music according to the variable timing reference track.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the method is performed using a handheld device.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the device is a cellular device.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the device is a handheld video gaming console.

15. A method for learning an isolated instrument audio track from an original, multi-track recording, the method comprising:

obtaining a system having;

a processor;

an input device operable to receive audio data on a non-transitory computer readable storage medium;

a database operable to store audio files for access on a non-transitory computer readable storage medium, the audio files including

(i) a multi-track digital audio file of the preselected piece of music having an isolated instrument audio track consisting of 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;

(ii) a variable timing reference track designed for the original, multi-track recording, wherein the original, multi-track recording was prerecorded; and

,

(iii) an emulated instrument audio track created by the user;

a transformation module embodied in a non-transitory computer readable storage medium, wherein the transformation module is operable by the user to select a variable gain ratio that includes a ratio of (i) the volume of an isolated instrument audio track to (ii) the volume of the emulation audio track to transform the audio tracks into clearly isolated tracks, or a mix of audio tracks, to assist the user in learning the isolated instrument audio track;

an emulation recording module embodied in a non-transitory computer readable storage medium, wherein the emulation recording module is operable by the user to record the user'"'"'s emulated instrument audio track on a non-transitory computer readable storage medium, the recording of the emulated instrument audio track performed by the user with guidance from the variable timing reference track;

an integration engine embodied in a non-transitory computer readable storage medium, wherein the integration engine is operable by the user to 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; and

an output module embodied in a non-transitory computer readable storage medium, wherein the output module is operable to transmit audio data to an output device, the output device operable to provide audio data to the user, wherein the audio data assists the user in learning the isolated instrument audio track;

and,

using the system to (1) access the multi-track digital audio file;

(2) transform the multi-track digital audio file by selecting the variable gain ratio;

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

(4) record the emulated instrument audio track;

(5) 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;

(6) listen to the educational audio file; and

, (7) repeat the emulating, recording, combining, and listening until the isolated instrument audio track from the original, multi-track recording has been learned to a satisfaction of the user.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein 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.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the notes are MIDI notes that were manually created using transients.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the method includes using the method on a handheld device.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the device is a cellular device.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the device is a handheld video gaming console.