Apparatus and method for visualizing music and other sounds

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a system and method for visualization of music and other sounds. In one embodiment, the twelve notes of an octave are labeled. When notes are played, the intervals between the notes are visualized by displaying a line between the labels corresponding to the note labels. In some embodiments, the lines representing the intervals are color coded with a different color for each of the six intervals.

What is claimed: 
     
         1 . An aid for identifying musical chords having common relationships between the individual notes making up the chords, the aid comprising:
 a display surface;   a plurality of indicia on the display surface, the indicia distributed substantially radially symmetrically with respect to one another, wherein the indicia correspond to evenly spaced notes arranged sequentially according to pitch;   for each pair of notes making up the given initial chord, a line connecting the pair of indicia that correspond to that pair of notes;   wherein the color of each line is a function of the number of notes separating the indicia connected by that line;   whereby chords having common relationships between the individual notes making up the chords appear as symbols having a common shape and color composition, but a variable orientation.   
     
     
         2 . The aid of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of indicia consists of 12 indicia. 
     
     
         3 . The aid of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of indicia consists of 16 indicia. 
     
     
         4 . The aid of  claim 1 , wherein the display surface is a computer monitor. 
     
     
         5 . The aid of  claim 1 , wherein the display surface is not a computer monitor. 
     
     
         6 . The aid of  claim 1 , wherein the indicia correspond to evenly spaced notes arranged such that, as one proceeds in a clockwise direction, the pitch of the corresponding notes becomes higher. 
     
     
         7 . The aid of  claim 1 , wherein the color of each line is a unique function of the number of notes separating the indicia connected by that line. 
     
     
         8 . A model for teaching musical relationships by graphically representing a chord, the model comprising:
 a display surface;   a plurality of indicia corresponding to the notes of a scale, the plurality of indicia distributed substantially radially symmetrically with respect to one another on the display surface;   for each pair of notes making up the given initial chord, a line connecting the pair of indicia that correspond to that pair of notes;   wherein the color of each line is a unique function of the number of notes separating the indicia connected by that line, as follows:
 (1) the color of a given line is a first color if the notes connected by that line are adjacent; 
 (2) the color of a given line is a second color if the notes connected by that line are separated from one another by 1 other note; 
 (3) the color of a given line is a third color if the notes connected by that line are separated from one another by 2 other notes; 
 (4) the color of a given line is a fourth color if the notes connected by that line are separated from one another by 3 other notes; 
 (5) the color of a given line is a fifth color if the notes connected by that line are separated from one another by 4 other notes; 
 (6) the color of a given line is a sixth color if the notes connected by that line are separated from one another by 5 other notes; 
   whereby chords having common relationships between the individual notes making up the chords appear as symbols having a common shape and color composition, but a variable orientation.   
     
     
         9 . The model of  claim 8 , wherein the plurality of indicia consists of 12 indicia. 
     
     
         10 . The model of  claim 8 , wherein the plurality of indicia consists of 16 indicia. 
     
     
         11 . The model of  claim 8 , wherein the display surface is a computer monitor. 
     
     
         12 . The model of  claim 8 , wherein the display surface is not a computer monitor. 
     
     
         13 . The model of  claim 8 , wherein the indicia correspond to evenly spaced notes arranged such that, as one proceeds in a clockwise direction, the pitch of the corresponding notes becomes higher.