Instructional music reading and instrument playing system and method

Abstract

A system and method is provided for instructing students and players to read music notation and to play an instrument. The method includes presenting an interactive display including a graphical representation of at least a portion of a musical instrument and a plurality of lines having spaces therebetween. The plurality of lines and spaces represent a staff of musical notation. The method includes associating the lines and spaces with placement of at least one of a student's fingers to the instrument. The method further includes presenting, on the interactive display, a musical score including a plurality of notes by streaming each of the notes on one of the lines and spaces such that when each of the notes meets a portion of the graphical representation of the musical instrument the student, in response, manipulates a corresponding one of their fingers to play the instrument.

1 - 10 . (canceled) 
     
     
         11 . A system for instructing a player to read music notation and to play a keyboard instrument, the system comprising:
 a processing unit having memory and logic for invoking musical notation reading and keyboard instrument playing instructional methods stored in the memory;   an interactive display device coupled to the processing unit, the display device presenting a graphical representation of at least a portion of the keyboard instrument having a plurality of white and black keys, and an odd number of parallel vertical lines spaced equidistantly;   an input device coupled to the processing unit, the input device operable by the player of the system;   wherein the processing unit is configured to:
 a) associate the vertical lines and spaces between the vertical lines with the white keys, each vertical line and each space corresponding to a separate white key; 
 b) display a first graphical element on one of the vertical lines or one of the spaces on the graphical representation presented by the display device, the first graphical element representing a note and corresponding to one of the white keys; 
 c) display a second graphical element on the middle vertical line to visually inform the player how long to wait before striking a next key, the second graphical element representing a rhythm of a musical score being played; 
 d) receive an input from the input device, the input corresponding to a white key selected by the player; and 
 repeat b)-d) by changing a location of the first graphical element displayed on the graphical representation or providing at least two first graphical elements to display. 
   
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11 , further comprising a third graphical element displayed on one of the vertical lines or on one of the spaces on the display device representing a sharp or flat note and corresponding to one of the black keys on the display device. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the processing unit changes a color of the white or black key selected by the player on the display device. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the processing unit streams a plurality of at least one of the first or third graphical element on the display device, each first or third graphical element corresponding to a note of a musical score. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein the processing unit generates a score based on accuracy, timing and speed of the input received from the input device. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the musical score has a varying degree of difficulty; and wherein the processing unit generates the score based on a difficulty of a musical score. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the processing unit presents the middle vertical line visually different from other vertical lines on the display device. 
     
     
         18 . A system for instructing a player to read music notation and to play a keyboard instrument, the system comprising:
 a processing unit having memory and logic for invoking musical notation reading and keyboard instrument playing instructional methods stored in the memory;   an interactive display device coupled to the processing unit, the display device presenting a graphical representation of at least a portion of the keyboard instrument having a plurality of white and black keys, and an odd number of parallel vertical lines spaced equidistantly;   an input device coupled to the processing unit, the input device operable by the player of the system;   wherein the processing unit is configured to:
 a) associate the vertical lines and spaces between the vertical lines with the white keys, each vertical line and each space corresponding to a separate white key; 
 b) display a first graphical element on one of the vertical lines or one of the spaces on the graphical representation presented by the display device, the first graphical element representing a note and corresponding to one of the white keys; 
 c) display horizontal lines across all of the vertical lines to visually inform the player how long to wait before striking a next key, the horizontal lines representing a rhythm of a musical score being played; 
 d) receive an input from the input device, the input corresponding to a white key selected by the player; and 
 repeat b)-d) by changing a location of the first graphical element displayed on the graphical representation or providing at least two first graphical elements to display. 
 displays horizontal lines across all of the vertical lines to visually inform the player how long to wait before striking a next key, the horizontal lines representing a rhythm of a musical score being played. 
   
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 18 , further comprising a second graphical element displayed on one of the vertical lines or on one of the spaces on the display device representing a sharp or flat note and corresponding to one of the black keys on the display device. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 19 , wherein the processing unit changes a color of the white or black key selected by the player on the display device. 
     
     
         21 . The system of  claim 19 , wherein the processing unit streams a plurality of at least one of the first or second graphical element on the display device, each first or second graphical element corresponding to a note of a musical score. 
     
     
         22 . The system of  claim 21 , wherein the processing unit generates a score based on accuracy, timing and speed of the input received from the input device. 
     
     
         23 . The system of  claim 22 , wherein the musical score has a varying degree of difficulty; and wherein the processing unit generates the score based on a difficulty of a musical score. 
     
     
         24 . A computer based method for instructing a player to read music notation and to play a keyboard instrument, comprising the steps of:
 a) presenting a graphical representation comprising at least a portion of the keyboard instrument having a plurality of white and black keys, and an odd number of parallel vertical lines spaced equidistantly on a display device by a processing unit;   b) associating the vertical lines and spaces between the vertical lines with the white keys by the processing unit, each vertical line and each space corresponding to a separate white key;   c) displaying a first graphical element on one of the vertical lines or one of the spaces on the display device by the processing unit, the first graphical element representing a note and corresponding to one of the white keys on the display device;   d) displaying horizontal lines across all of the vertical lines to visually inform the player how long to wait before striking a next key, the horizontal lines representing a rhythm of a musical score being played;   e) receiving an input from an input device by the processing unit, the input corresponding to a white key selected by the player; and   f) repeating the steps c)-e) by the processing unit by changing a location of the first graphical element or displaying at least two first graphical elements.   
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 24 , further comprising the step of displaying a second graphical element on one of the vertical lines or on one of the spaces on the display device by the processing unit, the second graphical element representing a sharp or lat note and corresponding to one of the black keys on the display device. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 25 , further comprising the step of changing a color of the white or black key selected by the player on the display device. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 25 , further comprising the step of streaming a plurality of at least one of the first or second graphical element on the display device, each first or second graphical element corresponding to a note of a musical score. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 27 , further comprising the step of generating a score based on accuracy, timing and speed of the input received from the input device. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein the musical score has a varying degree of difficulty; and further comprising the step of generating the score based on a difficulty of a musical score. 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 24 , further comprising the step of displaying the middle vertical line visually different from other vertical lines on the display device.