초록 ▼

An interactive on-line music training system for teaching music to students comprises a Student Station, a Teacher Station, and an Administrative Web Server connected over a communications network. The Student Station includes a computer which is integrated with a MIDI device (e.g. MIDI keyboard). T

An interactive on-line music training system for teaching music to students comprises a Student Station, a Teacher Station, and an Administrative Web Server connected over a communications network. The Student Station includes a computer which is integrated with a MIDI device (e.g. MIDI keyboard). The Administrative Web Server maintains a database for storing data related to the Student's performance. The Student uses the MIDI device to interact with the music course. As the Student traverses the music course, lessons and activities as well as the applicable MIDI files are downloaded from the Administrative Web Server to the Student Station's computer. The Student's responses to exercises are stored as a MIDI file on the student computer. Upon completion of a lesson, an activity is presented to the Student. When the Student responds, the original MIDI file is compared to the MIDI file created by the Student and an evaluation is made using evaluation routines which are resident, and executed, on the Student's computer. The Student's performance in response to drills is evaluated based on a number of criterion, including timing, pitch and, where applicable, expression. The results of the lesson evaluation and corresponding student MIDI file are uploaded to the Administrative Web Server for storage. Lesson evaluations and the MIDI files created by students, along with various other student based performance information may be reviewed by a teacher, who can access them from the Administrative Web Server.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A computer based music teaching system for training a student to play a musical instrument by evaluating timing, pitch and expression, said teaching system comprising: (a) a database adapted to store a lesson data file having timing, pitch and expression lesson elements; (b) a display couple

1. A computer based music teaching system for training a student to play a musical instrument by evaluating timing, pitch and expression, said teaching system comprising: (a) a database adapted to store a lesson data file having timing, pitch and expression lesson elements; (b) a display coupled to said database for displaying a representation of the lesson data file to the student. (c) a music input device to accept input from the student and to generate a student data file; (d) a processor coupled to said music input device and said database for comparing said student data file with said lesson data file, evaluating the student data file in respect of timing, pitch and expression and providing an evaluation data file, said evaluation data file including a plurality of graphical marks positioned in proximity to timing, pitch and expression lesson elements which have been incorrectly played by the student; and (e) said display also being coupled to said processor for providing a representation of the evaluation data file to the student on the display, including display of said graphical marks to indicate which timing, pitch and expression elements of the lesson data file were incorrectly played by the student. 2. The teaching system of claim 1, wherein said processing means is also adapted to store said evaluation data file in said database.3. The teaching system of claim 1, wherein said database is coupled to said music input device over a communications network.4. The teaching system of claim 1, wherein said student data file and said lesson data file are in MIDI data format.5. The teaching system of claim 1, wherein said music input device is an electronic keyboard.6. The teaching system of claim 1, wherein said music input device is an electronic guitar.7. A method of teaching a student how to play a musical instrument using a music input device coupled to a processor, a database and a display over a communications network, said method comprising: (a) storing a lesson data file having timing, pitch and expression lesson elements in the database; (b) transmitting the lesson data file to the display over the communications network; (c) providing a representation of the lesson data file to the student on the display; (d) obtaining a student data file from the student through the music input device in response; and (e) evaluating said student data file by comparing said student data file with said lesson data file, evaluating the student data file in respect of timing, pitch and expression and providing an evaluation data file, said evaluation data file including a plurality of graphical marks positioned in proximity to timing, pitch and expression lesson elements which have been incorrectly played by the student; and (f) providing a representation of the evaluation data file to the student on the display, including display of said graphical marks to indicate which timing, pitch and expression elements of the lesson data file were incorrectly played by the student. 8. The method of claim 7, further comprising the step of providing the evaluation of the student data file to a teacher.9. The method of claim 7, further comprising the step of storing the evaluation of the student data file in a database.10. The method of claim 7, wherein said student data file and said lesson data file are in MIDI format.11. The method of claim 7, wherein the step of evaluating of said student data is conducted in respect of at least one of timing, pitch and expression.12. The method of claim 7, wherein said lesson data file contains at least one measure and wherein the step of evaluating the timing of said student data file additionally comprises: (a) counting the number of note positions in each measure for the lesson data file; (b) creating a vector to hold marks for each note position for each measure of said lesson data file; (c) for each vector, marking a note position correct only if there exists a no te in said student data file that is in said note position and is the same note as the note in said lesson data file that is in said note position and if the same is true for adjacent notes of the same pitch in said student data file, and otherwise marking a note position incorrect; (d) determining the total number of note positions in each vector that have been marked as correct; and (e) outputting an evaluation of said student data file which corresponds to said total number of note positions. 13. The method of claim 7 wherein said lesson data file contains at least one measure and wherein the evaluation of the pitch of said student data file additionally comprises: (a) counting the number of note positions in each measure for the lesson data file; (b) creating a RIGHT TIME vector to hold marks for the correct note at a correct note position for each measure of said lesson data file; (c) creating a RIGHT ORDER vector to hold marks for the correct note in the correct order for each measure of said lesson data file; (d) marking a note position correct in the RIGHT TIME vector only if the student data file and the lesson data file contains the same number of pitches in said position and if each pitch of said student data file at said position is also present in said lesson data file at said position, otherwise marking said note position incorrect; (e) marking a note position correct in the RIGHT ORDER vector only if the note at said position in said student data file is identical to the note at said position in said lesson data file, otherwise marking said note position incorrect; (f) repeating steps (d) and (e) until all note positions have been marked; (g) determining the number of note positions in the RIGHT TIME vector that have been marked as correct; (h) determining the number of note positions in the RIGHT ORDER vector that have been marked as correct so that the evaluation of the pitch of said student data file is independent from the evaluation of the timing of said student data file; (i) determining the larger value of the result in (g) or (h); and (j) outputting an evaluation of said student data file which corresponds to said larger of said larger value. 14. The method of claim 7, wherein said lesson data file contains at least one measure and wherein the evaluation of the expression of said student data file additionally comprises: (a) counting the number of note positions in each measure for the lesson data file; (b) creating a vector to hold marks for each note position for each measure of said lesson data file; (c) for each vector, marking a note position correct only if the highest volume of the note in said student data file at said note position differs by less than a predetermined amount from the highest volume of the note in said lesson data file at said note position and otherwise marking said note position incorrect; (d) determining the total number of note positions in each vector that have been marked as correct; and (e) outputting an evaluation of said student data file which corresponds to said total number of note positions.