A system and method for teaching children in the field of music, and more particularly to teach children to play the piano and read musical notes using physical objects with images of characters assigned to fingers and animals assigned to musical notes, with assigned colors and shapes, and all incorporated within themed environments presented in continuing stories.

In one aspect, provided herein is a device for notating a musical composition. The device, in various implementations, is structured so as to be less laborious to notate, easier to read, and more simple to employ in notating, reading, and/or playing the music of a given composition to be composed and/or played. Accordingly, in its most basic form, the device herein disclosed includes a template, upon which template one or more symbols may be notated, where such notation is configured in a manner that more closely relates the note to be played with the mechanical action needed to be performed so as to play that note, such as on an instrument to be or being played.

In one aspect, provided herein is a device for notating a musical composition. The device, in various implementations, is structured so as to be less laborious to notate, easier to read, and more simple to employ in notating, reading, and/or playing the music of a given composition to be composed and/or played. Accordingly, in its most basic form, the device herein disclosed includes a template, upon which template one or more symbols may be notated, where such notation is configured in a manner that more closely relates the note to be played with the mechanical action needed to be performed so as to play that note, such as on an instrument to be or being played.

A device and methods are disclosed for teaching a student string instruments, specifically for teaching chords of a string instrument. The invention also relates to a kit of more than one string instrument chord teaching device and methods to allow simultaneously teaching more than one student chords of a string instrument. For more than one string instrument chord teaching device in the kit, the string instrument chord teaching devices may further be visibly distinguishable from each other.

A device and methods are disclosed for teaching a student string instruments, specifically for teaching chords of a string instrument. The invention also relates to a kit of more than one string instrument chord teaching device and methods to allow simultaneously teaching more than one student chords of a string instrument. For more than one string instrument chord teaching device in the kit, the string instrument chord teaching devices may further be visibly distinguishable from each other.

A piano training device is described herein. The piano training device comprising a plurality of keys which may be illuminated by a light source associated with each key. The light source associated with each key is oriented such that the light source transmits light toward the front surface of the key. The key is further manufactured so that the light transmitted toward the front surface of the key is redirected to the top surface of the key.

A piano training device is described herein. The piano training device comprising a plurality of keys which may be illuminated by a light source associated with each key. The light source associated with each key is oriented such that the light source transmits light toward the front surface of the key. The key is further manufactured so that the light transmitted toward the front surface of the key is redirected to the top surface of the key.

A new and improved Digital Musical Instrument includes a hardware segment that electronically detects the physical inputs of a musicians musical playing style or articulated intent; a Software segment that interprets and formulates the data output from the hardware segment, to be applied to any digitally modulated synthesizer or recording sampler; and an optional expanded method of sampling or digitally recording articulated sounds of acoustic instruments.

Indicating what should be played in a piece of music with a music document, including: displaying a part of the music document when a user plays the piece; receiving a real-time audio signal of the playing; automatically determining a playing position within the piece of music based on the real-time audio signal; automatically scrolling the music document on a display depending on the playing position; estimating at least the following from the real-time audio signal: activity; tonality; and tempo used in automatically determining the playing position determined from playing speed of the user. The estimating of the activity includes detecting whether the user is producing any sounding notes. The estimating of the tonality is based on an array of chord models that represent different chords that appear in the music document and allow calculating the probability that the corresponding chord is being played in various real-time audio signal segments.

Indicating what should be played in a piece of music with a music document, including: displaying a part of the music document when a user plays the piece; receiving a real-time audio signal of the playing; automatically determining a playing position within the piece of music based on the real-time audio signal; automatically scrolling the music document on a display depending on the playing position; estimating at least the following from the real-time audio signal: activity; tonality; and tempo used in automatically determining the playing position determined from playing speed of the user. The estimating of the activity includes detecting whether the user is producing any sounding notes. The estimating of the tonality is based on an array of chord models that represent different chords that appear in the music document and allow calculating the probability that the corresponding chord is being played in various real-time audio signal segments.