A computer-implemented reproduction control method includes reproducing sound from sound data representing a series of sounds including first sound and second sound that follows the first sound. The method includes starting reproducing the first sound, continuing the reproduction of a first sound until an end of the first sound in response to receiving a first instruction in a reproduction period of the first sound, stopping the reproduction of the first sound, and after the stopping of the reproduction of the first sound, starting reproducing the second sound in response to receiving a second instruction provided by a user.

Musical score acquisition section acquires musical score information representing a musical score of a music piece to be practiced by a user. Target portion setting section sets a plurality of portions of the music piece as target portions for training, respectively. Target musical score acquisition section acquires target musical score information indicative of partial musical scores of the respective target portions for training set by the target portion setting section. Display control section controls, on the basis of the target musical score information acquired by the target musical score acquisition section, a display device to display two or more of target musical scores in a side-by-side arrangement. Thus, a user can easily grasp the plurality of target portions for training.

In at least one embodiment, a method of performing automatic transcription of musical content included in an audio signal received by a computing device is provided. The method includes processing, using the computing device, the received audio signal to extract musical information characterizing at least a portion of the musical content and generating, using the computing device, a plurality of musical notations representing alternative musical interpretations of the extracted musical information. The method further includes applying a selected one of the plurality of musical notations for transcribing the musical content of the received audio signal.

A method and apparatus to facilitate tone challenged singers to sing intended notes. In one aspect, the singer determines a note to sing corresponding to an intended frequency f.sub.i. The singer utters a note continuously with fundamental frequency f.sub.u into a microphone of the natural ear apparatus. The note is processed by the apparatus to produce sound emphasizing the fundamental frequency f.sub.u and output through a speaker to the auditory organs of the singer. The singer detects differences between intended frequency f.sub.i and uttered fundamental frequency f.sub.u. The singer adjusts his vocal organs as he utters the note with the intention of changing f.sub.u to reduce difference between f.sub.i and f.sub.u.

For each sound of a model performance, performance information designating a sound generation timing and sound are supplied, and for each of a plurality of phrases into which the model performance is divided, intensity information indicative of an intensity of sound for the phrase is supplied. In accordance with a progression of a performance time and for each phrase of the model performance, the intensity information is acquired ahead of a start timing when a performance of the phrase is to be started, and the intensity of sound common to sounds in the phrase is presented based on the acquired intensity information. The intensity of the sound is presented in a visual or audible manner. In this way, a human player can know, through a visual display and/or an audible sound, an intensity of a key depression operation for each phrase of the model performance before starting the phrase. As a result, the human player can practice the performance while being aware of the intensity of sound for each phrase.

A video game includes an audio-video stream combined with game graphics and game sounds. The game graphics are overlaid on the video stream and updated in synchronization with the stream. Update of the game graphics and sounds depends on inputs received from a game player. The game player may provide input using a game controller coupled to the video game by an adapter. The video game may play on a Blu-ray player.

A system for providing a user a virtual exercise in playing a music instrument relative to the user's skill characteristics includes: a processing entity and a memory entity for processing and storing data, respectively to execute the system functions, and a data transfer entity for receiving and transmitting data, the system configured to: obtain musical notation data, analyze it to assign the musical piece to which such data pertains a number of difficulty characteristics with scalar values, provide the user with a number of musical pieces, with known difficulty characteristics, as virtual exercises to be completed by playing an instrument, obtain user performance data of completed virtual exercises, analyze the user performance data to determine and assign the user with a number of skill characteristics values in accordance with the difficulty characteristic values of the completed musical pieces, and determine a musical piece for the user as a virtual exercise.

A system is described that permits identified musical phrases or themes to be synchronized and linked into changing real-world events. The achieved synchronization includes a seamless musical transition—achieved using a timing offset, such as relative advancement of an significant musical “onset,” that is inserted to align with a pre-existing but identified music signature, beat or timebase—between potentially disparate pre-identified musical phrases having different emotive themes defined by their respective time signatures, intensities, keys, musical rhythms and/or musical phrasing. The system operates to augment an overall sensory experience of a user in the real world by dynamically changing, re-ordering or repeating and then playing audio themes within the context of what is occurring in the surrounding physical environment, e.g. during different phases of a cardio workout in a step class the music rate and intensity increase during sprint periods and decrease during recovery periods.

Methods and systems are described that are utilized for remotely controlling a musical instrument. A first digital record comprising musical instrument digital commands from a first electronic instrument for a first item of music is accessed. The first digital record is transmitted over a network using a network interface to a remote, second electronic instrument for playback to a first user. Optionally, video data is streamed to a display device of a user while the first digital record is played back by the second electronic instrument. A key change command is transmitted over the network using the network interface to the second electronic instrument to cause the second electronic instrument to playback the first digital record for the first item of music in accordance with the key change command. The key change command may be transmitted during the streaming of the video data.

The information providing method includes: sequentially identifying a performance speed at which a user performs a piece of music; identifying, in the piece of music, a performance position that is performed by the user; setting an adjustment amount in accordance with a temporal variation in the identified performance speed; and providing the user with music information corresponding to a time point that is later, by the adjustment amount, than a time point that corresponds to the performance position identified in the piece of music.