Systems, including methods and apparatus, for generating audio effects based on accompaniment audio produced by live or pre-recorded accompaniment instruments, in combination with melody audio produced by a singer. Audible broadcast of the accompaniment audio may be delayed by a predetermined time, such as the time required to determine chord information contained in the accompaniment signal. As a result, audio effects that require the chord information may be substantially synchronized with the audible broadcast of the accompaniment audio. The present teachings may be especially suitable for use in karaoke systems, to correct and add sound effects to a singer's voice that sings along with a pre-recorded accompaniment track.

Presented is a method for controlling an electronic stringed instrument. Embodiments of electrical stringed instruments according to the present invention can be actual stringed instruments or virtual representations of stringed instruments. The methods provide a way in which to teach and play electronic stringed instruments which allow a novice musician to focus on a small portion of playing of a stringed instrument while maintaining overall musicality and ability to play the instrument.

Systems, including methods and apparatus, for generating audio effects based on accompaniment audio produced by live or pre-recorded accompaniment instruments, in combination with melody audio produced by a singer. Audible broadcast of the accompaniment audio may be delayed by a predetermined time, such as the time required to determine chord information contained in the accompaniment signal. As a result, audio effects that require the chord information may be substantially synchronized with the audible broadcast of the accompaniment audio. The present teachings may be especially suitable for use in karaoke systems, to correct and add sound effects to a singer's voice that sings along with a pre-recorded accompaniment track.

An automatic composition apparatus includes a processing unit. The processing unit performs a note pitch shift process, a matching-level calculating process and a melody generating process. The note pitch shift process performs pitch shift on pitches of individual note data items included in an input phrase. The matching-level calculating process calculates a matching level between a phrase including note data items subjected to the pitch shift and a designated chord progression data item, with reference to a plurality of note connection rules each of which defines a connection relation of consecutive note types, if the pitch shift is performed. The melody generating process generates a melody based on the phrase which includes the note data items subjected to the pitch shift and which is selected based on the calculated matching level.

Arranged accompaniment data are created by: acquiring original performance information; extracting, from the acquired original performance information, one or more accent positions in a music piece represented by the acquired original performance information; acquiring existing accompaniment pattern data; and adjusting time positions of one or more accompaniment notes, which are to be generated on the basis of the acquired accompaniment pattern data, so as to coincide with the extracted one or more accent positions. In this way, it is possible to create accompaniment data matching accent positions (rhythmic elements) of the music piece represented by the original performance information and thereby automatically make a musical arrangement with respective characteristics of the existing accompaniment pattern data and original performance information remaining therein.

Performance information of one or more accompaniment parts is extracted from original performance information. Arranged accompaniment performance information is created using, in accordance with a predetermined arranging condition, only any one or more of pitch names included in the extracted accompaniment performance information. The predetermined arranging condition comprises instructing that any of chord component notes be thinned out in an identified chord progression, and arranged accompaniment performance information is created by thinning out an accompaniment note of a pitch name corresponding to the chord component note having been instructed to be thinned out. Another predetermined arranging condition comprises setting a ratio between chords and arpeggios in one or more measures, and a combination of chords and arpeggios in the extracted accompaniment part performance information is changed so that a ratio between chords and arpeggios in one or more measures in the extracted accompaniment performance information assumes the set ratio.

Presented is a method for controlling an electronic stringed instrument. Embodiments of electrical stringed instruments according to the present invention can be actual stringed instruments or virtual representations of stringed instruments. The methods provide a way in which to teach and play electronic stringed instruments which allow a novice musician to focus on a small portion of playing of a stringed instrument while maintaining overall musicality and ability to play the instrument.

An automatic composition apparatus includes a processing unit. The processing unit performs (i) a calculation process of calculating a matching level of each chord progression data item for a motif including a plurality of note data items, with reference to a plurality of note connection rules each of which defines a connection relation of consecutive note types, and (ii) a melody generating process of generating a melody based on the motif and the chord progression data items which matching levels are calculated.

A musical performance correction method executable by a computer, the musical performance correction method includes: estimating a playing position in a musical composition by analyzing musical performance data indicating a played pitch played by a user; and correcting the played pitch indicated by the musical performance data to a reference pitch, from among a plurality of reference pitches corresponding to the playing position in the musical composition, in a case where a difference between the played pitch and the reference pitch is less than a predetermined value.