Embodiments of the present disclosure can provide systems, methods, and computer-readable medium for implementing user interfaces for interacting with a virtual instrument. For example, a user interface for a virtual instrument may be presented on a display of a device. The user interface may have any suitable number of strings (or keys) associated with a physical instrument. Each string/key may correspond to an associated audio file. Touch input may be received at the user interface. In some embodiments, the touch input may include a location corresponding to a particular string. The associated audio file may be selected based on the location. The associated audio file may be presented (e.g., via a speaker of the device) at a volume that corresponds with the pressure at which the touch input was provided.

A musical instrument with two or more classes of pitches where at least one class is a diminished chord extended over an arbitrary number of octaves, and another class is another chord extended over the same span of octaves. The pitches of the second class of pitches are interlaced with the pitches of the diminished chord of the first class of pitches. Additional classes are chords similarly interlaced with other classes, with one class of any interlaced pair of classes being a diminished chord.

A stringless electric bowed musical instrument is disclosed in which sensors are provided to detect finger positions and bowing motions of the player. A touch-sensitive fingerboard surface is equipped with pitch sensors that detect finger positions. Use of a fingerboard surface that includes an interactive flexible touch screen display provides a plurality of illumination patterns to be displayed on the fingerboard and permits various operational modes that are useful for both students and artists. A bowing platform in contact with either the fingerboard or the body of the instrument provides an adjustable bowing surface for including bow sensors configured to detect vibrations in response to bow motion. The bow sensors may include piezo-ceramic elements. Optical pitch sensors may sense interruption of one or more laser beams that propagate above a top surface of the fingerboard.

The present invention relates to an overlay for a touchscreen piano keyboard implemented on an iPad or similar touchscreen device. It includes a screen covering sheet, that has a top surface pitted with hollows, such that it blocks activation of the touchscreen piano keys when lightly pressed, but not when more firmly pressed, thereby emulating the pressing of physical piano keys.

The present invention provides a method and apparatus for controlling a light-emitting device of a digital keyboard musical instrument. The method includes: detecting a touch action generated by a user upon a key of the digital keyboard musical instrument and generating a touch signal, by a sensor placed underneath the key, and transmitting the touch signal to a processor, wherein the touch signal comprises the magnitude information of the touch action; receiving the touch signal and generating a corresponding control signal in accordance with the magnitude information of the touch signal, by the processor; and actuating the light-emitting device to produce a light-emitting effect in accordance with the control signal by the processor. Since the detection of the touch action upon the key by the sensors is accurate enough to capture all details of the complete key-touching action, the light-emitting effect produced based on this more detailed detection of the touch action is more exquisite and accurate.

Systems and methods for multi-pressure interaction on touch-sensitive surfaces are disclosed. One disclosed embodiment of a method comprises receiving a first sensor signal from a touch-sensitive input device in response to a first contact of a first object on the touch-sensitive input device, the first sensor signal comprising a first location and a first pressure of the first contact, receiving a second sensor signal from the touch-sensitive input device in response to a second contact of a second object on the touch-sensitive input device substantially simultaneously with the first contact, the second sensor signal comprising a second location of the second contact and a second pressure of the second contact, generating a signal based at least in part on the first sensor signal and the second sensor signal, the signal configured to cause a haptic effect, and outputting the signal.

In one embodiment, an electronic musical instrument (EMI) (or electronic multi-instrument) is described that separates pitch choice from percussive sound control (articulation). A pitch sensor interface (by which notes are selected) may comprise a software-programmed touchscreen interface (that can be modeled on existing musical instruments or entirely new) configured to allow pitch choice, while sound control may be made on a separate articulation control sensor (by which notes are triggered and modified), such as an illustrative double-sided touch pad, that senses one or more of a velocity, pressure, movement, and location of a user's contact. The design facilitates a portable, ergonomic, and intuitive way to express music via standard digital protocols (e.g., MIDI) through a physical interface that encourages fluid, non-static, personally distinguishable musical expression. Notably, the instrument may illustratively be a controller that requires a compatible synthesizer sound source (e.g., on-board or separate).

Embodiments of the present disclosure can provide systems, methods, and computer-readable medium for implementing user interfaces and user interface elements for interacting with a virtual instrument. For example, a user interface for a virtual instrument may be presented on a display of a device. The user interface may have any suitable number of strings having a first spacing. Each string may correspond to an associated audio file. User mode input may be received at the user interface. In response to receiving the user mode input, a user interface element (e.g., a corresponding enhanced selection area) may be presented. The presented user interface element may include a subset of the plurality of strings and may have a second spacing that is greater than the first spacing. By utilizing the user interface element, a user is enabled to make more accurate input than conventional techniques allow.

An electronic device executing a music playing application is provided. The electronic device includes a communication module configured to receive control information from a second electronic device connected through a wireless communication when the music playing application is executed, a processor configured to process the received control information to be applied to music data requested to be reproduced according to the execution of the music playing application, and an audio module configured to output the music data processed by the processor.

The present invention provides a method and apparatus for controlling a light-emitting device of a digital keyboard musical instrument. The method includes: detecting a touch action generated by a user upon a key of the digital keyboard musical instrument and generating a touch signal, by a sensor placed underneath the key, and transmitting the touch signal to a processor, wherein the touch signal comprises the magnitude information of the touch action; receiving the touch signal and generating a corresponding control signal in accordance with the magnitude information of the touch signal, by the processor; and actuating the light-emitting device to produce a light-emitting effect in accordance with the control signal by the processor. Since the detection of the touch action upon the key by the sensors is accurate enough to capture all details of the complete key-touching action, the light-emitting effect produced based on this more detailed detection of the touch action is more exquisite and accurate.