Finger-tracking systems and methods for virtual instruments playback. The described system tracks the position of user's ten fingers on a projection surface and can be used to play virtual instruments such as virtual piano, drums, and bells. The system tracks the movement of user's ten fingers while keeping them free of encumbrance or excessive postural constraints. More specifically, in one or more embodiments, a coded light based projector is used to send out location signal onto a flat surface, and ten light sensors are mounted on user's fingers to receive these signals and locate user's fingers. Based on their locations and relative distance to a fixed point, a printed music instrument can be used for virtual instrument music playback. With the described tracking system, various embodiments of virtual music instruments may be implemented, including a system and method for virtual piano playing as well as virtual Chinese bell playing on printed keyboard and printed Chinese bell set.

An electronic device, which is an electronic musical instrument as an electronic device, includes: a rotating shaft inclined with respect to a perpendicular line of a panel; and a rotary knob that is attached to the rotating shaft and has a fingering marker portion provided opposite to an inclination direction of the rotating shaft.

An instructional method of an electronic keyboard includes the following steps: obtaining a playing script, wherein the playing script is generated by a recording electronic keyboard; the recording electronic keyboard generates the playing script according to a pressed second key and the time of pressing the second key, and the playing script is used for indicating a corresponding relationship between a to-be-pressed key and the time of pressing the to-be-pressed key; controlling an indicator light on the first key of the instructional electronic keyboard to be turned on/off according to the playing script. In this implementation mode, a user can be prompted for the key by an indicator light on the electronic keyboard, which facilitates the user to learn the electronic keyboard.

A fingering display device and a fingering display program capable of drawing a fingering moving image close to actual keyboard operations by minimizing the moving distance of the back of a hand is provided. A fingering display program to perform fingering display on a screen by drawing a fingering moving image of playing a musical instrument in a musical piece reproduction based on playing information including respective musical sounds of a musical piece and corresponding finger numbers, wherein when generating a fingering drawing based on fingering position information corresponding to a reproduction time in the musical piece reproduction, the fingering display program makes a computer execute: generating the fingering position information based on single key pressing information, and synthetic key pressing information obtained by synthesizing respective key pressing information at a plurality of different times.

To assist a human player in performing a plurality of foot operators (pedal keys) operable with a human player's foot, a foot operator image indicative of the foot operator group is displayed on a display screen. Chord information of a chord to be performed is acquired, and a pitch of a bass note corresponding to the chord indicated by the acquired chord information is identified. A particular foot operator corresponding to the identified pitch of the bass note is visually designated on the foot operator image displayed on the display screen. An object indicative of a chord name is displayed on the same display screen. Objects indicative of one or more chord names corresponding to a chord progression over a plurality of measures is displayed. A display object highlighting one object indicative of a particular chord name is added in accordance with a progression of a performance.

An instructional method of an electronic keyboard includes the following steps: obtaining a playing script, wherein the playing script is generated by a recording electronic keyboard; the recording electronic keyboard generates the playing script according to a pressed second key and the time of pressing the second key, and the playing script is used for indicating a corresponding relationship between a to-be-pressed key and the time of pressing the to-be-pressed key; controlling an indicator light on the first key of the instructional electronic keyboard to be turned on/off according to the playing script. In this implementation mode, a user can be prompted for the key by an indicator light on the electronic keyboard, which facilitates the user to learn the electronic keyboard.

To assist a human player in performing a plurality of foot operators (pedal keys) operable with a human player's foot, a foot operator image indicative of the foot operator group is displayed on a display screen. Chord information of a chord to be performed is acquired, and a pitch of a bass note corresponding to the chord indicated by the acquired chord information is identified. A particular foot operator corresponding to the identified pitch of the bass note is visually designated on the foot operator image displayed on the display screen. An object indicative of a chord name is displayed on the same display screen. Objects indicative of one or more chord names corresponding to a chord progression over a plurality of measures is displayed. A display object highlighting one object indicative of a particular chord name is added in accordance with a progression of a performance.

A fingering display device and a fingering display program capable of drawing a fingering moving image close to actual keyboard operations by minimizing the moving distance of the back of a hand is provided. A fingering display program to perform fingering display on a screen by drawing a fingering moving image of playing a musical instrument in a musical piece reproduction based on playing information including respective musical sounds of a musical piece and corresponding finger numbers, wherein when generating a fingering drawing based on fingering position information corresponding to a reproduction time in the musical piece reproduction, the fingering display program makes a computer execute: generating the fingering position information based on single key pressing information, and synthetic key pressing information obtained by synthesizing respective key pressing information at a plurality of different times.

Finger-tracking systems and methods for virtual instruments playback. The described system tracks the position of user's ten fingers on a projection surface and can be used to play virtual instruments such as virtual piano, drums, and bells. The system tracks the movement of user's ten fingers while keeping them free of encumbrance or excessive postural constraints. More specifically, in one or more embodiments, a coded light based projector is used to send out location signal onto a flat surface, and ten light sensors are mounted on user's fingers to receive these signals and locate user's fingers. Based on their locations and relative distance to a fixed point, a printed music instrument can be used for virtual instrument music playback. With the described tracking system, various embodiments of virtual music instruments may be implemented, including a system and method for virtual piano playing as well as virtual Chinese bell playing on printed keyboard and printed Chinese bell set.

When a processor accepts an input of plural notes to be assigned for tone generation, according to a predetermined note determining rule called assignment type, the processor selects one or more notes to be sounded in each of plural parts from the accepted notes. The processor controls a display unit to display, for each of the plural parts, the accepted plural notes to be assigned for tone generation. At this time, non-selected one or more notes in respective parts are displayed in one style, and the selected one or more notes in the respective parts are displayed in another style different from the one style. Alternatively, the plural notes to be assigned for tone generation are displayed in one style, and, for each of the plural parts, the selected one or more notes are displayed in another style different from the one style.