This invention relates to a music tuition or practice method and apparatus and in one particular aspect to a music tuition or practice method and apparatus which enable a musician or student to play and learn music with the aid of sheet music displayed on a display screen and a synchronized audio track corresponding to the displayed sheet music. The present invention also relates in a further aspect to a method and apparatus for creating or editing previously recorded music.

Background Art

Currently there are available a number of computer based on-line and other software programs designed to leach persons to play musical instruments or play a particular music score. In such computer-based software programs, a person can retrieve and view on a computer screen or other display screen, sheet music in a paperless format. Other music information such as lyrics or tablature can also be selected from a database and displayed on a suitable display screen. These programs and aids negate the need for a person to use hard copies of sheet music.

Other computer based music tuition or practice aids allow a person to view on a computer screen or other display screen, a display showing a particular chord shape, for example where the person's fingers should be placed on an instrument such as placement of the fingers on particular frets of a guitar in order to play a particular chord. Some of these systems also show an animated instrumental audio playback of the particular chord so that the person is presented with an idea of how an instrument should be played and also the sound of the chord. To access these displays, the student or musician is required to undertake searches to find a particular chord for display and playback.

Musicians and students can also use various aids to learn a particular part for example a solo part of a particular music piece. In aids of this type, the musician or student is provided with a practice CD or a digitally stored recording which contains the music piece with one or more parts are omitted. This is sometimes known as play-a- along or minus one backing music. In addition, the musician or student is supplied with sheet music which contains the solo to be played and which the musician or student can use with playback of the CD or stored digital recording which serves as an accompaniment to the musician or student playing the solo. The musician or student can therefore listen to a live or master recording of a performance whilst playing along with the music score. These aids are audio only and intended for use together with a hard copy of the sheet music.

Despite the above know aids, the musician or student can still have difficulty in learning a particular composition where for example he or she does ^' not know a particular chord shape of a chord in the composition. For example, whilst a person can play a solo part along with playback of a CD, if an unknown chord is encountered, the musician or student will have to skip over that chord or stop playing and look up a manual or chord chart, paper or otherwise, so that they can determine the required chord shape. This is very time consummg and disrup^ve tt me learning flow.

Summary of the Invention

The present invention aims to provide in one aspect a music tuition or practice method and apparatus which enable a musician or student to more readily learn chord shapes whilst playing or learning to play a musical composition. In a particular preferred aspect, the present invention aims to provide a computer-based method and apparatus in which sheet music and other information to assist a person to play or learn a musical composition is displayed on a computer monitor or other display screen. The present invention in a further preferred aspect aims to provide a method and apparatus which enables a musician or student to create an alternative chord or chord set for a particular composition.

The present invention in a first preferred aspect provides a music tuition or practice method, said method comprising the steps of displaying on a display screen, sheet music of a musical composition to be played or learnt by a person, and displaying on the or a further display screen, a chord shape corresponding to a chord in said musical composition.

The present invention thus provides in a further preferred aspect, apparatus for use in music tuition or practice, said apparatus comprising means for displaying on a display screen, sheet music of a musical composition to be played or leamt by a person, and means for displaying on the or a further display screen, a chord shape corresponding to a chord in the musical composition.

Preferably in the method and apparatus of the invention an audio backing track corresponding to the musical composition of the displayed sheet music is played or sounded with the display of the sheet music to serve as an accompaniment to the musician or student who can follow the displayed sheet music whilst hearing an audio track corresponding to the sheet music. Typically the method and apparatus of the invention involve the use of a computer software program typically for use on a personal computer (PC) that synchronizes the audio backing tracks with the displayed notation and chords of respective compositions.

Preferably in the method and apparatus respectively bars or chord notations in the sheet music are identified sequentially at the timing synchronized ^' with the timing of the audio track to indicate the respective bars to be played by the musician or student The identification of the bars or chord notations may comprise a highlighting or marking of bars or chord notations. The highlighting or marking may comprise the sequential shading or colouring of respective bars in the music composition. Alternatively respective bars or chord notations in the music composition may be marked, highlighted or identified by a moving cursor or pointer which moves along the respective bars at a timing corresponding to the timing of the audio track.

In one aspect chord shapes unknown to the musician or student may be displayed selectively by the musician or student. In a further aspect, all chord shapes in the music composition may be displayed automatically and sequentially.

In the former aspect, the musician or student can by suitable input means select the chord shaped to be displayed. The input means may comprise means which enables a chord notation in the sheet music to be identified, marked on highlighted which, will cause the automatic display of the chord shape. The input means may comprise one of a mouse, keyboard, voice input, switch or switches or other suitably input means. The input means may be hard wired or wireless.

In the latter aspect, the automatic display of all chord shapes corresponds to the sequential highlighting or marking of bars or chord notations

The method and apparatus of the invention are particularly applicable to use with a musical composition which is recorded without one or more parts for example the soloist part and the sheet music displayed for playing by a person undertaking the tuition or practice comprises sheet music of the missing part or parts. Thus the musician or student by reading the displayed sheet music can play the solo or other missing part from the audio track to thereby play with the accompaniment of the backing audio track.

Typically an audio backing track comprises a digital audio file which can be played back as a high quality audio backing track with one or more instruments missing corresponding to the instrument or instruments to be played by the musician or played or being learnt by a student Preferably associated with an audio file does a data file comprise a digital sheet music file which can be displayed as sheet music on the display screen or the like. The audio files and data file are suitably provided in a media file stored in database of the software program which can be loaded onto a personal computer.

The displayed sheet music suitably includes head chord notation and may include chord charts and as referred to above the respective bars or chord notations are highlighted or marked synchronously with the audio backing track so that the student can follow sequentially the bars or chords of the music composition.

For various instrument parts of such sheet music, each sheet music part may be displayed on the display screen for example on staves one above tbe other. The backing track may be displayed in the native key of the instrument being played whilst the different parts or staves on the screen may be marked, highlighted or identified sequentially for example by using different colour shadings, to allow each player, student or musician to more easily identify their mstrument's related notation and play along in time.

Preferably a database is provided which contains songs or tracks contained in a plurality of music files and corresponding digital files of sheet music. The musician or student can access can select a particular file to be played and therefore sheet music to be displayed. Preferably with each music file selected, chord symbols, and melody notation are displayed with the sheet music on the display with the synchronised highlighting or identifying of the bars or chords being played.

Preferably the software program containing the audio files and data files for storage on the personal computer may be downloaded from any suitable source for example from an internet website or provided on any other storage media for loading into the computer. For improved quality of sound output, a stereo-to- stereo lead may be connected between the input-output jack of the sound card of the personal computer and a home stereo amplifier or a multi-channel mixer. Thus the sheet music can be displayed on the monitor or display screen of the computer and the audio track played back through the computer's sound card and connected amplifier or mixer.

The audio backing tracks may comprise either two tracks (left and right channel) or multi track controlled by an on-screen virtual mixer: Any track suitably can be individually volume controlled, panned or muted to allow one or more live musicians to play along with the track. Preferably also a part played by a musician or student can be recorded in the computer cither individually or along with the playback track.

The input means for selection of the chord shaped to be displayed or a further input means may be used for selection of a required musical composition in an audio track to be played back and corresponding sheet music displayed. The input means may comprise any suitable peripheral input control device such as a PC mouse, keyboard, voice recognition software system, by a hardwired or wireless control device or a specifically preprogrammed MIDI keyboard note input means. For example one note on the keyboard may comprise the input means to cause when pressed or actuated the chord shape to be displayed.

The input means may be hand controlled in which case the device can be placed on or adjacent to the musical instrument being played by the musician or student. Alternatively the input means may be foot controlled to enable hands-free selection of tracks and/or display of a chord shape of a selected chord of the sheet music.

The method and apparatus of the invention may be used for learning or pkying any musical instrument and the chord shape of a chord to be displayed is displayed in a chord shape format corresponding to the musical instrument to be played by the musician or student. Preferably the instrument is selected by using an initial menu in the program. Thus where a person who is playing a guitar uses an input means as referred to above to select a particular chord in die sheet music for which a chord shape is required to be displayed, the positions of the fingers on the neck of the guitar are displayed. The display may be a simulated display of frets on a fret board of the guitar with the positions where the fingers are to be placed marked. Alternatively or additionally, the display may comprise a display of a person's fingers of the fretboard as an image which may be static or comprise a video clip. The display alternatively may be a computer generated animated image of a person's fingers.

In the case of a keyboard player, the preferred display comprises a stave(s) showing each note of the chord which can be played individually and sequentially and then together as a chord. The display may highlight the notation of the selected chord and highlight the extended notes of a chord. In the example of (C7 bS b9) C, E, G and Bb will make up the basic C7 chord but the bS (Gb) and a flattened 9th (Db) are preferably highlighted in a different colour to the basic C7 chord. Further in the case of a person playing a keyboard, the positions of the fingers on the keyboard of the particular notes of the chord can be selectively displayed. . The display may be a simulated display of a keyboard and with the positions marked where the fingers including the thumb are to be placed. Alternatively or additionally, the display may be a display of the person's fingers of the keyboard. The display may be animated.

Preferably the guitar chord shapes and piano staff and notation displaying the chord notes are generated automatically by a software program. The program may include codes which drive a 3D animation program to automatically construct a chord shape or staff and notation and image showing the playing of that chord.

In addition to display of the chord shapes, the voicing or sound of a given chord including inversions of the chord can be played back so that the musician or student can hear how the chord should sound. The voicing or sound of a chord and chord shape can be automatically played back or may be selected by the musician or student by input through the input means. Preferably .also the musician or student through the input means can repeat the playback of the voicing and chord shape. In addition, the musician or student through the input means may play a selected bar or number of bars containing the unknown chord to assist the musician or student to more quickly and efficiently learn the chord and its various inversions. In addition, the input means may be actuated by the musician or student to repeat playback of the selected bar or bars or this may occur automatically. In one preferred form, the musician or student by input through the input means can stop the playback of the audio track at a particular bar which contains the unknown chord/s and this will result in automatic playback of one or more bars prior to the particular bar and one or more bars after the particular bar. This playback of a number of bars may be repeated or looped until stopped by the musician or student The looping of the backing track to repeatedly play several bars prior and subsequent to the unknown or object chord(s) not only provides familiarization with the object chord(s) shape but also familiarization with the transition of moving through the previous and subsequent chord shapes.

Where the input means for control of the program comprises a remote hard wired or wireless control device, the input means may include a plurality of input buttons, switches or touchpad containing same which may be controlled by the foot or hand. In one aspect a control device of the above type may be adhered or attached to for example the body of a guitar or to or adjacent a keyboard at a convenient location which enables the input buttons, switches or touchpad to be hand operated.

In a particularly preferred aspect of the invention, the control device may comprise a foot controlled switch unit which provides for hands free selection and control of the software programmed computer. Preferably the foot switch comprises a multiple switch unit

Thus by operation of the input means, the musician or student can selectively stop or suspend the playing of the audio track and the highlighted or marked scrolling through the bars of the sheet music displayed on the computer display screen to enable the display of a particular chord shape and voicing thereof. Preferably when the playback is stopped, the program causes the chord shaped and voicing to be displayed and heard automatically in the manner described above. Thus the musician is able to . accelerate his or her chord learning in a dynamic environment The software of the program can mus provide users with an instant means of displaying guitar (or similar stringed instrument) chord shapes on the PC's display monitor or screen and to sound the correct voicing of a given chord including inversions of the chord. The musician or student therefore is not faced with the time consuming need to thumb through printed manuals or to search chords by looking up on a computer.

As an additional feature, the musician or student can also search for a particular chord to enable the chord shape or inversions thereof to be viewed and voiced in the - same manner as referred to above. For this purpose, the present invention provides a chord module which can be downloaded as software which the musician or student can access to locate a particular chord shape upon input of a particular chord notation. Preferably the chord module automatically creates through software the chord shape to be displayed and preferably a corresponding animation or image.

The present invention in a further aspect provides a method and apparatus which enables a musician to create an alternative chord set for a given song regardless of whether the sheet music is being synchronized with the backing track or whether the sheet music is displayed in a standalone mode. Thus in this aspect, the present invention provides apparatus for use in creation of a new or edited music composition, said apparatus comprising means for displaying on a display screen, sheet music of a musical composition, input means which enables a user to substitute one or more chords or chord sets for one or more displayed chords or chord sets of said composition, and means for recording said composition with said substitute chord or chord sets. Means may be provided for playing back a synchronized backing track corresponding to the display of said sheet music.

In a further aspect, the present invention provides a method for creation of a new or edited music composition, said method comprising the steps of displaying on a display screen, sheet music of a musical composition, providing an input which enables a user to substitute one or more chords or chord sets for one or more displayed chords or chord sets of said composition, and recording said composition with said substitute chord or chord sets. The method may also include the step of playing a synchronized backing track corresponding to the display of said sheet music

In accordance with this aspect of the invention, existing displayed chords from - for example a backing track(s) may be optionally and temporarily hidden from display and the new alternative chord(s) produced by any suitable input such as by a user _, operated MTDI keyboard input be calculated as a chord shape via the software program referred to above and may be displayed in real time as the backing track is being played back or recorded in the MIDI format. An editing means within the program suitably provides a means for the musician to re-record or manually modify the alternatively created chord(s).

Where applied in conjunction and in combination with pre-recorded backing track(s) synchronously displaying the related sheet music and chord symbols, the method and apparatus of the invention in accordance with this aspect provides for the recording and display of a continuous stream of user created alternative chords in real time during the playback of the backing track or during MIDI recording mode.

To facilitate the use of the invention in this mode, a displayed icon in the program may when pressed or highlighted, enable setting of a "real time chord create"' function-mode where sequential user created chords are displayed in real time during play back of a ''minus ^** song. Alternatively or additionally, the user created chords may be recorded by the player whilst in MIDI recording mode.

The software which monitors the sheet music notation and chords during playback and which makes the above suspend and automatic display interaction possible and referred to above is utilized to automatically and in real time allow the creation of chord symbols from input from a MIDI instrument keyboard. Typically the program assesses the notes from the MIDI input and then via a look up table, and including the ° application of other music rules, produces the real time chord(s).

The newly created chords (and notation) may then be played back in synchronization with the backing track via the MIDI instrument. The recorded MIDI file can also faithfully play back the actual MIDI recorded notation made during the recording of the chords however the playback may also be switched to play in block chords mode which are compiled and sounded as piano or guitar chords -from the previously referred to soft-ware. Once done the composer may review and edit the chords and or notation as desired. The entire tracks or sections thereof may be chord recorded to make a chord hybrid by combining with remaining existing tracks.

If desired, this capability will enable the player or music tutor to produce several chord sets for a given song, from simple to complex, and to name and save them as mixes or files within the program. This supports tutors wishing to teach students songs with varying degrees of chord difficulty to match different levels of capability within Iheir students or classes.

In another embodiment of the invention, the user may click an icon to create a "NEW file-song" which is not reliant on an existing backing track. The present invention in this aspect provides composer's software tool which enables experimentation with different chord options for a given composition with or without reliance on backing tracks but ratber a NEW FILE Plug In. The use of this method and apparatus allows chord symbols to be produced on the run and displayed and edited via the chord recorder and thus composers, if using multi track recording with a synthesizer, may more rapidly create and record music pieces due to the chords symbols being available for display over the track display on any track.

Brief Description of the Drawing*

Reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings which illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention and wherein :-

Fig. 1 is a screen shot showing a sample of sheet music as displayed on a display screen, being sheet music of the type which may be used in the practice or tuition method and apparatus of the present invention:

Figs. 2 and 3 illustrate typical pop-up displays for display of chord shape for playing a selected chord notation of the sheet music on a guitar and piano respectively; Fig. 4 is a screen shot showing a sample of sheet music with automatically generated chord shape pop-up when the method and apparatus are used in the learning mode; and

Fig. 5 illustrates schematically a typical foot pedal switch unit which may be used as an input device for use in the method and apparatus of the invention.

Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiment

Referring tn the drawings and firstly to Fig. 1, there is illustrated typical sheet music 10 of .a musical composition as displayed upon a display screen of a personal computer or other display screen which is programmed with a music tuition software program in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. The tuition program includes a plurality of digital sheet music files and corresponding audio files synchronized with respective digital music file such that when a selected file is selected as described further below, the digital music file is displayed on the computer display screen as sheet music 10 as illustrated in Fig. 1 and a synchronized playback of an audio track corresponding to the displayed sheet music is also initiated. Respective bars of the sheet music are sequential highlighted such as by the background shading 11 as indicated in Fig. 1 , the sequential timed highlighting of bars being synchronized with the audio track playback.

The audio track played usually comprises a track with one or more instrumental parts missing and the sheet music 10 displayed on the display screen comprises the part to be played by the student or musician playing the instrument or instruments which are missing from the audio track. Thus the audio track comprises an accompaniment to the musician or student. The audio track may. comprise actual recorded performances or alternatively playback of an artificially created music file such as a MIDI file of a musical composition. Preferably however the audio track is a track of a live performance, original performance or high-quality copy of an original performance. A single media file containing the matched or synchronized content from both the audio data file and the digital sheet music data file may be provided such that when the media file is played, the digital sheet music is displayed and the corresponding audio file is sounded or played. Each note, chord, or time period in the digital sheet music data file is matched to the audio data file such that each note or chord in the audio content is synchronized to the corresponding note or chord in die digital sheet music content. The displayed sheet music also includes chord notations as for example the chord notations Cmi and Ab7 in the highlighted bar 11 in Fig. 1.

Where the user wishes to view a chord shape of a particular chord notation shown in the displayed sheet music, a pop-up screen display such as the pop-up display 12 of Fig. 2 is generated and displayed under the control of an input device (as referred to below) actuated by the musician or student Thus where a guhar musician or student is playing the displayed sheet music with the accompanying audio track and wishes a particular chord shape which may be unknown to be displayed, the playback of die audio track can be suspended through the input device at any point in the song which also stops the sequential highlighting of bars in the sheet music at a particular bar containing the chord notation to be learnt. Further the pop-up display 12 corresponding to the chord notation shown in the sheet music at the point of suspension is automatically displayed on the computer monitor or other display screen. The pop-up 12 in this embodiment comprises the displayed chord shape Am7 with finger positions on the frets indicated at 13. The pop up 12 can also display how the fingers for a particular chord shape should be positioned as shown in the image 14. The image 14 may comprise a static image, a video clip or a computer generated animation.

In addition to the generated pop-up 12, the chord displayed in the pop-up 12 is also sounded. The generated sound may comprise the sound of individual notes in the chord played sequentially (typically accompanied by highlighting of each note as it is played), a sound of the chord or a combination of both. The user is thus not only able to see the shape of the chord but also hear the chord sound.

As an alternative to the above, the user may mark or highlight a particular chord notation in the sheet music 10, for example in the case of the pop-up 12, the chord notation Am7. The user may do this for example by means of a mouse cursor or pointer which is positioned on the chord notation on the sheet music. Upon pressing of the mouse button or switch, the chord notation will be highlighted and the pop-up 12 is generated or retrieved from database to display the chord notation as above.

Where the musical instrument is or includes a keyboard, an alternative pop-up 1 S is displayed as shown in Fig. 3 in which chord shapes of a chord, for playing by a keyboard are displayed in a manner similar to that shown in Fig. 3. In the illustrated example, only the notes in the chord are displayed on a stave. The chord however is also sounded in a similar manner to thai described with guitars. Thus each note of the chord may be sounded and highlighted on the pop-up display 15 and then the chord sounded.

The pop-ups 12 and 15 may also provide the facility for the user to be able to search for other chords for display of different chord shapes and images including animations thereof. Both pop-ups 12 and 15 may also be used in a manual mode to enable the user to more quickly and effectively learn the chord and its various inversions.

The user also has the option of playing a bar and looping, that is replaying a bar or bar containing the selected chord or chord set plus possibly bars on either side of the selected bar, to facilitate learning as described further below.

Whilst the pop up modules are displayed automatically when playback of an audio track is suspended as described above, the pop-ups 12 and IS of Figs. 2 and 3 may also be used manually in a standalone mode by a person wishing to see a particular chord shape and hear particular voicing of a; chord. Thus a user by use of an input device can select a key by use of arrows designated 16 and then select a particular chord as indicated at 17. Further the user can either select in this embodiment display of a chord for guitar, keyboard or both by selecting one or both boxes as at 18. Alternatively an input box may be provided for input of a chord for a free search of the chord. The pop-up 12 also provides a facility for the user to select a particular instrument model for voicing of the chord at 19 and an image of the selected instrument will then be displayed in the box 20. After location of (he required chord and the chord shape, the user can then cause the selected instrument to play a riff which includes the required chord by activating the riff box 21. Alternatively, this may occur automatically.

Referring now to Fig. 5, there is illustrated a screen display showing the method and apparatus of the invention in a learning or student mode. As in the embodiment of Fig. 1, a selected piece of sheet music 22 to be learnt is displayed on a display screen 23. When playback is initiated, cursor 24 moves through each bar of the displayed sheet music 22 sequentially. As each chord notation is highlighted by the cursor 24 sequentially, the pop-up 25 is automatically displayed with each chord shape being displayed in turn when highlighted by the cursor 24. Thus as shown in Fig. 5, as the cursor 24 passes the F7 chord notation, the pop-up 25 will display the corresponding chord shape of the F7 chord and sound the chord in the manner described above. Thus the student is able to see the chord shape of each chord m the sheet music as it is played back.

Should the student wish to see a particular chord shape in a bar repeated, the chord through an input device may cease or stop the playback at the bar required by for example at the bar 26. This will initiate a playback of not only the bar 26 which contains the relevant chord but also bars 27 and 28 on either side of the bar. Thus in the illustrated embodiment, two bars 27 prior to the bar 26 are replayed as highlighted as are the two subsequent bars 28 so that the student can see the bar 26 in context and follow the looped playback. Playback of these bars may continue or be looped until the student has learnt the chord. The looped playback may then be stopped by the student through input to the input device after which full playback of the music composition will continue.

As referred to above, various input devices can be used to control selection of audio tracks to be played and associated sheet music to be displayed as well as selection of chords or chord sets and looping nf particular bars containing chord sets. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention however, the input device comprises a foot pedal unit 29 as shown in Fig. 4. The unit 29 is preferably a remote wireless unit which can communicate remotely with the programmed computer and in this embodiment includes six foot operable switches or pedals 30 marked 1, 2, 3, 4, S and 6. Each pedal 30 can be operated by foot control to carry out the above functions. The unit 29 also includes a mode toggle switch 31 via which the mode of operation of the apparatus can he selected by scrolling through a menu which includes a practice mode and a standalone mode as referred to above. .

When in the stand alone mode, the switches or pedals 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 control different aspect of the software and in this embodiment are used for the following functions: Find Key, Find Chord, Inversion, Instrument, Play Riff and Sound Chord.

When the practice mode is selected, a playlist will appear allowing the user to select a particular track to be played with a corresponding sheet music display. In the practice mode, actuation of the pedal 1 allows scrolling through the playlist in one direction, pedal 2 scrolling through the play list in the opposite direction and simultaneous actuation of pedals 1 and 2 causing a selected song to be loaded and the corresponding sheet music to be played displayed on the display screen. Wheat the user encounters an unknown chord, the pedal 1 is actuated upon which the pop-up 12 is displayed on the screen showing the required chord shape and the chord sounded automatically.

The program of the present invention may also be used to control stage or effects lighting through the foot switch unit 29 and can provide synchronization with the music being played.

It will be appreciated that the foot switch unit 29 may be replaced by any other form of controller or input device depending upon the application. For example a control unit similar to that of Fig. S may be mounted to the body of a guitar for hand operation. Further where the instrument being learnt is a keyboard, one of the keys of the keyboard (where an electronic keyboard) may be designated as a stop payback switch which when actuated initiates the chord shape display and voicing thereof with looping if required. Alternatively a wireless switch on a conventional keyboard can be used for this purpose.

Where the musician, student or other user wishes to create an alternative chord or chord set other than the chord or chord set displayed for a given song, die user can by the use of the foot pedal unit 29 or other input, highlight a "real time chord create" icon displayed on the display screen so that chords or chord sets played by the user can be recorded. This, can be done whether the sheet music is being synchronized with the backing track or in a standalone mode where the sheet music is simply displayed.

When the apparatus is in the "real time chord create" mode, a backing track(s) may be optionally -and temporarily hidden from display and the new alternative chord(s) may via a suitable input such as a MIDI keyboard input be calculated from the played chord via the software program referred to above and may be displayed in real time as the backing track is being played back or recorded in the MIDI format The use may edit his saved chords for example by re-recording or manually modifying the alternatively created chord(s). Thus a new backing track containing the user's input chords is created and stored which can be subsequently accessed.

The software which monitors the sheet music notation and chords during playback and which make the above suspend and automatic display interaction possible and referred to above is- utilized to automatically and in real time allow the creation of chord symbols from input from a MTDI instrument keyboard. The program assesses the notes from the MIDI input and then via a look up table, and including the application of other musk rules, produces the real time chord or chord set played by the musician or student in a sheet music form. A continuous stream of user created alternative chords can thus be recorded and displayed in real time during the playback of the backing track or during MIDI recording mode.

The newly created chords (and notation) may then be played back in synchronization with the backing track via the MIDI instrument. The recorded MIDI file can also faithfully play back the actual MIDI recorded notation made during the recording of the chords however may also be switched to play in block chords mode which are compiled and sounded as piano or guitar chords from the previously referred' to software.

If desired, several chords or chord sects may be produced for a given song which vary in complexity to match different levels of capability within their students or classes A user may also create by selecting a "NEW file-song" icon or plug-in, a new song which is not reliant on an existing backing track. This allows for experimentation with different chord options for a given composition with or without reliance on a backing track. As chord symbols can now be produced in real time and displayed and edited, subsequent tracks can be created and recorded rapidly due to the chords symbols being available for display over the track display on any track.

As referred to above, the chord module pop-ups 12, 13 and 25 may be created automatically through software upon selection of a particular chord shape to be displayed or upon automatic reading of the sheet music. Alternatively, multiple chord shapes in the format of the pop- ups 12, 13 and 25 may be stored in a database to be retrievable from the database when a particular chord shape to be displayed is selected or upon automatic reading of the sheet music.

In one embodiment, chord module creation software may be downloaded and stored in a computer database so as to accessible by a user to look up a particular chord shape. When however a music, composition such as the composition 22 of Fig. 4 is downloaded, it will automatically locate the downloaded chord module for interaction therewith. As the music composition 22 is played back with audio output, the chord module will automatically monitor the sheet music and dynamically interact therewith so as to automatically display the chord shapes or each chord by display of the module 25. The chord shapes in the module 25 will then change for each chord read during playback such that all chord shapes in the composition will be displayed sequentially. Whilst the invention has been described in the embodiment relation to a guitar and keyboard, it will be realized that the invention may be used with any musical instrument

The terms "comprising" or "comprises" as used throughout the specification and claims are taken to specify the presence of the stated features, integers and components referred to but not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other feature/s, imeger/s, component/s or group thereof.

Whilst the above has been given by way of illustrative cmtodirnent of the invention, all such variations and modifications thereto as would be apparent to persons skilled in the art are deemed to fall within the broad scope and ambit of the invention as described in the appended claims.