Digital violin tutor: an integrated system for beginning violin learners

ABSTRACT

Prompt feedback is essential for beginning violin learners; however, most amateur learners can only meet with teachers and receive feedback once or twice a week. To help such learners, we have attempted an initial design of Digital Violin Tutor (DVT), an integrated system that provides the much-needed feedback when human teachers are not available. DVT combines violin audio transcription with visualization. Our transcription method is fast, accurate, and robust again noise for violin audio recorded in home environments. The visualization is designed to be intuitive and easily understandable by people with little music knowledge. The different visualization modalities--video, 2D fingerboard animation, 3D avatar animation--help learners to practice and learn more effectively. The entire system has been implemented with off-the-shelf hardware and shown to be practical in home environments. In our user study, the system has received very positive evaluation.

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INDEX TERMS

Primary Classification:
  H. Information Systems
  H.5 INFORMATION INTERFACES AND PRESENTATION (I.7)
      H.5.1 Multimedia Information Systems
          Subjects: Animations

Additional Classification:
  H. Information Systems
  H.5 INFORMATION INTERFACES AND PRESENTATION (I.7)
      H.5.5 Sound and Music Computing
          Subjects: Systems; Signal analysis, synthesis, and processing

General Terms:
Algorithms, Design, Experimentation, Human Factors

Keywords:
animation, music transcription, score alignment, vibrato detection, violin tuner