Portable electronic ear-training device and method therefor

Abstract

A portable electronic device and method therefor provide a user with all the high quality synthesized instruments associated with a computer software ear-training method, along with some additional unique features. Such features include the provision of: an infinite number of randomly generated exercises; perfect pitch exercises; randomly generated, musically correct (mathematically calculated) chord progressions; full control of the level of difficulty of the exercises; testing capability, including correcting the answers given by the user; and a choice of 127 different MIDI instruments in this novel musical teaching aid. All of these features are provided in a portable, inexpensive, aesthetically pleasing device that can fit in the palm of one's hand. The device of the present invention can be employed by any musician to practice any of the following musical exercises: recognizing notes, intervals, chords (triads and sevenths), scale degrees, chord progressions and melodic and harmonic dictation.

I claim:  
     
         1 . A portable electronic musical device comprising: 
 a housing;    a processor contained within said housing for providing randomly generated customizable interactive music ear-training exercises to a user;    input means connected to said processor and located on an exterior surface of said housing for receiving the user's input selections;    sound generating means connected to said processor for generating sounds to be used in said exercises; and    display means located on an exterior surface of said housing for displaying musical exercise information.    
     
     
         2 . A device according to  claim 1  wherein said processor provides an unlimited number of randomly generated exercises.  
     
     
         3 . A device according to  claim 1  wherein said processor provides perfect pitch exercises.  
     
     
         4 . A device according to  claim 1  wherein said processor provides randomly generated musically correct, mathematically calculated chord progressions.  
     
     
         5 . A device according to  claim 1  wherein said processor provides full control to the user over the level of difficulty of the exercises.  
     
     
         6 . A device according to  claim 1  wherein said processor provides a testing capability such that the device corrects answers given by the user via said input means.  
     
     
         7 . A device according to  claim 1  wherein said processor provides musical exercises selected from the group of: recognizing notes, intervals, chords, scale degrees, chord progressions, melodic dictation, harmonic dictation, rhythmic dictation, chord identification, melodic intervals, and harmonic intervals.  
     
     
         8 . A device according to  claim 1  further comprising an electronic circuitboard contained within said housing and connected, at least, to said processor.  
     
     
         9 . A device according to  claim 1  wherein said sound generating means comprises a musical instrument digital interface chip.  
     
     
         10 . A device according to  claim 9  wherein said musical instrument digital interface chip provides a choice of 127 different MIDI instruments for the musical exercises.  
     
     
         11 . A device according to  claim 1  wherein said sound generating means comprises an amplifier.  
     
     
         12 . A device according to  claim 1  wherein said sound generating means comprises an earphone jack for outputting sound to a user.  
     
     
         13 . A device according to  claim 1  wherein said input means comprises a keypad mounted on an exterior surface of said housing.  
     
     
         14 . A device according to  claim 8  wherein said input means comprises a keypad mounted on an exterior surface of said housing.  
     
     
         15 . A device according to  claim 14  further comprising a piggyback board connected to said keypad and to said electronic circuit board for interpreting selections input by a user.  
     
     
         16 . A device according to  claim 13  wherein said keypad comprises a plurality of buttons some or all of which can be used to perform more than one function.  
     
     
         17 . A device according to  claim 16  wherein the functions of some or all of said buttons are determined automatically based on the context of the particular exercise being used.  
     
     
         18 . A device according to  claim 16  wherein some of said buttons are elliptical in shape.  
     
     
         19 . A device according to  claim 1  wherein said display means is a liquid crystal display.  
     
     
         20 . A device according to  claim 1  further comprising an ac-adapter plug.  
     
     
         21 . A device according to  claim 1  further comprising a battery compartment.  
     
     
         22 . A method of musically ear training a user by way of a portable electronic musical device as claimed in  claim 1 , said method comprising the steps of: 
 providing, by way of said processor, a plurality of customizable interactive musical exercises for selection by a user;    receiving, by way of said input means, user-defined options related to a selected musical exercise;    playing the selected musical exercise on the device by way of said sound generating means;    prompting the user, by way of said display means, for an answer to the musical exercise; and    providing the correct answer to the musical exercise to the user by way of said display means.    
     
     
         23 . A method according to  claim 22  wherein some or all of said musical exercises have at least one sub-menu which presents a plurality of options to the user relating to customization of a selected musical exercise.