Integrated Immersive Intravenous

[lostylost]

Daydreaming about `a better way`

Integrated Immersive Intravenous

Guitar, that instrument of timeless appeal, easy to learn, almost impossible to
master. `Mastery`, if there is such a thing, is defined by the rare breed who
through talent, hard work and opportunity take the art form to new levels.

People spend whole lifetimes coming to terms with the guitar. Of course,
ultimately it's the journey, the process of learning, that is so rewarding.
However most people's playing plateaus fairly quickly and they lose the
`juice` of being on that upwards curve of learning and creativity.

Most of us just don't have what it takes to `naturally` (read: incidentally
rather than systematically) learn to play by ear. How can you possibly learn
music to the highest levels if you don't even have this fundamental skill?

Some of us, probably even most of use, are likewise not systematic so it seems
that it's only the super intuitive and the super strategists who are really
successful.

Where does this leave those of us inbetween ?

We have all heard the cliches `Work smart and/not hard`, `Set mini goals`

Some of us have the motivation and desire for success but not the
organisational and bookkeeping capacity to really make a good go of it. What
we need is a patient task-master with fastidious bookkeeping skills. Who
wouldn't benefit from having a personal trainer?

Life is too short to waste time hitting your head against a brick wall when
music is BUT ONE pursuit worthy of your time. Imagine an environment where
everything is set up for the most efficient learning possible.

Computers and other technologies are the answer to this problem. They have as
yet IMO been untapped fully. At least not all the pieces are available in an
integrated and immersive ( and thus very efficient ) system.

An overview of the components of the environment. Imaginary use cases will
follow and are littered throughout.

Midi Guitar System:
The software must be aware of what you are playing. Interactivity.

Hardware: (or equivalent)

Graphtech Ghost Midi Pickup
Axon MK100 or MK50

Musical Library:

Make use of the resources available on the internet. A huge library of all
sorts of music (paying absolutely no regard to royalties). 100, 000+ songs

Musical Analysis:

Learning a certain scale? How dull can that be? What if you could search for
musical phrases within a certain scale or even finger box?

For ear training, what real use is learning intervals in a non musical
context? What if you could search for instances of certain intervals?

Progress Map:

Being able to see at a glance `where you are at` on your journey.

(refer: Guitar Scales Method www.guitarscalesmethod.com)

Musical Visualisation:

Real time visualisation. ( refer: Harmony Navigator www.cognitone.com )

Ear Training:

For developing absolute or perfect pitch (forget the naysayers! believe!)
There are direct correlations between certain colors. To start with, imagine
if **every** time you played a C note on your guitar (MIDI guitar) or upon
playback of midi files (music library - state of the art synths) the music
visualizer displayed the color red.

This is really leveraging a huge digital music library and sound bank.

One day you may just make a connection! Then you start associating another
color with another note and so on.

If a computer played random 2 note phrases comprised of two notes which you
already knew the position of on guitar could you `play by ear`? What if more
notes were very slowly introduced? Could you keep up?

Some time later you would be working from a one octave minor scale, playing
by ear `actual music` phrases culled from the massive digital music library.
Have you ever tried filling up an ice tray with the tap on full blast?

Recording:

All recording is done in MIDI and WAV for post analysis.

Imagine playing in a backing track over a 12 bar loop. Then you lay down
some lead. In real time the program displays what intervals you are playing
both in relation to the tonal center or key and also to the background chord.

It could display chord scales and harmonic choices etc on a virtual fretboard.
The possibilities!

Now imagine playing a cool melody then thinking I wonder what that would
sound like as backwards guitar? You `flip` the midi track, practice along to
it, record it `backwards` and then `flip` the wav. Voila! Hendrix in a
bottle!

What if you want some cool harmonized guitar leads? Rather than doing some
pitch shifting why not get the software to harmonize the part as MIDI, tweak
as required, practice along to it and then record.

Interactive Riff Training:

Setting a loop of a riff and playing along with it at slow speeds then
gradually increasing the pace is an excellent method of learning new riffs.
(refer: http://www.guitar-pro.com/ )

Interactivity is what is lacking from all the software available today. If
the software knew whether you were keeping up and playing the correct notes
wouldn't the whole process go a whole lot more smoothly?

The software could gradually increase the pace at a level that adjusted in
real time. It could even notice that you were having trouble with certain
sections and then `tighten the loop` accordingly.

Transcription Helpers:

All the usual stuff

Plus a zillion other ideas!

[GuitarSlinger]

I'm forgetting more than I'm learning these days, but yes natural talent is surely a part of it. I have to work very hard for any progress where there are those who can do nothing but progress it seems without much effort. At least I'm enjoying the ride.

[lostylost]

I'm 27 and want to be able to `play by ear` at a pretty high level. I think an impossible task without some pretty drastic measures.