# US 10,121,461 B1 · Providing feedback on musical performance > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,121,461 B1 - Document ID: US10121461B1 - Status: Granted - Kind: B1 - Application number: 15/634,257 - Filed: 2017-06-27 - Granted: 2018-11-06 - Earliest claimed: 2017-06-27 - Assignees: International Business Machines Corporation - Applicants: International Business Machines Corporation - Inventors: Adrian D. Dick; Doina L. Klinger; David J. Nice; Rebecca Quaggin-Mitchell - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10121461B1 ## CPC - G10H 1/0008: {Associated control or indicating means} - G09B 15/00: Teaching music (metronomes G04F5/02) - G09B 15/023: {Electrically operated} - G10H 1/44: Tuning means - G10H 2210/066: for pitch analysis as part of wider processing for musical purposes, e.g. transcription, musical performance evaluation; Pitch recognition, e.g. in polyphonic sounds; Estimation or use of missing fundamental - G10H 2210/091: for performance evaluation, i.e. judging, grading or scoring the musical qualities or faithfulness of a performance, e.g. with respect to pitch, tempo or other timings of a reference performance - G10H: ELECTROPHONIC MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS; INSTRUMENTS IN WHICH THE TONES ARE GENERATED BY ELECTROMECHANICAL MEANS OR ELECTRONIC GENERATORS, OR IN WHICH THE TONES ARE SYNTHESISED FROM A DATA STORE - G09B: EDUCATIONAL OR DEMONSTRATION APPLIANCES; APPLIANCES FOR TEACHING, OR COMMUNICATING WITH, THE BLIND, DEAF OR MUTE; MODELS; PLANETARIA; GLOBES; MAPS; DIAGRAMS (devices for psychotechnics or for testing reaction times A61B5/16; games, sports, amusements A63; projectors, projector screens G03B) ## Abstract Providing feedback on a musical performance performed with a musical instrument. An instrument profile associated with the musical instrument used to perform the musical performance is identified. The instrument profile comprises information relating to one or more tuning characteristics of the instrument. The pitch of notes of the musical performance are analyzed based on the instrument profile to determine a measure of tuning of the musical performance. A feedback signal is generated based on the determined measure of tuning. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A computer program product for providing feedback on a musical performance performed with a musical instrument, the computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium having program instructions embodied therewith, the program instructions executable by a processing unit to cause the processing unit to perform a method comprising: identifying an instrument profile associated with the musical instrument used to perform the musical performance, the instrument profile comprising information relating to one or more tuning characteristics of the instrument and including a description of commonly out of tune notes for the instrument; analyzing a pitch of notes of the musical performance based on the instrument profile to determine a measure of tuning of the musical performance comprising: identifying notes of the musical performance that are described as commonly out of tune notes by the instrument profile; excluding the identified notes of the musical performance; determining an average pitch of the non-excluded notes; and determining a first measure of tuning of the musical performance based on the determined average pitch; and generating a feedback signal based on the determined measure of tuning. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the musical instrument is a brass instrument, and wherein the instrument profile comprises information relating tuning characteristics of the brass instrument. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the step of determining an average pitch comprises applying a weighting value to a non-excluded note based on at least one of: a timing of the non-excluded note; whether the non-excluded note is within a normal stave range; and a method of playing the non-excluded note. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The computer program product of claim 1, wherein generating a feedback signal comprises: generating a first signal indicative of whether or not the musical instrument is flat based on the first measure of tuning. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The computer program product of claim 1, wherein: analyzing the pitch of notes of the musical performance further comprises: determining an average pitch of non-excluded notes that are within a normal stave range; and determining a first measure of tuning includes determining if notes of the musical performance that are above the normal stave range are sharp; and further comprising: determining a second measure of tuning of the musical performance based on the result of determining if notes of musical performance that are above the normal stave range are sharp. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The computer program product of claim 5, wherein generating a feedback signal comprises: generating a second signal indicative of a sharpness of an upper register based on the second measure of tuning. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The computer program product of claim 1, wherein: analyzing the pitch of notes of the musical performance further comprises: determining an average pitch of non-excluded notes that are within a normal stave range; and determining a first measure of tuning includes determining if notes of the musical performance that are below the normal stave range are flat; and further comprising: determining a third measure of tuning of the musical performance based on the result of determining if notes of musical performance that are below the normal stave range are flat. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The computer program product of claim 7, wherein generating a feedback signal comprises: generating a third signal indicative of a flatness of a lower register based on the third measure of tuning. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The computer program product of claim 1, wherein analyzing the pitch of notes of the musical performance further comprises: determining a trend in pitch of a note of the musical performance over time; and determining a fourth measure of tuning of the musical performance based on the determined trend. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The computer program product of claim 9, wherein generating a feedback signal comprises: generating a fourth signal indicative of whether a break or warm-up may be advised based on the fourth measure of tuning. ### Claim 11 A computer system for providing feedback on a musical performance performed with a musical instrument, the computer comprising: a processor set; and a computer readable storage medium; wherein: the processor set is structured, located, connected, and/or programmed to run program instructions stored on the computer readable storage medium; and the program instructions which, when executed by the processor set, cause the processor set to provide feedback on the musical performance by: identifying an instrument profile associated with the musical instrument used to perform the musical performance, the instrument profile comprising information relating to one or more tuning characteristics of the instrument and including a description of commonly out of tune notes for the instrument; analyzing a pitch of notes of the musical performance based on the instrument profile to determine a measure of tuning of the musical performance including identifying notes of the musical performance that are described as commonly out of tune notes by the instrument profile; excluding the identified notes of the musical performance; determining an average pitch of the non-excluded notes; and determining a first measure of tuning of the musical performance based on the determined average pitch; and generating a feedback signal based on the determined measure of tuning. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The computer system of claim 11, wherein: analyzing the pitch of notes of the musical performance further comprises: determining an average pitch of non-excluded notes that are within a normal stave range; and determining a first measure of tuning includes determining if notes of the musical performance that are above the normal stave range are sharp; and further comprising: determining a second measure of tuning of the musical performance based on the result of determining if notes of musical performance that are above the normal stave range are sharp. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The computer system of claim 12, wherein generating a feedback signal comprises: generating a second signal indicative of a sharpness of an upper register based on the second measure of tuning. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The computer system of claim 11, wherein: analyzing the pitch of notes of the musical performance further comprises: determining an average pitch of non-excluded notes that are within a normal stave range; and determining a first measure of tuning includes determining if notes of the musical performance that are below the normal stave range are flat; and further comprising: determining a third measure of tuning of the musical performance based on the result of determining if notes of musical performance that are below the normal stave range are flat. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The computer system of claim 14, wherein generating a feedback signal comprises: generating a third signal indicative of a flatness of a lower register based on the third measure of tuning. ### Claim 16 (depends on 11) The computer system of claim 11, wherein the musical instrument is a brass instrument, and wherein the instrument profile comprises information relating tuning characteristics of the brass instrument. ### Claim 17 (depends on 11) The computer system of claim 11, wherein the step of determining an average pitch includes applying a weighting value to a non-excluded note based on at least one of: a timing of the non-excluded note; whether the non-excluded note is within a normal stave range; and a method of playing the non-excluded note. ### Claim 18 (depends on 11) The computer system of claim 11, wherein generating a feedback signal comprises: generating a first signal indicative of whether or not the musical instrument is flat based on the first measure of tuning. ### Claim 19 (depends on 11) The computer system of claim 11, wherein analyzing the pitch of notes of the musical performance further comprises: determining a trend in pitch of a note of the musical performance over time; and determining a fourth measure of tuning of the musical performance based on the determined trend. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The computer system of claim 19, wherein generating a feedback signal comprises: generating a fourth signal indicative of whether a break or warm-up may be advised based on the fourth measure of tuning.