Music instrument which generates a rhythm EKG

A musical instrument comprising:

• an actuator which generates a plurality of actuation signals in response to being played by a user;
• an audio synthesizer which generates audio tones in response to control signals;
• a memory storing a musical score, said stored musical score comprising a sequence of lead notes each of which has an associated time stamp to identify a time at which it is supposed to be played by said user in said musical score;
• a video display unit;
• a digital processing means controlling said audio synthesizer and said video display unit,
• said digital processing means receiving said plurality of actuation signals from said actuator and generating a sequence of control signals therefrom,
• said digital processing means programmed to map the plurality of actuation signals from said actuator to a corresponding sub-sequence of lead notes from among said sequence of lead notes,
• said digital processing means programmed to produce the sequence of control signals from the sub-sequence of lead notes, said sequence of control signals causing said synthesizer to generate sounds representing the sub-sequence of lead notes,
• said digital processing means programmed to display on said video display unit a trace of markers as a function of time, wherein each of the markers within said trace of markers indicates a time at which the user is supposed to cause said actuator to generate one of the actuation signals of said plurality of actuation signals in order to cause the audio synthesizer to play a corresponding one of the sequence of lead notes of said musical score, said trace of markers representing a period of time extending from before an actual elapsed time until after the actual elapsed time, the actual elapsed time being measured from a start of the musical score, and
• said digital processing means programmed to display on said video display unit an indicator marking a location of the actual elapsed time within said trace of markers and thereby indicating where the user is presently supposed to be within the musical score.