Have you ever dreamed of playing the piano but never really had the time to go for lessons or couldn’t have access to an instrument to play? Now, these problems can easily be solved with the help of the new emerging technology of Augmented Reality (AR).
PianoVision [1] is a new application that uses AR to teach its users how to play the piano, regardless of the user’s access to an actual real piano or a “virtual” one. The app is available on MetaQuest and the gamers can use their headsets to learn notes or hand positions, by either using a fully “virtual” piano or in addition to a real piano [2]. PianoVision is billed as “the next evolution of the world’s most popular instrument” [3].
Using the AR technology, users can see their hands and the real/virtual piano keyboards in front of them while the app overlays interactive animations through the headsets, showing how to play the chosen song on the instrument. What gives an exciting experience is that the app calibrates easily with your physical piano by touching the two end notes from the piano. Once you do this, you can see on your real/virtual piano the octaves and the type of notes from all the piano. The indication of which finger you should use to hit a note is another great feature, together with the app stopping the song when you hit the wrong note and waiting for you until the correct note is pressed. For those interested in learning the theory behind playing the piano, PianoVision also offers the possibility of learning the notes by showing a floating piano sheet above the piano while playing the song on your instrument.
The founder of the revolutionary application, Zac Reid, launched the app in February 2022 and claimed that he created the app intending to help wannabe musicians learn the piano in the same style as Guitar Hero was intended to teach users how to play the guitar [3]. Guitar Hero is a rhythm game where players use a guitar-shaped controller to simulate playing the guitar [4].
So, are you excited to learn how to play an instrument with the help of the emerging technology of AR? Hop into this adventure that perfectly blends the most representative classical music instrument with the new possibilities offered by augmented reality technology!
References:
[1] – https://www.pianovision.com/
[2] – https://www.classicfm.com/discover-music/instruments/piano/metaverse-virtual-augmented-reality/
[3] – https://www.musicradar.com/news/pianovision-ar-learning-app
[4] – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guitar_Hero
Hi, David! I really enjoyed reading your blog! I find the concept of using augmented reality to learn the piano truly fascinating. Given that studying an instrument can be highly expensive, I believe PianoVision is an interesting way to remove impediments that frequently prevent people from starting this activity. It’s impressive how AR can make you feel like you’re really playing, even without access to a physical piano. I also love that it has a feature that corrects you in real-time and provides guidance on finger positions, which can really help with acquiring a good technique.
I always wanted to learn to play the piano but found the process quite tough as I did not have enough time to do it properly, and I think this technology could be a game changer for a lot of people. It’s also great to see how it taps into that “Guitar Hero” concept, making learning more fun and interactive. I really think this could revolutionise how people learn instruments.