We first launched here on HN 1.5 years ago, and we're pretty excited to share v2.
Our goal with Instinct is to add deep interactivity to any music lesson. We think that one day, every lesson on YouTube might have pitch detection, scrolling notation, a scoring system and personalized feedback.
This v2 is a big first step in that direction. We've teamed up with a bunch of online teachers to create fully interactive video courses, as a way of showing what's possible with the tech.
There's much more to do though! At this stage, we're looking for as much input as possible from users and teachers.
I bought a guitar 3 years ago and I've tried to learn it on and off but never really went past the c chord because I always lose interest.
I just finished my first lesson and this is superb for me. I love the scoring system which motivates me to try and do better each time and just the ease and simplicity with which I can immerse myself into learning it at my own pace.
Just a minor thing that confused me was that the music tab layout(maybe that's the standard) is different from the layout of the strings in the animation (which is the same as my guitar). I think both should be the same as the guitar.
I got a acoustic guitar for birthday and from since I've sat hours before Youtube videos and tried to learn it. It has been a bumpy ride and I've merely learned anything.
Mainly because it's hard to learn from the people who are already good players. They play fast and keeping track with them using YouTube video player is really annoying.
Today I found GetInstinct and tried it out for like 30 minutes. I feel I've accomplished something and what is more important for me, I feel I've learned something.
It's easy, understandable and really enjoyable.
You'll make dozens (if not millions) of people enjoy playing guitar and hopefully other instruments.
Keep up the good work!
Yeah the core of the pitch detection is in Flash, so that it can work in browsers that don't yet support HTML5 audio, such as Safari, and in older browsers. But where possible, we do grab the audio and do some of the signal processing using HTML5. Also, all of the UI is HTML5 and JS.
I noticed the last 4 notes are fingered 2-1-1-open, which has a slide on the first finger. Probably better to not encourage sliding on first finger unless needed. I wonder if other lessons might have less than optimal fingerings shown?
Yeah I'd love for us to make a piano version too. We haven't started it yet, but maybe it's percolating - I've been spending a ton of time on the piano lately. :)
Works with any (most?) midi keyboards. I use it with an M-Audio ProKeys 88 (weighted keys). It's an awesome program. You can load any .mid file in to it and select the instruments you want to play on keys, and have it display the sheet music along with the note cascade.
I cannot recommend this program enough, and the learning method in general. Synthesia and YouTube videos have been my sole learning method / teaching aid, and in the past 18 months I've learned to play a handful of short pieces well enough to put a huge grin on my face.
Would like regular music notation as I already know that. Also it's a bit quiet, would love to have a voice guide rather than just reading the prompts.
One slight problem is that on parts where the section to play starts on the same note as the end, and uses an open string, the sustained note of the string automatically skips the first note of the repeat playthrough. Perhaps the algo needs to look for an amplitude peak at the start of the students playthrough to avoid this?
Incidentally the tuner is better than any of the simple tuners I've used on Android, haven't tried it on my phone however. It coped with my children talking over it and still helped me tune very quickly.
Great points, and thanks so much for the kind words about the tuner.
Agree that sheet music would be great, and also that the lessons do feel a little quiet / less lively than they could. Your voiceover idea is really cool. We've also thought about adding backing tracks as another way to increase the energy level.
We've also run into that wraparound issue you describe, where a section that starts and ends with the same note can cause an issue when you get to the end and sustain the note. I think you're right about the solution, i.e. better attack detection by looking at the amplitude of the signal.
How do you even play the demo? I move my mouse and the hand moves with it, and it tells me to play the string, but I click, hold, press buttons, the hand just moves and nothing happens... A help screen would be very beneficial...
Pretty neat! I plugged in my rocksmith cable and it just works. One thing though, it needs some kind of calibration. The tiniest bit of string noise and the lessons shoot off without me, even when I have my strings muted.
Yes it does work with the Rocksmith cable and we've seen a bunch of users discovering that. As you point out, pitch detection can be a little sensitive with that cable (depending on the guitar), and you're right that we could / should do some calibrating to improve it.
Wow, really impressive. I tried the first Jazz lesson, completed it, was prompted to register, happily signed up and I'm very excited about the other lessons!
Ha, time to dust up my guitar. I've always wanted to learn but know nothing of musical notation. This should give me another excuse get back to learning
b1ake|11 years ago
Our goal with Instinct is to add deep interactivity to any music lesson. We think that one day, every lesson on YouTube might have pitch detection, scrolling notation, a scoring system and personalized feedback.
This v2 is a big first step in that direction. We've teamed up with a bunch of online teachers to create fully interactive video courses, as a way of showing what's possible with the tech.
There's much more to do though! At this stage, we're looking for as much input as possible from users and teachers.
it_learnses|11 years ago
I just finished my first lesson and this is superb for me. I love the scoring system which motivates me to try and do better each time and just the ease and simplicity with which I can immerse myself into learning it at my own pace.
Just a minor thing that confused me was that the music tab layout(maybe that's the standard) is different from the layout of the strings in the animation (which is the same as my guitar). I think both should be the same as the guitar.
linhmtran168|11 years ago
hpeinar|11 years ago
Today I found GetInstinct and tried it out for like 30 minutes. I feel I've accomplished something and what is more important for me, I feel I've learned something.
It's easy, understandable and really enjoyable.
You'll make dozens (if not millions) of people enjoy playing guitar and hopefully other instruments. Keep up the good work!
elwell|11 years ago
misnome|11 years ago
HTML5 indeed. Though I suppose taken literally the title doesn't claim html5 for the pitch detection part.
b1ake|11 years ago
robmcm|11 years ago
RossM|11 years ago
ozten|11 years ago
Why not use getUserMedia({audio:true}) instead?
carlesfe|11 years ago
dbalatero|11 years ago
I noticed the last 4 notes are fingered 2-1-1-open, which has a slide on the first finger. Probably better to not encourage sliding on first finger unless needed. I wonder if other lessons might have less than optimal fingerings shown?
edit: but, very cool! :)
simonsquiff|11 years ago
b1ake|11 years ago
TheSpiceIsLife|11 years ago
Works with any (most?) midi keyboards. I use it with an M-Audio ProKeys 88 (weighted keys). It's an awesome program. You can load any .mid file in to it and select the instruments you want to play on keys, and have it display the sheet music along with the note cascade.
I cannot recommend this program enough, and the learning method in general. Synthesia and YouTube videos have been my sole learning method / teaching aid, and in the past 18 months I've learned to play a handful of short pieces well enough to put a huge grin on my face.
1. http://www.synthesiagame.com/
(Edit: speeling and gramma)
pbhjpbhj|11 years ago
Would like regular music notation as I already know that. Also it's a bit quiet, would love to have a voice guide rather than just reading the prompts.
One slight problem is that on parts where the section to play starts on the same note as the end, and uses an open string, the sustained note of the string automatically skips the first note of the repeat playthrough. Perhaps the algo needs to look for an amplitude peak at the start of the students playthrough to avoid this?
Incidentally the tuner is better than any of the simple tuners I've used on Android, haven't tried it on my phone however. It coped with my children talking over it and still helped me tune very quickly.
b1ake|11 years ago
Agree that sheet music would be great, and also that the lessons do feel a little quiet / less lively than they could. Your voiceover idea is really cool. We've also thought about adding backing tracks as another way to increase the energy level.
We've also run into that wraparound issue you describe, where a section that starts and ends with the same note can cause an issue when you get to the end and sustain the note. I think you're right about the solution, i.e. better attack detection by looking at the amplitude of the signal.
Killswitch|11 years ago
b1ake|11 years ago
mrcharles|11 years ago
b1ake|11 years ago
KevinBongart|11 years ago
maguirre|11 years ago
bwindels|11 years ago
sjs382|11 years ago
markbnj|11 years ago
zapt02|11 years ago
b1ake|11 years ago
sitkack|11 years ago
stravid|11 years ago
[1] http://easydrum.binsofrei.at/
riffraff|11 years ago
cancelbubble|11 years ago
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