Play Your Musical Score
How to master music learning in a short time?
Interaction design |
individual Work |
2021
0. Summary
Beginners in music always face a lengthy learning curve before becoming proficient in an instrument. They should study not only practical skills and music theory, but they should also practice frequently—this project conducted a series of participatory discussions to analyze what an ideal learning process hoped. The design is a starting point for improving efficiency and cognition in music learning.
Design Goal
Making amateur music beginners feel confident & enjoyable when playing instruments.
1. Background Research
Focus Group Session
To discover the common issues most music beginners experienced, the session invited 6 instruments learners and facilitated them sharing experiences in learning.
Take away:
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The learning stage is always a long period and needs continuous practice.
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Some skills are fundamental needs in the learning stage:
Staff learning
is the starting point for methodically learning music.
Rhythm learning
common tricks can help to understand rhythm.
Correspondence
Flexibility and strength need to practice constantly.
User jounry research
Research the user's music learning behavior pattern. Explore the user's music learning experience and factors that trigger emotions.
Method1: Card sorting
Method2: Experience mapping
Method3: Follow-up interview
Participants discussed their learning experience and also offer views on music education.
2. Key findings
2.1 Congitive Pattern
Foundation:
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The phase 1(from basic knowledge learning to consolidation learning exercises) is essential, affecting whether the learner can reach a higher level.
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Systematic and creative learning is always missing, which is harm to further development of music learners.
2.2 Learning procedures
Limitations
Only focus on Basic skills practice
Opportunity
Systematic and creative learning.
Benefit
further development of music learners.
2.3 Emotion analysis
Positive Factors
😃 Freshness and curiosity
😃
Achievement
Such as performance
😃
The attraction of some favorite songs
😃
Motivation for self-creation
Negative Factors
😞
finger Response
playing while watching the sheet
😞
Pressure
Lack of time to practice
Peer pressure .
Gradually lose interest in learning
😞
Rhythm
"not familiar with the score"
2.4 Target user Persona
Opportunity
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Help to master the rhythm ,reading music and train finger coordination.
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Increase the cognitive efficiency of learning and make the process more interesting with self-creation.
3. Concept
Inital concept & Usability testing
Invite three users with musical instrument learning experience to test the usability of the five concept ideas.
Ask them how they feel in using process.
Takeaway:
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Easy-to-create music score.
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flexible play
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Soundable note blocks
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Interaction of fingers and musical notes.
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Insert music clips.
Final Concept
Create the rythm
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The flipped blocks visaulize the length of note.
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Each block represents a note of a duration. The blocks that can make a sound after being flipped.
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The phoneme is the same as position from top to bottom in real music score.
Flip block
Play the note
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Sweep the flipped block to exercise the rythm.
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Press the play button to listen the created music.
4. Evaluation
Prototyping
Test
Invite 4 users to test prototypes, which achieve the expected functions .
Findings:
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Be able to get started quickly and create
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feel fun in practice.
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Understanding music theory knowledge, including notes, length and speed, can be easier.
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The method is universal, and it is convenient to learn other various instruments later.
