Augmented Reality to Facilitate Learning of the Acoustic Guitar

Abstract

Many people wishing to learn a musical instrument opt to learn using alternative or informal methods instead of the traditional Master–Apprentice model that requires a greater cognitive load. This paper presents an augmented reality (AR)-based application designed to teach and train guitar chords, with the novelty that it is also used to teach short melodies consisting of four chord transitions so that users have to change hand and finger positions. The app uses high-quality 3D models of an acoustic guitar and animated hand to indicate correct finger positions and the movements required when changing from one chord to another. To follow the animated instructions, the learner overlaps the 3D model onto the neck of the physical guitar and his or her own hand. A system usability scale (SUS) questionnaire was used to measure the usability of the application. A score of 82.0 was obtained, which is higher than the average of 68 points that indicates the application is good from a user experience perspective, thus satisfying the purpose for which it was created. Having analysed the data for both groups—individuals with no prior experience of playing a musical instrument versus individuals with prior experience—it was concluded that the application provided a useful learning approach for all participants involved in the study, regardless of experience. That said, those possessing prior experience of playing an instrument learnt faster. It should be noted that the research revealed significant difference in learning by gender, with male participants learning faster than female participants. Similar results have been detected in other research performed in the field of music, as well as in other fields. As this study required spatial reasoning when viewing the 3D model, the differences identified this case may well have arisen as a consequence of differences in men and women’s spatial awareness, thereby leaving open an alternative line of research.

guitARhero: Interactive Augmented Reality Guitar Tutorials

“…However, they did not evaluate whether users were able to follow instructions correctly and focused on the quality of tracking the guitar. Gutierrez et al [19] implemented a similar application that displays instructions to a user in the form of an animated hand on a monitor. The participants could then adjust the virtual representation of the instructions to obtain a different viewpoint.…”

“…Augmented Reality (AR) systems have been proposed as interactive alternatives that offer solutions to the aforementioned problems. In such systems, instructions can be presented in a magic mirror [6] style approach, where cameras capture the view of the guitar and overlay instructions onto the video stream before showing the result on a monitor [19,21]. Another option is an in situ approach, where virtual content is integrated within a user's natural view using a headmounted display (HMD) [28,29].…”

The assessment of presence and performance in an AR environment for motor imitation learning: A case-study on violinists

“…Most AR tools focus on learning piano or guitar (e.g. ( Trujano et al, 2018 ), or ( Martin-Gutierrez et al, 2020 )) by providing information on timing and rhythm or providing feedback on where to place a player's fingers to produce a particular tone.…”

Chinese Pre-service Music Teachers’ Perceptions of Augmented Reality-Assisted Musical Instrument Learning

“…In view of this trend, technology-assisted music education has been embraced by educational policy makers in China, who hope that this initiative will help to reform and reshape music education in the country ( Ministry of Education, 2012 , 2018 ). Recently, with the rapid development of augmented reality (AR) technologies, interest has emerged in linking AR to musical instrument learning ( Johnson et al, 2020 ; Martin-Gutierrez et al, 2020 ). Considering the key role of pre-service music teachers in supporting the initiative of technology-assisted music education ( Conway et al, 2019 ), this study aimed to capture the perceptions of such teachers on AR-assisted musical instrument learning.…”