Transforming music education with virtual reality and augmented reality

Music in virtual reality: Apple’s latest release, the Vision Pro AR headset, is slated to transform the entire music industry for musicians, performers, and music fans alike. For students, the Vision Pro provides an “interactive and immersive learning environment”. They can learn instruments with virtual teachers, perform in simulated real-world settings, and study music theory — all from the comfort of their own homes. And, that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

Virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) are rapidly evolving to transform music education for all. When paired with Soundbrenner’s unique line of wearables, you’ll be sure to always sound your best and stay on beat.

Mirror: simplifying guitar lessons

Guitar-learning app, Fretello, recently developed Mirror: an AR- and AI-powered platform designed to simplify the process of learning guitar. As you play, the technology overlays key information directly onto your guita. It’s able to sense your guitar’s exact position for maximum accuracy. With Mirror, you can benefit from an immersive learning experience. You’ll learn where exactly to place your fingers, which strings to strum, and the correct rhythm to stick to — all in real-time.

Mirror is essentially designed to mimic an in-person tutor and guide you seamlessly through your lessons. You'll be able to put your full focus on mastering finger placement, chords, and tunes. With enough study and practice, you’ll soon be able to create your own beats. Beat-making cheat sheets can help you devise chords, melodies, arrangements, and bass lines quickly and easily — even if you’re a complete novice.

PianoVision: gamified piano lessons 

PianoVision is a gamified piano-learning platform powered by augmented reality and music in virtual reality. Think of it as the piano version of Guitar Hero. On the PianoVison app, users can play with a real piano or midi-keyboard if they have one. However, playing on an entirely virtual air piano is also an option. The app overlays interactive graphics over your hands as you play (on either your virtual or real instrument) to teach you correct hand positions and notes. It also lets you upload your own sheet music, meaning you won’t be limited to learning songs from a preset library. Rather, you’re free to learn any piece of music you want. This allows your lessons to become that much more enjoyable and personalized.

PianoVision also includes a handy multiplayer feature that allows multiple users to log on at the same time. So, that means you can either learn with a teacher, play with your friends, or even play a concert in front of an audience. Additionally, the Pulse vibrating metronome can further enhance your piano lessons. The band can be worn on your wrist, arm, or ankle. This gives you the freedom to truly focus on your music, while helping you stay in line with the beat — without having to put up with annoying clicks.

Paradiddle: making drum lessons easier

Let’s face it: drumming is a fun, although inconvenient hobby. Acoustic drum kits are large, and extremely noisy, while electronic kits also require ample space. Now, Paradiddle is a virtual reality-powered drumming app designed to make it easier, and more convenient to grow and strengthen their drumming skills. It provides users with responsive music in a virtual reality environment where you can play on a virtual drum kit. You’re even able to arrange and scale the kit, so it suits your needs and preferences. You can also save custom sets to your favorites.

Paradiddle also provides visual cues to let you know when and where exactly to hit. You can also play along to recordings as fast or slow as you want. Moreover, an AR mode is also currently being developed, so drummers can further benefit from informative real-time digital overlays over the drum set. And, since drum practice can be noisy, it’s also important not to neglect ear protection during your lessons. Minuendo earplugs are ideal for musicians. They ensure a clear and natural sound, while also protecting your ears from sound levels as high as 120 decibels.

To conclude…

Music in virtual reality and augmented reality are undoubtedly transforming music education. Whether you’re looking to learn the guitar, piano, or drums, there’s an AR- or VR-powered app to help you develop your skills.