Parallels of Musical Instruments and GUIs

A little while ago, the consistently great createdigitalmotion.com had the story of the 'g-speak' interaction space. Basically it looks like the interface used in Minority Report.

 
g-speak overview 1828121108 from john underkoffler on Vimeo.

In a previous lifetime as a classical musician, I conducted choirs and instrumental groups. I can tell you that holding up your arms like this for anything more than a few hours is very tiring and probably not suitable for daily computing. Credit where it's due, in the film it's used idiomatically as a short-and-speedy use scenario.

So, if the Minority Report is like Conducting, what other parallels can be made to musical instruments?

• Computer Keyboard is to a Piano Keyboard


• The Chorded keyboard seems closer to Brass Instrument Valves  than a piano keyboard


• PDA thumb keyboard parallels a Mbira Thumb piano and also a Game controller 

 

Comments

[Jyrki Pölkki]

Hi,

I am a maker and planner of more or less conventional musical instruments. I am trying to find examples of cretive user interfaces for playing; but my demand is, that Bach and Beatles, too, have to be possible to play. Is there anything that exceeds Ondes Martenot?

Interesting, beatiful etc. I have found by net. I was at the Stockholm music acoustics conference 2003... anything new aftger that? (Capable for Bach, rock and all those space adventure sounds, all of them?)

jyrki pölkki

[Keith Lang]

Hi jyrki,

I'm not sure what instrument that could be — If you haven't tried, then check out the excellent createdigitalmusic.com