Future musicians could be trained by AI
Advances in AI technology mean we have a variety of new ways to educate and train children, all of which could help them learn more, faster.
Key takeaways
- The Machine Learning based algorithm then compared the arm movements to the corresponding audio, determining which movements created which sounds, within each technique.
- When the system was subsequently tasked with identifying the technique that a violinist was using, it could do so with an accuracy of over 94 percent.
- The research, which was led by David Dalmazzo and Rafael Ramírez, is described in a paper that was recently published in the journal Frontiers in Psychology.
Cite or link to this article
Griffin, M. (2019) 'Future musicians could be trained by AI', 311 Institute, 1 June. Available at: https://www.311institute.com/future-musicians-could-be-trained-by-ai/ (Accessed: 8 October 2026).
There’s a lot of technology emerging in the education sector that’s designed to help us learn faster and more efficiently, from using Artificial Intelligence (AI) to monitor students attention levels, and create new adaptive learning applications and avatar teachers, through to new Neuro-Training and Virtual Reality applications. And then, of course there’s memory uploading which was successfully demonstrated a few years ago. Now there’s another.
If you're training to be a concert violinist, and I know you secretly are, you don't want your technique to be merely "good enough.” Now there’s a new computer system that can come to your rescue, and it uses AI to identify a user's bow technique and help them improve their performance.
A summary of the tech
Created by scientists at Pompeu Fabra University in Spain the new system was trained using a gesture-recognising Myo armband that tracked the arm movements of a professional violinist as she used the Détaché, Martelé, Spiccato, Ricochet, Sautillé, Staccato and Bariolage bow techniques. Audio of the performances was recorded at the same time.
The Machine Learning based algorithm then compared the arm movements to the corresponding audio, determining which movements created which sounds, within each technique. When the system was subsequently tasked with identifying the technique that a violinist was using, it could do so with an accuracy of over 94 percent.
It is now hoped that once developed further the technology could be used to provide students with real-time feedback, showing them where their form deviates from that of the pros, and once the technology’s refined then it won’t be just constrained to teaching people how to play the violin, you can imagine it being used to help athletes up their game, and myriads of other applications.
The research, which was led by David Dalmazzo and Rafael Ramírez, is described in a paper that was recently published in the journal Frontiers in Psychology.
Source: Pompeu Fabra University
FAQ
Why does this matter?
Advances in AI technology mean we have a variety of new ways to educate and train children, all of which could help them learn more, faster.
About the author
Matthew Griffin Founder, 311 Institute
Matthew Griffin is a multi-award winning Futurist and expert in Disruption and Innovation, Geopolitics, Leadership, and Technology, who NASA have described as a "walking encyclopaedia of the future" and a "futurist Polymath."
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Matthew Griffin is a multi-award winning Futurist and expert in Disruption and Innovation, Geopolitics, Leadership, and Technology, who NASA have described as a "walking encyclopaedia of the future" and a "futurist Polymath." 17-time best selling author of the "Codex of the Future" series, Matthew is the Founder and Futurist in Chief of the 311 Institute, a global Futures and Deep Futures advisory firm working with royal households, world leaders, G7, G20, and G77 governments, NGOs, and multi-national mid and mega cap firms to help them explore, shape, and lead the next 50 years of business and society.
An award-winning YouTube creator with over a million followers, with an unrivalled global reach and impact, Matthew is a highly sought-after international keynote speaker, lecturer, and mentor who collaborates with global leaders through the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) and United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) to shape pivotal initiatives such as the UN’s AI for Humanity program, the United Nations Conference of the Parties (UN COP), and the World Economic Forum in Davos.
As the former Global Head of Cloud, National Security, and Enterprise Sales for companies including Atos, Dell-EMC, and IBM, Matthew has a proven track record of building multi-billion dollar business units and turning failing divisions into market leaders. His ability to identify, analyse, and communicate the implications of hundreds of emerging technologies and trends is unparalleled, and his insights are trusted by many of the world’s most respected organisations, including ABB, Accenture, Adidas, AON, ARM, BCG, Centrica, Citi, Coca-Cola, Dentons, Deloitte, Dow Jones, EY, Google, KPMG, Lego, Legal & General, LinkedIn, Microsoft, PepsiCo, Qualcomm, RWE, Samsung, Siemens AG and Siemens Energy, T-Mobile, UBS, VISA, Walmart, Workday, Worldpay and many others.
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Sources and further reading
- Myo armband newatlas.com
- Frontiers in Psychology frontiersin.org
- Pompeu Fabra University upf.edu
Source: first published by the 311 Institute on 1 June 2019. Cite as: Griffin, M. (2019). Future musicians could be trained by AI. 311 Institute. https://www.311institute.com/future-musicians-could-be-trained-by-ai/
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