571 points talccc 3 days ago 161 comments
1 minute video demo: https://youtu.be/DtcluMLdSgs
I would love feedback on how the strumming feels and sounds.
iamben 3 days ago | parent
vegnus 3 days ago | parent
gtruong78 3 days ago | parent
Rygian 3 days ago | parent
talccc 3 days ago | parent
Player view does show a left handed guitar. Two reasons: 1. matches what a right handed player sees looking down at their own guitar: low E on top, neck on the left. 2. players without guitar, to lined up with the pc keyboard that is on the left.
True Audience view is like you watch right hand guitar player.
bibimsz 3 days ago | parent
no, it's wrong
Aboutplants 3 days ago | parent
rrr_oh_man 3 days ago | parent
djeastm 3 days ago | parent
dalmo3 3 days ago | parent
jrflo 3 days ago | parent
Only suggestion I would have would be to make all 6 strings strummable independently in the chord instead of just the 4, so you can do finger picking on it.
talccc 3 days ago | parent
LewisOrton 3 days ago | parent
waerhert 3 days ago | parent
talccc 3 days ago | parent
I wanted to play some chords when Im away from my guitar and none of the browser online guitars I found were at the level I was looking for.
The keys follow the song's key: A row = the 5 main chords (I IV V vi ii), Q row = their sevenths Z row = color chords
ssteeper 3 days ago | parent
talccc 3 days ago | parent
mbil 3 days ago | parent
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DDDDDD_spduchamp 3 days ago | parent
I noticed that the strumming seems a bit off on chord changes. A good default is to let strings that don't change on chord change to continue to ring through. Just think about the strings as actual strings and the kinds of things that happen to them when you play.
Also, different songs will have different techniques like bar chords that may have less brightness, palm muting etc.
I'm working on a physical guitar digital luthier kit right now as part of a project at Toronto Metropolitan University working with disabled musicians. Our aim is to release it so anyone can build one.
Here is our documentation of examining an existing assistive guitar built a few years ago in the UK. https://www.designingsoundfutures.org/kellycaster-mark-1/
Now we're taking lessons learned from that and working on robust versions for touring musicians, and variations to adapt to different assistive and artistic needs.
Great to see others doing nifty work with this guitar based music stuff.
talccc 3 days ago | parent
Your project sounds wonderful. Good luck with it, I'd love to see it when it's out.
orliesaurus 3 days ago | parent
ZeWaka 3 days ago | parent
SamInTheShell 3 days ago | parent
It is nice that it shows the chords.
Sherveen 3 days ago | parent
SamInTheShell 3 days ago | parent
It's not a tool, it's a toy man. Chill out.
Blackthorn 3 days ago | parent
You did, not could. All those things that you said you could do? You literally did them.
SamInTheShell 3 days ago | parent
Blackthorn 3 days ago | parent
shermantanktop 3 days ago | parent
As a guitar substitute, sure, it's an approximation that can't possibly measure up. But as a modernized version of an autoharp, this could be a legit musical instrument.
The fact that it presents itself as a virtual guitar makes it accessible. You see it as a limitation. But limitations are actually great for creativity.
utopcell 3 days ago | parent
TomGarden 3 days ago | parent
jamesdelaneyie 3 days ago | parent
vdev123 3 days ago | parent
mbo 3 days ago | parent
jayknight 3 days ago | parent
onlyrealcuzzo 3 days ago | parent
taybin 3 days ago | parent
jtumbot 3 days ago | parent
paaloeye 3 days ago | parent
pageandrew 3 days ago | parent
MartijnBraam 3 days ago | parent
Another idea I had was being able to bend by holding two keys like monophonic synths.
pseudosavant 3 days ago | parent
A couple of UX thoughts I had while using it:
1. Since the chords are all within a specific key, have you considered using the numbers 1 through 7 to play the respective chords? That way playing a 1-4-5 or a 2-5-1 would be very intuitive?
2. Have you considered using modifier keys (shift, ctrl, alt) to control whether a chord is strummed down versus up (e.g. pressing A would be down, but Shift+A would be up) or major/minor (A would be major, Alt+A would be minor)? I guess Ctrl could be a 7th chord modifier too.
Just some thoughts. Great tool!
talccc 2 days ago | parent
teiferer 3 days ago | parent
utopcell 3 days ago | parent
hannofcart 3 days ago | parent
My tool does not focus on strumming at all as this one does though.
Nice work. Am having fun with it.
talccc 3 days ago | parent
spapas82 3 days ago | parent
multisport 3 days ago | parent
and switch to A minor
talccc 3 days ago | parent
miguelacevedo 3 days ago | parent
krat0sprakhar 3 days ago | parent
Svennor 3 days ago | parent
tudelo 3 days ago | parent
ainiriand 3 days ago | parent
boxed 3 days ago | parent
Aaah, "tab" view is the view that is one I'd expect.
notjes 3 days ago | parent
dengsauve 3 days ago | parent
slinkydink 3 days ago | parent
talccc 3 days ago | parent
talccc 3 days ago | parent
It would really help if you mention whether you tested it on mobile or desktop.
altern8 3 days ago | parent
vunderba 3 days ago | parent
It basically gives you the chords for a given key signature aligned verticall, and then you can use your finger to pick or strum - it even lets you do string bends.
Question: OOC, where did you source the string sample recordings from?
talccc 3 days ago | parent
manlymuppet 3 days ago | parent
zhainya 3 days ago | parent
Meleagris 3 days ago | parent
With solo mode, I asked ChatGPT to translate the songs to keyboard notes, and I was just typing the notes as if I was doing a typing test, and I was playing songs. lol the easiest "sight-reading" I've ever done.
Is this the every persons instrument?
Here is Happy Birthday in solo mode:
E E T E I U E E T E P I E E B X I U T C C X I P I
Crazy unlock!
onthrowaway457 3 days ago | parent
I love the idea of treating it like a typing test, maybe it is the new guitar hero.
crtified 3 days ago | parent
The full challenge however is that "knowing how to play an instrument" in the musical context is a deeeeep, deep well, and that any musician is only as informed as their experience. Hitting-notes-in-order means you've just walked into the atrium of a potentially lifelong learning experience, no matter what the instrument.
jimnotgym 3 days ago | parent
sandos 3 days ago | parent
alfirous 3 days ago | parent
piltdownman 3 days ago | parent
globular-toast 3 days ago | parent
karlgrz 3 days ago | parent
logicallee 3 days ago | parent
webprofusion 3 days ago | parent
killa_kyle 3 days ago | parent
ceroxylon 3 days ago | parent
earth2mars 3 days ago | parent
I hope you take it positively and I am hoping community contributes to the flute sounds and make it better and right.
Zopieux 3 days ago | parent
tibbon 3 days ago | parent
jdironman 3 days ago | parent
fatesblind 3 days ago | parent
animalrap 3 days ago | parent
My dad had a stroke years ago and hasn't been able to hold a guitar, but I showed him this tonight and he thought it was awesome. Excited to see what he does with it.
rossant 3 days ago | parent
rootlocus 3 days ago | parent
This, I think, is great product design. More than babysitting the code, it's about hammering the experience until it's as useful, ergonomic and delightful as possible for the user.
sensecall 3 days ago | parent
I’d love support for multi touch on tablet. Currently zooms out but I expected it to pick multiple strings.
talccc 3 days ago | parent
xdertz 3 days ago | parent
This is also how it looks when you hold a guitar, so I have no idea where this "player view" comes from. If I take my guitar and lay it on the table in front of me, the low strings are closest to me not farthest.
talccc 3 days ago | parent
automaciej 3 days ago | parent
For example, did you notice that if you look at your own body, your legs are pointing "up"?
ArekDymalski 2 days ago | parent
ahoka 3 days ago | parent
neronuser 3 days ago | parent
ironqcold 3 days ago | parent
woailuo 3 days ago | parent
pingananth 3 days ago | parent
XCSme 3 days ago | parent
I am also building a music game/app for learning piano basics:
automaciej 3 days ago | parent
talccc 3 days ago | parent
automaciej 3 days ago | parent
The previous view would still be valid view for left handed guitars. The 10% or so of left handed population would appreciate it, just don’t make it the default and clearly label as a left handed, or a mirror reflection. And the “player view” for left handed should have the headstock pointing to the right.
tuzemec 3 days ago | parent
atmanactive 3 days ago | parent
zuInnp 3 days ago | parent
alfirous 3 days ago | parent
Like other already mentioned, the orientation is bit odd, like you play with guitar facing you.
hn_submit 3 days ago | parent
Maybe add an option that shows the finger positioning (with adjustable transparency so you can also see the touch points on the strings).
JKCalhoun 3 days ago | parent
jachee 3 days ago | parent
hn_submit 3 days ago | parent
tofflos 3 days ago | parent
hn_submit 2 days ago | parent
JKCalhoun 2 days ago | parent
(And there are perhaps hundreds of songs that use the same chords [2].)
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I%E2%80%93V%E2%80%93vi%E2%80%9...
jubilee33 3 days ago | parent
zemvpferreira 3 days ago | parent
hobo123 3 days ago | parent
I used to play the piano and am learning electric guitar, and guitar feels way harder because there are 1000 ways to pick a note (articulation wise), bending, legato, plus the complexity of the fretboard vs linear piano layout.
Classical piano was hard mainly because there are sooo many notes to read all the time for all the different voices.
tarentel 2 days ago | parent
I agree there are a lot more little techniques on guitar that don't exist on piano but a lot of them are very easy to master in a short amount of time.
I think getting really good at either is a lot of work, but I can teach someone to play a recognizable song on guitar in a very short amount time, a few hours or less depending on the person, to play even "beginner" songs on piano can be weeks of practice for a newcomer.
TheSkyHasEyes 2 days ago | parent
moring 3 days ago | parent
vegnus 3 days ago | parent
johschmitz 3 days ago | parent
talccc 3 days ago | parent
Izmaki 3 days ago | parent
deffrin 3 days ago | parent
But this is nice, simple and fun.
f13f1f1f1 3 days ago | parent
rc5150 3 days ago | parent
balkotdude 3 days ago | parent
chiefwilsion 3 days ago | parent
superdetectiveg 3 days ago | parent
blouis 3 days ago | parent
Will def use this in my job as a high school music teacher.
If I could wish for one thing it would be to have just a little more authentic guitar sound. Works as it is, but can't help but hearing "MIDI".
Great work!
jjhfarmer 3 days ago | parent
komodo99 2 days ago | parent
Does anyone else remember Frets On Fire? That could be a fun mode to try to adapt.
huck0 2 days ago | parent
kazinator 2 days ago | parent
I.e. the player view is a left-handed guitar (confusing, but to leftie players); audience view, right-handed.
jinjiefan2018 2 days ago | parent
erezsh 2 days ago | parent
5/7 stars.
gofreddygo 1 day ago | parent