指使いを考慮したピアノ演奏支援システム

抄録

In recent years, visual information-based performance support systems using keyboard illumination and projected displays have become popular, but in piano playing, it is also important to acquire proprioception of the fingers and motor skills for rhythm. For this reason, it has been pointed out that traditional visual-oriented methods are insufficient for learning somatic sensations such as accurate fingering and arm movement. This study proposes and develops a piano performance support system that combines visual cues (lighted keys), functional electrical stimulation (FES), and a slider mechanism to assist beginners learning the fundamental skills of appropriate fingering, including accurate keystrokes and timing. By inducing finger flexion via FES to aid fingering, rapidly guiding the arm to the correct key position with the slider mechanism, and visually indicating the target keys, the system provides multi-faceted support for piano learners. The proposed system can sufficiently achieve high-speed, precise arm movement and finger actions for pieces at around 80 BPM. Furthermore, in an evaluation experiment with nine participants, both FES-only support and FES combined with the slider significantly reduced fingering error rates compared to conventional “light” cues alone, with the FESslider combination yielding the greatest improvement. Notably, improved fingering was observed even in passages requiring more advanced techniques for beginners, such as “thumb-under” and “finger substitution.”