WildChords

The Ovelin app Wildchords combines high-tech signal processing technologies with gaming to motivate people to practice their musical instruments, making learning fun, even addictive. WildChords is played on an iPad, together with a real acoustic or electric guitar. The microphone records the notes played and the app evaluates the sound. For instruments like guitar, the harmonics of the strings overlap in the audio spectrum, making individual chords difficult to identify. Unique Ovelin technology allows instantaneous recognition, critical for real-time game play. WildChords detects typical mistakes made by music learners such as wrong notes, poor hand position or technique, and gives feedback to improve playing. WildChords offers a riveting game scenario, where, with enough musical skill, the user moves from level to level. The story unfolds as the user progresses: hundreds of escaped animals prowl the city scaring inhabitants. Each animal likes a specific guitar chord: Carsten, the Crazy Crocodile likes C; Doris, the Droopy Duck likes D; Angelo, the Arrogant Ape likes A and so on. The user rounds up the animals by playing their favourite chords, bringing them to the harbour to board a boat for return to their natural habitat. The winner of the game is on the way to becoming a musician.