This Pen Reads And Plays Sheet Music

By Andrew Liszewski

Learning to play an instrument is by no means an easy endeavor, and it’s further complicated if you don’t already know how to read sheet music or musical notation. But that’s where this ‘Piano Learning Pen’ is supposed to come into play. It allows you to click on and hear a specific note so you know if you’re playing it correctly. Now if you’re thinking this device uses some kind of impressive camera and image recognition technology to read the notes on paper, let me shatter that illusion for you. With a price tag of just $20.69 it actually relies on special music books, and while I don’t know the specifics about the technology it does use, having to buy special sheet music is very limiting.

But even though it is referred to as the ‘piano’ learning pen it can be used with other instruments like guitars and violins, and a built-in electronic metronome makes it useful for any musician in training. Notes can be heard via the pen’s speaker or you can attach a pair of headphones so as not to disturb others, and you can even record your practice sessions as MP3s for later review.

[ Piano and Violin Learning Pen ] VIA [ The Gadgeteer ]