Page Turning --- Score Automation for Musicians
John R. McPherson
Department of Computer Science
University of Canterbury
Abstract
This report examines various aspects of the use of computers for the purpose of displaying sheet music for musicians. The main focus is on the layout of the displayed music and methods that can be used to simulate physical page turning to provide new information for the musician. The techniques that may be used to update the field of view depend on factors such as the amount of information to be displayed at any one time, from which direction the new information should come, various monitor attributes such as size, brightness and resolution, and how the transition should be made between the current view and the next view.
A small feasibility study was conducted on a group of musicians to determine which of the page turning concepts under consideration should undergo further evaluation for potential benefit.
The results of this study suggest that a few of the identified techniques could be withdrawn from consideration. However, individual preferences appear to have a large effect in the usability of the different methods.
