Real-time music creation system

1. A system for creating music in real time, comprising:

an input mechanism which provides rhythm-related input signals and pitch-related input signals;

one or more computer storage media having a plurality of selectable musical accompaniment tracks over which music can be created and played in real time, having a plurality of rhythm blocks wherein each rhythm block defines, for at least one note, at least a time at which the note should be played, and for storing at least a portion of the music created in real time over a predetermined time interval in the past;

a rhythm generator which in real time: receives the rhythm-related input signals from the input mechanism; selects one of the rhythm blocks from the computer storage media based on the rhythm-related input signals; and outputs an instruction to play the note at the time defined by the selected rhythm block;

a pitch selector which in real time: receives the pitch-related input signals from the input mechanism; selects an appropriate pitch based on the pitch-related input signals, a selected one of the musical accompaniment tracks, and the stored music; and outputs the appropriate pitch; and

a sound generator which in real time: receives instructions from the rhythm generator, pitches from the pitch selector, and the selected musical accompaniment track; and generates an audio signal representative of at least the created music.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the input mechanism comprises a joystick having a base and a movable handle which a user manipulates to generate the rhythm-related and pitch-related input signals.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the joystick generates the rhythm-related input signals in response to the user's manipulations of the handle along a first predetermined axis, and the joystick generates the pitch-related input signals in response to the user's manipulations of the handle along a second predetermined axis.

4. The system of claim 1:

wherein the input mechanism also provides musical effect-related input signals;

further comprising a musical effect generator which receives the musical effect-related input signals from the input mechanism and which alters the instructions from the rhythm generator or the pitches from the pitch selector based on the musical effect-related input signals; and

wherein the sound generator receives the altered instructions and pitches and generates the audio signal which is representative of the at least the created music with musical effects.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein the input mechanism comprises a joystick having a base, a movable handle, and at least one button.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein the joystick generates the rhythm-related input signals in response to a user's manipulations of the handle along a first predetermined axis, the joystick generates the pitch-related input signals in response to the user's manipulations of the handle along a second predetermined axis, and the joystick generates the musical effect-related input signals in response to the user's manipulations of the button.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the rhythm generator outputs the instruction to play the note at the time defined by the selected rhythm block and for a default duration and at a default loudness.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein:

at least one of the plurality of rhythm blocks in the one or more computer storage media further defines, for at least one note, how long the note should last when played and how loud the note should be played; and

the instruction output by the rhythm generator indicates the time at which the note should be played and the note's length and loudness as defined by the rhythm block.

9. The system of claim 1 further including at least one speaker for broadcasting the audio signal.

10. The system of claim 9 further comprising an amplifier for amplifying the audio signal before it is provided to the speaker for broadcast.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein a programmed computer performs the functions of the rhythm generator and the pitch selector, and the amplifier and the speaker are internal to the computer.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein the programmed computer also performs the functions of the sound generator.

13. The system of claim 1 wherein the sound generator comprises a MIDI tone generator.

14. The system of claim 1 wherein a programmed computer performs the functions of the rhythm generator and the pitch selector.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein the programmed computer also performs the functions of the sound generator.

16. The system of claim 1 wherein the one or more computer storage media comprise computer memory.

17. The system of claim 1 wherein the one or more computer storage media comprise computer memory and a computer hard disk drive, the hard disk drive having the plurality of selectable musical accompaniment tracks over which music can be created and played.

18. The system of claim 1 wherein the one or more computer storage media comprise computer memory and a CD-ROM, the CD-ROM having the plurality of selectable musical accompaniment tracks over which the music can be created and played.