Turning the music that we hear into notes on the piano

Have you ever heard a piece of music that you’d love to be able to sit down and learn straightaway, rather than hunt for the sheet music or struggle to figure the melody out by ear? The good news is that the Ivory app – founded by AI music technology expert Marius Lumbroso – could be just what you need, whether you’re a curious beginner who wants to dabble, or a professional classical performer. By using AI-driven accuracy which utilises advanced machine-learning algorithms, Ivory converts music that you hear into piano notation – and that’s almost in an instant!

 

 

 

 

Baffled? In this blog, we’ll take a close look at what the Ivory app does, how it works, and why it’s fast becoming an important tool for all types and all levels of pianists.

 

 

Firstly, what is Ivory, and what does it do? 

 

Ivory is a web-based app that listens to any piece of music and transcribes it into piano sheet music. Simply put: you play the audio, and Ivory does the rest. This is clever technology, and it’s ground-breaking for music learners. For example, if you’re trying to figure out the chords to your favourite song, transcribe a composition or understand jazz voicings, Ivory will ‘decode’ the music and place it on the page.

 

An easy-to-learn process, step by step

 

1 Firstly, you will upload or record any audio track. It can be anything from a full performance to a quick piano memo – that’s how sophisticated the software is. It does help using clean audio because a high-quality recording will produce a more accurate transcription.

 

2 Ivory then ‘listens’ to the recording, analyses the harmony and the melody, and delivers a piano transcription in normal notation, ready to learn and enjoy.

 

3 You can then view, play back, adjust the key, and even export the score into multiple formats (such as MIDI, PDF, MusicXML).

 

 

 

Piano sheet, automatically generated from Bach Air live recording

 

 

You might be asking: 'Do I need such an app?' 

 

Firstly, transcribing is a real art (believe us, we’ve produced article after article on the subject!), and it’s also very time-consuming. Even for those who have had experience in transcribing, it can be a timely process trying to pick out notes, especially in densely-written music or pieces that have a fast tempo. Ivory manages to speed up the process dramatically, thus giving you accurate sheet music within just a few short moments.

 

There are some hidden benefits to improving your all-rounded musicianship, as well:

 

You'll be able to learn faster

By being able to see the music that you're listening to, your ear training improves.

 

You can learn what might not be published

Sometimes it’s impossible to find the sheet music of a piece that you love because, plainly-speaking, it’s not been published. Ivory fills that gap.

 

You can enjoy becoming familiar with music of all styles

From pop arrangements to jazz solos, you can transcribe anything and be able to analyse how the piece was constructed.

 

And you have the ability to refine or reshape your arrangements

You can use Ivory as a sketchpad to build and refine your own interpretation of the song or piece. You don’t have to be afraid to tweak the sheet music that Ivory generates, either; think of it as a solid starting point.

 

 

 

The Ivory web player / editor

 

 

Some technical info about the Ivory app

 

If you're considering giving it a try, here are three key features and benefits to get to grips with:

 

1 Real-time transcription accuracy

Ivory uses advanced AI to identify melody, harmony, rhythm, and even dynamics. It doesn’t just guess the notes – it interprets them. You’ll be surprised by how well it captures complex pieces, especially when the recording is clear and well-balanced. You might wish to try out solo piano or voice-and-piano tracks to begin with until you get the hang of things.

 

2 Customise the final result

Once the music is transcribed, it’s up to you as to what you want to do with it. You might want to:

 

• Change the key signature to suit your voice or technical comfort.
• Isolate the left or right hand for practice.
• Simplify dense passages if you’re still learning.

These three suggestions make it perfect for both educators and students.

 

3 Interactive learning tools

Ivory isn’t just ‘passive’ sheet music – it lets you hear playback, slow things down, and follow along note by note. You can loop tricky sections, play hands separately, or use it as a reference while you try to play by ear.

 

Within this short blog we don’t want to overload you too much with technical jargon, but if you go to Ivory’s ‘Machine Learning’ page, you’ll be able to read all about MIR (Music Information Retrieval). Nobody can explain it better than the app’s creators.

 

 

Designed with pianists of all levels in mind

 

• Ivory is a fantastic learning tool for the Beginner who want to understand what they hear, and to play along with familiar tunes.
• It’s great for the Intermediate-level pianist looking to improve ear training and transcription skills.
• A handy tool for Advanced musicians and arrangers who need quick drafts of melodies, chord voicings, or full pieces.
• And it’s a reliable resource for Teachers and composers who want to capture ideas or transcribe student improvisations.

 

 

Continuous improvement and rapid development
 

One of the most exciting aspects of the Ivory app is that its AI models are constantly evolving. The development team is actively refining the algorithms to handle increasingly complex pieces, detect subtle nuances, and improve transcription accuracy across all genres of music. This means that every update brings smarter, faster, and more precise transcriptions, so the app keeps getting better over time. 

 

Some final thoughts

 

At its core, Ivory is all about making music more accessible. It allows all types of musicians to go from passive listening to active playing. There are so many styles of music out there; why limit yourself to only what’s available in published books?

 

So next time a piece of music makes you stop in your tracks, you’ll be able to click on the Ivory app and bring that music to life on your piano.

 

Our verdict? Give it a try!