New game turns your iPad into a piano

Award-winning Israeli video game developer JoyTunes releases a new iPad game called Piano Dust Buster.

By JACK LUNZ/NOCAMELS
Piano Dust Buster_370 (photo credit: Courtesy)
Piano Dust Buster_370
(photo credit: Courtesy)
Jack Lunz writes for NoCamels.
Want your kids to learn the piano but can’t afford those expensive private lessons? Award-winning interactive video game developer JoyTunes, based in Kfar Saba, released a new iPad game called Piano Dust Buster that teaches the piano in an interactive way, featuring different modes and songs that range in difficulty.
The concept of the game is that the player helps a virtual granny dust off her piano from invading germs. While doing this, the user is learning the musical notes and rhythm of a piano, gaining knowledge while practicing.
The app lets users play popular and entertaining songs at their own pace, collecting points and bonuses as they increase their experience. The game can also be played in conjunction with a real piano. In case the player doesn’t have a real piano at home, a 3D virtual keyboard comes with the game.
Virtual piano for every age
Piano Dust Buster is not the only application that helps users learn an instrument. Rock Band and Wild Chords are just some of them. But what sets the Joytunes app apart is that it does not require an physical instrument.
“We want this game to be embraced by music teachers, children and parents as a wonderful introduction to music,” says Yuval Kaminka, JoyTunes co-founder and CEO. “Children sometimes think of piano practice as boring, but as every music teacher knows, practice makes perfect. Piano Dust Buster uses engaging gaming dynamics, that are fun, interactive, and will keep them learning and practicing,” he adds.
The current music catalogue includes a variety of songs with degrees of difficulty, from classical to pop favorites and folk tunes, including such classics as “Fur Elise,” “The Entertainer” and “Mary Had a Little Lamb.” The game also has a mode for beginners to help them learn how to read sheet music.
Kaminka says that “85 percent of adults surveyed wished they knew how to play an instrument. Now parents and other adults can ‘dust off’ their old pianos and recapture the magic of playing music.”
The iPad game is free for now, but a future revenue model is to sell additional content and songs for a fee.
JoyTunes, based in Kfar Saba, was founded in 2010. The team is made up of developers, musicians and music educators. The company is privately funded by Genesis Partners, Founder Collective, Joe Lonsdale and individual angel investors.
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