How to visualize music from midi file format?

Question

From What I understand midi format is a digital format computers can read and reproduce.

Is there a way to assign shapes and colors to certain frequencies and durations to visualize the music encoded in the midi files? If so how do I begin?

I uploaded a midi file here i made called c scale.

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0Bw44ozgzKuXWcXJKcUNjZTVKdXc

What I would like to see is shapes and colors change as the scale progresses, maybe scroll left to right which is natural progression from playing music standpoint.

Any help and insights would be appreciated.

Answer 1

So,

mf = INSERT YOUR FILE HERE (DRAGGING WORKS) 

Then run

Needs["Music`"]

i = 1
freq = ConstantArray[0, Length[mf[[1]]]];
duration = ConstantArray[{0, 0}, Length[mf[[1]]]];

For[i, i <=  Length[mf[[1]]], i++, 

 timehold = mf[[1]][[i]][[2]][[2]] - mf[[1]][[i]][[2]][[1]];

 duration =  ReplacePart[duration, timehold, i];
 freq = ReplacePart[freq, {{i, mf[[1]][[i]][[1]]}}, i];]

freq = ToExpression[freq];

ListPlot[freq, PlotStyle -> (PointSize /@ (duration/3)), 
 PlotRange -> {{-3, 33}, {100, 600}}]

There might be a better way to do it than that, but I'm relatively new to mathematica and this works. Anyway, this then gives you a plot where the radius of the point corresponds to the duration the note is played and y axis corresponds to the pitch and the x axis in what order the notes are played.

EDIT:

To include animation

Animate[
 ListPlot[freq[[1 ;; j]], PlotStyle -> (PointSize /@ (duration/3)), 
  PlotRange -> {{-3, 33}, {100, 600}}], {j, 1, Length[mf[[1]]], 1}]