MIDI: The 21st-century musical score

MIDI is the language that computers use to communicate with musical instruments. It stands for Musical Instrument Digital Interface. It was conceived in the 1980s by Ikutaro Kakehashi, founder of the synthesiser company, Roland, to provide a universal way for musical devices to communicate a musical performance.

Imagine somebody playing the piano. As they press their fingers on each key, a mechanical system inside the piano makes a mallet collide with a string, causing that string to vibrate and make a sound. MIDI is the digital equivalent of that mechanical system, as it communicates the pianist’s actions to the string.