A thousand years ago, the monk Guido of Arezzo invented staff notation, laying the foundation for a universal musical language still used today. But this system, frozen for centuries, hasn't evolved with modern technology—or with the way people learn today.

Let's jump to the present: liturgical chants still exist, but the musical landscape has changed radically. Thanks to the rise of computer-assisted music and the integration of intelligent algorithms into creative tools, artists today have infinite expressive palettes at their disposal. We compose, we modify, we superimpose: effects, textures, atmospheres, complex rhythmic structures…

Yet musical notation itself has remained virtually unchanged since the time of Guido d'Arezzo. And with it, a learning system based on traditional music theory, often perceived as rigid, abstract—and even discouraging for many aspiring musicians.

A situation that surprised Pierre-Blaise Dionet, a self-taught musician who sees music in form when he plays. Although he studied classical music, it was mainly by experimenting alone that he discovered a new way of understanding it, far from traditional codes. An encounter with the jazz musician Jean Védrine played a key role: the latter introduced him to a more sensory and personal approach to music. Music moves, it is alive, abstract, why wouldn't we also bring musical learning to life, with tools that integrate interactivity and mental visualization? »

Synegram, a new way to “see” music

Making music visual and logical: this simple, almost self-evident idea became Pierre Blaise Dionet's mantra for over a decade. He began to explore on his own another way of learning music, based on perception and following logical intuition, contrary to traditional methods.

As early as 2010, he sketched his first structures on paper. He gradually developed a visual logic for music, which he shared in a 2018 TEDx talk. At the time, this vision was still at the intuition stage—certainly, but powerful enough to spark debate.

In 2020, with his friend, pianist David Bensimhon, while analyzing Barry Harris's theory of the flat 6th (a harmonic approach that enriches jazz improvisation, editor's note), they became aware of the power of the idea. A complex musical theory can be visualized simply. This revelation led to the creation of a mental concept: the Diamond, a visual model that condenses many musical concepts of music theory and challenges certain teaching approaches. From intuition, Synegram becomes a powerful tool for understanding music. It was a kind of intellectual confirmation of what was still only an intuition, a moment that will remain engraved ", recalls Pierre-Blaise Dionet.

Concretely, the platform is inspired by synesthesia, a neurological phenomenon in which a person involuntarily associates several senses—like seeing colors when hearing music, or perceiving shapes when tasting certain foods. It allows you to visualize notes, intervals, and chords in the form of geometric figures arranged on a color wheel. Hence its promise: to see music, to better understand its harmonic and melodic structures, and make learning more intuitive. For its founder, it's a bit like " see through the matrix » of music. Synegram also develops an intelligent, self-learning semantic algorithm that provides real-time feedback, refines harmonic movement analysis, and adapts recommendations based on each user's level and goals. In essence, Synegram is 1 product, 3 innovations:

- A revolutionary interface that transforms music—chords, melodies, and harmonic movements—into logical geometric shapes: 12 primary forms derived from a circle, visualized by points, lines, and figures.

-An intelligent, self-learning algorithm that assists harmonic analysis in real time and guides learning through contextual predictions.

-An innovative teaching method, inspired by the learning techniques of Greek philosophers, which encourages visual thinking, logical reasoning and autonomy

Not forgetting an essential research dimension, thanks to the establishment of collaborations with fundamental mathematics research laboratories in the field of harmonic analysis and the optimization of harmonic movements.

The tool is primarily aimed at professionals: the team is developing a complete ecosystem for professionals, including VST plugins, virtual instruments, and even physical media integrating the visual approach. But amateurs can also take it on and progress. Synegram isn't a game or a distraction. It's not the Duolingo or Candy Crush of music. It's a real learning method, designed to make progress enjoyable—without it becoming a burden. ", summarizes the entrepreneur. He emphasizes the platform's accessibility, thanks to a universal visual language and intuitive handling. Autonomy is also at the heart of the approach: Synegram can be easily used from a phone, anywhere, at any time.

South by Southwest: Synegram Wins Audio Experience at SXSW Innovation Award 2025

Since its creation, Synegram has surrounded itself with numerous innovation players who have accompanied and supported it in its development. The company was part of the delegation led by Bpifrance and French Touch during the South by Southwest tech and influence festival in 2024, a first contact with the American ecosystem. This in-depth work bore fruit at the 2025 edition, where Synegram won the SXSW Innovation Award in the Audio Experience category. We had South by Southwest in our sights, and our experience in 2024 with the French Touch delegation was both memorable and enriching. We worked very hard, behind the scenes, to achieve this. This is a magnificent achievement for us, and it opens so many doors. »

Synegram is currently finalizing its testing with nearly 1000 beta testers and is entering a structured pre-launch phase in the United States and Europe. A "lab" store has opened in France, and another will soon be available in the United States by the end of the year in Montclair, New Jersey.

At the same time, the team is preparing a large-scale immersive art exhibition entitled I SEE MUSIC, developed with Velvet Flare (a digital and immersive art studio based in Luxembourg), which will be presented in October 2025 at the GRID X museum (an innovative space bringing together cultural, artistic, commercial and technological activities, based in Luxembourg).

Synegram also benefits from the support of the Music Tech Europe Academy, a program that allows it to expand its network and refine its strategy with mentors such as Georgia Taglietti, Turo Pekari, Margaux Lefevre, and Olivier Zephir. The team is also preparing to present the project at the Sónar festival in Barcelona, ​​in partnership with the academy.