SYDNEY (Reuters) - Australian scientists have invented a T-shirt that allows air guitarists to play actual music as they strum the air.

The T-shirt, created by scientists from the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), is called a "wearable instrument shirt".

The shirt has sensors in each elbow and sleeves to detect and interpret the air guitarist's arm movements -- one arm chooses chords and the other strums imaginary strings.

The gestures are then connected wirelessly to guitar audio samples to generate the music.

"It's an easy to use, virtual instrument that allows real time music making, even by players without significant musical or computing skills," said CSIRO engineer Richard Helmer.

"It allows you to jump around and the sound generated is just like an original mp3," Helmer said in a statement on Monday.

Researchers specialising in computing, musical composition and textile manufacture combined their skills to create the musical T-shirt.

"The technology, which is adaptable to almost any kind of apparel, takes clothing beyond its traditional role of protection and fashion into the realms of entertainment," said Helmer.

A video of Helmer demonstrating the air-guitar T-shirt is available on the CSIRO's Web site, www.scienceimage.csiro.au/mediarelease/air-guitar.html