number of_tags

Musical tone synthesizing apparatus utilizing an all-pass filter having a variable fractional delay
2010-03-29 00:00:00
to a certain integral number of sampling periods. The all-pass filter functions to at least delay an output of the delay circuit by a second delay time corresponding to a decimal fraction of the sampling period, so that an output of the all-pass filter is fed back to the delay circuit. The whole delay time of the closed loop consists of the first and second delay times which can be respectively controlled. Thus, a musical tone signal representing a synthesized musical tone (e.g., an attenuating sound which is produced from an percussion instrument) is picked up from the closed loop. Incidentally, the whole configuration of the closed loop can be embodied by a digital signal processor (DSP).Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A musical tone synthesizing apparatus comprising:

first delay means for delaying an input signal by a first delay time corresponding to an integral number of a sampling period;

second delay means for delaying an output of said first delay means by a second delay time corresponding to a decimal fraction of said sampling period, said first delay means and said second delay means being connected together in a closed loop so that an output of said second delay means is fed back to said first delay means;

delay calculating means for calculating a total delay amount applied to said closed loop, said total delay amount comprising an integral-part delay time and a decimal-part delay time, said integral-part delay time corresponding to said first delay time and said decimal-part delay time corresponding to said second delay time; and

control means for controlling said integral-part delay time and said decimal-part delay time in an interrelated manner to minimize discontinuity in an output of said second delay means, whereby a musical tone signal representing a synthesized musical tone is output from said closed loop.

2. A musical tone synthesizing apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said second delay means is a all-pass filter which acts upon a filter coefficient supplied thereto, while said control means produces and supplies said filter coefficient to said all-pass filter such that a delay operation corresponding to said second delay time can be carried out by said all-pass filter.

3. A musical tone synthesizing apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said control means controls said decimal-part delay time to be approximately equal to zero when said control means controls said integral-part delay time to be increased, while said control means controls said decimal-part delay time to correspond to one sampling period when said control means controls said integral-part delay time to be decreased.

4. A musical tone synthesizing apparatus comprising:

delay means for delaying an input signal by a first delay time corresponding to a certain integral number of sampling periods;

an all-pass filter for receiving an output of said delay means and for delaying said output by a second delay time corresponding to a decimal fraction of said sampling period in response to a filter coefficient supplied thereto, said delay means and said all-pass filter being connected together in a closed loop so that an output of said all-pass filter is fed back to said delay means;

delay calculating means for calculating a whole delay amount applied to said closed loop, said whole delay amount consisting of an integral-part delay time and a decimal-part delay time, said integral-part delay time corresponding to said first delay time, while said decimal-part delay time corresponds to said second delay time;

control means for controlling said integral-part delay time which is applied to said delay means as said first delay time and said filter coefficient such that said first and second delay times are controlled in an interrelated manner to minimize a discontinuity in an output of said all-pass filter; and

an interpolation means for performing an interpolation operation on said filter coefficient in response to a variation of said integral-part delay time controlled by said control means, whereby a musical tone signal representing a synthesized musical tone is obtained from said closed loop.

5. A musical tone synthesizing apparatus comprising:

excitation wave producing means for producing an excitation wave signal;

an adder for receiving said excitation wave signal;

delay means for receiving an output of said adder so as to delay it by a first delay time which corresponds to an integral number of sampling periods;

an all-pass filter, responsive to a filter coefficient supplied thereto so as to at least delay an output of said delay means by a second delay time which corresponds to a decimal fraction of said sampling period;

a low-pass filter for performing a low-pass filtering operation on an output of said all-pass filter;

a multiplier for multiplying an output of said low-pass filter by a loop gain supplied thereto, wherein said adder, said delay means, said all-pass filter, said low-pass filter and said multiplier are connected together to form a closed loop so that an output of said multiplier is fed back to said adder in which it is added to said excitation wave signal; and

a delay control means for controlling said first delay time and said second delay time, respectively, in an interrelated manner to minimize discontinuity in said output of said all-pass filter, whereby a musical tone signal representing a synthesized musical tone is obtained from said output of said adder, while a tone pitch of said musical tone is continuously controlled by said control means.

6. A musical tone synthesizing apparatus comprising:

a signal producing portion for producing a signal;

a loop-circuit portion connected with said signal producing portion, said loop-circuit portion receiving said signal outputted from said signal producing portion so as to circulate it therethrough, resulting that said signal is modified in accordance with a characteristic of said loop-circuit portion while circulating ...

Method and apparatus for representing musical information
2010-03-26 00:00:00
textual information.

As with languages, music is a way for humans to formulate, understand, manipulate and communicate information. Accordingly, the various representations of musical information are not dictated as much by the laws and limitations of nature as they are by the conventions and rules of musicians. The present invention attempts to understand and replicate the various interrelationships, conventions and rules that govern the way musicians see and hear music, rather than imposing a new set of rules and standards for how to represent music in a manner that is most convenient for a computer. In this way, the present invention should be viewed as extensible and able to adapt to new interpretations and methods of how humans represent music. The various types of information that are represented by the present invention are not meant to limit human imagination in creating new ways of representing or understanding musical information. Instead, the present invention encourages looking at musical information in a new light and allows for non-traditional methods of representing that information, for example twentieth century notation.

Though the present invention is not limited by any arbitrary division of the types of musical information that are represented in its common data structure, it is helpful to define the types of musical information that will be discussed. Melodic information refers primarily to both the pitch and absolute duration of the individual notes entered by the musician or composer. Pitch refers to the tonal properties of a sound that are determined by the frequencies of the sound waves that produce the individual note. In classical western musical notation, pitch is denoted with reference to a series of half-step intervals that are arranged together in octaves; each octave comprising 12 half-steps or notes. For purpose of defining melodic information as used in this invention, note duration is the length of time a particular note is played. Note duration is sometimes thought of as the relative time value of a given note, e.g., whole note, half note, quarter note, eighth note. For purposes of this invention, however, note duration in terms of melodic information refers only to the absolute time value of a given note, i.e., absolute note duration. It is necessary to distinguish between relative and absolute time value of a note, because relative time value can only be correctly resolved when the proper beat unit is known, i.e., a half note played at 160 beats per minute should be notated differently than a quarter note played at 80 beats per minute, even though both notes will have the same absolute time value.

Rhythmic information, on the other hand, refers to everything pertaining to the time and emphasis aspects of multiple notes as distinct from their melodic aspects. It includes the effects of beats, accents, measures, grouping of notes into beats, grouping of beats into measures and grouping of measures into phrases. For purposes of the present invention, four distinct components comprise the rhythmic information necessary to easily and accurately transcribe music into musical notation: (1) relative note duration--this is the length of time a note is played in terms of the time signature for the measure; i.e., half note, quarter note; (2) beat unit--the base unit of time used to measure the tempo of a piece of music; (3) measure--the organization of beat units into groups corresponding to the time signature of the composition or section of a composition; and (4) accent--the designation of particular emphasized beat units or notes within a measure. The function and importance of rhythmic information or the "beat" relates to the fact that the human ear seems to demand the perceptible presence of a unit of time that can be felt as grouping the individual notes together. In classical western notation, the beat unit and the relation between beat units and measures are designated by the tempo marking, e.g., 120 beats per minute, and the time signature, e.g., 3/4, where the top number indicates the number of beat units per measure (in this case 3) and the bottom number designates the type of note in which the beat units will be measured, i.e., the note value that will receive one beat unit (in this case a quarter note). Though sometimes referred to as the beat, for purposes of this invention, an accent will define which notes, beat unit(s), or sub-divisions of beat units in a measure or group of measures are to receive accentuation or emphasis.

Interpretive information refers to the characteristic sounds that are imparted to a piece of music when it is played with the expressions and feelings of a particular performer. Interpretive marks such as crescendos, staccatos, ritards, as well as information relating to tempo, other dynamics, and even settings for modulation wheels on electronic instruments. Interpretive information relates to the manner in which a particular performer will interpret a given piece of music.

Textual information refers to the language information that is associated with a given piece of musical information. This includes not only lyrics, but also title, related notes and other textual information, such as headers and footers, that are not included in the interpretive information.

While musical information may sometimes be referred to throughout this invention according to these four types, it should be understood that these categories are somewhat arbitrary and are used to convey an understanding of the overall concepts embodied in the invention. For example, some of the interpretive information might be just as easily referred to as textual information or rhythmic information, depending upon the usage and context of the musical information. The fundamental concept behind the present invention is that the musical information represented in a music processing apparatus be organized according to the rules of musical notation and interpretation as seen and heard by musicians.

THE MUSIC PROCESSING APPARATUS

Referring now to FIG. 1, the functional relationship among selected elements of the music processing apparatus of the present invention can be seen. The music processing apparatus 10 is comprised of a programmable data processing means 12 operably connected to associated input/output means, including ...

Music search by interactive graphical specification with audio feedback
2010-03-25 00:00:00
which approximates a piece of music that is to be searched for in a database of musical pieces and/or representations of music. The graphical representation can be generated entirely by the user, or can be generated by modifying a graphical representation that corresponds to an existing piece of music the user has selected as a starting point in the search.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the desired piece of music can be any musical file, including but not limited to CD audio tracks, MIDI, MP3, wav, au, and the like. In addition, any standard internal representation can be used including, but not limited to, the ** kern representation, written for example in the Humdrum representation language, as used in conjunction with the aforementioned Themefinder project. This project is directed to a search engine for music themes based on specialized musicological features. Graphical representations of musical segments developed in accordance with exemplary embodiments of the present invention can be used to locate a music segment that has been stored using this format. The desired musical piece can also be a portion of a multimedia file containing both video and audio, such as AVI files, MPEG files, QT files, and the like. The invention is applicable to any file that can be obtained via a musical search. Alternately, or in addition, the musical segment can be generated and/or modified in response to user inputs, to change characteristics of the revised segment.

The method continues in step 120 by providing audio feedback to a user by playing the musical segment. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that this can be accomplished in a variety of ways. For instance, the graphical waveform defined by the user can be converted to an audio signal and output to a speaker. The musical segment can be synthesized into a MIDI format and played as notes via a MIDI compatible sound card. Optionally, user inputs can be used to modify the musical segment which has been synthesized, and this process repeated until an acceptable musical segment has been obtained.

The conversion of the graphical representation to an audio format can be implemented in any of a number of ways. For example, where the graphical representation has been converted to a MIDI format, it can be subsequently played through a standard MIDI sound card. In one implementation, the MIDI representation can contain up to 16 channels, each of which corresponds to an instrument, and each of which is identified by, for example, a 4-bit header in the data stream. In such an implementation, the beginning of a musical piece can include a program change MIDI data segment to map channels to particular programs on a synthesizer (i.e., to different instruments). For example, channel 1 can map to a piano, channel 2 can map to a guitar, channel 3 can map to a drum, and so forth.

The graphical representation-to-MIDI conversion can be implemented using a module which chooses appropriate instruments using general MIDI standard programs for the melody, bass and rhythm parts of the musical piece. The selection of appropriate instruments can, for example, be based on a user specification in a user interface. For example, the user can choose a piano for melody, a cello for bass and a triangle for rhythm. Alternately, the selection can be based on user input style values. For example, jazz can be mapped to piano, bass string and bongo drums; classical can be mapped to violin, cello and acoustical bass drum, and so forth. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that rather than specific user selections, default values can be selected. The selections can be encoded as appropriate program change MIDI messages. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that user interface is not limited, and can be designed to accommodate any of a variety of inputs. For example, the interface can be configured to allow the user to select different instruments for different parts of the musical piece. The user interface can also be modified in any of a variety of ways. For example, the user interface can include a chord section in addition to the sections already mentioned with respect to melody, bass and rhythm.

Where bass, melody and rhythm graphical representations have b...

Method and apparatus for generating musical tone waveforms by user input of sample waveform frequency
2010-03-24 00:00:00
of the musical tone waveform samples, each of the musical tone waveform samples generated has the pitch designated by said performance information, and the number of said waveform sample generated is controlled by said control information; and

a reproducing step of playing back said musical tone waveform samples generated by said generating step.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the received control information is input based on an input operation by a user.

3. A method of generating musical tones which is executed on a computer, comprising:

a receiving step of receiving a plurality of pieces of performance information corresponding respectively to a plurality of performance parts, wherein the received performance information designates a pitch of each of the musical tones to be generated;

a generating step of carrying out, at predetermined time intervals, a musical tone waveform calculation in response to the received performance information, for generating a plurality of musical tone waveform samples corresponding to said plurality of performance parts, wherein the predetermined time intervals are longer than a sampling cycle of the musical tone waveform samples, each of the musical tone waveform samples generated has the pitch designated by said performance information, and a sampling frequency of the musical tone waveform samples generated corresponding to at least one of said plurality of performance parts is different from the sampling frequency of the musical tone waveform samples generated corresponding to the other performance parts; and

a reproducing step of playing back said musical tone waveform samples generated by said generating step.

4. A method of generating musical tones which is executed on a computer, comprising:

a first receiving step of receiving a plurality of pieces of performance information for commanding to generate musical tones;

a second receiving step of receiving limitation information defining a maximum number of channels for generating tones;

a generating step of carrying out, at predetermined time intervals longer than a sampling cycle, a musical tone waveform calculation of a plurality of sounding channels which said performance information has commanded to generate tones, for generating a plurality of musical tone waveform samples in said plurality of sounding channels, wherein when said performance information commands to start generation of a new tone, one new sounding channel is added to said plurality of sounding channels, and when the tone generation in one of said plurality of sounding channels is finished, said one of said plurality of sounding channels is removed from said plurality of sounding channels; and

a reproduction step of outputting said plurality of musical tone waveform samples, sample by sample, every sampling cycle;

wherein said generating step generates said musical tone waveform samples by said musical tone waveform calculation in a manner such that a maximum number of said plurality of sounding channels is limited in accordance with said limitation information by inhibiting said musical tone waveform calculation for some of said plurality of sounding channels when a total number of said sounding channels exceeds the maximum number defined by said limitation information.

5. A method as claimed in claim 4, wherein the received limitation information is input based on a setting operation by a user.

6. A method of generating musical tones which is executed on a computer, comprising:

a first receiving step of receiving a plurality of pieces of performance information for commanding to generate musical tones;

a second receiving step of receiving limitation information defining a maximum amount of processing capacity of a processor of the computer which can be employed for tone generation;

a generating step of carrying out, at predetermined time intervals longer than a sampling cycle, a musical tone waveform calculation of a plurality of sounding channels which said performance information has commanded to generate tones, for generating a plurality of musical tone waveform samples in said plurality of sounding channels, wherein when said performance information commands to start generation of a new tone, one new sounding channel is added to said plurality of sounding channels, and when the tone generation in one of said plurality of sounding channels is finished, said one of said plurality of sounding channels is removed from said plurality of sounding channels; and

a reproduction step of outputting said plurality of musical tone waveform samples, sample by sample, every sampling cycle;

wherein said generating step generates said musical tone waveform samples by said musical tone waveform calculation in a manner such that a total number of said plurality of sounding channels is limited in accordance with said limitation information by inhibiting said musical tone waveform calculation for some of said plurality of sounding channels when a total amount of processing capacity of the processor which is used by the musical tone waveform calculation in the generating step exceeds the maximum amount of processing capacity of the processor defined by said limitation information.

7. A method as claimed in claim 6, wherein the received limitation information is input based on a setting operation by a user.

8. A method of generating musical tones which is executed on a computer, comprising:

a performance information receiving step of receiving performance information which designates a pitch of each of the musical tones to be generated;

a control information receiving step of receiving control information;

a waveform sample generating step of carrying out, at predetermined time intervals longer than a sampling cycle, a musical tone waveform calculation of a plurality of sounding channels which said performance information has commanded to generate tones, for reading musical tone waveform samples from a memory, interpolating the read musica...

Graphic/tactile musical keyboard and nomographic music notation
2010-03-23 00:00:00
i.e. without requiring the player to look from the music to the keys. This is extremely beneficial to the novice keyboard player's development of that tactile sense of keyboard position which is essential to the achievement of an advanced level of skill.

A significant feature of this invention lies in its ease of application to existing, conventionally scored music. The diagonal slants " " (e.g., 38) through the notes and adjacent the key signature (e.g., 46, at 39) can be added manually, without requiring the score to be reprinted. This feature immediately distinguishes it from the "improved" notation systems which replace some or all of the conventional clefs, measures, notes, accidentals and phrasing marks. With my nomographic system of notation, the complete range of printed music is made more intelligible and thus more playable.

The preferred, second embodiment of the graphic/tactile keyboard

FIG. 4 shows a second graphic/tactile keyboard 110 according the present invention. Like the first embodiment of the keyboard 10, the second keyboard 110 comprises an upper row of keys 112 farthest from the player, a middle row 114 at an intermediate distance from the player, and a lower row 116 closest to the player. The keys of the second keyboard 110 play the same notes as corresponding keys of the first keyboard 10.

The F and G keys 120 in each octaval grouping 118, 118', 118" of the upper row 112 provide the player with graphic and tactile cues of his or her position on the keyboard. Unlike the first keyboard 10, the marked keys 120 of the second keyboard 110 do not correlate with the black keys of the conventional keyboard, but rather correlate with the second lines of the grand staff above and below middle C, i.e., the G line of the treble clef and the F line of the bass clef. The upper row F and G keys 120 are graphically and tactilely differentiated from the remaining upper row keys 122 by extending and bevelling the vertical surfaces of their front ends 124a toward the player by about one eighth inch (1/8"), by raising their top and front surfaces about one eighth inch (1/8"), and by bevelling the top surface and a selected side surface at the front end 124a of each marked key. Preferably, opposing side surfaces of the marked keys 120 are beveled, such as the left side of the F key and the right side of the G key adjacent said F key. As in the first keyboard 10, the upper row keys in the upper octaval groupings 118 of the second keyboard are preferably narrower than the upper row keys in the lower octaval groupings 118', 118", creating wider gaps 126 between the upper row keys in the upper octaval groupings 118.

In the middle row 114 of the second keyboard 110, the C keys 128 are graphically and tactilely differentiated from the other middle row keys 130 to provide the player with a keyboard position cue in the middle row.

The C keys 128 are tactilely marked by extending and bevelling their front ends 124b toward the player about one-eighth inch (1/8") and also by raising their top surfaces about one-eighth inch (1/8"). The C keys 128 are graphically marked by darkening their top and front surfaces. The keys of the middle row 114 are laterally offset from the keys of the upper row 112. All of the keys of the middle row 114 are equally wide.

Like the upper row 112, the F and G keys 132 of the lower row 116 are graphically and tactilely marked by darkening their top and front surfaces and raising the top surfaces about 1/8". No keys of the lower row 116 are extended because a player playing on the middle and lower rows 114, 116 will receive a tactile position cue from the extended C keys 128 of the middle row.

A significant feature of the present invention, and particularly the keyboards thereof, is that it provides a readily understandable indexing arrangement for major scale key signatures. The keyboard such as in FIG. 4 tactilely identifies the three major scales F, C and G, and provides what may be termed an F-C-G Major Scale Index. This major scale index relates to the odd or even number of key signature symbols as found in the order of flats and sharps. C is the basic tone for even flat key signature symbols and tones below C descending by whole steps, and C is ...

Suspension of musical instruments
2010-03-20 00:00:00
the strap ends. The intermediate portion of the strap can be attached by means of an intermediate attachment, which consists of a fixed connection, or a loop encircling the strap at the intermediate position.

The length of the intermediate attachment and its position of contact to the strap can be adjustable. In the case where the intermediate connection forms a loop, the circumference of the loop can be made adjustable.

It is often preferred for the strap itself to be relatively flat in the vicinity of the musician's body parts that support the weight of the instrument. For instance, when the strap is hung over the shoulder of the musician, the part of the strap that rests on the shoulder preferably has width larger than thickness. However, other areas of the strap can have other geometries. Thus, the cross sectional shape of the strap need not be constant along the entire length of the strap. For instance, the invention discloses the strap to have circular cross section in the area where the intermediate connection attaches to the strap.

The strap itself can be comprised of more than one separate and distinct segments. Thus, the strap can consist of two smaller straps, each having a first and a second end, with both first ends attached to the instrument at two separate attachment points on the instrument. The two second ends can then be attached together, or attached to a common element, such as a ring. In the former case, the intermediate attachment can attach to the second ends, and in the latter case, the intermediate connection can attach to the common element, and in either case, the intermediate connection will attach to a third separate and distinct attachment point on the instrument. The attachment of such segments to each other or to common elements, and the attachment of the intermediate connection to the strap assembly, can take the form of a vast number of standard methods, including sewing, riveting, looping, hooking, and clipping. Such forms can result in attachings that may or may not allow freedom of movement in angular and/or linear dimensions.

The instrument of the invention can be a guitar and include the step of extending the harness about the neck of the player between two points of connection of the strap to the guitar. A further step includes adjusting a an intermediate connection that attaches to the strap at an intermediate position. The geometry of the intermediate connection can be made adjustable and so adjusted in order to achieve balance for the instrument relative to the player.

A musical instrument having several portions, each with a separate center of mass, can be combined with a harness that attaches to two portions, with a further attachment to the instrument that limits the displacement of the instrument from the harness. Additional further attachments can be made between the harness and addition...

Method and apparatus for teaching musical notation to young children
2010-03-12 00:00:00
having said name.Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to the educational tools and display apparatus, and more particularly, to a method and apparatus for teaching musical notation and auditory perception to young children, by providing a system of symbols endowed with distinctive characteristics which the child can associate individually with each of the musical notes.

2. Background

Many systems and aids have been proposed for teaching the musical scale to young children. A number of these systems have utilized colors and/or colored objects, while others have taken the form of card games. Illustrative examples of earlier approaches include those set forth in the following U.S. patents:

U.S. Pat. No. 4,819,539 (Searing) discloses a system which employs display cases having horizontal dividers which represent the lines on a staff. The cases hold flash cards showing objects having names which begin with letters which correspond with the positions on the scale, i.e., a flash card showing a pair of gloves is provided for the note "G". A cassette tape device generates the noun, the name of the note, and then the sound of the note, after which the student selects another card; the time required to remove all of the cards is clocked by the device.

U.S. Pat. No. 2,807,183 (Ney) discloses a portable dummy keyboard having a frame 56 which displays the musical staves above the keyboard. The frame supports wires on which colored markers representing each of the keys can be mounted.

U.S. Pat. No. 2,447,213 (Sledge) discloses a color code system in which each of the lines on a staff is provided with its own color, i.e. the "G" line is colored blue, and a small blue house is mounted at the end of the line, drawing the analogy to a street. Markers in the shape of animals having names which begin with the appropriate letters (i.e., a goose for "GG", a bear for the note "B", and so forth) are mountable on the display board and are colored to match the appropriate note line. For example, the goose is colored blue (and is also marked with the letter "G"), and the child is taught that the goose lives in the blue house at the end of the blue street. After the child learns the line with which each note is associated, the colored house for that line is moved to the appropriate key on a dummy piano keyboard made up of blocks 12.

U.S. Pat. No. 2,236,638 (Adams) discloses a device comprising a series of interfitting dummy key blocks which are identical in shape to the keys of a piano, but which are organized according to a color arrangement.

U.S. Pat. No. 2,315,793 (Jay) discloses a system which is somewhat similar to that of Sledge, in that each note has associated therewith the image of an animal whose name begins with the letter which represents that note; i.e., a picture of the head of a goat appears with the note "G" on the printed musical score, along with the letter "G" itself. This same symbol is also displayed on the sides of a hollow toy block which houses swinging chimes which emit the sound of the appropriate note when the block is shaken.

The prior art systems described above all employ some form of symbology, by associating colors and/or images with the notes of the musical scale. However, some of these systems (e.g. Searing) are overly complex for use by very young children, while others (e.g. Adams, Ney, and Sledge) are particularly adapted to teaching the use of a piano keyboard, which may or may not be the object of instructing the child.

More fundamentally, none of these earlier systems makes full use of the capabilities which symbolization offers in education of young children. Recently, it has come to be understood that children employ symbology in changing and increasingly complex patterns very early in life. It is now believed that, beginning at about the age of two, children pass through a series of developmental crests that have been termed "waves". As the child enters each wave, the use of symbolization becomes increasingly sophisticated. In particular, as children approach the more advanced stages of symbolization (around three to five years of age), they commonly show an attraction toward what has been referred to as "second-order" symbolization, in other words, a set of symbols or marks that itself refers to a first set of symbols or marks. It is believed that the impulse to create second-order symbol systems is a deep-seated human inclination which emerges with little provocation. The systems described above generally employ symbology in only the most basic forms, and thus do not ...

Complete transposable notation and keyboard music system for typists
2010-03-10 00:00:00
keys, when pressed, on the left end of the second, third and top rows play redundant notes and these additional keys are designated with the same letter orsymbol as the key in the standard keyboard which plays the same note, and wherein the additional keys on the right hand end of the bottom, second and third rows also play redundant notes when pressed, and these additional keys are designated with theletter, symbol, or number of the key in the standard keyboard which when pressed play the same note, and wherein the additional keys to the right of the top row are from left to right designated 11, 12, 13, 14, and 15, and the additional keys to the leftof the bottom row are designated respectively from right to left as I, II, III, IV, V, VI, and VIII, and wherein the music written for the said instrument comprises a standard musical score with a key designation in a ball in a clef, and said keydesignation being indicated by a letter in the ball, and wherein the letter in the ball designates the specific key which a typist would normally finger using his/her left hand little finger to strike the closest and furthest left key using normal touchtyping techniques thereby designating a home row to the typist, and wherein the notes which are normally light in the center would have dark letters, numbers, or symbols which indicate which key the typist should press, and those notes which are normallydark in the center would have light letters in the center, wherein a typist could sit to the instrument, read the letters, numbers, and symbols on the sheet of music and using his/her normal typing expertise immediately begin playing the musical score.

2. A keyboard for a musical instrument of a type which includes means for producing musical tones when the keys are touched, wherein each key of the keyboard when pressed plays a particular note, said keyboard comprising a standard typewriterkeyboard wherein each key has a letter, symbol, or number, and wherein the keys of the standard keyboard are arranged in four horizontal rows of ten keys in each row, and wherein the bottom row is closest to a person playing the instrument, and whereinthe row next to the bottom row has its keys offset approximately one-half key-width to the left with respect to the bottom row, and wherein the third row of keys is offset approximately one-quarter key-width from the next to the bottom row of keys to theleft, and wherein the fourth and top row of keys is offset to the left with respect to the third row of keys approximately one-half key-width, and wherein the sixth key from the left in the bottom row when pressed plays the note middle C, and wherein thenotes played when keys in any row are pressed sequentially from left to right are successively one half-step higher than the note played when the preceding key is pressed, and wherein the first key on the left end in all rows, but the bottom row, whenpressed play a note one half-step higher than the note played when the key at the right hand end of the next lower row is pressed, and wherein five additional keys are added to each end of each row of the standard keyboard, and wherein the additionalkeys at the right hand end of each row when pressed sequentially from left to right play a note which is one half-step higher than the note played by pressing the key immediately adjacen...

Musical instrument bridge
2010-03-09 00:00:00
In fact, replacing the conventional bridge of an electric guitar with a bridge according to the present invention does not require any major modifications to the guitar other than perhaps reshaping the recessed area 25 of the instrument body. The bridge 50 maintains the strings 22 at a predetermined position over the fretboard 18 and the pickup 20. As will be described in greater detail below, the bridge 50 according to the present invention improves isolation between the strings thereby reducing interstring modulation, increases the harmonic content and sustain of the strings, and reduces distortion due to the orbital motion of a vibrating string.

As shown in FIG. 2, the bridge 50 according to the present invention includes a plate 60, a mounting block 80 and a plurality of fingers 100. Disposed on top of each of the fingers 100 is a conventional saddle 120 that determines the height of a string 22 above the fretboard. Each saddle 120 includes a longitudinal adjustment screw 122 for moving the body of the saddle closer to or farther away from the fretboard, as well as a pair of vertical adjustment screws 124 to vary the height of the string 22 above the fretboard. The details of the saddle 120 are conventional and are well known to those of ordinary skill in the musical instrument arts.

As will be described in further detail below, each of the fingers 100 has a resonant frequency that is related to the pitch of the string 22 that is supported by the finger. The resonant frequency of each finger is selected assuming each string will be tuned to a standard predefined pitch. However, if it is desired to tune the instrument to something other than the standard tuning, it may be necessary to replace one or more fingers of the bridge with fingers that are designed for the alternate pitch. Additionally, because "most appropriate" resonant frequency for each finger is somewhat a matter of taste, it is possible that a finger having a fixed resonant frequency may sound acceptable for more than one tuning of the guitar. For the purposes of this specification, the terms "pitch" and "resonant frequency" are synonymous, with each term being used where appropriate for clarity.

With reference to FIG. 3, the plate 60 includes a plurality of holes 62 disposed around the perimeter of the plate through which screws or other suitable fastening means may be inserted to secure the plate to the rear face of the musical instrument. The plate 60 also includes a plurality of slots 66 through which a string may be threaded without removing the plate or other bridge components from the instrument. Finally, the plate 60 includes a plurality of holes 68 which are aligned with a set of corresponding threaded holes 82 on the mounting block 80 for machine screws 70 or other suitable fasteners to secure the mounting block 80 to the plate 60.

The mounting block 80 also includes a series of unthreaded holes 86 through which a number of machine screws 72 or other suitable fasteners are passed. The machine screws 72 engage a threaded portion of the fingers 100 as will be described. The mounting block 80 includes a plurality of slots 84 in which the base portions of the fingers 100 are fitted. Finally, the mounting block 80 includes an outwardly extending lip 88 that mates with a corresponding groove 114 on each of the fingers 100.

The shape of the mounting block 80 is determined by the type of instrument in which the bridge in accordance with the present invention is to be used. It may be necessary to make the mounting block taller or shorter to position the fingers so that the strings are at the correct height above the fret board of the instrument. Additionally, some portions of the mounting block may be removed to reduce the mass of the mounting block.

Each finger 100 has three portions, a head portion 102, a base portion 110 and a waist portion 116 that connects the base portion to the head portion. The head portion 102 includes a saddle stop 104 having an unthreaded hole 105 for the longitudinal adjustment screw that secures the saddle on top of the head portion of the finger. Also disposed on the head portion 102 are a set of grooves 106 that receive the vertical adjustment screws 124 of the saddle as shown in FIG. 2. The grooves 106 maintain the alignment of the saddle on the head portion of the finger. Returning to FIG. 3, the head portion 102 includes an unthreaded hole 108 through which a musical instrument string is passed. A section 107 of the head portion 102 may be hollowed to reduce the mass of the head portion in order to adjust the resonant frequency of the finger as will be described below.

The base portion 110 of each finger 100 includes a threaded hole 112 that receives the machine screw 72 to secure the finger to the mounting block 80 and the plate 60. The base portion also includes a groove 114 that snugly receives the outwardly extending lip 88 of the mounting block for a secure interconnection that assures that the finger will not rotate forward when the strings supported by the bridge are tightened. Adjacent the groove 114 is a flat portion 115 that contiguously engages the slot 84 when the finger is secured to the mounting block. When the machine screw engages the threaded hole 112, the finger is cantilevered from the mounting block. A space between each slot 84 ensures that the fingers of the bridge are isolated from one another except for their common connection to the mounting block. Finally, the base portion of the finger includes a hollowed sec...

Method for operating a musical instrument
2010-03-08 00:00:00
of ledger lines, which are used to show how far up, or down, the note is. Counting ledger lines can be a serious problem, adding confusion to the process of reading music, for both the novice and the experienced musician or vocalist.

Clefs are graphic characters placed on the staff to locate the position of a note that represents a specific pitch. The positions of other notes representing other pitches are then determined relative to the fixed note. The most common clefs are the bass (indicating that the fourth line from the bottom is "F below middle C") and the treble clef (indicating that the second line from the bottom is "G above middle C"). The "C" clef is used on any of the first four lines to indicate the location of "middle C" and becomes the soprano clef, the mezzo soprano clef, the alto clef or the tenor clef, respectively. The "C" clef is used to minimize the number of ledger lines that would be needed for a given piece that would be encompassed by the ranges served by the bass or treble clefs.

Notes are placed on the staff to show both the pitch and the rhythmic or durational value of the represented tone. The note has a notehead, being the body of the note. The position of a notehead on the staff indicates the pitch of the represented tone, and especially the pitch relative to the pitch of the note fixed in position by the clef. The conventional notehead has a generally rounded shape that appears somewhat elliptical. The rhythmic value of the represented tone is indicated by the relative size of the notehead, whether the notehead is blackened or unblackened, and by adding additional symbolization such as stems and flags.

One problem with the conventional notation system is that the conventional staff is used to serve a greater range than the approximate octave and a half it can easily represent, including the use of clefs and ledger lines. To increase the number of pitches available in the staff, a system of key signatures and "accidentals" is used. A group of flats or sharps characters, referred to as key signatures, is placed at the left end of the staff, immediately to the right of the clef, to indicate the set of pitches that comprise the predominant scale. "Accidental" markings are then placed to the left of the noteheads to indicate temporary alterations of the basic scale. Therefore, a notehead located at any given position on the staff could represent more than one pitch. This anomaly in conventional music notation is a historical accident and contributes to confusion in reading music from a conventional staff.

For example, the standard keyboard instrument, such as a piano, contains eighty-eight keys. Each key represents a different pitch. Twelve pitches, represented by twelve consecutive keys, make up an octave. Therefore, the standard keyboard contains keys representing seven octaves plus four additional pitches. The twelve pitches within any octave are represented by a group of seven white keys and five black keys, beginning with the note named "C" and ending with the note named "B." In conventional notation, insufficient space has been allocated on the staff to accommodate a separate position for each of the twelve pitches in an octave. Therefore, the black keys are generally represented using key signature marks or "accidentals," indicating sharps or flats. The use of key signature and "accidentals" is inherently complex.

Confusion is further added by the fact that a note representing a given pitch that appears on a line in one octave, will appear in a space in the next higher or lower octave, and so forth, thereby constantly altering its appearance. Therefore, the musician cannot with complete ease distinguish a pitch by its location on a conventional staff. Complexity in the conventional system is also added because, for the top twenty five or so pitches of a standard keyboard beginning with about "high C," and for the bottom sixteen or so pitches beginning with "low C," notes represented on a conventional staff must include such a large number of ledger lines for representation that musicians commonly get confused, and in some cases, are forced to stop and count them.

From the foregoing, it can be seen that an operator of a musical instrument using conventional music notation is required to process a significant amount of information using a difficult system in order to produce a musical sound from the musical instrument.

The problems with using conventional notation with musical instruments have long been recognized. Some attempts have been made to provide improvements.

For example, U.S. Pat. No. 104,393 by Wright issued Jun. 14, 1870 proposed the use of a staff having alternating groups of two and three lines with wider spaces between groups than between lines within groups. The lines would correspond to black keys on a keyboard and the spaces would correspond to white keys on a keyboard. Several alternating groups of two and three lines could be used to accommodate multiple octaves of interest for any particular piece of music.

Joseph Matthias Hauer, Report of the First Conference of...