# US 2014/0190337 A1 · Electronic stringed instrument, musical sound generation method and storage medium > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0190337 A1 - Document ID: US20140190337A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 14/145,227 - Filed: 2013-12-31 - Published: 2014-07-10 - Earliest claimed: 2013-01-08 - Assignees: Casio Computer Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Casio Computer Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Tetsuichi NAKAE; Tatsuya DEJIMA - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140190337A1 ## CPC - G10H 3/18: using a string, e.g. electric guitar {(mechanical features G10D1/085)} - G10H 1/0551: {using variable capacitors} - G10H 1/342: {for guitar-like instruments with or without strings and with a neck on which switches or string-fret contacts are used to detect the notes being played (electric guitars in which the tones are generated by the vibration of strings G10H3/18)} - G10H 3/188: {for converting the signal to digital format (transmission using a MIDI interface G10H1/0066)} - G10H 2220/301: Fret-like switch array arrangements for guitar necks - G10H: ELECTROPHONIC MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS; INSTRUMENTS IN WHICH THE TONES ARE GENERATED BY ELECTROMECHANICAL MEANS OR ELECTRONIC GENERATORS, OR IN WHICH THE TONES ARE SYNTHESISED FROM A DATA STORE ## Abstract A CPU 41 determines whether or not the detected level of string picking strength exceeds a predetermined first level, and in a case of determining that the predetermined first level is exceeded, determines whether or not a condition is satisfied that the number of the frets 23 in contact with the string 22 detected as a picked string is a predetermined number or more (10 or more) while the frets in contact therewith as above are located within a predetermined area from the bridge 16 (the fret number 18 or higher). In a case where it is determined that the condition is satisfied, the CPU 41 instructs the connected sound source 45 to generate a predefined slap sound. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An electronic stringed instrument, comprising: a plurality of strings stretched above a fingerboard unit provided with a plurality of frets; a state detection unit that detects a state between each of the plurality of frets and each of the plurality of strings; a string picking detection unit that detects picking of any of the plurality of strings while detecting strength of detected string picking; a level determination unit that determines whether or not the level of string picking strength detected by the string picking detection unit exceeds a predetermined first level; a condition determination unit that determines, when the level determination unit determines that the predetermined first level is exceeded, whether or not a condition is satisfied that there are a plurality of frets simultaneously in contact with the string detected as a picked string by the string picking detection unit through the state detection unit; and a slap sound generation instruction unit that instructs, when the condition determination unit determines that the condition is satisfied, a sound source to generate a predefined slap sound. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The electronic stringed instrument according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of strings are stretched from above a fingerboard unit provided with a plurality of frets toward a bridge unit while the string picking detection unit is provided adjacent to the bridge unit, and the condition determination unit determines whether or not a condition is satisfied that the fret in contact with the string is located within a predetermined area from the bridge unit. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The electronic stringed instrument according to claim 1, further comprising: a first normal sound generation instruction unit that instructs, in a case where the level of the string picking strength detected by the level determination unit exceeds a second level lower than the first level, the connected sound source to generate a musical sound of pitch based on a string detected as a picked string by the string picking detection unit and a fret closest to the bridge unit among frets in contact with the detected string, through the state detection unit. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The electronic stringed instrument according to claim 1, further comprising: a second normal sound generation instruction unit that instructs, in a case where it is determined that the first level is exceeded, but it is determined that the condition is not satisfied, the connected sound source to generate a musical sound of pitch based on a string detected as a picked string by the string picking detection unit and a fret closest to the bridge unit among frets in contact with the detected string, through the state detection unit. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The electronic stringed instrument according to claim 3, wherein the slap sound generation instruction unit instructs to generate a differential sound obtained by deducting a musical sound instructed to be generated by the first normal sound generation instruction unit from a slap sound to be eventually generated. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The electronic stringed instrument according to claim 5, further comprising: a differential sound pitch specification unit that specifies as pitch of the differential sound, in a case where the level of string picking strength detected by the level determination unit does not exceed the second level, pitch decided based on a string detected as a picked string by the string picking detection unit and a fret closest to the bridge unit among frets in contact with the detected string. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The electronic stringed instrument according to claim 1, wherein the state detection unit detects whether or not each of the strings is in contact with each of the frets. ### Claim 8 A musical sound generation method used in an electronic stringed instrument, the electronic stringed instrument including: a plurality of strings stretched above a fingerboard unit provided with a plurality of frets; a state detection unit that detects a state between each of the plurality of frets and each of the plurality of strings; and a string picking detection unit that detects that any of the plurality of strings is picked while detecting the strength of detected string picking, the method comprising: determining whether or not the level of string picking strength detected by the string picking detection unit exceeds a predetermined first level; determining by the state detection unit, in a case where the predetermined first level is exceeded, whether or not a condition is satisfied that there are a plurality of frets simultaneously in contact with the string detected as a picked string by the string picking detection unit through the state detection unit; and instructing, in a case where the condition is satisfied, a sound source to generate a predefined slap sound. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The musical sound generation method according to claim 8, wherein the plurality of strings are stretched from above a fingerboard unit provided with a plurality of frets toward a bridge unit while the string picking detection unit is provided adjacent to the bridge unit, and it is determined whether or not a condition is satisfied that the fret in contact with the string is located within a predetermined area from the bridge unit. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The musical sound generation method according to claim 8, further comprising: instructing, in a case where the detected level of the string picking strength exceeds a second level lower than the first level, a sound source to generate a musical sound of pitch based on the string detected as a picked string and a fret closest to a bridge unit among frets in contact with the detected string. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The musical sound generation method according to claim 8, further comprising: instructing, in a case where it is determined that the first level is exceeded, but the condition is not satisfied, the connected sound source to generate a musical sound of pitch based on the string detected as a picked string by the string picking detection unit and a fret closest to the bridge unit among frets in contact with the detected string, through the state detection unit. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The musical sound generation method according to claim 10, wherein an instruction is given for generating a differential sound obtained by deducting the musical sound instructed to be generated from the slap sound to be eventually generated. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The musical sound generation method according to claim 12, further comprising: specifying as pitch of the differential sound, in a case where the detected level of string picking strength does not exceed the second level, pitch decided based on a string detected as a picked string and a fret closest to the bridge unit among frets in contact with the detected string. ### Claim 14 (depends on 8) The musical sound generation method according to claim 8, wherein it is detected whether or not each of the strings is in contact with each of the frets. ### Claim 15 A non-transitory storage medium storing a program configured to cause a computer used in an electronic stringed instrument, the electronic stringed instrument including: a plurality of strings stretched above a fingerboard unit provided with a plurality of frets; a state detection unit that detects a state between each of the plurality of frets and each of the plurality of strings; and a string picking detection unit that detects picking of any of the plurality of strings while detecting strength of detected string picking, to execute: a level determination step of determining whether or not the level of string picking strength detected by the string picking detection unit exceeds a predetermined first level; a condition determination step of determining, in a case where it is determined in the level determination step that the predetermined first level is exceeded, whether or not a condition is satisfied that there are a plurality of frets simultaneously in contact with the string detected as a picked string by the string picking detection unit through the state detection unit; and a slap sound generation instruction step of instructing, in a case where it is determined in the condition determination step that the condition is satisfied, a sound source to generate a predefined slap sound. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The non-transitory storage medium according to claim 15, wherein the plurality of strings are stretched from above a fingerboard unit provided with a plurality of frets toward a bridge unit while the string picking detection unit is provided adjacent to the bridge unit, and the condition determination unit determines whether or not a condition is satisfied that the fret in contact with the string is located within a predetermined area from the bridge unit. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The non-transitory storage medium according to claim 15, configured to further execute a first normal sound generation instruction step of instructing, in a case where the level of the string picking strength detected in the level determination step exceeds a second level lower than the first level, the sound source to generate a musical sound of pitch based on the string detected as a picked string in the state detection step and a fret closest to the bridge unit among frets in contact with the detected string. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The non-transitory storage medium according to claim 15, configured to further execute a second normal sound generation instruction step of instructing, in a case where it is determined that the first level is exceeded, but the condition is not satisfied, the connected sound source to generate a musical sound of pitch based on the string detected as a picked string in the state detection step and a fret closest to the bridge unit among frets in contact with the detected string. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The non-transitory storage medium according to claim 17, wherein in the slap sound generation instruction step, an instruction is given for generating a differential sound obtained by deducting the musical sound instructed to be generated in the first normal sound generation instruction step from a slap sound to be eventually generated. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The non-transitory storage medium according to claim 19, further comprising: a differential sound pitch specification step of specifying as pitch of the differential sound, in a case where the level of string picking strength detected in the level determination step does not exceed the second level, pitch decided based on the string detected as a picked string and a fret closest to the bridge unit among frets in contact with the detected string. ### Claim 21 (depends on 15) The non-transitory storage medium according to claim 15, wherein the state detection unit detects whether or not each of the strings is in contact with each of the frets.