US 4,307,649 AGranted

Slide rule for fretted musical instrument

OwnerAmos Arthurinventor

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Abstract

A slide rule device displays notes and chords of a fretted musical instrument and is used to visualize and teach the operation of instruments such as the pedal steel guitar. The device includes a number of side-by-side slide members positioned in a channeled housing, corresponding to strings on the musical instrument, and which may be moved longitudinally either singly or in groups. Such movement is accomplished by handles, foot peddles, or knee levers and corresponds to the tuning operation of foot peddles or knee levers on an actual pedal steel guitar or the like. Each slide member is returned to a neutral position, which is equivalent to no movement of foot peddles or knee levers, by longitudinal springs secured to the housing after a movement therein, and each has a sequential series of musical notes displayed upon its face corresponding to the notes available on the corresponding string of the simulated musical instrument. An indicator member positioned above the slide members displays those notes the respective strings (slide members) will produce at the corresponding fret (longitudinal position of the indicator) for a specific combination of pedal or lever depressions (slide movements).

Claims11

Dependent claims

A slide rule device for a fretted musical instrument having a plurality of tuned strings and means for changing the tuning of the strings, said slide rule comprising:

a. a housing defining a plurality of side-by-side elongated channels each corresponding to a respective string of the instrument.
b. a plurality of side-by-side elongated slide members positioned in said channels, at least some of said slide members being longitudinally movable, said housing including stops limiting the longitudinal movement of said slide members, each of said slide members having a plurality of notes inscribed thereon with said notes being distributed longitudinally along said slide members, said housing having fret marks inscribed thereon to indicate the frets of the musical instrument with the fret marks being distributed longitudinally relative to the channels.
c. at least one handle connected to at least one of the slide members for moving the slide member longitudinally and representing an element of the musical instrument intended for changing the tuning of at least one of the strings during the playing thereof.
d. and an indicator member having an opening therethrough arranged to display the notes of a chord produced by a series of strings, said housing having a surface adapted to support said indicator member to extend over and perpendicular to said channels, said indicator member having marks adapted to be lined up with the fret marks on the housing so as to display the notes corresponding to respective frets.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.