Electronic musical instrument having plural component blocks

An electronic musical instrument comprising a plural number of mechanically and electrically connectable component blocks connected in succession, each block being equipped with:

• a tone producing means,
• a first connector and a second connector allowing mechanical and electrical connection to the other blocks,
• input means arranged on said first connector for inputting signals for starting production of tones of the block, and
• output means arranged on said second connector for outputting a signal indicating termination of the tone signal generation of the block.

An electronic musical instrument comprising a tone generating block for generating tone signals, and a plural number of performance operating blocks having a plural number of pitch designating manipulators and connectable in succession to said tone block to make up a series wherein:

• said tone generating block comprises:
• first output means for outputting position indicating signals for indicating the positions of an operating block in said series, said operating block whose position in indicated by said position indicating signal sending a detected signal representative of the pitch of an operated pitch manipulator in response to said position indicating signal;
• first input means for inputting the detected signals representing an operated pitch designating manipulator sent from said operating block whose position is indicated by said position indicating signal;
• and
• tone generating means for generating a tone having a pitch corresponding to said detected signal;
• and
• each of said plural number of performance operating blocks comprises:
• second input means capable of being connected to one of said first output means and previous stages of the performance operating block in said series for inputting the position indicating signals outputted from said tone generating block;
• position detecting means for detecting whether or not the connected positions of said performance operating block are as indicated by said position indicating signal;
• second output means capable of being connected to subsequent stages of the performance operating block in said series for outputting said position indicating signals for detecting in said subsequent stages that the connected positions of the performance operating blocks are as indicated by said position indicating signal;
• manipulator detecting means for detecting operation of said pitch designating manipulator;
• third input means capable of being connected to said subsequent stages for inputting said detected signals;
• and
• third output means capable of being connected to one of said first input means and said previous stages for outputting the detected signals representing operated pitch designating manipulators of the operating block detected by said manipulator detecting means when said position indicating signal indicates the position of the operating block, and for outputting said detected signal inputted from said subsequent stages through third input means when said position indicating signal signal does not indicate the position of the operating block.