Automatic accompaniment apparatus with indexed pattern searching

An automatic accompaniment apparatus comprising:

• pattern memory means for storing a plurality of accompaniment patterns which are grouped into several parts;
• reference memory means for storing a characteristic feature as a characteristic reference for each of the accompaniment patterns in corresponding manner;
• designating means for selectively designating a respective one of the several parts;
• input means for inputting a proposed characteristic feature as a search condition for each designated part;
• searching means for searching the character reference stored in the reference memory means for each accompaniment pattern according to the inputted search condition to select a particular accompaniment pattern which satisfies the proposed characteristic feature;
• and
• performing means for reading out a set of the selected accompaniment patterns from the respective parts of the pattern memory means to effect an automatic accompaniment which is an ensemble of the selected accompaniment patterns.

A method of selecting an automatic accompaniment pattern to be played on an automatic accompaniment apparatus, the method comprising the steps of:

• storing a plurality of accompaniment patterns;
• storing a plurality of characteristic references corresponding to respective accompaniment patterns, each of the plurality of characteristic references being representative of a characteristic feature of each corresponding accompaniment pattern;
• inputting a search condition representative of a desired characteristic feature;
• searching the plurality of stored characteristic references according to the inputted search condition to select a particular accompaniment pattern having the desired characteristic feature specified by the search condition from the stored accompaniment patterns.