Fingerboard for musical instrument

For use with a music synthesizer having conventional MIDI input means:

• an electronic keyboard instrument having a general shape of a guitar including a fingerboard elongated in a first direction and a body enclosing a chamber attached to said fingerboard;
• said fingerboard including a plurality of keys arranged in rows and in columns along said fingerboard wherein the rows extend along the fingerboard in said first direction;
• a circuit board in said fingerboard;
• each said key including a conductive pad, means for mounting each said key independently movable of every other one of said keys and movable to bring said conductive pad in contact with said circuit board;
• said circuit board including means for forming individual key input signals in response to said keys contacting said circuit board;
• and
• central processing means in said chamber connected to said circuit board for receiving said individual key input signals from said circuit board and for providing MIDI output signals to said music synthesizer.

For use with a synthesizer having MIDI input means:

• an electronic musical keyboard instrument comprising a housing, a fingerboard elongated in a first direction carried on said housing;
• a plurality of keys arranged in rows and columns along said fingerboard wherein the rows extend along said fingerboard in said first direction;
• a circuit board within said fingerboard;
• means for mounting each said key movable independently of every other one of said keys and movable into contact with said circuit board;
• a central processing unit;
• said circuit board including means for forming key input signals in response to said keys contacting said circuit board and for transmitting said signals to said central processing unit;
• said central processing unit including means for scanning said circuit board and for receiving the key input signals from said forming and transmitting means and for outputting said key input signals in MIDI format.