Musical instrument training system having displays to identify fingering, playing and instructional information

A musical instrument training system comprising:

• a musical instrument having a plurality of strings, a fingerboard and a body;
• a fingering display mounted on said fingerboard, said fingering display including spaced rows of finger indicators with the finger indicators in each said row of finger indicators being located on said fingerboard adjacent a different one of said strings, and each of said finger indicators including indicia means for indicating which finger is to be placed on said string adjacent the corresponding finger indicator;
• and
• a control circuit means mounted on said body for receiving input signals and for controlling said fingering display in response to said input signals.

A musical instrument training system comprising:

• a musical instrument having a plurality of strings, a fingerboard and a body;
• a fingering display mounted on said fingerboard;
• a playing display mounted on said body;
• a control circuit means mounted on said body for receiving input signals and for controlling said fingering and playing displays in response to said input signals, said control circuit means including a microprocessor circuit means for converting said input signals into control signals for controlling said fingering and playing displays, said control circuit means including a storage means for storing a predetermined section of said input signals and for causing said microprocessor circuit means to convert said predetermined section into said control signals, said storage means including manually operable means for operating said storage means and manually operable speed means for varying the speed that said microprocessor circuit means controls said display means;
• and
• an electric pickup means mounted on said instrument for converting audio signals produced by said strings into a first audio output signal.

A musical instrument training system comprising:

• a musical instrument having a plurality of strings, a fingerboard and a body;
• a fingering display mounted on said fingerboard;
• and
• a control circuit means mounted on said body for receiving input signals and for controlling said fingering display in response to said input signals, said control circuit means including a microprocessor circuit means for converting said input signals into control signals for controlling said fingering display, and including a tuner having a tuning display means for indicating whether a selected one of said strings is in tune.

A musical instrument tuning system comprising:

• a musical instrument having a plurality of strings, a fingerboard, a body, and an electric pickup;
• a microprocessor mounted on said body;
• a tuning display means mounted on said instrument for indicating whether a selected one of said strings is in tune;
• a manually operable string-select control connected to said microprocessor for selecting one of said strings to tune;
• a multi-tone generator means connected to said microprocessor for generating an output tone related to the selected one of said strings;
• and
• a frequency comparator means connected to said multi-tone generator and said electric pickup for comparing said output tone with the natural frequency of said selected one of said strings and for controlling said tuning display means.

A musical instrument training system comprising:

• a musical instrument having a plurality of strings, a fingerboard and a body;
• a fingering display mounted on said fingerboard;
• and
• a control circuit means connected to said fingering display for receiving input signals and for controlling said fingering display in response to said input signals, and including a sequence storage means for selectively storing a predetermined section of said input signals and for controlling said fingering display in a series of repetitive cycles with said predetermined section of said input signals being repeated during each of said cycles.

A musical instrument training system comprising:

• a musical instrument having a plurality of strings, a fingerboard with an array of finger positions and a body;
• a fingering display mounted on said fingerboard, said fingering display having indicator means located at said finger positions for selectively identifying which of a users fingers are to be placed at said finger positions;
• and
• a control circuit means connected to said fingering display for controlling said fingering display.

A musical instrument training system comprising:

• a musical instrument having a plurality of strings, a fingerboard and a body;
• a fingering display mounted on said fingerboard;
• a signal input means for generating control input signals;
• a control circuit means connected to said signal input means and said fingering display for controlling said fingering display in response to said control input signals;
• and
• a storage means connected to said control circuit means and said signal input means for selectively storing a predetermined section of said control input signals and for causing said control circuit means to control said fingering display in a series of repetitive cycles with said predetermined section of said input signals being repeated during each of said cycles.