Fixed-location method of composing and performing and a musical instrument

A method for sounding notes on an electronic instrument, the instrument having a plurality of input controllers, the method comprising:

• designating at least a first input controller on the instrument for a performance representative of a chord section performance and designating at least one additional input controller on the instrument for a performance representative of a melody section performance;
• providing first musical data utilizing said at least a first input controller, wherein said first musical data includes first note-identifying information identifying one or more notes, said first musical data being provided in response to a performance of said at least a first input controller;
• providing additional musical data utilizing said at least one additional input controller, wherein said additional musical data includes additional note-identifying information identifying one or more notes representative of either one or more chord notes, one or more scale notes, or one or more chord notes and one or more scale notes, and wherein at least a portion of said additional note-identifying information is provided according to an event representative of at least a chord change or scale change, said event initiated either according to user-selectable input or in response to stored data representative of at least a chord change or scale change;
• identifying at least a portion of any stored data representative of a musical performance originally effected utilizing said at least a first input controller as a performance representative of a chord section performance for re-performance purposes;
• and
• identifying at least a portion of any stored data representative of a musical performance originally effected utilizing said at least one additional input controller as a performance representative of a melody section performance for re-performance purposes.

A method for sounding notes on an electronic instrument, the instrument having a plurality of input controllers, the method comprising the steps of:

• dividing at least a portion of the input controllers into a chord section and at least a portion of the input controllers into a melody section with at least a first input controller being included in the chord section and at least one additional input controller being included in the melody section;
• providing first musical data utilizing said first input controller, wherein said first musical data includes first note-identifying information identifying one or more notes representative of fundamental chord notes, said one or more notes representative of fundamental chord notes corresponding to a chord which corresponds to said first input controller, wherein said first musical data is provided in response to a performance of said first input controller;
• and
• providing additional musical data utilizing said at least one additional input controller, wherein said additional musical data includes additional note-identifying information identifying one or more notes representative of either one or more chord notes, one or more scale notes, or one or more chord notes and one or more scale notes, and wherein at least a portion of said additional note-identifying information is provided according to an event representative of at least a chord change or scale change, said event being in accordance with said chord and said event initiated according to user-selectable input.

A method for sounding notes on an electronic instrument, the instrument having a plurality of input controllers, the method comprising the steps of:

• dividing at least a portion of the input controllers into a chord section and at least a portion of the input controllers into a melody section with at least a first input controller being included in the chord section and at least one additional input controller being included in the melody section;
• providing first musical data utilizing said first input controller, wherein said first musical data includes first note-identifying information identifying one or more notes representative of alternate chord notes, said one or more notes representative of alternate chord notes corresponding to a chord which corresponds to said first input controller, wherein said first musical data is provided in response to a performance of said first input controller;
• and
• providing additional musical data utilizing said at least one additional input controller, wherein said additional musical data includes additional note-identifying information identifying one or more notes representative of either one or more chord notes, one or more scale notes, or one or more chord notes and one or more scale notes, and wherein at least a portion of said additional note-identifying information is provided according to an event representative of at least a chord change or scale change, said event being in accordance with said chord and said event initiated according to user-selectable input.

A method for sounding notes on an electronic instrument, the instrument having a plurality of input controllers, the method comprising the steps of:

• dividing at least a portion of the input controllers into a chord section and at least a portion of the input controllers into a melody section with at least three or more input controllers being in a first group of input controllers included in the chord section and at least one additional input controller being included in the melody section;
• providing respective musical data in response to a performance of each input controller in said first group, wherein said respective musical data for each input controller in said first group includes note-identifying information identifying one or more notes including a highest note, wherein cumulatively a highest note identified for each input controller in said first group defines a first chord, said first chord being a chord which is normally spread out across more input controllers than there are in said first group when said first chord is being performed using traditional performance techniques on a traditional music keyboard;
• and
• providing additional musical data utilizing said at least one additional input controller, wherein said additional musical data includes additional note-identifying information identifying one or more notes representative of either one or more chord notes, one or more scale notes, or one or more chord notes and one or more scale notes, and wherein at least a portion of said additional note-identifying information is provided according to an event representative of at least a chord change or scale change, said event being in accordance with said first chord and said event initiated in response to a performance of at least one input controller in said first group.

A method for sounding notes on an electronic instrument, the instrument having a plurality of input controllers, the method comprising the steps of:

• dividing at least a portion of the input controllers into a chord section and at least a portion of the input controllers into a melody section with at least three or more input controllers being in a first group of input controllers included in the chord section and at least one additional input controller being included in the melody section;
• providing respective musical data in response to a performance of each input controller in said first group, wherein said respective musical data for each input controller in said first group includes note-identifying information identifying one or more notes including a highest note, wherein cumulatively a highest note identified for each input controller in said first group defines a first chord, said first chord being a chord which is normally spread out across more input controllers than there are in said first group when said first chord is being performed using traditional performance techniques on a traditional music keyboard;
• providing additional musical data utilizing said at least one additional input controller, wherein said additional musical data includes additional note-identifying information identifying one or more notes representative of either one or more chord notes, one or more scale notes, or one or more chord notes and one or more scale notes, and wherein at least a portion of said additional note-identifying information is provided according to an event representative of at least a chord change or scale change, said event being in accordance with said first chord and said event initiated in response to a performance of at least one input controller in said first group;
• and
• providing for at least a first input controller in said first group at least one indicator representative of a relative chord position indicator corresponding to said at least a first input controller in said first group which indicates the relative position of said first chord as defined by a song key which corresponds to said first group.

A method for sounding notes on an electronic instrument, the instrument having a plurality of input controllers, the method comprising the steps of:

• providing first musical data utilizing a first input controller, wherein said first musical data includes first note-identifying information identifying either one or more notes representative of specific chord notes corresponding to a first chord or notes forming said first chord, and wherein said first musical data is provided in response to a performance of said first input controller;
• providing second musical data utilizing a second input controller, wherein said second musical data includes second note-identifying information identifying either one or more notes representative of specific chord notes corresponding to a second chord or notes forming said second chord, and wherein said second musical data is provided in response to a performance of said second input controller;
• providing additional musical data utilizing at least one additional input controller, wherein said additional musical data includes additional note-identifying information identifying one or more notes representative of either one or more chord notes, one or more scale notes, or one or more chord notes and one or more scale notes, and wherein at least a portion of said additional note-identifying information is provided according to an event representative of at least a chord change or scale change, said event initiated either in response to a performance of said first input controller, in response to a performance of said second input controller, or according to user-selectable input;
• providing for said first input controller an indicator corresponding to said first input controller representative of a relative chord position of a major song key chord as defined by a song key corresponding to either said first input controller, said second input controller, or said first input controller and said second input controller;
• and
• providing for said second input controller an indicator corresponding to said second input controller representative of a relative chord position of a relative minor song key chord as defined by said song key.