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 the steps of:

• providing first musical data utilizing a first input controller, wherein said first musical data includes first note-identifying information identifying notes forming a 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 notes forming a 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 remaining scale notes, said remaining scale notes defined in accordance with chord notes and 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 in response to either said performance of said first input controller or said performance of said second input controller;
• and
• providing data representative of at least a chord change or scale change.

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 notes forming a 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 notes forming a second chord, and wherein said second musical data is provided in response to a performance of said second input controller;
• and
• providing additional musical data utilizing a plurality of additional input controllers, wherein said additional musical data includes additional note-identifying information identifying notes representative of non-scale notes, said non-scale notes defined in accordance with either scale notes, or chord notes and scale notes, and wherein said additional note-identifying information is provided in a given performance which includes a plurality of events each of which is representative of at least a chord change or scale change.

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 note-on data including note-identifying information identifying one or more notes to be turned on, said first note-on data provided in response to a first performance of a first input controller on the instrument;
• providing additional note-on data including note-identifying information identifying one or more notes to be turned on, said additional note-on data provided in response to a first performance of a second input controller on the instrument;
• automatically providing at least either note-off data for turning off at least one note originally turned on by either of said performances or note-on data for turning on at least one new note for either of said input controllers, wherein the at least one note is automatically turned off or the at least one new note is automatically turned on in accordance with an event representative of at least a chord change or scale change;
• and
• allowing one or more notes turned on by either of said performances to play through said event, wherein said one or more notes turned on by either of said performances are representative of a melody section performance on the instrument.

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

• providing first musical data utilizing a first input controller, wherein said first musical data includes first note-identifying information identifying notes forming a 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 notes forming a 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 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 in response to either said performance of said first input controller or said performance of said second input controller;
• providing for at least said first input controller a first relative chord position indicator which indicates the relative position of a given chord to be performed from said first input controller as said given chord relates to a first song key which currently corresponds to said first input controller;
• and
• providing for at least said first input controller a second relative chord position indicator which indicates the relative position of a given chord to be performed from said first input controller as said given chord relates to a second song key currently corresponding to said first input controller, wherein said second relative chord position indicator represents a different relative chord position than said first relative chord position indicator.

A method for providing a musical performance in a given performace, wherein the given performance includes a plurality of events each of which is representative of at least a chord change or a scale change, the method comprising:

• identifying a plurality of notes from musical data containing note-identifying information;
• utilizing stored data to include notes representative of fundamental chord notes among said plurality of notes;
• and
• utilizing at least a portion of the note-identifying information for sounding notes for indicating to a user at least a plurality of chord changes in the given performance.