US 7,161,080 B1Granted

Musical instrument for easy accompaniment

OwnerWilliam J. Barnettinventor

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Abstract

This electronic musical instrument has an extremely simple user-interface that can be played with only three fingers, one at a time. A user selects from among a small set of chords, and chooses a music-ending. This enables novices to extemporaneously produce good, simple rhythm-guitar and rhythm-banjo music to accompany singing. Strummed-guitar, finger-picked guitar, and finger-picked banjo music is composed by replaying pre-recorded elemental chording-phrases and music-ending phrases. The chording selectors also provide limited notes between strummed chords for embellishment. Optional music-endings automatically match the selected voice, key, beat, tempo and volume, nearly precluding musical errors. Common musical keys and chord types are provided to accommodate all voice ranges, and the majority of songs common to the western world. Persons capable of singing on tune can play this instrument after a brief familiarization without any practice, playing guide, or prior musical education.

Claims23

Dependent claims

An electronic musical instrument comprising:

(a) an instrument body;
(b) a plurality of selectors mounted to the instrument body, said selectors enabling a player using no more than three adjacent fingers-to play an ad-lib accompaniment in a guitar voice;
(c) a storage means for storage of a plurality of music phrases said plurality of music phrases comprising:
chord phrases;
and music-ending phrases;
(d) a retrieval means for retrieval of said music phrases from said storage means in response to said selectors being operated one at a time;
and
(e) an output means for conversion into audible sound of said music phrases as retrieved by said retrieval means,
wherein said plurality of selectors comprises:
three chording-selectors, comprising:
a sub-dominant chording-selector,
a tonic chording-selector, and
a dominant chording-selector,
wherein each said chording selector is operative for the selection of corresponding chord phrases;
four music-ending selectors, comprising:
a steady-tempo selector,
a slowing-tempo selector,
a strum selector, and
an arpeggio selector,
wherein each said music-ending selector is operative for the selection of corresponding music-ending phrases, and
a plurality of set-up controls, comprising:
a beat selector means for selecting between a 4/4 beat and a 3/4 beat;
a tempo control means for adjustment of tempo from about 60 to about 200 beats per minute;
a voice selector;
and
a volume control.

23 more elements

An electronic musical instrument comprising

(a) an instrument body;
(b) a plurality of music selectors mounted to the instrument body, said music selectors comprising:
a plurality of chording selectors, each said chording selector being operative for the selection of corresponding chord phrases, and
a plurality of music-ending selectors, each said music-ending selector being operative for the selection of corresponding music-ending phrases;
(c) a storage means for storing a plurality of music phrases said plurality of music phrases comprising:
chord phrases;
and
music-ending phrases
wherein each of said chord phrases comprises a series of one or more bars of a discrete chord,
wherein each of said music-ending phrases comprises a series of one or more bars of a music ending, and
wherein each of said music phrases may be either pre-recorded or synthesized;
(d) a retrieval means for retrieving said music phrases from said storage means in response to selective operation one at a time of said music selectors;
and
(e) an audio output means for producing audible sound from the concatenation of said music phrases or portions thereof as retrieved by said retrieval means,
said music selectors being arbitrarily operable to automatically generate ad-lib chording tones.

12 more elements

A method of playing an electronic musical instrument, wherein said electronic musical instrument provides appropriately positioned controls to enable a user to play chorded accompaniment music, the method of playing comprising:

requiring the use of only three fingers, one finger at a time, from only either one hand;
positioning each of the three fingers at three respective home locations from where they may be relocated by extension or retraction of the respective finger without necessitating relocation of the hand, wherein each of the three home locations controls a chording selector,
wherein a sub-dominant chord is played by activation of a control at a first home location by a first of the three fingers, and a second-dominant chord is played by relocating the first finger from the first home location for activation of a first alternate control, and
wherein a tonic chord is played by activation of a control at a second home location by a second of the three fingers, and a set of one or more adjacent music-ending selectors is controlled by relocating the second finger from the second home location for activation of one of a set of second alternate controls, and
wherein a dominant chord is played by activation of a control at a third home location by a third of the three fingers, and a relevant-sixth chord is played by relocating the third finger from the third home location for activation of a third alternate control.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.