Sorting a plurality of inputted sound generation instructions to generate tones corresponding to the sound generation instruction in a sorted order

A method, comprising:

• storing a plurality of notes in a sound generation buffer generated in response to note-on events from a musical instrument, wherein the stored notes correspond to the note-on events to be sound generated and include a start note;
• determining whether a latest note of the stored notes was inputted within a first time threshold of when a previous note of the stored notes was inputted, wherein the previous note and the latest note are categorized as being inputted as part of imitating a strumming performance on a sting instrument in response to determining that the latest note was inputted within the first time threshold of when the previous note was inputted;
• sorting the notes in the sound generation buffer according to a pitch order in response to determining that the latest note was inputted within the first time threshold of when the previous note was inputted, wherein the pitch order is set to one of an ascending pitch order of pitches from a low pitch to a high pitch of the notes in the sound generation buffer and a descending pitch order of pitches from the high pitch to the low pitch;
• determining sound generation timings at which to generate sounds for the sorted notes in the pitch order;
• generating sounds for the sorted notes in the pitch order according to the determined sound generation timings, including generating the sorted notes in the pitch order when the notes stored in the sound generation buffer are not sequentially inputted in the pitch order to imitate a strumming performance played on the string instrument;
• determining whether the latest note was inputted within a second time threshold from when the start note was inputted in response to determining that the latest note was not inputted within the first time threshold of when the previous note was inputted;
• determining whether the pitch order indicates the descending pitch order in response to determining that the latest note was inputted within the second time threshold from when the start note was inputted;
• setting the pitch order to the ascending pitch order in response to determining that the pitch order indicates the descending pitch order;
• setting the pitch order to the descending pitch order in response to determining that the pitch order indicates the ascending pitch order;
• and
• setting the start note to the latest note in response to determining that the latest note was not inputted within the first time threshold of when the previous note was inputted.

A computer readable device having a control program executed by a processor to access a sound generation buffer and perform operations, the operations comprising:

• storing a plurality of notes in the sound generation buffer generated in response to note-on events from a musical instrument, wherein the stored notes correspond to the note-on events to be sound generated and include a start note;
• determining whether a latest note of the stored notes was inputted within a first time threshold of when a previous note of the stored notes was inputted, wherein the previous note and the latest note are categorized as being inputted as part of imitating a strumming performance on a sting instrument in response to determining that the latest note was inputted within the first time threshold of when the previous note was inputted;
• sorting the notes in the sound generation buffer according to a pitch order in response to determining that the latest note was inputted within the first time threshold of when the previous note was inputted, wherein the pitch order is set to one of an ascending pitch order of pitches from a low pitch to a high pitch of the notes in the sound generation buffer and a descending pitch order of pitches from the high pitch to the low pitch;
• determining sound generation timings at which to generate sounds for the sorted notes in the pitch order;
• generating sounds for the sorted notes in the pitch order according to the determined sound generation timings, including generating the sorted notes in the pitch order when the notes stored in the sound generation buffer are not sequentially inputted in the pitch order to imitate a strumming performance played on the string instrument;
• determining whether the latest note was inputted within a second time threshold from when the start note was inputted in response to determining that the latest note was not inputted within the first time threshold of when the previous note was inputted;
• determining whether the pitch order indicates the descending pitch order in response to determining that the latest note was inputted within the second time threshold from when the start note was inputted;
• setting the pitch order to the ascending pitch order in response to determining that the pitch order indicates the descending pitch order;
• setting the pitch order to the descending pitch order in response to determining that the pitch order indicates the ascending pitch order;
• and
• setting the start note to the latest note in response to determining that the latest note was not inputted within the first time threshold of when the previous note was inputted.

An electronic musical instrument, comprising:

• a memory including a sound generation buffer;
• a processor;
• a computer readable device storing a program executed by the processor to perform operations, the operations comprising
• storing a plurality of notes in the sound generation buffer generated in response to note-on events from a musical instrument, wherein the stored notes correspond to the note-on events to be sound generated and include a start note;
• determining whether a latest note of the stored notes was inputted within a first time threshold of when a previous note of the stored notes was inputted, wherein the previous note and the latest note are categorized as being inputted as part of imitating a strumming performance on a sting instrument in response to determining that the latest note was inputted within the first time threshold of when the previous note was inputted;
• sorting the notes in the sound generation buffer according to a pitch order in response to determining that the latest note was inputted within the first time threshold of when the previous note was inputted, wherein the pitch order is set to one of an ascending pitch order of pitches from a low pitch to a high pitch of the notes in the sound generation buffer and a descending pitch order of pitches from the high pitch to the low pitch;
• determining sound generation timings at which to generate sounds for the sorted notes in the pitch order;
• generating sounds for the sorted notes in the pitch order according to the determined sound generation timings, including generating the sorted notes in the pitch order when the notes stored in the sound generation buffer are not sequentially inputted in the pitch order to imitate a strumming performance played on the string instrument;
• determining whether the latest note was inputted within a second time threshold from when the start note was inputted in response to determining that the latest note was not inputted within the first time threshold of when the previous note was inputted;
• determining whether the pitch order indicates the descending pitch order in response to determining that the latest note was inputted within the second time threshold from when the start note was inputted;
• setting the pitch order to the ascending pitch order in response to determining that the pitch order indicates the descending pitch order;
• setting the pitch order to the descending pitch order in response to determining that the pitch order indicates the ascending pitch order;
• and
• setting the start note to the latest note in response to determining that the latest note was not inputted within the first time threshold of when the previous note was inputted.