Music – Accessories – Teaching devices
Reexamination Certificate
2000-04-20
2001-05-29
Donels, Jeffrey (Department: 2837)
Music
Accessories
Teaching devices
C084S48500R
Reexamination Certificate
active
06239344
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to systems, apparatuses and methods for the purpose of instructing a student in the playing of an instrument. More particularly, the present invention discloses an apparatus and method for more efficiently and effectively instructing a student in the playing of the notes associated with a finger-operated instrument and so that a more effective grasp of the ability to play the musical instrument is obtained in less time than which is currently possible through more conventional teaching instruction and methodology which have heretofore been employed.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The present invention is well documented with instrument playing instructional guides utilizing finger positioning guides and the like. The general purpose for these, as indicated above, is to assist in instructing the student of the instrument in the proper placement of the fingers in playing the notes associated with the instrument. Such prior art systems and methods of instruction have also been applied in particular to such instruction for stringed instruments such as the guitar.
An example of a prior art finger positioning guides and method for instructing the playing of a stringed instrument is set forth in U.S. Pat. No. 5,920,023, issued to Ravagni et al. which teaches note location and proper finger placement on the fingerboard of the instrument. The device of Ravagni teaches a sheet of an adhesive plastic on which are printed a series of markers indicating note locations, scales or chords. When applied to fretted instruments, the device has fret openings cut therein which are adapted to engage the frets when applied to the instrument. The device is applied to the instrument by inserting it between the strings and the fingerboard, wrapping it around the neck of the instrument and adhering it onto itself along the back of the neck of the instrument.
Another example of a musical teaching device for expediting musical instruction is set forth in U.S. Pat. No. 4,559,861, issued to Patty et al., and which includes a grid of intersecting lines which represent strings and frets of a fingerboard of a stringed instrument. An indicator situated in the vicinity of each intersection represents a musical note and a plurality of movable markers are each capable of being positioned anywhere on the grid and identified by both a particular color and one or more symbols to visually depict a particular aspect of the instrument.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,978,756, issued to Feldman, teaches a guitar instruction system in which note indicia are again emplaced underlying the strings of the guitar along the fingerboard and adjacent to the frets. A musical sheet contains the musical exercise to be practiced and a holder is provided for supporting the music sheet on the fingerboard of the guitar. A mirror is adapted to be positioned in front of the student through which the fingerboard and music sheet can be viewed. The note indicia on the fingerboard of the guitar as well as the musical exercise on the music sheet are written in reverse (left to right) and the area of the fingerboard underlying the respective strings of the guitar and the notes of the musical exercise on the music sheet are color coded so that the musical exercise indicates to the student which string is to be used in producing the required note.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is an instructional chart and method of use for assisting a student of a finger operated instrument, most notably a string-operated instrument or guitar, in the playing of notes associated with the instrument. A chart is provided having a length and width and presenting a planar display surface. The chart is subdivided into a plurality of subset display areas, each of these including a covering member which is selectively actuated to reveal the associated subset display area. The covering member in the preferred embodiment is provided as a flap secured along a selected edge of the associated subset display area and which is easily opened and closed to selectively reveal and hide the subset display area.
A first selected number of the subset display areas identify musical keys and further selected pluralities of the subset display areas identify chords associated with each of the musical keys. Each of the chords are representative of a finger placement scheme for playing a note associated with the instrument and it is typically found that first, second and third principal chords and first, second and third relative chords are associated with each key.
The user receives musical instruction by selecting a key, further selecting a first chord associated with that specified key, learning the finger placement associated with the first selected chord, and then proceeding in a progressive fashion to select and learn further specified chords associated with the key in rote memorizing fashion.
The preferred variant of the chart further contemplates a first sheet having imprinted upon a display surface thereof the subset areas corresponding to the keys and associated chords. A second sheet overlays the display surface of the first sheet, the second sheet having a plurality flaps formed therein and which are secured along selected edges to the sheet. The flaps of the second sheet align with the subset display surface areas upon applying the second sheet over the first sheet. The subset display areas associated with the keys and the respective pluralities of chords, in any variant being arranged in either horizontally or vertically extending rows.
The method for instructing a user according to the invention includes the steps of preparing a chart having a length and a width and presenting a planar display surface and subdividing the chart into a plurality of subset display areas which correspond with selected musical keys and pluralities of chords associated with each of the keys. Additional steps includes replaceably covering each of the subset display areas with a flap and the progressive instructional steps of selecting a specified key, selecting a first chord associated with that specified key, learning a finger placement associated with the first selected chord and proceeding in progressive fashion to select and learn further specified chords associated with the keys.
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Donels Jeffrey
Gifford, Krass, Groh Sprinkle, Anderson & Citkowski, P.C.
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