Music – Instruments – Electrical musical tone generation
Reexamination Certificate
2002-10-29
2004-08-17
Donels, Jeffrey (Department: 2837)
Music
Instruments
Electrical musical tone generation
C084S721000, C084S746000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06777606
ABSTRACT:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
This application claims priority of Japanese Patent Application Number 333455/2001, filed Oct. 30, 2001.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an automatic accompanying apparatus of an electronic musical instrument which generates accompaniment sound based on a chord detected in accordance with an operation of a keyboard. More particularly, the present invention is directed to the technique to control re-generation of the accompaniment sound (hereinafter, to be referred to also as “re-trigger”) in accordance with the detected chord.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, an electronic musical instrument with an automatic accompanying apparatus has been developed. An electronic musical instrument is known in which a keyboard is grouped into a chord detection keyboard portion and a general performance keyboard portion. In such an electronic musical instrument, a chord is detected in accordance with an operation of the chord detection keyboard portion to generate accompaniment sound automatically, whereas usual musical sound is generated in accordance with an operation of the general performance keyboard portion.
In the automatic accompanying apparatus, the accompaniment sound is generated as follows. The chord detection is first carried out in accordance with the pushing operation of a few keys of the chord detection keyboard portion. In the chord detection, a chord root, a chord type and a bass root are detected. Subsequently, automatic accompaniment data which has been previously stored in a memory is read. When a step time value contained in the read out automatic accompaniment data is coincident with a value counted by a step time counter which is separately provided, the time is determined to be a sound generation time. The automatic accompaniment data is developed in accordance with the previously detected chord. Then, sound data showing the chord component sounds obtained through the development is sent to a sound source and the accompaniment sound is generated.
The above processes is carried out to generate such accompaniment sound every time a player pushes a few keys of the chord detection keyboard portion. In this way, the player pushes the keys of the chord detection keyboard portion sequentially in accordance with a predetermined pattern, and the accompaniment sound can be generated sequentially in accordance with the key pushing operation.
However, in the above-mentioned conventional automatic accompanying apparatus, the generation of the accompaniment sound is not carried out at the time when the player operates the chord detection keyboard portion. The generation of the accompaniment sound is postponed until the sound generation time specified by the step time in the automatic accompaniment data. In other words, the change of the chord of the accompaniment sound is carried out synchronously to the change of the automatic accompaniment data.
In addition, in another conventional automatic accompanying apparatus, the sound generation is not carried out until the accompaniment progresses to the head of the next measure. The change of the chord of the accompaniment sound is carried out synchronously to the change of the measure.
In this way, in the conventional automatic accompanying apparatuses, it is difficult to carry out the performance because the time when the key is pushed and the time (hereinafter, say “the sound generation time”) that the sounds composed of a chord (hereinafter, to be referred to as “chord component sounds”) are generated do not coincide with each other.
In order to solve the above problems, an automatic accompanying apparatus was developed to have a re-trigger function. In the re-trigger function of the automatic accompanying apparatus, currently generated chord component sounds are extinguished at the time when a key is pushed, and a new chord is detected, even if the time is not the sound generation time, and the sound generation of the chord component sounds corresponding to the detected chord is carried out again. By using the re-trigger function, because the chord component sounds are changed at the time when the key is pushed, it is possible to change the chord smoothly to match to sense of the player.
By the way, when a chord performance is carried out by use of a musical instrument such as an organ which generates sustain sound, a part of pushed keys is often pushed again in the chord change. In this case, the chord detection intended by the player is not carried out frequently, as described below. Therefore, an automatic accompanying apparatus was developed in which the chord detection is not only carried out at the time when a key is pushed (hereinafter, to be referred to as “ON detection”) but also the chord detection is carried out at the time when the key is released (hereinafter, to be referred to as “OFF detection”).
The operation in this case will be described with reference to
FIGS. 1A
to
1
E.
FIG. 1A
shows a basic chord pattern with C as a key of the automatic accompaniment data stored in a memory.
FIG. 1B
shows another basic bass pattern. A case where automatic accompaniment of a bass part is carried out will be described below to avoid complexity of the description.
FIG. 1C
shows an accompaniment pattern of the bass part intended by the player. The player pushes the keys of “E”, “A” and “C” at the start of the first measure to specify a chord Am. Thus, a bass sound is generated in the sound pitch of “A” at the basic bass pattern sound generation time of the first beat. The key pushing state (the state in which the keys of “E”, “A” and “C” are pushed) is continued, and then the next bass sound is generated in the sound pitch of “A” at the basic bass pattern sound generation time of the third beat. Subsequently, the player releases the key of “A” and pushes the key of “G” at the end of the first measure to specify a chord C. Thus, because the keys of “C”, “E” and “G” have been pushed, the chord C is detected. The bass sound is generated in the sound pitch of “C” at the time of the first beat of the second measure of the basic bass pattern.
With the above-mentioned intention of the player, in the automatic accompanying apparatus which does not carry out the OFF detection, the ON detection is carried out at the time when the player pushes the key of “G” at the end of the first measure and the chord Am7 is detected, as shown in FIG.
1
D. Because the OFF detection is not carried out even if the player releases the key of “A” after that, the state after the chord Am7 is detected continues. At the time of the first beat of the second measure of the basic bass pattern, a bass sound is generated in the sound pitch of “A”. That is, the sound of “A” which is different from the sound of “C” intended by the player is generated.
On the other hand, in the automatic accompanying apparatus which carries out the OFF detection, the ON detection is carried out when the player pushes the key of “G”, at the end of the first measure and the chord Am7 is detected, as shown in FIG.
1
E. After that, when the player releases the key of “A”, the chord C is detected because the OFF detection is carried out in the state in which the keys of “E”, “G” and “C” are pushed. As a result, a bass sound is generated in the sound pitch of “C” at the time of the first beat of the second measure of the basic bass pattern. That is, the sound coincident with the intention of the-player is generated.
However, in the automatic accompanying apparatus with the re-trigger function, when the automatic accompanying apparatus carries out the OFF detection, the re-trigger operation is carried out at the time when a key is pushed in addition to the time when the key is released. This state will be described with reference to
FIGS. 2A
to
2
C.
FIG. 2A
show a basic bass pattern with C as a key stored in a memory as the automatic accompaniment data. In
FIG. 2A
, a white triangular mark indicates a time that the generation of the bass sound is started in accordance w
Christie Parker & Hale LLP
Donels Jeffrey
Kabushiki Kaisha Kawai Gakki Seisakusho
LandOfFree
Automatic accompanying apparatus of electronic musical... does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Automatic accompanying apparatus of electronic musical..., we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Automatic accompanying apparatus of electronic musical... will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-3346895