Music – Instruments – Electrical musical tone generation
Reexamination Certificate
2000-06-05
2002-09-10
Donels, Jeffrey (Department: 2837)
Music
Instruments
Electrical musical tone generation
C084S619000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06448486
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to a method of performing music on an electronic instrument. This invention relates more particularly to a method and an instrument for performing in which individual chords and/or chord notes in a chord progression section can be triggered in real-time. Simultaneously, other notes and/or note groups, such as chord notes, scale notes, and non-scale notes are made available for playing in separate fixed locations on the instrument. All performance data can later be retrieved and performed from one or more fixed locations on the instrument, and from a varied number of input controllers. Multiple instruments of the present invention can also be used together to allow interaction among multiple users during performance, with no knowledge of music theory required. Further, the present invention can allow professional performance with little or no hand movement required, by using one or more performance groups of input controllers efficiently at all times.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
A complete electronic musical system should have a means of performing professional music with little or no training, whether live or along with a previously recorded track, while still allowing the highest levels of creativity and interaction to be achieved during a performance.
Methods of performing music on an electronic instrument are known, and may typically be classified in either of three ways: (1) a method in which automatic chord progressions are generated by depression of a key or keys (for example, Cotton Jr., et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,449,437), or by generating a suitable chord progression after a melody is given by a user (for example, Minamitaka, U.S. Pat. No. 5,218,153); (2) a method in which a plurality of note tables is used for MIDI note-identifying information, and is selected in response to a user command (for example, Hotz, U.S. Pat. No. 5,099,738); and (3) a method in which performance of music on an electronic instrument can be automated using an indication system (for example, Shaffer et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,266,735).
The first method of musical performance involves generating pre-sequenced or preprogrammed accompaniment. This automatic method of musical performance lacks the creativity necessary to perform music with the freedom and expression of a trained musician. This method dictates a preprogrammed accompaniment without user-selectable modifications in real-time, and is therefore unduly limited.
The second method of musical performance does not allow for all of the various note groups and/or features needed to initiate professional performance, with little or no training. The present invention allows any and all needed performance notes and/or note groups to be generated on-the-fly, providing many advantages. Any note or group of notes can be auto-corrected during a performance according to specific note data or note group data, thus preventing incorrect or “undesirable” notes from playing over the various chord and scale changes in the performance. Every possible combination of chord groups, scale note groups, combined scale note groups, non-scale note groups, harmonies/inversions/voicings, note ordering, note group setups, and instrument setups can be generated and made accessible to a user at any time using the present invention. All that is required is the current status messages or other triggers described herein, or various user-selectable input, as described herein. This allows any new musical part to be added to a performance at any time, and these current status messages can also be stored and then transferred between various instruments for virtually unlimited compatibility and flexibility during both composition and performance. The nature of the present invention also allows musically-correct chords, as well as musically-correct individual chord notes, to be performed from the chord section while generating needed data which will be used for further note generation. The present invention achieves the highest levels of flexibility and efficiency in both composition and performance. Further, various indicators described herein which are needed by an untrained user for professional performance, can be easily determined and provided using the present invention. It should be noted that the words “composition” and “performance”, as well as various derivatives of these, are at times used interchangeably herein to describe the present invention in order to simplify the description, and at times one of these may include the other.
There are five distinct needs which must be met, before a person with little or no musical training can effectively perform music with total creative control, just as a trained musician would:
(1) A means is needed for assigning a particular section of a musical instrument as a chord progression section in which individual chords and/or chord notes can be triggered in real-time. Further, the instrument should provide a means for dividing this chord progression section into particular song keys, and providing indicators so that a user understands the relative position of the chord in the predetermined song key. Various systems known in the art use a designated chord progression section, but with no allowance for indicating to a user the relative position of a chord regardless of any song key chosen. One of the most basic tools of a performer is the freedom to perform in a selected key, and to perform using specific chord progressions based on the song key. For example, when performing a song in the key of E Major, the musician should be permitted to play a chord progression of 1-4-5-6-2-3, or any other chord progression chosen by the musician. The indicators provided by the present invention can also indicate relative positions in the customary scale and/or customary scale equivalent of a selected song key, thus eliminating the confusion between major song keys, and their relative minor equivalents. Chromatic chords may also be performed at the discretion of a user. Inexperienced performers who use the present invention are made fully aware at all times of what they are actually playing, therefore allowing “non-scale” chromatic chords to be added by choice, not just added unknowingly.
(2) There also remains a need for a musical instrument that provides a user the option to play chords with one or more fingers in the chord progression section as previously described, while the individual notes of the currently triggered chord are simultaneously made available for playing in separate fixed locations on the instrument, and in different octaves. Regardless of the different chords which are being played in the chord progression section, the individual notes of each currently triggered chord can be made available for playing in these same fixed chord location(s) on the instrument in real-time. The fundamental note and the alternate note of the chord can be made available in designated fixed locations for composing purposes, and chord notes can be reconfigured in any way in real-time for virtually unlimited system flexibility during a performance. Providing the fundamental chord note and the alternate chord note in designated fixed locations on the instrument, allows a user to easily compose entire basslines, arpeggios, and specific chord harmonies with no musical training, while maintaining complete creative control.
(3) There also remains a need for a way to trigger chords with one or more fingers in the chord progression section, while scale notes and/or non-scale notes are simultaneously made available for playing in separate fixed locations on the instrument, and in different octaves. There should also be a means of correcting incorrect or “undesirable” notes during a performance, while allowing other notes to play through the chord and scale changes in the performance. A variety of different note groups should also be accessible to a user at any time, thus allowing a higher level of performance to be achieved. The methods of the present invention allow virtually any note group or note g
Donels Jeffrey
Harrison & Egbert
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