Music – Accessories – Teaching devices
Reexamination Certificate
1999-10-26
2001-09-11
Donels, Jeffrey (Department: 2837)
Music
Accessories
Teaching devices
C084S4710SR
Reexamination Certificate
active
06288315
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to identifying combinations of musical notes, such as scales and chords, and particularly relates to an apparatus utilizing a template for identifying such combinations.
2. Description of Related Art
A musical instrument generally comprises a plurality of note playing means. The most common note playing means are keys (such as the keys of a piano) and strings (such as the strings of a guitar). Generally, there is a surface corresponding to the note playing means which can be viewed by the person playing the musical instrument when the note playing means is played. For example, a piano key has a top surface which is pressed in order to play the key. A guitar has a fingerboard surface below the strings.
Keyboard musical instruments come in all shapes and sizes and produce sound in many different ways. Well known keyboard instruments include pianos (electric and non-electric), organs, harpsichords, spinets, clavichords, synthesizers and accordions. Reference is made to
FIG. 1
, which shows part of a conventional piano keyboard. The keyboard has white keys and black keys. Each key, when pressed, produces a corresponding tone. The white keys correspond to what are commonly known as diatonic tones or notes and the black keys correspond to what are commonly known as chromatic tones or notes.
With respect to
FIG. 1
, the white keys include a C key
1
, a D key
2
, an E key
3
, an F key
4
, a G key
5
, an A key
6
and a B key
7
. The black keys include a C♯/D♭ key
8
, a D♯/Eb key
9
, an F♯/Gb key
10
, a G♯/A♭ key
11
, and an A♯/B♭ key
12
. Piano keys numbered on
FIG. 1
as
1
through
12
constitute an octave.
Also shown in
FIG. 1
is a second and higher octave. This second octave includes a C key
21
, a D key
22
, an E key
23
, an F key
24
, a G key
25
, an A key
26
and a B key
27
. The black keys included in the second octave are a C♯/D♭ key
28
, a D♯/Eb key
29
, an F♯/Gb key
30
, a G♯/A♭ key
31
, and an A♯/B♭
32
. C key
1
, for example, is one octave lower than C key
21
.
It is important to distinguish the meanings of “note” and “pitch.” The C key
1
and the C key
21
play the same “note.” However, the same two piano keys play tones with different “pitches” because the two keys are an octave apart.
Furthermore, “half-step” means one tone higher or lower. For example, the B key
7
is a half-step lower than the C key
21
. The D♯/Eb key is one half-step higher than the D key. A “whole step” constitutes two consecutive half steps. For example, the C key
1
is one whole step lower than the D key
2
, because the C♯/D♭ key
8
is between said C and D keys.
Another important concept in music is that of the scale. There are many different types of scales, but the most notable are the major, minor and blues scales. The major scale is the most familiar. In playing a major scale, one would play the following notes in the following order:
1. The central note (for the C major scale, for example, the central note is “C”);
2. a second note, which is the note one whole step higher than the central note (i.e., “D” for the C major scale);
3. a third note, which is one whole step higher than the second note (i.e., “E” for the C major scale);
4. a fourth note, which is one half step higher than the third note (i.e., “F” for the C major scale);
5. a fifth note, which is one whole step higher than the fourth note (i.e., “G” for the C major scale);
6. a sixth note, which is one whole step higher than the fifth note (i.e., “A” for the C major scale);
7. a seventh note, which is one whole step higher than the sixth note (i.e., “B” for the C major scale); and
8. the central note, which is played one half-step higher than the seventh note (i.e., “C” for the C major scale, except one octave higher than the initial C note played). Therefore, to play the C major scale, one could play the following keys from
FIG. 1
in the following order: 1; 2; 3; 4; 5; 6; 7; and 21.
Using the same formula for a major scale, to play the G major scale, one would play G, A, B, C, D, E, F♯, then G (one octave higher this time) again. These notes follow the same relationship of central note, whole step, whole step, half step, whole step, whole step, whole step, then half step to central note one octave higher than the first. Similarly, to play the F major scale, one would play F, G, A, B♭, C, D, E, F.
The minor scale is also important in music. In playing a minor scale, one would play the following notes in the following order:
1. The central note (for the A minor scale, for example, the central note is “A”);
2. a second note, which is the note one whole step higher than the central note (i.e., “B” for the A minor scale);
3. a third note, which is one half step higher than the second note (i.e., “C” for the A minor scale);
4. a fourth note, which is one whole step higher than the third note (i.e., “D” for the A minor scale);
5. a fifth note, which is one whole step higher than the fourth note (i.e., “E” for the A minor scale);
6. a sixth note, which is one half step higher than the fifth note (i.e., “F” for the A minor scale);
7. a seventh note, which is one whole step higher than the sixth note (i.e., “G” for the A minor scale); and
8. the central note, which is played one whole step higher than the seventh note (i.e., “A” for the A minor scale, except one octave higher than the initial A note played). Therefore, to play the A minor scale, one could play the following keys from
FIG. 1
in the following order: 6; 7; 21; 22; 23; 24; 25; and 26.
Using the same formula for a minor scale, to play the E minor scale, one would play E, F♯, G, A, B, C, D, and E (one octave higher than the first E). These notes have the same relationship of central note, whole step, half step, whole step, whole step, half step, whole step, whole step to central note one octave higher than the first. Similarly, to play the D minor scale, one would play D, E, F, G, A, B♭, C, D.
In playing the blues scale, six notes are played, rather than eight. The pattern for the blues scale is (1) central note, (2) whole and half step (i.e., 3 half steps), (3) whole step, (4) whole step, (5) whole and half step, and (6) whole step to the central note one octave higher than the first. Therefore, for example, the A blues scale would be played A, C, D, E, G, and A. The E blues scale would be played E, G, A, B, D and E.
A number of notation systems have been developed to indicate the pitches of notes. The most common is reflected by FIG.
2
. This notation system uses upper and lower letters in conjunction with apostrophes to show which pitch is meant. As shown in
FIG. 2
, “middle C” is denoted “c”. “c” is the note “C” with a pitch one octave lower than middle C. “c.”″ is the note “C” with a pitch one octave higher than middle C.
In
FIG. 2
, the two basic clefs are reflected, the bass clef
50
and the treble clef
51
. Also shown are the C and B notes from C″ to c″″. Table 1 below lists the pitches and their identifying number.
TABLE 1
NUMBER
PITCH
52
C″
53
B″
54
C′
55
B′
56
C
57
B
58
c
59
b
60
c′
61
b′
62
c″
63
b″
64
c′′′
65
b′′′
66
c″″
As mentioned above, keyboard instruments produce sounds in different ways. Many non-electric keyboard instruments further comprise strings corresponding to the keys of the keyboard, such that when a key is pressed a corresponding string is either plucked or hit to make a desired sound. Each key in a non-electric piano, for example, has a corresponding hammer which strikes a corresponding string when the key is pressed. In a harpsichord, a slender fork-shaped jack is fixed vertically to the back of the key. The jack carries in a pivoted tongue a plectrum. Depressing the key releases a cloth damper from the string, raises the jack and forces the plectrum past the string, pluckin
Donels Jeffrey
Mitchell Silberberg & Knupp LLP
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