Music – Accessories – Teaching devices
Reexamination Certificate
2001-07-25
2002-11-19
Donels, Jeffrey (Department: 2837)
Music
Accessories
Teaching devices
C084S47000P, C084S48500R
Reexamination Certificate
active
06483018
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for teaching the playing of unfretted stringed instruments in the violin family such as the violin, viola, cello and bass. More specifically, the present invention provides a method for teaching the design, organization, structure and use of the fingerboard of such instruments and a chart that is useful in conjunction with that method to illustrate the location of pitches and corresponding fingering on the fingerboard while playing such an instrument.
Instrument Construction
Stringed instruments in the violin family generally consist of a neck and a hollow, resonating body attached to one end of the neck. Four strings extend from the opposite end of the neck (the “peg box”) over what is referred to as a nut to a bridge positioned on the mid portion of the body to a tailpiece positioned on the far end of the body. The strings extend over a fingerboard which extends along the front of the neck and the top portion of the body. A bow is used to vibrate the strings over the body, wherein the sound resonates. Specific pitches are produced on each string by drawing the bow over the strings and “stopping” the string by the player placing a finger at specific locations on the string along the fingerboard. By stopping a string at any point, the length of the vibrating portion of the string changes, resulting in a higher (shorter vibrating string portion) or a lower (longer vibrating string portion) pitch. In order to produce the desired notes, the player must be able to place his/her fingers on the strings at the appropriate locations on the fingerboard.
Acoustical Characteristics, Resonance Pattern
The vibrating string of an unfretted, bowed stringed instrument produces a complex musical tone that is composed of the basic frequency of the vibrating string and a series of higher frequencies. The basic frequency of the vibrating string is called the “fundamental.” The frequencies that are produced simultaneously with the fundamental are called the “overtone series” or “harmonic series.” An individual note in an overtone series or a harmonic series is referred to as an “overtone” or a “harmonic,” respectively. The fundamental plus the overtone series comprise a complex musical tone.
The overtones produced in a given complex tone vibrate at frequencies that are whole number multiples of the frequency of the fundamental. For instance, in the case of the open A string of a cello, the fundamental frequency is 220 cycles per second, the ½ string harmonic is 440 cycles per second (2×220), the ⅓ string harmonic is 660 cycles per second (3×220), the ¼ string harmonic is 880 cycles per second (4×220), and the ⅙ string harmonic is 1320 cycles per second (6×220).
Each pitch played on the instrument is a complex tone that is comprised of the fundamental frequency and a complete overtone series. Harmonics can be played on any string by touching the string lightly with one finger at specific points that correspond to the overtones in the series. The location of each harmonic point (“node”) divides the vibrating string into precise fractional segments that correspond with the ratio between the fundamental frequency and one of the corresponding overtone frequencies. For instance, the ½ string harmonic divides the string into two equal vibrating parts and produces a frequency equal to two times the fundamental frequency. Similarly, the ⅓ string harmonic divides the string into three equal parts and produces a frequency equal to three times the fundamental frequency; the ¼ string harmonic divides the string into four equal parts and produces a frequency equal to four times the fundamental frequency; and the ⅙ string harmonic divides the string into six equal parts and produces a frequency equal to six times the fundamental frequency. The harmonics divide each string into six harmonic regions: the first is located from the first or upper ¼ string harmonic and above, the second between the upper ⅓ and ½ string harmonics, the third between the ½ and lower ⅓ string harmonics, the fourth between the lower ⅓ and lower ¼ string harmonics, the fifth between the lower ¼ and lower ⅙ string harmonics, and the sixth below the lower ⅙ string harmonic. The complete sequence of natural tones is contained within each harmonic region.
Harmonics are located at the same points on each string. The same frequency ratio with the fundamental frequency is consistent on all strings. Each harmonic can be played individually.
A harmonic pitch is fixed according to the frequency ratio of the overtone series. Therefore, harmonics can be used as reliable reference points, or landmarks, for accurate pitch and the location of other pitches along a string.
The characteristic sound of a complex tone is a blend of the fundamental and the overtones in the series. The strongest and most easily heard overtones are produced at the ½ string harmonic, ⅓ string harmonic and ¼ string harmonic locations. Other overtones exist but are difficult to hear individually or are beyond the range of the ear.
An “interval” is the distance between two notes that are played simultaneously or separately. Each note in an interval is a complex tone with a distinct overtone series. The intervals that are most strongly related to the overtone series are the unison and the octave. A unison is comprised of two pitches with the same frequency. An octave is comprised of two pitches in which the upper note has a frequency twice that of the lower pitch.
When a string is vibrated at a frequency that is the same as, or is a whole number multiple of, another open (i.e., unstopped) string on the instrument, a “sympathetic vibration” will be imparted to the other strings. The note or tone produced by the other strings will reinforce or enrich the note or tone produced by the first string to produce a condition called “resonance.” Resonance creates a particularly appealing sound, and verifies accurate pitch (“playing in tune”) for the player. If the frequencies of the two interval notes do not match (i.e., are not a precise whole number multiple ratio), sympathetic resonance of the sound is reduced. The pitch is referred to as “out of tune.” The degree to which pitches are adjusted to produce maximum resonance is referred to as “intonation.”
Fingerboard Geography and Finger Logic
The location of pitches along a string (“fingerboard geography”) and the corresponding placement of the player's fingers on the strings along the fingerboard must be learned by the player more or less intuitively since there are no visual reference points along the fingerboard (such as frets in the case of a guitar) to signal the player as to the appropriate location of the various pitches along the fingerboard.
In addition, learning the correct location and name of each pitch, and understanding the arrangement of notes on the fingerboard, is learned through the ear, hand/touch and visual memory. Individual pitches (notes with the same frequency) can be played at various locations on the fingerboard, on different strings (“alternate fingerings”). Knowing the arrangement of the possible notes on the entire fingerboard (“fingerboard geography”) and the corresponding fingering while playing notes on one string and across strings (“finger logic”) is an important factor in learning to play such an instrument.
PRIOR ART
The prior art methods of teaching the playing of a bowed, unfretted stringed instrument generally teach the location of pitches and the corresponding finger locations with reference to the location of the player's left hand along the fingerboard. The possible hand positions are referenced as “½”, “1st”, “2nd”, “3rd”, “4th”, “5th”, “6th”, “7th” and “thumb” (in the case of cello and bass only) positions. Within each position, the fingers can play a range of notes on one string and by moving across the strings. Knowing the name
Donels Jeffrey
Ryan William J.
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