Music – Accessories – Teaching devices
Reexamination Certificate
2000-08-03
2001-12-18
Donels, Jeffrey (Department: 2837)
Music
Accessories
Teaching devices
C084S480000, C084S613000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06331668
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of musical reference, and specifically to the area of integrated musical reference tools.
2. Description of the Relevant Art
The most common approaches towards presenting musical reference information include devices based upon wheels or slides. Typically, in such devices, a sheet containing raw musical data, often in sequential format such as rows and/or columns, passes beneath a perforated cover to reveal part of the data. The perforated cover displays reference information which, in conjunction with the revealed subset of data on the data sheet, provides musical reference information. The musical reference information may be presented in a variety of musical keys, depending upon the relative positions of the data sheet and the perforated cover. In the wheel format, the data sheet rotates around a pivot point. In the slide format, the sheets simply slides back and forth under the perforated cover.
With these approaches, a single device generally expresses a single aspect of music theory, such as chord construction, scale building, or transposition. In other words, these approaches do not present integrated music theory concepts but instead feature distinct aspects of music theory or musical reference on separate wheels or slides. The layouts on the wheel-type approach are typically radial and are thus limited due to the space requirements of a circular format. The slide-type approach tends to be linear in layout but limited in usable area due to accommodation of the extra length of the slide.
Due to the drawbacks of the existing approaches discussed above, an improved method and device for presenting musical reference information are needed.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides various embodiments of tools to aid musicians interested in composition, improvisation, and music theory. Various embodiments provide interactive reference tools that organize musical concepts including chord harmonies, chord progressions, cord substitutions, modes, key transpositions, and alternative scales, illustrating how all these aspects of music theory are related. In one embodiment, a cylindrical first surface may be positioned inside a cylindrical second surface. The cylindrical first surface may have presented upon it musical information in the form of columns of note values and/or intervals. The second surface, a cylindrical sleeve, may have presented upon it one or more music reference tools which display music theoretic forms and structures in a key-independent manner. In various embodiments, the surfaces may comprise printable surfaces on which the musical information and reference tools may be printed, or a digital display device on which the musical information and reference tools may be displayed. The second surface, in various embodiments, may be proximate to the first surface such that the second surface may be operable to slide over the first surface. The second surface may also include various transparent and opaque areas, such that when the second surface is moved over the first surface, a portion of the musical information on the first surface may be viewable through the transparent areas of the second surface. In combination, the music reference tools and the viewable portion of the musical information may be operable to display music theoretic forms and structures for particular keys, wherein the key-specific music theoretic forms and structures vary as a function of the position of the second surface with respect to the first surface. Suitable construction materials may include paper, plastic, metal, wood, and any other suitable material. The musical reference device in a hollow cylindrical embodiment may provide a special compartment for the storage of small objects, e.g., an accompanying booklet on music theory, guitar picks, etc. along with other second surfaces. In various other embodiments, the musical reference device may be implemented with flat surfaces, such as a wheel, dial, or sliding rule. In one embodiment, the musical reference device includes, but is not limited to, one or more of the following tools: a harmonized diatonic scale calculator, a chord substitution selector, a chord progression map, a chord modulator, an alternate scale selector, a key transposer and interval counter, a scale forms reference, a tetrachord reference, a common root chord reference, a common key chord reference, and a circle of fifths and clefs reminder.
The harmonized diatonic scale calculator displays the harmonized diatonic scale in every key. The notes of each diatonic mode may be displayed showing their natural sequence of tones from the tonic to the thirteenth step. The roots for each mode may be determined by the notes of the diatonic scale. The harmonized diatonic scale calculator may be marked with major and minor intervals (and combinations) to aid the musician with chord construction and teach the student the building blocks of chord structure. The outer second surface may be interchangeable with other sleeves that harmonize alternate scales, e.g., harmonic and melodic minor scales.
The chord substitution selector shows chords that may be substituted for any given chord within a given key without violating accepted rules of harmony. A musician may use this section to select chords that offer different harmonic voicing to chords that naturally occur in that key. This tool is designed to reveal the proper substitution without the musician needing to be knowledgeable about the rules of chord substitution and helps the musician develop harmony around a given melody or change the sound of an existing piece of music.
A chord progression map may include a diagram of a plurality of chords with connections from each of the chords to one or more other of the chords, wherein the connections may be sequences of one or more intervening lines, such that any chord is reachable from any other chord by traversal of the intervening lines and chords. A user may select a beginning chord and an ending chord from the plurality of chords, and by traversing the chord progression map from the starting chord to the ending chord along a path of intervening lines, generate a sequence of chords, comprising the starting chord, any intervening chords, and the ending chord. When the second surface is moved with respect to the first surface, the chord progression map may be displayed in a plurality of keys as a function of the musical information and the relative position of the second surface with the first surface. As long as the path between chords is followed the resulting harmony will follow standard rules. The circle of fifths shows the relationship between notes separated by two common intervals, namely 4ths and 5ths.
Chord modulation refers to the ways in which a musician can change keys while playing a piece of music. Two principles of modulation are illustrated: diatonic and chromatic. Diatonic modulation works by moving from key to key by playing chords that are common to both keys. Chromatic modulation refers to changing one note of an existing chord to match the key signature of the key the harmony moves toward. The chord modulator represents the modulation techniques to graphically allow quick identification of the chords that achieve the proper modulation.
The key transposer may allow the musician to transpose music note for note from one key to another. This is an especially helpful tool for the composer who must write music for different instruments. The interval counter tells the musician the interval between the original key and the new key and may also display the name of the interval between any two notes. In one embodiment, the musical reference device may include a clefs reminder showing four octaves of the C scale represented on the bass and treble clef.
The major diatonic scale tool illustrates basic terminology which may be essential to comprehending all other elements of music theory. Because scales are often described by the number of sharps or flats the
Conley Rose & Tayon PC
Donels Jeffrey
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