Music – Instruments – Electrical musical tone generation
Reexamination Certificate
1999-10-29
2002-09-10
Fletcher, Marlon T. (Department: 2837)
Music
Instruments
Electrical musical tone generation
C084S609000, C084S613000, C084S649000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06448487
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to algorithms and devices for use in producing music. It is disclosed in the context of an instrument including a keyboard, but is believed to have utility for any other polyphonic instrument or in other applications as well.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
For centuries musicians and mathematicians attempted to find a way of scaling a limited number of notes so that natural harmonics could be preserved, while melodies and harmonies were pitched at different levels, i.e., played in different keys. Many ways of tuning 12-note scales (12 notes per octave) were tried. All produced annoying dissonances and/or severely limited the keys (pitches) in which a piece could be played and the harmonic intervals which could be used. 13-note scales were tried (D# and E♭ were different notes) to provide more consonant intervals. Fourteen-note scales were also tried, and Handel even invented an instrument with a 70-note scale but could find noone who could play it. Finally, the compromise twelve tone, equal tempered scale was adopted. In this scale, all intervals except the octaves are dissonant, but music played in different keys retains the same interval relationships because the scale is a geometric progression. Even though this scale has now been in use for over two centuries, many musicians still find the dissonances produced by the scale to be annoying. String quartets eliminate some dissonances by tuning to each other, and find it difficult to play with pianos, which are generally tuned in equal tempered tuning. Likewise, the voices of barbershop quartets tune to each other, but almost always perform unaccompanied.
Several methods and apparatus are known which modify the equal tempered musical scale. There are, for example, the methods and apparatus described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,152,964; 4,248,119; 5,501,130; and, 5,736,661.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
According an aspect of the invention, an instrument is provided which retunes itself in response to the chord being sustained and the way that chord is voiced.
According to another aspect of the invention, an instrument is provided which retunes itself in response to the chord being sustained and the separation of the notes in the chord.
According to another aspect of the invention, an instrument is provided which blends the notes of a chord the instrument is playing in view of the chord being sustained and its voicing.
According to another aspect of the invention, an instrument is provided which blends the notes of a chord the instrument is playing in view of the chord being sustained and the separation of the notes in the chord.
According to another aspect of the invention, an instrument is provided which retunes itself in view of the chord being sustained and the way talented musicians in ensembles tune to each other.
According to another aspect of the invention, a method is provided to develop alternative methods to retune the notes of a keyboard in view of the harmonics of contention, that is, harmonics that are separated typically by more than about one and one-half cents and less than about thirty-five cents apart, produced by the notes of the chord.
According to another aspect of the invention, a method is provided to produce consonant harmonics on a keyboard with equal tempered stretch tuning.
According to another aspect of the invention, a method is provided to obtain the consensus of experts as to the most desirable strategies for tuning different styles of music.
According to another aspect of the invention, a method is provided to obtain the consensus of experts as to the most desirable strategies for blending notes of a chord.
According to another aspect of the invention, a method is provided to obtain the consensus of experts as to the most desirable strategies for tuning in view of the kind(s) of ensemble(s) which is (are) performing (a) musical composition(s).
According to one aspect of the invention, a method of retuning a keyboard-type instrument starts from, and returns to, equal tempered stretch tuning based on the type of chord being sustained and the voicing of the chord.
According to another aspect of the invention, a method for generating harmonics for stretched tuning preserves consonance of harmonics.
According to yet another aspect of the invention, a method for retuning a keyboard type instrument is based on the chord type being played and the way the chord is voiced.
According to yet another aspect of the invention, a method is provided for determining which notes should be tuned as a sustained chord and which notes should be treated as passing notes.
According to yet another aspect of the invention, a method is provided for implementing options for how sustained chords can be retuned to eliminate dissonances and generate enhanced overtones.
According to yet another aspect of the invention, a method is provided for permitting musicians to select tuning strategies from combinations of options.
According to yet another aspect of the invention, a method is provided for retuning based on the chords, for example, 2-note chords, 3-note chords, 4-note chords, 5-note chords, created by the sustained notes.
According to yet another aspect of the invention, a method is provided for retuning based on the history of sustained notes.
According to yet another aspect of the invention, a method is provided for retuning based on tuning options as indicated by the setting of switches.
According to yet another aspect of the invention, a method is provided for tuning based on the length of time notes have been sustained and the interval positions they serve.
According to yet another aspect of the invention, a method is provided for starting from, and returning to equal tempered tuning based on the chord type being sustained, the voicing of the chord, and choices among options that have been made by experts.
According to yet another aspect of the invention, a method is provided for blending sustained chords so that no note stands out.
According to yet another aspect of the invention, a method is provided for retuning instruments so that they will closely approximate the way musicians and ensembles typically tune to each other.
According to an other aspect of the invention, a musical instrument includes a first switch having a first position in which the instrument is capable of producing tones, the intervals between which are equal tempered intervals of a twelve note octave. The first switch has a second position in which the instrument is capable of producing tones, the intervals between at least some of which are determined by identifying at least selected ones of the notes the instrument is being commanded to produce. The instrument also includes a processor including a map by which the identified notes are mapped to a chord type. The processor identifies a note in that chord type and substitutes a frequency closer to a harmonic of the identified note for the frequency of at least one harmonic of at least one other note the instrument is being commanded to produce.
Illustratively according to this aspect of the invention, the instrument includes a second switch. The processor includes at least two different maps. The second switch has a position for each map, permitting selection of one of the at least two different maps by which the instrument maps the identified intervals to a chord type.
Further illustratively according to this aspect of the invention, the instrument includes a third switch. The processor includes at least two different chord type decision engines. The third switch has a position for each chord type decision engine, permitting selection of one of the at least two different decision engines by which the instrument identifies a note of the chord type.
Additionally illustratively according to this aspect of the invention, the processor is a processor for substituting a frequency within a predetermined range of a harmonic of the identified note for the frequency of at least one harmonic of at least one other note the instrument is being commanded to produce.
Barnes & Thornburg
Fletcher Marlon T.
Paul Reed Smith Guitars, Limited Partnership
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