Music – Accessories – Teaching devices
Reexamination Certificate
1999-05-13
2001-05-22
Nappi, Robert E. (Department: 2837)
Music
Accessories
Teaching devices
C084S609000, C084S483200, C084SDIG006
Reexamination Certificate
active
06235979
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a music layout device and method suitable for visually displaying music or musical score based on performance data in electronic musical instruments and computer music facilities, as well as a recording medium containing a program for use in such music layout.
Conventional automatic performance data for use in electronic musical instruments and computer music facilities are generally constructed in such a format where data designating a pitch of each tone to be generated etc. are combined with information indicative of specific timing for generating or deadening the tone. Specifically, the timing information represents a time point of a performance event, a time interval between the events, or the like. To visually display music or musical score based on such automatic performance data, it is, in principle, necessary to identify particular types of individual notes and rests. The types of the notes and rests can also be identified on the basis of duration of each tone (i.e., tone-generation lasting period) and time intervals between successive tone-generation timing through analysis of the automatic performance data. Further, a vertical position of each note on a staff can be identified from its pitch, while a horizontal position of the note on the staff can be identified from its length with a certain degree of accuracy.
However, the displayed width of some note marks do not necessarily correspond linearly (proportionally) to the predetermined actual length of the notes; for example, although a quarter note is greater in actual length than an eighth note, it would have a smaller displayed width than that of the eighth note because the latter has a so-called “hook”. Due to the lack of the exact linear or proportional correspondence between the displayed width of the note mark and the actual note length, notating or allocating given notes on the staff on the basis of their actual lengths alone may undesirably result in the note marks overlapping each other. Thus, there has been a need to allocate the individual notes on the staff on a measure-by-measure basis in such a manner that their respective note marks do not overlap each other.
When a performance of a plurality of parts is to be represented in musical notation, a musical score is generally used which is constructed of a plurality of rows of staves corresponding to the parts. Piano score, for example, comprises two staves: a first staff for the lower range (left-hand) performance that is represented by the “F clef”; and a second staff for the upper range (right-hand) performance that is represented by the “G clef”. However, in such a case where the musical score is expressed by the plurality of rows of staves based on automatic performance data for the plurality of parts, the above-mentioned approach of allocating individual notes while preventing overlaps of their respective note marks alone would unavoidably lead to considerable degradation in the external appearance of the score; namely, because the performance data normally differ between the parts, the corresponding beat positions in the rows of staves would deviate or misalign from each other, so that the displayed musical score tends to be difficult to read.
Further, the automatic performance data also contain data designating grace notes or other ornaments, such as arpeggio or glissando, which are similar to the data of independent notes. Thus, allocating the automatic performance data directly on the staves would cause significant inconveniences. For example, the glissando data would result in a number of notes being densely packed within a short time period; thus, if the musical score is displayed with no particular modification, considerable overlap between the notes would occur, thus making it even more difficult to read the notes on the displayed score. To prevent such overlap between the notes, there arises an additional need to considerably increase the displayed width (horizontal length) of each measure.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a music layout device and method which allow music to be displayed with an enhanced appearance, as well as a recording medium for use in such music layout.
In order to accomplish the above-mentioned object, the present invention provides a music layout device for allocating score marks to a plurality of rows of staves on the basis of performance data for a plurality of parts including timing information of performance events. This music layout device is characterized in that the timing information included in the performance data for the plurality of parts is combined to determine respective positions of notes on the basis of the combined timing information, and note marks are allocated to the rows of staves corresponding to the parts in light of the thus-determined positions of notes.
According to the invention, the timing information included in the performance data for the plurality of parts is combined or synthesized to determine the placement or respective positions of notes on the basis of the combined timing information, and score marks are allocated to the rows of staves corresponding to the parts in light of the thus-determined note placement. Thus, the allocation of the note marks to the rows of staves corresponding to parts can be executed with predetermined unity between the individual parts. This arrangement readily allows a musical score to be displayed with an enhanced appearance with corresponding beat positions (time axes) etc. of the staves accurately aligned with each other.
According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a music layout device for allocating score marks to a staff on the basis of performance data for a plurality of parts including timing information of performance events, which is characterized in that an ornament is detected from among the performance data on the basis of the timing information included in the performance data, the performance data are modified in response to detection of the ornament, and an ornament mark corresponding to the detected ornament and note marks corresponding to the modified performance data are allocated to the staff. With this arrangement, the ornament region (i.e., ornament note group) can be represented by a corresponding ornament mark rather than directly by the original performance data, and thus a musical score can be displayed with an enhanced appearance.
According to still another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a music layout device for allocating score marks to a staff on the basis of performance data for a plurality of parts including timing information of performance events, which comprises: a detection section that detects, from among the performance data, a note group corresponding to a glissando performance style on the basis of the timing information included in the performance data; a conversion section that converts the performance data relating to the note group corresponding to the detected glissando performance; and a section that allocates, to the staff, a predetermined glissando mark and note marks corresponding to the performance data converted by the conversion section, as score marks corresponding to the detected note group. Because each note group corresponding to a glissando performance style is detected and the detected note group is presented on the staff in a combination of the predetermined glissando mark and note marks corresponding to the converted performance data rather than directly by the original performance data, the present invention achieves simplified display of a musical score having an enhanced appearance which is very easy to read.
According to still another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a music layout device for allocating score marks to a plurality of rows of staff on the basis of performance data for a plurality of parts including timing information of performance events, which comprises: a detection section that detects, from amon
Fletcher Marlon T.
Morrison & Foerster
Nappi Robert E.
Yamaha Corporation
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