Abstract: A musical instrument, comprising a neck and a body. A chord selector is present on the neck, and a note selector is present on the body. The chord selector comprises a plurality of locations, each having a tonic and a quality. The note selector is a touch sensitive strip that is linearly arranged like a piano keyboard. A note is sounded only if it is simultaneously pressed on the note selector, and is present in one of the chords selected on the chord selector. Thus, once a chord is selected, it may be picked, strummed, or arpeggiated by employing different hand motions upon the note selector.

Abstract: An electric tutor is assembled with an upright piano having a keyboard and a key stop rail laterally extending over the rear end portions of the black/white keys, and includes a comb-like flexible indicator attached to the key stop rail, wherein the comb-like flexible indicator has flexible insulating strips connected to a rigid printed board attached to the key stop rail by means of connectors and lying on the black/white keys, optical indicators attached to the flexible insulating strips and signal lines printed on the back surfaces of the flexible insulating strips for selectively supplying driving signals to the optical indicators for radiating light, thereby guiding the fingers of a player in accordance with a music score.

Abstract: A musical keyboard instruction device composed of a pianopics display device and its associated keyboard musical notation, which convey readily the information needed to play the piano and any like keyboard instrument. It does so by using a partial keyboard picture-like diagram to identify the spatial location of the keys to be pressed and the metaphor of a bouncing ball over duration numerals as a timing diagram to indicate the length of the tones and their order of play.

Abstract: Musical notes in the form of representations of objects or creatures familiar to young children and which connote the name of a tone and are depicted on the musical staff and on instrumentalities which generate the tone.

Abstract: A new electronic musical instrument and an associated notational method are disclosed. The new musical instrument is played using the right hand for depression of keys, as in conventional instruments, and also by applying finger pressure onto special sensing areas using the left hand. The left hand sensing areas or keys are located so as to be accessed without any significant lateral movement of the left hand. "Instructions" for playing the new instrument are conveyed to the user via directly translatable notational symbols printed on an associated surface. This cooperating system removes the mental translational and physical movement problems of conventional notation and conventional instruments by having the notational method directly convey the physical actions that are required and by simplifying the physical actions themselves. Such a cooperative system allows users to quickly play this instrument at advanced levels.

Abstract: A piano teaching aid having a panel designed to fit over the keys of an existing keyboard so that lights mounted on the panel having more than one color or shape may be located directly above the piano keys to be played. The lights have more than one color or shape in order to distinguish the hand which the user will use to play the piano. The panel also includes a finder window which displays an alphanumeric code which corresponds to a like code appearing next to the score of music to be played. A foot pedal advancing mechanism is used whereby the user can control the speed which the lights display the keys to be struck, using the Foot Pedal to advance one action. The display also can show the music to be played at a tempo set by the user automatically changing from action to action without using the pedal. The panel articulates so that it may be stretched in one or more places so that it can fit over various dimensions of keyboards without interfering with keys to be played.

Abstract: An electronic keyboard musical instrument has a division point setting switch for setting division point on a keyboard. In the case that the division point setting switch is actuated when all keys are in an off-state or not operated, a division point is set in a predetermined key position. In the case that the division point setting switch is actuated when at least one key is in an on-state or operated, the division point is set in the position of the key which is being operated, thereby setting the division point in the key positions arbitrarily, instead of predetermined key positions.

Abstract: A key signature actuator for musical keyboard eases playing from music written with a difficult key signature by automatically actuating the sharps or flats in the key signature. Musical notes are associated with keyboard landmarks positioned along the keyboard rather than with fixed digitals, and the landmarks are moved bodily up or down the keyboard to identify different sequences of digitals to associate with the notes. An automated key signature actuator moves a keynote of the desired key signature to the keyboard position normally occupied by middle C, at the same time changing the overall pitch of the musical output to make the keynote sound as intended. The changeable keyboard landmarks are also used in the teaching of music and to assist the playing of music written in different notations.

Abstract: This specification discloses an improved keyboard for musical instruments in which selected keys (1,3) have indicia (2,4) applied to their exposed surfaces, said indicia (2,4) being formed from ink which is sensitive to ultra-violet radiation, and a low power actinic lamp (5) mounted on the instrument in overlying relationship with the indicia (2,4) on the keys (1,3) so that the indicia (2,4) are visible to a player when illuminated by the lamp (5).

Abstract: The invention is in the field of musical learning and playing devices, and particularly relates to keyboard instruments. A plurality of cards are provided each of which defines a forward pocket and each of which spans an octave on the keyboard. These cards are positioned adjacent to one another across the breadth of the keyboard, and a second group of insert cards are inserted into the pockets defined by the first cards. These second cards may be one of several types, but in any event they display indicia which register with keys on the keyboard, and each of these cards also includes a laterally extended tab which engages the adjacent card by overlapping same so that the entire line of cards is stationary as a unit rather than being completely separate.