Chords Patents (Class 84/637)
  • Patent number: 5739456
    Abstract: In a method for automatically performing accompaniment in an automatic accompaniment apparatus, a plurality of system defining rhythm data patterns are provided. Each of the plurality of system rhythm data patterns is composed of a plurality of rhythm data for a plurality of parts. In a rhythm editing mode, one or more parts of the plurality of parts of the user rhythm data pattern is designated for a user defining rhythm data pattern, and the designated one or more parts are associated with the rhythm data of corresponding parts of one of the plurality of system defining rhythm data patterns so that the user defining rhythm data pattern can be produced. In an automatic accompaniment mode, accompaniment is automatically performed based on the user defining rhythm data pattern. Each of the plurality of rhythm data has a rhythm data identifier and a pattern identifier is allocated to each of the plurality of system defining rhythm data patterns.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 1996
    Date of Patent: April 14, 1998
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Kawai Gakki Seisakusho
    Inventor: Yoshihisa Shimada
  • Patent number: 5736666
    Abstract: A music composition system, comprising receiving a first harmony including a first melody, analyzing the first harmony to derive in real-time a rule relating the first melody to the first harmony, receiving a second melody, and applying the rule in real-time to the second melody to produce a second harmony relating to the second melody.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 1996
    Date of Patent: April 7, 1998
    Assignee: California Institute of Technology
    Inventors: Rodney M. Goodman, Randall R. Spangler
  • Patent number: 5723803
    Abstract: In an automatic performance apparatus for creating music piece data by combining automatic performance pattern data, a plurality of automatic performance patterns are stored in advance, and display elements corresponding to these automatic performance patterns are prepared. An operation for displaying these display elements on a display device and connecting them by lines is performed. The order of automatic performance patterns is determined in correspondence with the order of the elements connected by the lines. With this operation, music piece data can be easily created and modified. In an automatic accompaniment edit apparatus for creating/editing chord progress data for an automatic accompaniment operation, chords or chord progress patterns suited for each style are stored in correspondence with a plurality of styles. When a user selects a style, chords or chord progress patterns suited for the selected style are informed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 1994
    Date of Patent: March 3, 1998
    Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
    Inventor: Yasushi Kurakake
  • Patent number: 5675101
    Abstract: Video-song media having chord data recorded thereon and playback system thereof for reproducing the chord responsive to a singer's singing voice are disclosed. The video-song media having chord data recorded thereon has the chord data which is additionally recorded in a sub-code of the program area having video-song information therein. The playback system for the video-song media having chord data recorded thereon, reproduces word data to the song, the accompaniment music and the graphic signal relating to a corresponding music, and also reproduces the chord specified by chord data in response to the voice input signal provided by a voice input device. Accordingly, sound effects can be maximized in order to multiply the user's interest while practicing singing the video-song.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 1995
    Date of Patent: October 7, 1997
    Assignee: Daewoo Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Chan-Sou Park
  • Patent number: 5641928
    Abstract: In accordance with one chord detecting approach, a peak value of the number of notes composing performance data is periodically detected for each predetermined time period and a combination of notes corresponding to the detected peak value is extracted as a representative note combination for the period, so that a chord is detected, for each of the predetermined time periods, on the basis of the extracted combination of notes. In accordance with another chord detecting approach, detection is made of a state of notes composing the performance data at each of three specific timings, i.e., predetermined beat timing, preceding timing slightly before the beat timing and succeeding timing slightly after the beat timing in an automatic accompaniment. A chord is detected on the basis of the thus-detected state of notes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 1994
    Date of Patent: June 24, 1997
    Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
    Inventors: Yutaka Tohgi, Yoshiko Fukushima
  • Patent number: 5639980
    Abstract: A performance data editing apparatus wherein chords in performance data of a musical tune applied from an external memory element or performance apparatus are detected and normalized into a predetermined tone scale on a basis of their respective types and roots, the musical tune including a plurality of performance parts at least one of which represents the chords indicative of a musical progression having a performance pattern, and wherein the normalized chords are converted on a basis of chords designated to be performed-for production of a desired accompaniment data, thereby to produce edited chords indicative of a progression of the designated chords in the performance pattern.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 1995
    Date of Patent: June 17, 1997
    Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
    Inventor: Tsutomu Imaizumi
  • Patent number: 5619003
    Abstract: An electronic musical instrument having keys that include a first set of keys for generating program commands in real time such as chord and scale selections in response to being depressed, and a second set of keys for generating input device signals in response to being played. The electronic musical instrument also has a memory adapted to store a plurality of translation tables. The translation tables being adapted to translate the input device signals received from the second set of keys into corresponding control signals. A translator to the input device signals, the translation tables, and the program commands generating control signals which are used by an electronic signal generator. The electronic musical interface also includes an interface for providing access between the translator and at least one external device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 1996
    Date of Patent: April 8, 1997
    Assignee: The Hotz Corporation
    Inventor: Jimmy C. Hotz
  • Patent number: 5612501
    Abstract: In an automatic accompaniment information producing apparatus, tone pitch information of an accompaniment pattern applied from an external device is converted in tone pitch in accordance with a designation chord, an original chord based on the accompaniment pattern and attribute information of the tone pitch information, the converted tone pitch information is produced as automatic accompaniment information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 1995
    Date of Patent: March 18, 1997
    Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
    Inventors: Masao Kondo, Shinichi Ito, Hiroki Nakazono
  • Patent number: 5602357
    Abstract: An arrangement support apparatus for producing automatic accompaniment performance data for a musical tune. The musical tune is divided into a plurality of sections, and an arrangement condition is input for each of the sections. Utilizing the arrangement conditions, the apparatus selects an accompaniment pattern corresponding to at least one accompaniment performance part for each of the sections of the musical tune. The apparatus then produces automatic accompaniment performance data for the musical tune utilizing the selected accompaniment patterns.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 1994
    Date of Patent: February 11, 1997
    Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
    Inventors: Eiichiro Aoki, Kazunori Maruyama
  • Patent number: 5563361
    Abstract: In an automatic accompaniment apparatus in which a source pattern produced on a basis of a predetermined chord is memorized so that a tone pitch information of the source pattern is converted in tone pitch in accordance with an input chord designated by a player, a tone pitch conversion information is formed in accordance with an attribute of the tone pitch information and the input chord, and the tone pitch information is converted on a basis of the tone pitch conversion information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 1994
    Date of Patent: October 8, 1996
    Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
    Inventors: Masao Kondo, Shinichi Ito, Hiroki Nakazono
  • Patent number: 5561256
    Abstract: In an automatic arrangement apparatus having an accompaniment information memory for memorizing an accompaniment pattern, a specific basic part such as a melody part for arrangement of a musical tune, a chord progression and an arrangement condition are applied to select an accompaniment pattern conformed with the arrangement condition from the accompaniment information memory thereby to produce musical information in the form of a pattern sequence of plural parts relative to the basic part, and the pattern sequence of the plural parts is converted in tone pitch in accordance with the chord progression.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 1995
    Date of Patent: October 1, 1996
    Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
    Inventors: Eiichiro Aoki, Kazunori Maruyama
  • Patent number: 5512706
    Abstract: While automatic accompaniment for chord, bass, rhythm etc. is performed in accordance with a normal pattern, the normal pattern is changed over to a fill-in pattern in response to actuation of a fill-in switch. Then, automatic accompaniment based on the fill-in pattern is repetitively performed as long as the fill-in switch is actuated. When the end of the fill-in pattern is detected, repeat control of the fill-in pattern causes the fill-in pattern to be repeated from a predetermined intermediate point (for example, the head of a predetermined intermediate measure of the fill-in pattern). As the result, the introductory portion of the fill-in pattern is performed only once so that it is never performed during repetition of the fill-in pattern. This can avoid undesirable musical unnaturalness due to repetition of the introductory portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 1994
    Date of Patent: April 30, 1996
    Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
    Inventor: Masao Kondo
  • Patent number: 5506370
    Abstract: In a music accompaniment playing system, MIDI (Music Instrument Digital Interface) sound source controlling data to control a MIDI sound source for generating accompaniment music information for music accompaniment playing, and display controlling data to perform a display corresponding to the MIDI sound source Controlling data, are reproduced from a record medium for music accompaniment playing. The display controlling data includes lyrics data corresponding to lyrics for music accompaniment playing, and accompaniment chord data corresponding to an accompaniment chord of the accompaniment music information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 1994
    Date of Patent: April 9, 1996
    Assignee: Pioneer Electronic Corporation
    Inventors: Toshiki Nakai, Mitsuyoshi Amano, Kazuhiro Miyamoto, Yoshiyuki Akiba, Masuhiro Sato
  • Patent number: 5502274
    Abstract: An electronic musical instrument includes manual input devices such as keys, a memory device or devices such as CDs which contain a prerecorded musical signal, prerecorded translation tables, and a prerecorded series of translation table switching signals synchronized to events in the musical signal such as chord changes and scale changes, a translator responsive to the manual input devices, translation tables and translation table switching signals for generating control signals, and an electronic signal generator responsive to the control signals for generating audio signals determined by the control signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 1994
    Date of Patent: March 26, 1996
    Assignee: The Hotz Corporation
    Inventor: Jimmy C. Hotz
  • Patent number: 5502275
    Abstract: When a switching operation from a normal pattern to a special pattern is instructed while an automatic accompaniment operation is being executed using normal pattern data, the pattern to be read out is switched from the normal pattern to the special pattern in accordance with the instruction. In this case, when it is instructed to switch the pattern within the instructed bar, only a rhythm part of a plurality of parts is switched from the normal pattern to the special pattern. When it is instructed to switch the pattern at the beginning of the next bar, other parts in addition to the rhythm part are switched from the normal patterns to the special patterns.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 1994
    Date of Patent: March 26, 1996
    Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
    Inventors: Masao Kondo, Shinichi Ito, Hiroki Nakazono
  • Patent number: 5486647
    Abstract: Left- and right-hand keystroke windows X.sub.L and X.sub.H are decided in accordance with the positions of player's left and right hands pressing keys. When the number of pressed keys in either one of the windows X.sub.L and X.sub.H are larger than a predetermined value, that window is decided to be used as a chord identifying window, and on the basis of a combination of pressed keys in the chord identifying window, an accompaniment chord is decided for automatic accompaniment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 1994
    Date of Patent: January 23, 1996
    Assignees: Stephen R. Kay, Korg Incorporated
    Inventors: Stephen R. Kay, Athan Billias, Yoshiyuki Igoshi, Naoki Hashida
  • Patent number: 5484957
    Abstract: In an automatic arrangement apparatus, a melody of a part of an original musical tune is memorized in a melody memory (4), chord data of the original musical tune is memorized in a chord progression memory (5), and a rhythm pattern in a rhythm pattern memory (12) is selected in accordance with the style and composition of the original musical tune. At a timing of a note code of the selected rhythm pattern, a top-note, an additional tone, a bass part and a drum part are produced. The top-note is produced by referring to a top-note table stored in a top-note table memory (15) and corresponds with the chord. The additional tone is produced in accordance with the top-note and the chord on a basis of a voicing table stored in a voicing table memory (16). The top-note and additional tone can be selected at a continuous two-tone pair.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 1994
    Date of Patent: January 16, 1996
    Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
    Inventors: Eiichiro Aoki, Kazunori Maruyama
  • Patent number: 5481066
    Abstract: In order to play an automatic performance based on performance information which is stored in a storage device and the like in advance, an electronic musical instrument provides an automatic performance apparatus. The automatic performance apparatus is configured by a performance style designating portion, a storage portion, a read-out portion and an automatic performance portion. The performance style designating portion designates a desired performance style within a plurality of performance styles, each of which corresponds to a specific music genre such as rock music, jazz and pop music. The storage portion, such as a read-only memory, stores a plurality of chord progression patterns with respect to each of the performance styles. The read-out portion accesses the storage portion to automatically read out one of the chord progression patterns concerned with the desired performance style which is designated by the performance style designating portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 1993
    Date of Patent: January 2, 1996
    Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
    Inventor: Minoru Kitamura
  • Patent number: 5459281
    Abstract: A CPU extracts a specified number of tones, in order of lower pitch from among notes of pressed keys and then determines a chord based on the specified tones so that a musical relationship can be established between the tones corresponding to the depressed keys and the generated chord, thus eliminating incongruity in the performance. In addition, since the chord detection is made based on the specified number of tones, there is no need to play all the constituent notes of the chord. Moreover, by storing chord pattern abbreviations in chord table memory, chords are detected in the manner that of frequently occurring abbreviated chord patterns are prioritized over infrequently occurring chord patterns.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 1992
    Date of Patent: October 17, 1995
    Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
    Inventor: Takeo Shibukawa
  • Patent number: 5455379
    Abstract: An adaptive chord-generating apparatus and method exactly generates chord data specified by a performer by an operation method according to the number of constituent notes of a chord inputted by a performer. To do this, the apparatus and method comprises a keyboard for receiving constituent notes of chord and melody, a memory where a chord search table is stored, a control portion for searching a chord search table of the memory according to a rule corresponding to the number of constituent notes inputted from the keyboard and generating chord data having a chord type and a pitch based on the searched data, and a sound source generator for generating a musical instrument sound signal having a predetermined pitch of chord corresponding to chord data supplied from the control portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 1992
    Date of Patent: October 3, 1995
    Assignee: Gold Star Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jae H. Kim, Byung S. Yoo
  • Patent number: 5451709
    Abstract: A composition conditioning system selects a music structure from a music structure database. The selected music structure specifies a first condition of music composition. A style input specifies a second condition of music composition. A melody rhythm composer retrieves, from a rhythm pattern database, an appropriate rhythm pattern for the composition condition. A chord progression composer retrieves, from a chord progression database, a suitable chord progression for the composition condition. A melody pitch composer generates a pitch candidate for a new melody note from an old melody note pitch and a current music progression (tonality and chord). A pattern recognizing module analyzes a melody up to the candidate into a melody pattern. A test module searches through a melody pattern rule base for the analyzed melody pattern.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 1992
    Date of Patent: September 19, 1995
    Assignee: Casio Computer Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Junichi Minamitaka
  • Patent number: 5442129
    Abstract: A pitch control system for the automatic pitch correction according to a harmony-dependent tuning, especially the harmonic tuning, for a musical instrument, having an input device for the input of note input signals in a pre-determined fixed tuning, especially the tempered tuning, and having a note generation device to which the note input signals are applicable, comprises a chord recognition circuit which ascertains at each input signal pattern corresponding to a chord whether this input signal pattern corresponds to a chord pattern from a pre-determined quantity of chord patterns, a signal pattern store circuit in which for each chord pattern of the pre-determined quantity of chord patterns a signal pattern is stored, and a control circuit which, when the chord recognition circuit ascertains that an input signal pattern is present corresponding to one of the pre-determined chord patterns, causes the signal pattern store circuit to emit the signal pattern, corresponding to the ascertained chord pattern, to t
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 1993
    Date of Patent: August 15, 1995
    Assignee: Werner Mohrlock
    Inventors: Werner Mohrlok, Herwig Mohrlok
  • Patent number: 5440756
    Abstract: An apparatus and method are provided for processing an audio signal conveying a musical passage so as to reveal the sequence of musical chords contained within that passage. The signal is amplified, filtered, and converted to digital data, which are then processed using digital filters to determine in real time the amplitude of every note within a predetermined note range. The most prominent notes are compared to chord patterns to determine which, if any, chord is implied, and the chord name is then displayed to the user. Further provided is a means for detecting and correcting for any deviation of the pitches of the notes in the passage from their standard frequencies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 1992
    Date of Patent: August 8, 1995
    Inventor: Bruce E. Larson
  • Patent number: 5440071
    Abstract: The Chord Board is a revolutionary musical instrument that simplifies and expands on the traditional piano-style keyboard interface through the use of computer technology. Musicians skilled or unskilled alike will be able to take advantage of this new musical interface which makes the playing of an unlimited variety of chords and their respective note patterns not only possible, but easy. Yet the design of the Chord Board allows for an extremely complex performance from a musician who has the ability and skill to make such a performance. The Chord Board is designed to maximize the potential for the introduction of the human element into the musical performance. The player interface of the Chord Board departs significantly from the traditional piano. There are eight banks of eight keys each, three for the left hand, and five for the right hand. These keys are similar in size and shape to the traditional piano-style key, yet there are no black keys in between the white keys.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 1993
    Date of Patent: August 8, 1995
    Inventor: Grant Johnson
  • Patent number: 5418326
    Abstract: An automatic accompaniment instrument detects a change in a chord progression formed of a sequence of chords. A pitch of an accompaniment tone to be reproduced is controlled based on a present chord and/or an immediately following chord of the chord progression, as well as on a pitch of an accompaniment tone generated on an immediately preceding occasion, when a change in the chord progression is detected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 1993
    Date of Patent: May 23, 1995
    Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
    Inventors: Takashi Ikeda, Satoshi Suzuki
  • Patent number: 5412156
    Abstract: A provisional key is determined on the basis of a relatively small amount of performance information (for instance, information on one chord), while a definite key is determined on the basis of a relatively large amount of performance information (for instance, information on progression of plural chords). If a definite key has been determined, an automatic accompaniment tone is controlled on the basis of the determined definite key, but, if no definite key has been determined, an automatic accompaniment tone is controlled on the basis of the provisional key. The definite key based control is performed in a different manner from the provisional key based control. The definite key based control can achieve control of higher musical quality (for instance, tension notes can be used in a daring manner), but such a daring control is refrained in the provisional key based control.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 1993
    Date of Patent: May 2, 1995
    Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
    Inventors: Takashi Ikeda, Satoshi Suzuki
  • Patent number: 5410098
    Abstract: An automatic accompaniment apparatus employs a chord designating section, a pattern memory, special operation designating section, a pattern read out section, a note conversion section and a tone generator. The chord designating section designates a root and a type of a chord. The pattern memory stores a performance pattern containing note data which designate tone pitches of musical tones. The pattern read out section sequentially reading out the note data from the pattern memory durring the automatic accompaniment. The note conversion section carrying out a note correction operation corresponding to the type designated by the chord designating section on the note data read out by the pattern read out section when the special operation is not designated. In contrast, the note conversion section outputs the note data read out from the pattern memory when the special operation is designated by the special operation designating section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 1993
    Date of Patent: April 25, 1995
    Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
    Inventor: Yoshihisa Ito
  • Patent number: 5403966
    Abstract: This electronic musical instrument, having several sound sources, can generate one tone several times according to tone generation one operation, and generate chord. It can control the tone generation level and tone generation timing based on the instruction input and tempo clock.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 1993
    Date of Patent: April 4, 1995
    Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
    Inventors: Susumu Kawashima, Nobuhiro Nambu
  • Patent number: 5347083
    Abstract: A memory has plural storage areas for storing performance data of plural music pieces. When the player has input desired performance data via an input device like a keyboard, the thus-input performance data are automatically stored into a first storage area of the memory. At the same time, a specific search is executed by the search section to examine whether or not performance data of a music piece corresponding to the input performance data are already stored in the memory. If a second storage area storing the performance data corresponding to the input performance data has been detected or searched out, a series of the performance data stored in the second storage area are sequentially read out for an automatic reproductive performance. If, on the other hand, such a second storage area has not been detected, writing of the input performance data into the first storage area is continued without such an automatic reproductive performance being executed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 1993
    Date of Patent: September 13, 1994
    Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
    Inventors: Satoshi Suzuki, Takashi Ikeda
  • Patent number: 5331112
    Abstract: An apparatus automatically generates an additional musical part which varies as a function of a given principal part of a music piece. In an embodiment, the apparatus adds a melodic part with a varying pitch line of an arpeggio each element of which is a selected chord tone having a pitch associated with a time-shifted pitch of the principal part. As a result, a "canon" or "Fugue" polyphonic music is obtained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 1993
    Date of Patent: July 19, 1994
    Assignee: Casio Computer Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jun Sato, Junichi Minamitaka
  • Patent number: 5322966
    Abstract: An electronic musical instrument is disclosed which is capable of performing an automatic accompaniment in response to the operation of the instrument by a performer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 1991
    Date of Patent: June 21, 1994
    Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
    Inventor: Hideaki Shimaya
  • Patent number: 5319152
    Abstract: A chord information output apparatus according to the present invention includes a keyboard, a key depression information detector, a chord detector for detecting a chord according to key information detected by the key depression information detector, and an internal information output section for sending detected chord information to an external device. The chord information output apparatus detects a chord upon keyboard key depression, and outputs the chord as chord information to an external device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 1993
    Date of Patent: June 7, 1994
    Assignee: Kabushibi Kaisha Kawai Gakki
    Inventor: Shinya Konishi
  • Patent number: 5302777
    Abstract: A tonality extractor analyzes a chord progression (CP) to determine an available pitch class set (PCS) at each chord time of CP using stored musical knowledge base. The available PCS is determined differently depending on musical situations. A resultant PCS succession is most accurate and assures a natural stream of musical tonality free of a spurious modulation. An automatic accompaniment apparatus utilizes the tonality extractor for desired accompaniment performance. A modulation compensator avoids generation of a pitch range shift in the accompaniment line at the time of modulation (change of key). A style-grouped pitch change table in combination with a style-grouped reference accompaniment pattern memory optimizes accompaniment pitch contents to respective musical styles while requiring only a small storage space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 1992
    Date of Patent: April 12, 1994
    Assignee: Casio Computer Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroko Okuda, Hiroshi Yoshimura, Chisato Nakamura
  • Patent number: 5298677
    Abstract: An automatic playing apparatus according to the present invention, stores, in an automatic playing pattern data memory, chord, bass, drum data for each of a plurality of intro, normal and ending patterns, and drum data for each of a plurality of fill-in patterns, and reads, when a fill-in is selected via an operation panel, chord data and bass data, stored for an intro, normal, or ending pattern data, and drum data, stored for a fill-in pattern, to perform automatic playing. Further, an automatic playing apparatus according to the present invention includes an automatic playing pattern data memory wherein loud fill-in pattern data and soft fill-in pattern data are stored, sets an intonation value using an intonation dial as the performance is developed, and performs automatic playing based on either loud fill-in pattern data, if the intonation value is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, or based on the soft fill-in pattern data, if the intonation value is smaller than the predetermined value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 1992
    Date of Patent: March 29, 1994
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Kawai Gakki Seisakusho
    Inventor: Yoshihisa Shimada
  • Patent number: 5296644
    Abstract: A chord detecting device has memories for storing note data and a first chord of a first section in a bar, and a tonality data supplier. A chord in a second section of the bar is detected according to note data at the beginning of the second section of the bar, the tonality data and the first chord. The chord detecting device further includes a temporary chord detecting device for detecting the temporary chord at a beginning of the first section, and a fixed chord detecting device for detecting a fixed chord at the beginning of the second section. The temporary chord is detected by a fixed chord of a section immediately before, the tonality data and note data at the beginning of the first section, and the fixed chord is detected by note data within the first section, the tonality data and the temporary chord. An automatic accompaniment device includes the chord detecting device and an accompaniment device for generating accompaniment tones based on the temporary chord.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 1992
    Date of Patent: March 22, 1994
    Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
    Inventor: Eiichiro Aoki
  • Patent number: 5283389
    Abstract: According to the invention, a new sounding operation changes a solo being played, and various ways of sounding musical tones are permitted by a selection of whether or not a chord being played is to be changed. In response to an instruction for sounding a musical tone, chord tone data is provided together with tone data indicating a single key number, to thereby determine whether or not the chord is to be detected, and whether or not chord tone data is be output. Accordingly, ways of sounding musical tones, such as changing a chord being played together with a solo being played, or not changing a chord being played but changing only the solo being played.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 1992
    Date of Patent: February 1, 1994
    Assignee: Kawai Musical Inst. Mgf. Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Toshinori Matsuda
  • Patent number: 5278348
    Abstract: A device for use in an electronic musical instrument, in which data representing musical factors such as a tempo, a pitch and a timbre are changed at each repetition of an automatic performance, to thereby automatically effect variable automatic performances. Further, data representing a chord type and a chord root are input by a character-data input device such as a ten-key pad, and thus a chord input operation is facilitated, and moreover, a complicated finger manipulation becomes unnecessary. Furthermore, data representing chord types is input by at least one of the pitch input devices, and data representing chord roots is input by at least one of the other pitch input devices, and thus a chord performance is facilitated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 1992
    Date of Patent: January 11, 1994
    Assignee: Kawai Musical Inst. Mfg. Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shu Eitaki, Noriyuki Ueta, Noboru Akagawa
  • Patent number: 5274192
    Abstract: An instrument for recording and playing musical playing data comprises a pattern memory, a timing designation key for designating playing back timing of the pattern data, a sequence track for recording sequence data, and a writing device for writing the pattern data into the sequence track at the playing back timing designated with the timing designation key. The pattern data is read from the pattern memory and transferred to the place, in the sequence track, corresponding to the designated timing. The transferred note data is modified with the designated chord. The instrument further comprises a backing track storing backing data, any part of which can be also transferred to the sequence track.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 1991
    Date of Patent: December 28, 1993
    Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
    Inventor: Tomoyuki Kumagai
  • Patent number: 5270479
    Abstract: The electronic musical instrument is provided with an accompaniment pattern memory storing a prescribed automatic accompaniment pattern composed of, at least, a chord tone part and a rhythm tone part, a keyboard manually operable to generate a command to designate temporary elimination of the chord tone part from the automatic accompaniment, a CPU responsive to the command from the keyboard to inactivate the chord tone part in the automatic accompaniment pattern, and a sound source circuit for performing the rhythm tone part of the automatic accompaniment pattern while inhibiting generation of the chord tones.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 1992
    Date of Patent: December 14, 1993
    Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
    Inventor: Masao Kondo
  • Patent number: 5260509
    Abstract: An auto-play electronic musical instrument stores note data of phrase tones for one bar corresponding to each of a plurality of keys of two octaves together with auto-accompaniment pattern data. Every time a key is operated, an adlib play is made by playing back corresponding phrase tones. When a key operation is interrupted during the adlib play, specific phrase tone are repetitively and automatically played back, thereby preventing a play from being interrupted halfway. The electronic musical instrument also stores fixed phrases such as introduction, fill-in, ending phrases, and the like, which are required according to the flow of a play. When one of the fixed phrases is played back by a selection button while the specific phrase is repetitively played back, the repetitive playback operation of the specific phrase is restarted when the playback operation of the fixed phrase ends. As a result, a user can play similar to a professional artist even with one finger in this key-on phrase play mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 1992
    Date of Patent: November 9, 1993
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Kawai Gakki Seisakusho
    Inventors: Yoshihisa Shimada, Shinya Konishi
  • Patent number: 5260510
    Abstract: An automatic accompaniment apparatus for an electronic musical instrument comprises a performance data generating device, a key-count detection device, a chord data memory, a chord data decision device and an accompaniment performing device. The performance data generating device generates key depression data and tone pitch data in response to a performance operation. The key-count detection device detects a count of depressed keys in the performance operation based on said key depression data, and generates data representing the count of depressed keys. The chord data memory stores previous chord data representing a chord type and a root note, and the previous chord data corresponds to a performance operation played previously. The chord data decision device detects a chord pattern corresponding to said count of depressed keys and said tone pitch data and, when said count of depressed key corresponds to a specific count, decides chord data based on said chord pattern and said previous chord data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 1992
    Date of Patent: November 9, 1993
    Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
    Inventor: Takeo Shibukawa
  • Patent number: 5250746
    Abstract: Disclosed are a chord detecting/storing apparatus and an accompaniment information processing apparatus. The chord detecting/storing apparatus designates tones consisting of a chord on a keyboard, and extracts one of the designated notes. Based on the extracted note, the apparatus prepares a row of note bits excluding at least one note. Using this note bit row as an address, the apparatus searches for a chord table in advance where chord information is stored to correspond to each pattern for a row of note bits, and reads out searched chord information to detect a chord.The accompaniment information processing apparatus detects component tones of a chord when the chord is designated from the keyboard, and generates chord information. The accompaniment information processing apparatus produces specific tone information in association with the generated chord information and correlates the specific tone information with the chord information before storing both information items.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 1992
    Date of Patent: October 5, 1993
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Kawai Gakki Seisakusho
    Inventors: Tsutomu Saito, Taichi Kosugi
  • Patent number: 5235125
    Abstract: An apparatus automatically generates an additional musical part which varies as a function of a given principal part of a music piece. In an embodiment, the apparatus adds a melodic part with a varying pitch line of an arpeggio each element of which is a selected chord tone having a pitch associated with a time-shifted pitch of the principal part. As a result, a "canon" or "Fugue" polyphonic music is obtained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 1990
    Date of Patent: August 10, 1993
    Assignee: Casio Computer Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jun Sato, Junichi Minamitaka
  • Patent number: 5235126
    Abstract: In an automatic accompaniment-playing apparatus, when an accompaniment pattern corresponding to a detected chord is not stored as information in a memory, an accompaniment pattern as information read from the memory in accordance with the priority level is changed so as to be suited to the detected chord. In a chord detecting apparatus, inversion modes are obtained based on an information-on-depressed-key so as to determine chords relative to the inversion modes obtained in this way. Then, the chords determined in this way are weighted, and a chord weighted at the maximum level out of the chords thus weighted is determined as one based on the above information-on-depressed-key.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 1992
    Date of Patent: August 10, 1993
    Assignee: Roland Europe S.p.A.
    Inventors: Luigi Bruti, Demetrio Cuccu', Nicola Calo'
  • Patent number: 5223655
    Abstract: An electronic musical instrument with pads is provided with a plurality of pads, a pad operation detection device, and a chord data generation device which generates specified chord data corresponding to a pad when the pad has been operated a second time within a specified time. Since chord data previously corresponds to each pad, if a player operates a pad two times within the specified time, chord data corresponding to that pad is generated. This chord data is provided to an accompaniment playing device and accompaniment playing is performed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 1991
    Date of Patent: June 29, 1993
    Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
    Inventors: Kunihiko Watanabe, Shinichi Ito, Yoshinori Iwakami
  • Patent number: 5221802
    Abstract: A device for detecting data of contents of accompaniment for use in an electronic musical instrument in which the detection of data representing contents of a bass accompaniment is effected independently of the detection of data representing contents of a chord accompaniment, by separately providing a first portion for indicating pitches composing a chord to be performed and a second portion for indicating the lowest pitch of a bass accompaniment pattern in a pitch indicating unit and detecting pitches indicated in the second portion. Thus, data representing contents of a bass accompaniment and data representing contents of a chord accompaniment can be separately detected, whereby the electronic musical instrument can perform a bass accompaniment independent of a chord accompaniment, and thus the variety of a performance can be increased.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 1991
    Date of Patent: June 22, 1993
    Assignee: Kawai Musical Inst. Mfg. Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shinya Konishi, Toshihide Saito
  • Patent number: 5218157
    Abstract: An auto-accompaniment apparatus, which selects and forms a chord that can be naturally linked with currently generated chord tones from a plurality of inversion variations, and generates the formed chord as the next accompaniment tones, is disclosed.The auto-accompaniment apparatus has an accompaniment pattern memory (1) for storing note data strings for performing an auto chord accompaniment operation on the basis of reference chords, and offset memories (3, 5) for storing tone pitch offsets of the note data with respect to the reference chord in units of chord notes of different chord names in correspondence with a plurality of chord inversion variations and root names. The plurality of offsets corresponding to the chord inversion variations are read out from the offset memories on the basis of a pre-programmed chord progression sequence or chord information detected based on play information. Of the readout offsets, an offset close to the currently generated chord tones is selected by a selector (31).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 1992
    Date of Patent: June 8, 1993
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Kawai Gakki Seisakusho
    Inventors: Noboru Akagawa, Junichi Takano
  • Patent number: 5218153
    Abstract: A microcomputer based music apparatus allows a user to gain efficient access to a desired chord progression (CP). To this end, the apparatus includes a chord progression database (CPDB) containing a large collection of practical CPs with various kinds of style and harmonic rhythm. A database localizing manager provides a localized virtual space of CPs preselected from CPDB in accordance with the user's musical tastes and intentions. To help the user think of a melody and its harmonization in an integrated mental process, a suitability testing feature evaluates suitability between a CP (from CPDB) and a melody (supplied from the user) based on stored melody pattern rules. A music editor electronically manages (edits) structures of an intended music piece and provides a desired chain of phrases (each including attributes, CP and melody) in accordance with user's commands to construct a desired music piece, thus aiding the user's music composing activities.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 1991
    Date of Patent: June 8, 1993
    Assignee: Casio Computer Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Junichi Minamitaka
  • Patent number: 5216188
    Abstract: An automatic accompaniment apparatus is adopted to a keyboard-type electronic musical instrument. Herein, the chord constituent notes and bass note of the subharmonic chord (or fractional chord) are detected and separated from the notes which are designated by the performer who depresses the keys of the keyboard. In response to certain chord note, particularly root of the chord, the desirable chord pattern (or chord type) is selected from the predetermined chord patterns memorized in a data table. This data table can be memorized with relatively small memory capacity. Thus, it is possible to accurately detect the subharmonic chord with small memory capacity. Then, the desirable subharmonic chord is automatically sounded as the accompaniment in accordance with the selected chord pattern and the detected bass note.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 1992
    Date of Patent: June 1, 1993
    Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
    Inventor: Takeo Shibukawa
  • Patent number: 5214993
    Abstract: In an electronic musical instrument for automatically a adding duet note, an apparatus, which can reduce the capacity of a memory for storing data used as a basis for selecting a duet note to be added, is disclosed. A chord depressed at a keyboard is specified by a chord specifying means, and a depressed melody note (highest note) is detected by a note detection device. According to these notes, duet note data, which can be added, is read out from a chord-notes weighting information storage area on the basis of chord constituting notes, and another duet note data, which can be added, is read out from a note weighting information storage area according to a relative note data of the highest note relative to the root note of the chord. These readout duet note data are subjected to a calculation, thus selecting a duet note. Therefore, duet note data corresponding in numbers to chords and relative notes need only be stored in the memory, thus reducing the capacity of the duet note data memory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 1992
    Date of Patent: June 1, 1993
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Kawai Gakki Seisakusho
    Inventor: Shinya Konishi