Abstract: A fretted stringed musical instrument is provided with channels which can removably accommodate frets. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the channels are provided at locations where it is sometimes, but not always, desirable to have a fret. The frets which are standard to the instrument may remain imbedded in the fingerboard. Alternatively, channels may be provided at all possible fret locations such that the instrument can be played fretted or unfretted. This embodiment would eliminate the need for expensive, time consuming, and instrument damaging refretting operations. In another embodiment of the invention, a set of tempered frets can be used to change the temperament of the instrument, such as from equal temperament to mean temperament in an Appalachian dulcimer. In another embodiment, using frets having a variety of lengths, it also becomes possible to fret only certain strings.

Abstract: A circuit comprises a two-way switch and an inductor and is disposed between an ac power source and a rectifier so that the circuit provides a voltage higher than the source voltage. The unit provides a high voltage dc power to charge a battery of an electric vehicle. If the inductor is accurately grounded, the circuit stops the flow of dc current thus preventing electric corrosion in the vehicle body.

Abstract: The object of the present invention is to provide a technique that detects an electrical angle of a synchronous motor with a high accuracy and adequately controls the synchronous motor even when the synchronous motor is driven under a non-loading condition. The direction that passes through a rotating shaft of the motor and causes a magnetic flux to pass through permanent magnets is defined as a d-axis. Even when the motor is driven under the non-loading condition and no flow of electric currents through windings is required in response to a torque requirement, the method of the present invention applies a voltage to the d-axis, based on an estimated electrical angle. Application of the voltage is realized by switching on and off a transistor inverter with a delay of a dead time. The method solves voltage equations with the applied voltages and the electric currents corresponding to the voltages, and controls the motor while correcting the electrical angle with errors of the arithmetic operations.

Abstract: An improved music generation system that facilitates artistic expression by non-musician and musician performers in both individual and group performance contexts. Mappings are provided between 1) gestures of a performer as indicated by manipulation of a user input device, 2) displayed motion of a graphic object, and 3) global features of a musical segment. The displayed motions and global features are selected so as to reinforce the appearance of causation between the performer's gestures and the produced musical effects and thereby assist the performer in refining his or her musical expression. The displayed motion is isomorphically coherent with the musical segment in order to achieve the appearance of causation. The global features are segment characteristics perceivable to human listeners. Control at the global feature level in combination with isomorphic visual feedback provides advantages to both non-musicians and musicians in producing artistic effect.

Abstract: A method is provided for automatically rearranging a plurality of digital information units (DIU) arbitrarily designated in a first digital information file (DIF), each DIU containing data with artistic structure and characteristics, to create a plurality of second DIF's having different artistic structure and characteristics from the first DIF. The method includes a first process for automatically (1) reordering, (2) repeating, (3) creating alternate sequences of, (4) altering durations of, (5) including and excluding certain ones of, and (6) automatically manipulating the characteristics of the plurality of DIU.

Abstract: A exercising and conditioning device is used in the chord hand of people who play a guitar or similar stringed instruments. The device has a body with an upper surface containing a longitudinal groove. At least one string is tensioned within the groove below the upper surface so that, when the body is held in a hand, all the tips of fingers of that hand may extend into the groove to depress the string. Depressing the string builds callus pads on the ends of the fingers and strengthens muscles used to depress the strings. Placing the string within the groove assists in guiding the fingers to the best position on the string.

Abstract: A music education apparatus for teaching musical concepts. The music education apparatus comprises a block with visual representations on each side designating musical notes, letters representing musical notes, and physical portions on musical instruments, wherein the musical note(s) designated on the other sides are highlighted on the keyboard or other designated physical portion of an instrument. The music education apparatus may also serve as an alarm clock that can be set to sound at a selected time by conventional means, or by lights, sound, temperature, or other stimuli. Voice programming may be featured, whereby a word, name, sentence, etc., is spoken or sung when the alarm sounds. Sides of the music education apparatus may designate one note or a combination of notes, and a keyboard or other physical representation of the playing portion of a musical instrument, wherein a key(s) or string(s) is highlighted to correspond to the note(s) designated on the other sides of the block.

Abstract: An adjustable tom-tom holder includes a mounting base fixedly fastened to the shell of a base drum, a holder block turned about an annular coupling block at the mounting base, the holder block having a longitudinally extended V-groove at the top, a support bar sliding in the V-groove, the support bar having an upright supporting rod for holding side drums, and a holding-down plate fastened to the holder block by screws to hold down the support bar in the desired position.

Abstract: A musical instrument is comprised of a hollow sound box having a sound board with a first opening and a second opening, and an elongate neck that is attached to the sound board. The sound box is preferably formed out of substantially flat, trapezoidal components, and the neck is attached to the sound board in overlapping fashion. The neck has a string attachment for attachment of one or more strings, and a bridge is attached to the sound board between the neck and the first sound opening. The bridge has a top edge with at least one groove defined therein to receive at least one string. At least one tuning key is attached to the outside surface of the sound board adjacent to the first sound opening and extending through the sound board to the inside of the sound box. One end of each string is attached to the string attachment on the neck, and the other end is attached to one of the tuning keys inside the sound box.

Abstract: A music performance information inputting apparatus for inputting music performance information to be supplied to an electronic musical instrument is arranged by a switch and a touch panel. This switch is used to select single basic music performance information from plural types of basic music performance information stored in a table memory. The music performance information inputting apparatus changes the content of the single basic music performance information selected by the switch based on the data derived from the touch panel so as to produce music performance information. This music performance information is merged with another music performance information received by a receiving unit from an external appliance, and the merged music performance information is transmitted by a transmitting unit to the external appliance.

Abstract: A circuit and method for controlling a rotating or oscillating element of a DC motor, including a positional deviation correction signal generator in addition to a position sensor which detects an amount of rotation or oscillation and position of the rotating or oscillating element, a main control circuit that includes a DC motor driving circuit, and a computer which controls the main control circuit. The output signal of the positional deviation correction signal generator is controlled by the computer based upon positional deviation correction information and signals from the position sensor, so that the positional deviation correction signal generator compensates for any positional deviation of the rotating or oscillating element of the DC motor at a stopping position thereof.

Abstract: A collapsible guitar kit designed to modify existing guitars so that guitar necks can be separated from guitar bodies for compact storage and for convenient interchanging of varying guitar necks with varying guitar bodies. The invention includes a neck plate, a body plate and a backing plate. The neck plate is provided to attach to a guitar neck. The body plate is provided to attach to a guitar body, and a backing plate is provided to attach to the underside of a guitar body. The neck plate and body plate provide a precision fit to each other by means of tooling points, while the backing plate provides consistent realignment and securing of both neck and body plates by means of a single bolt. The entire assembly is economical to manufacture and provides users the ability to modify any existing guitar to become collapsible for compact storage or for interchanging of various guitar necks with various guitar bodies.

Abstract: A support rack and system for holding a plurality of percussion instruments, such as drums, and accessories, and comprising: a first upright; a second upright; a generally horizontal arcuate rail member extending between the first upright and second upright; a bass arm member having a first bass arm end and a second bass arm end; a first linkage means for releasably securing the first bass arm end to the rail member; and a second linkage means adapted for releasably securing the second bass arm end to a bass drum, such that when the rack for supporting percussion instruments and accessories is secured to the bass drum, the two uprights and the bass drum, via the bass arm member, maintain the generally horizontal arcuate rail member on a horizontal plane above the bass drum.

Abstract: An arrangement for generating drive signals for a multi-phase d.c. motor having a plurality of windings, comprising a multi-phase inverter (10) which supplies the drive signals to the windings of the motor in a manner such that the windings are recurrently energized by the drive signals in a given sequence. At least one of the windings is not supplied with a drive signal at least during predetermined free periods. A phase detector (40) which, under control of the multi-phase inverter, samples the back-emf signals of these windings in order to obtain a phase-error signal. A low-pass filter (42) generates a control signal dependence upon the phase-error signal, and a controllable oscillator (44) generates a frequency signal whose frequency depends on the control signal. The timing of the multi-phase inverter drive signals supplied to the motor windings depends on the frequency signal. A phase-locked loop is formed by the multi-phase inverter, the phase detector, the low-pass filter and the oscillator.

Abstract: An Exchangeable Stacked Pickup Assembly for Stringed Instruments is disclosed. The preferred system and assembly permit the user to change magnet characteristics and/or the number of coil windings without necessitating string removal and subsequent guitar re-tuning. The pickup system further includes a lower coil assembly for attaching to the face of a guitar or other stringed instrument, and an upper coil assembly for attaching to, and detaching from the lower coil assembly. As described, the lower coil assembly and the upper coil assembly include conventional pickup coil assemblies, which are in electrical circuit when attached to one another. Furthermore, the preferred system includes a variety of upper coil assemblies, each having unique electromagnetic qualities, such that the user need only exchange one upper coil assembly with another in order to effect a desired change in sound to the stringed instrument.

Abstract: Method for controlling the rotating speed of an electromechanical device is disclosed herein, the aforementioned method including the following steps. The first step is to map a plurality sets of electrical-parameter means to different ranges of rotating speed of the electromechanical device to form a mapping table. The plurality sets of electrical-parameter means couples various resistance to the electromechanical device and eliminating the back EMF (Electro-Mechanical Force) in said electromechanical device. The second step is to connect a set of electrical-parameter means of said plurality sets of electrical-parameter means to a driving means. The driving means is used to provide the power that used in the operation of the electromechanical device, the set of electrical-parameter means is connected to the driving means according to the mapping table.

Abstract: A music crystal ball structure capable of rotating in alternating directions. A music bell serves as a power source for transmitting power to a mutilated gear which further transmitting the power to a gear member having inner circumferential teeth and outer circumferential teeth. The gear member is driven to rotate in alternating directions. For example, the gear member is counterclockwise rotated through an angle and then clockwise rotated through another angle. Such movement is circularly repeated to form a "forward 3, backward 1" state. By means of more than one set of gears, the decorative articles installed in the crystal ball and driven by the gear member can act like dancing opposite to each other and create a dynamic live view.

Abstract: A combination acoustic mode and electronic mode grand piano is provided including a hammer shank stop rail that intercepts the hammer shank when operating in its electronic mode, so that the hammer cannot complete its normal travel to strike its corresponding string(s) when its key is actuated. The positioning of the hammer shank stop rail is actuated by a user-operated control that, when placed into the "acoustic" mode, raises the hammer shank stop rail to a non-engaged position that does not interfere with the normal movements of the hammer shank. When in the "electronic" mode, the control lowers the hammer shank stop rail into an engaged position where it intercepts the hammer shanks of the piano, thereby preventing each hammer head from striking its respective string(s).

Abstract: A high hat stand has a lower support pipe and an upper pipe above the lower pipe and to which a fixed cymbal is attached. An upper movable cymbal is relatively movable with respect to the lower cymbal by an operating shaft that passes through the lower support pipe and is connected with a swingable foot pedal. Two pivotable legs are supported to the pipe. Together with the foot pedal support body, the two legs support the lower pipe. The pivot orientation of the legs determines the tilt of the pipe. The pedal is connected with a support and a ground member on the support, the ground member being movable outward from the lower pipe for establishing, along with a position of the legs, the tilt orientation of the lower pipe and the high hat stand.

Abstract: The present invention, a sheet music turning apparatus, comprises a base, a first spindle on one end of the base, and a second spindle opposite the first spindle on the base. A rotation means for rotating the first spindle in a direction is also provided such that a supply of sheet music mounted on the second spindle is transferred to the first spindle by the rotation of the first spindle, thereby causing consecutive pages of sheet music to be viewed.