Abstract: A musical accompaniment system is described including a fretted, stringed electric musical instrument, a floor unit, interface units and connecting cables. Designated frets of the instrument are divided into sections that output to a switching component that sends MIDI note # data to a synthesizer when strings of instrument contact designated fret sections. The floor unit includes actuators that output to the synthesizer when tapped by the user. The user taps on the actuators with his or her feet and thereby actuates accompaniment notes that are generated in the rhythms in which they are tapped. Accompaniment notes generated by the process are designated by notes and chords being fingered on the instrument. Methods are described that facilitate the actuating and generating of accompaniment notes in the musical style of traditional bass accompaniment through the use of the system.

Abstract: A musical accompaniment system is described including a fretted, stringed electric musical instrument, a floor unit, interface units and connecting cables. Designated frets of the instrument are divided into sections that output to a switching component that sends MIDI note # data to a synthesizer when strings of instrument contact designated fret sections. The floor unit includes actuators that output to the synthesizer when tapped by the user. The user taps on the actuators with his or her feet and thereby actuates accompaniment notes that are generated in the rhythms in which they are tapped. Accompaniment notes generated by the process are designated by notes and chords being fingered on the instrument. Methods are described that facilitate the actuating and generating of accompaniment notes in the musical style of traditional bass accompaniment through the use of the system.

Abstract: A music and percussion system is described including a fully functional stringed hollow-body electric musical instrument, a floor unit, an interface unit, and connecting cables. The instrument includes a microphone, a pickup, and a plurality of transducers, also known as acoustic drum triggers, that are mounted on selected interior surfaces within the instrument neck and body. By using a playing technique that combines strumming with tapping on the instrument neck or body, an instrumentalist is able to play the instrument strings and to simultaneously trigger sounds stored within a percussion synthesizer. Two transducers, each within a housing, are included in the floor unit. The instrumentalist may tap his or her feet on the housings to trigger additional sounds stored within the percussion synthesizer. Output signals from the instrument microphone, pickup, instrument transducers and floor unit transducers are transferred by appropriate electrical connections to the interface unit.