Abstract: Disclosed are a harmony symbol input device and method using a dedicated chord input unit. The harmony symbol input device includes: a musical notation provider configured to visualize and provide a musical notation; a chord input unit provider configured to provide a dedicated chord input unit for inputting a harmony symbol in each harmony section of the musical notation; and a harmony symbol display part configured to repeat an operation that provides highlighting for a specific harmony section in a progression order of the musical notation and displays the harmony symbol received from the dedicated chord input unit in relation to the highlighting.

Abstract: An instructional device and associated method for illustrating the positions of keys and their associated notes on a keyboard are provided. The instructional device includes key markers that are adjustably mounted on a support structure in a configuration corresponding to the keys of a keyboard. The key markers correspond in size to the keys of the keyboard and are adjustable between the ends of the group of markers. Indicators are provided on the markers to indicate a chordal relationship between a respective one of the markers and the other markers. Thus, the device can be used, e.g., to indicate the position of the keys on a piano keyboard and, further, to indicate the relationship of the keys and associated notes to one another, such as by identifying various chordal relationships. In addition, the device can be adjusted to thereby illustrate such key positions and note relationships in connection with an inversion of one or more of the key markers relative to the others.

Abstract: A keyboard musical instrument having a keyboard range display device with which the positions of player's hands or fingers on a keyboard and the keys to be depressed as needed, are visually identified, comprises right hand and left hand range display means for displaying keyboard ranges to be covered by right and left hand fingers, and preferably, note-on position display means. Display data included in play data, is used to turn on each display means. A player immediately and intuitively perceives the range that is defined, so that he can easily move his fingers to correspond with the range. Even when the hands are near each other during a performance, the player can clearly identify the positions of the hands on the keyboard and the fingers to be used for key depression.

Abstract: A key signature actuator for a musical keyboard eases playing from music written with difficult key signatures by automatically actuating the sharps or flats in the key signatures. The keyboard has five back digitals per octave span, like the traditional keyboard, except that the back digitals are de-emphasized as landmarks by making them light gray, and musical notes are associated with movable landmarks, rather than with fixed digitals. When in written music a key signature is indicated, the landmarks are electronically shifted so that the key note of that key signature is played by a tonic digital (a fixed front digital to the immediate left of a group of two back digitals). At the same time the tonic digital is made to sound the key tone corresponding to that key signature by adjusting the overall pitch of the musical output by means of a uniform pitch changer. The number of electrically changeable landmark elements is minimized and binary coding is used to simplify the electrical connections.

Abstract: A device for guiding a player in his or her performance of a keyboard instrument is comprised of a movable indicator having a predetermined number of indicating or display elements registering with respective ones of the keys on the keyboard occasionally covered by the movable indicator. The shape of a predetermined number of musical notes are displayed on the indicating elements for sequentially specifying the keys to be acted upon during performance, the indicator being shifted in case of necessity to enable such sequential designation of the keys and to visualize the player's arm movement during performance. A plate may be optionally provided to have the chord part played automatically while the player is playing the melody part under instructions given by the movable indicator.