DE19713588A1 - Semitone presetting apparatus e.g. for electronic organ - Google Patents

Abstract

The apparatus includes one or several electrical or mechanical switches which can be switched over for increasing or decreasing the tone pitch by a semitone or a full tone. The tone pitch changes in the system can be carried out by the switches. Preferably, the increased or decreased tone pitch can be abolished for a short period of time.

Description

"Halftone Preset" is a device on musical instruments that can play Signed pieces of music (pitch changes by semitones or whole tones) should facilitate.

1. Basic idea (previous practice and problem)

Anyone who ever wanted to learn an instrument is already with the annoying semitones been confronted. For a beginner, a song can be played note by note on an organ no problem if there are not these deviations of the "normal" whole notes - the Halftones appeared. At least, that's what I thought when I was a child and was at this point with the enthusiasm of learning an organ quickly at the end.

The problem itself is having to watch out for every note you are playing at the beginning of the staff with a cross (#) or a Be (b) (= sign) was lowered. It would be easier not to pay attention to the omens while making music to have to.

Note: Usually the signs in a staff are "crosses" or "Be's"; then will the addressed whole tones increased or decreased by one semitone. However, it can also sometimes these signs are a "double cross" or a "double Be"; then the whole tones addressed are increased or decreased by one whole tone.

For the sake of simplicity, this description and also the name of the system (semitone default) only speaks of halftones and halftone changes.  

2. Objective

The aim of the invention specified in the patent claim is to simplify playback of pieces of music with a sign (change in pitch) and possibly also learning simplify a musical instrument.

3. Solving the problem

As a rule, the signs of a song are known at the beginning and are used during of the entire piece no longer changed. This gives us the opportunity to increase or To lower certain notes before playing the instrument. However, there should be no short-term omissions (during the song) Represent problem (see claim 2).

The halftone preset takes advantage of the pitches that occur changes before playing the song are already known. With this device the semitones that occur are fixed before the piece of music is played set.

4. Benefits achieved

While playing a piece of music with musical instruments of various types Almost no longer pay attention to the halftones that occur. So it is much easier (especially for children or beginners) to play a piece of music or to learn an instrument.  

5. Further embodiment of the invention "halftone presetting"

The simplest example, because of the simplest (because electronic) realization of the Halftone presetting is probably the electric or electronic organ. You can now e.g. B. also imagine an organ without any black keys (semitones).

From an electronic point of view, it is no problem to implement halftone presetting today. By Toggling one or more switches are determined (throughout the song) Whole tones to semitones. Short-term repairs of the semitones (which are relatively rare occur) can be made while playing (claim 2) (see also 6c).

Halftone presetting is also very practical for non-electronic instruments conceivable. For example, by a mechanical presetting such. B. by shortening or Extending the strings on stringed instruments or the airways on wind instruments.

One can clearly see that with many instruments the semitone presetting is possible will be and therefore should not be the realization z. B. the "electronic organ without semitones" or a certain type of technical implementation of the halftone preset, but the The basic idea is to define and protect the idea of the halftone presetting yourself.

6. Description of various designs u. some possible variations of the application

In order to present these explanations as clearly as possible, we stick to the best example, the electronic organ.

• a) The device has a switch for every possible semitone of an octave. That would be 5 switches for the increases and 5 switches for the reduction of the whole tones.
  c - cis (switch 1) c d - dis (switch 2) d - des (switch 6) e e - es (switch 7) f - fis (switch 3) f g - gis (switch 4) g - ges (switch 8) a - ais (switch 5) a - as (switch 9) H h - b (switch 10)
• b) It would be best if when switching a switch the appropriate ones Notes are changed for all existing octaves.
• c) The previous versions describe the switchover by notes. An organ in which the semitone presetting is made by key would also be possible.
  e.g. E.g .: switch "d major" is flipped - consequence: c becomes c sharp and f becomes f sharp
  The same applies of course to all other major and minor keys.
• d) A simpler type of organ is also conceivable, in which, for example, exclusively on can be converted to D major.
• e) This system could in addition to the known switching to increase and Decreasing by a semitone also switching to whole tones (whole tone increase = Double cross or whole tone reduction = double Be) (see 1st note).
• f) An organ with halftone presetting can either do without black keys (Halftone keys), but could also be a conventional organ made by "Normal" can be switched to "Halftone Preset".  
• g) Since the semitones are sometimes short-term (just before the Note) should be resolved, it would be advisable to use a button or switch that cancels the halftone presetting made for a short time. (At the Example electronic organ). Of course, such a device is also available for mechanical ones Instruments imaginable. See claim 2.
• h) With some imagination, many more variations are certainly possible which are not yet thought of, but can only be realized in the near or distant future will. A code on the sheet of music may tell the instrument which one Halftones have to be changed. Of course, this is just a performance of various examples has no claim to cover all variations.

At this point it should be pointed out again that the above-mentioned variations of the "Half tone setting "for the sake of simpler presentation using the example of the electronic organ were shown. With other electrical and mechanical instruments can again a variety of other variants can be imagined.

7. Future prospects and application

There are basically two reasons to use an instrument with "semitone presetting":

• a) facilitated playing a piece of music with semitones
• b) easier learning of a musical instrument

For hobby electronics technicians it is easiest to switch over with relays using the example of to realize electronic organ. This solution is simple but very outdated and certainly not suitable for mass production. It would be more elegant to pass through the relays To replace transistors. The industry would certainly be able to use chips (IC's) develop this switching in the smallest space and at the lowest cost (at high Pieces).

As already mentioned, you will also be able to use non-electronic (mechanical) Develop halftone presets.

Industry is unlikely to equip a grand piano with halftone presets. Instruments with halftone presetting could be used especially in children and Find beginners who do not have to put down their instruments when they are frustrated are overwhelmed with the semitones that occur. A heavier piece then becomes almost the same be easy to play like "All my ducklings".

Claims (2)

1. The so-called. "Halftone pre-division" is a device on musical instruments of all kinds, which allows the playing of pieces of music with a sign (pitch changes) in a special way, characterized in that by switching one or more electrical / electronic or mechanical switches a sound around one Halftone or whole tone or several tones can be increased or decreased by one semitone or whole tone. This means that pitch changes in this system can be made by the above-mentioned switches, which then has an effect when the instrument is played. 2. Halftone presetting according to claim 1, characterized, that in addition to the features mentioned in claim 1 also the possibility the short-term cancellation of the raised or lowered tone.