US1302451A

US1302451A - Fretting device for musical instruments.

Info

Publication number: US1302451A
Application number: US18470017A
Authority: US
Inventors: Elmer S Tanquary
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1917-08-06
Filing date: 1917-08-06
Publication date: 1919-04-29
Anticipated expiration: 1936-04-29

Description

E. mmrfmv. FREYIINS DEVICE FDH "SICAL INSTRUMENTS.

APPLICATION FILED UG-6, ISI?.

1,302,451. 191911969 Apr. 29,1919.

@qu t w L' 1772/67' $.Tanquary mis. TAIQUABY, 0F LAWRENCEVILLE, ILLINOIS.

FRETIII'G ID'EVIE FOB MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 29, 1919.

Apputinn ma August s, mi?. serial xo. 184,700.

T o aZZ wko-m -z't may concern:

Be it known. that I, Emma S. TANQUARY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lawrenceville, jin the county of Lawrence and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fretting Devices for Musical Instruments; and I do hereby declare the followin to be a full, clear, and exact description o the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to string instruments of Vthe'type in which the player picks or strikes the strings by the finger or a pickin device held in the hand.

he present invention has relation especially to the playing of Hawaiian music on the guitar, during which process the player holds in the left hand a steel and in the right hand holds a picker which is moved acrossV the strings in connection with the movement of the steel along the neck of the guitar to produce the various chords or notes. Obviously this system of playing the itar is imperfect for the reason that the p ayer cannot properly fret the strings of the instrument to produce true chords, and the present invention has for its object the production of true chords by the player of the instrument in playing Hawaiian music.

With the above and other objects in view, a feature of the invention consists of means for lingering the strings of the instrument when it is moved relative to a convenient support independent of the instrument; the ngering means being attached to the instrument and to the support by articulated and flexible means.

Obviously, such a device might be utilized in the playing of various string instruments and in the following specification' and in the accompanying drawings, it, has been disclosed in association with a guitar for the purposes of illustration only.

The invention consists of the construction, the parts and the combination of parts and details of arrangement as will bemore fully described hereinafter and shown in the accompanying drawings, in which one form of the invention is illustrated, and in which drawing,

Figurev 1 is a perspective view of the in- Strument and thedevice applied thereto;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the device as applied to the neck of a guitar on an enlarged scale to show the parts in detail;

Fig. 8 is a plan view of the device; and

Fig. 4 is adiagrammatic view illustrating a portion of the neck ofV a guitar and designating the strings as tuned for the playing of Hawaiian music. Y

'Fig 5 is a cross-section on line 5 5 of Fig. 2.

In the drawing a guitar is shown as having the usual strings S of which the rst three are tuned to give C. A and F, respectively, one change in`-tbe tonic chord A, for instance, being produced by the simultaneous contact or depression of the A string at the first fret and the C string at the second fret; another being produced by the simultaneous depression of the A string at the first fret and the 1F string at the second fret; another by the-simultaneous depression of the F `-A- C strings at the second fret, and a fourthand minor being secured by depressing C f string at the second fret while A and F are left open. To produce these various changes while playing guitar music in Hawaiian style, I have devised a fingering or stop member or block 4 which preferably is relatively thick and may be made of any material though steel is preferred. The block 4 is approximately triangular in plan view and is provided at its narrow end withan abutting ridge 5 and at its Wider end with abutting ridge 6 spaced in such relation to each other that when the block 4 is mounted in suitable position upon the neck ofv a guitar the fretting ridge 5 is adapted to stand over or adjacent the first fret 2 and the ridge 6 is adapted to stand ad jacent the second fret designated 3 so that upon movement of the block 4.- with relation to the strings C, A and F the various desired chords may be produced. The block e' may be conveniently and readily attached to the neck of the guitar by any simple and suitable means as a clamp here shown as comprising a plate 7 having a band orother suitable or resilient clamping portion 8 which may be passed around' the lower portion of the neck of the guitar so as to removably but firmly hold the-plate 7 in position between the first and second :frets of the. guitar neck. The plate 7 is provided with an upwardly pro.

connected to the block 4 by a ball and socket ]oint 10, permitting lingering movement of the block to selectivel)v engage the glven strings at predetermined positions.

To control and secure the proper relative lingering movement of the block 4 during the playing of the instrument,- the block is connected by any suitable means to a relatively stationary structure shown here as a support or stand 12 which the player may position convenient-ly with relation to the neck of the instrument, thestand 12 having` an arm 13 which may be suitably adjusted upon the stand 12 and whichis provided at its outer end with a connector, 14 preferably of rubber, designed to be readily connected to the block 4. The connector 14 whichpro vides for articulation is provided in this instance with a socket 15 to receive the up Wardly projecting stem 16 formed on or suitably secured to the -top of the block i.

When the clamp plate 7 has been arranged upon the neck of the ,quitar between the irst and second frets as shownin Fig. 2. the

'block is then held with its ridge portions 5' and 6 respectivelyv over the strings and adjacent to the first and second frets and the portion 5 stands above the string A while the portion 6 extends above. and crosses the- Strings C, F and A at the second fret. The spacing of the points of the

fretting ridges

5 and 6 above the strings ma)1 be readily adjusted by any simple and suitable means shown for instance as comprising a screw 17 which may form; a portionof the ball and socket joint 10, the screw being threaded in the block orblock 4 so that adjustment of it will cause the latterto be lifted or lowered relatively to the strings.

During the playing of the instrument. the operation is substantially as follows. The guitar is placed across the knees of the player, thev stand 12 arranged at the neckV .of the instrument in a suitable position, and the socketor connector 14 is coupled into the connected portion 16 of the block 4 after the latter has been previously connected to the neckV of the guitar by the adjustment of the clamp or plate 7 thereon. With the strings turned as before mentioned and all of them in the open' position, the passage of the picker across the firstthree strings produces a major triad or tonic chord in the key of F. To produce a change in this chord by tretting the string A at the rst fret and the string C at the second fret, the operatorl simply has to gently laterally swing or sway the neck of the guitar relative to the stand l2 so as to cause the

retting ridges

5 and 6 to respectively enga-ge and depress the string A at the irstfret and the string C at the second fret. thus leaving the string F open. To produce another change in this tOilc chord, the string A may be depressed String A at the I'irst fret and the string F at the second fret; to produce another change A in the chord, the operator simply has to more the guitar longitudinally forward as to cause the rear retting edge 6 of the stop block to simultaneously engage and depress the strings F, A and C at the second fret; to produce a relative minor it is only necessary for the operator to slightly sway the guitar neck so that theA retting ridge 6 of the block will depress the string C at the second fret, lea-ving all of the remaining strings open. A

' vFrom the foregoing it will be seen that l have provided a very simple, practicable, vinexpensive Vand readily operated means for variously fretting the strings of the instrument to produce the dii'erent chords which may be required in the playingr or' music as above mentioned. Moreover, the device is at the first fret and the string F at the secof such nature that it may be connected to a guitar or other instrument to be played without in any ayin'juring the surface or requiring any a terations to the instrument.

Manifestly various changes in the details of construction, the arrangement of the parts and their sizes and proportions may be readily resorted to within the principle of the present invention and the appended claims.

While the device has been shown as applied to the instrument for the playing et the tonic chord in Fand related chords on the iii-st and second frets of the instrument, ot course the device will operate with equal facility in other positions on the strings and may be designed so as to produce various other chords which may be desired according to the nature of the instrument to be fretted and the relative differences in the strings.

lVhat is claimedas new is 1. A device for lingeringr or stopping strings of a musical instrument, comprising a .support independent of the instrument, a stoppingr block having flexible connection with the support and engageable with the strings. and articulated means for connecting the said block to the instrument, whereby upon relative movement of the instru'- `ment and the support the block enga-ges the by upon relative movement of the instrument and the support the block engages the strings at desired positions.

3. A device for fretting or stopping strings of a musical instrument, comprising a support independent of the instrument, a stopping block attached to the said support, and a clamp connected by a universal joint to said block and adapted for attachment to the instrument, whereby when the device is applied, upon the movement of the instrument relative to said element, the stopping block is tilted to stop desired strings at given frets or positions.

4. A device for fretting or stopping strings of a musical instrument, comprising a support independent of the instrument, a stopping block movably attached to the said support, and a clamp connected by a universal joint to said block and adapted for attachment to the instrument, Whereby, when the device is applied, upon the movement of the instrument relative to said element, the stopping block is tilted to stop desired strings at given frets or` positions.

5. In combination with a stringed musical instrument; a retting block, a clamp upon which it is mounted for universal rocking movement and which is detachablj,1 connected to the instrument, and means independent of the instrument, connected to the block so that upon relative movement of said means and instrument the block is rocked to selectiveljv7 engage the strings.

6. A device for fretting a stringed musical instrument, comprising a stand, an arm adjustable thereon and having a socket mem ber, a fretting block detachably connected to the socket member. and a clamp on which the block is pivoted and which is attachaole to the neck of the instrument.l

7. A device for retting or fingering a stringed musical instrument, comprising a fretting block, means for connecting the block to the instrument for universal pivotal movement above the strings, a stand, and means for connecting the stand and said block, whereby upon movement of the instrument relative to the stand, the block is rocked.

8. A device for fretting or lingering a stringed musical instrument, comprisi o' a fretting block, means on Which the bloc is mounted for universal pivotal movement, and adapted for clamping engagement with the instrument, and means for bodily7 adjusting the block toward or from the clamp ing means.

In testimony whereof ailix my signature.

ELMER S. TANQUARY.