US2449032A - Playing bar - Google Patents

Description

Sept. 7, 1942;. o, YATE 2,449,032

PLAYING BAR Filed June 5, 1945 IN V EN TOR.

Patented Sept. 7, 1948 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PLAYDNG BAR Olen H. Yates, Pontiac, Mich.

Application June 5, 1945, Serial No. 597,693

Claims. 1

This invention relates to playing bars for steel, Hawaiian, electric guitars or similar instruments wherein such a device is used, and has for its object to provide a type of playing bar adapted not only to ensure or assist a beginner in the correct holding of the bar but also to encourage the proper distribution of pressure of the bar over the strings of the instrument in playing.

The method of holding the bar and of applying pressure thereof against the strings of the instrument is of great importance in assuring correct tone from the strings and resonance from the instrument; and in the teaching of beginners especially considerable difiiculty is frequently experienced in preventing them from curling or straining the fingers in an effort to hold the bar too tightly, from extending the index finger beyond the forward end of the playing bar with consequent tendency to tilt the bar at an angle to the plane of the strings, and also from placing an undesired pressure on the rear end of the bar; and it is an object of this invention to provide a playing bar which by its construction will discourage such tendencies on the part of the beginner and assist him in acquiring a correct technique in the handling of the playing bar right from the beginning of his instruction.

Still further objects or advantages additional or subsidiary to the aforesaid objects, or resulting from the construction or operation of the invention as it may be carried into effect, will become apparent as the said invention is hereinafter further disclosed.

In carrying the said invention into effect, I may provide a playing bar of somewhat heavier section in the rear portion than in the front portion thereof, said playing bar having slightly indented sides to receive and position the thumb and second finger of the players hand, and the upper surface of the said playing bar being recessed in an arcuate manner as viewed in transverse section and progressing in a forwardly downwardly inclined manner as viewed in longitudinal section, said recess terminating at its forward end in a wall or finger stop. All of which is more particularly described and ascertained hereinafter, by way of example, having reference to the accompanying drawing, wherein Figure l is an elevation of a playing bar embodying the said invention;

Figure 2 is a plan view of the same;

Figure 3 is a plan of underside of the same;

Figure 4. is a rear end elevation of the same;

Figure 5 is a cross sectional View taken on a plane indicated by the line 5--5 in Figure 1; and

Figure 6 is a vertical longitudinal sectional View of the said playing bar.

Similar characters of reference indicate similar parts in the several figures of the drawing.

H I!) indicates in general a playing bar having the usual rounded bottom edge H for contact with the strings of a guitar or similar instrument and the sides of the bar are shown as being slightly recessed longitudinall at l2 and I3 to receive the ball of the thumb and the forward part of the second finger respectively of the player; i4 being a slightly arcuate recess running along the top of the bar to receive the first finger of the player.

The said recess I4 is terminated at the forward end of the bar by an upwardly extending wall or stop [5 against which the end of the first finger is intended to rest in a playing position, this being generally recognized as the correct position of the first finger upon the playing bar. The tendency, especially among beginners, is to project the first finger beyond the forward end of the playing bar, which habit the presence of the said stop l5 prevents. Such undue projection of the finger causes the rear end of the bar to be pushed back toward or into the palm of the hand and pressed downwardly so that proper contact of the forward end of the playing bar with the treble strings of the instrument is not made and undue pressure of the rear end of the bar on the bass strings is also brought about.

There must be a delicate balance between the pressure on the treble strings and on the bass strings, not easily acquired with the old type of playing bar heretofore used, and to further facilitate the securing and maintenance of this balance I prefer to slightly increase the weight of the rear end of the bar over that of the front end of the bar so that the center of gravity is situated toward the rear of the said bar and this. is accomplished in the present example by inclining the upper surface 14 downwardly from the rear to the front of the bar, as shown, and also by somewhat increasing the thickness of the bar at the rear end so that the body tapers slightly toward the front end. Thus there is an excess of metal in the rear half of the bar as compared with the forward half thereof.

Still further, to promote the proper finger position and pressuredistribution, I prefer to incline the forward part of the recess or finger rest surface at a greater angle to the general plane of the device than is the rear portion of such surface as will be clear from an examination of the section, Figure 6.

I prefer to make the upper surface of the bar concave to assist in positioning the first finger in correct alignment over the bar although the surface need not necessarily be so formed; and similarly the grooving or recessing of the sides of the bar is a matter of preference.

This invention may be developed within the scope of the following claims without departing i i ,l i I 3 from the essential features of the said invention, and it is desired that the specification and drawing be read as being merely illustrative of a practical embodiment of the said invention and not in a strictly limiting sense.

What I claim is:

1. In a playing bar of the type described, :a bar body having a longitudinal finger channel of substantially arcuate section along the top thereof to receive the first finger of the player, said channel terminating short of the forward end of the bar body to provide a finger 'stcpcabove the forward end of the said bar body.

2. In a playing bar of the type described, 'a-ba-r body having a longitudinal finger channel of substantially arcuate section terminating short of the forward end of said bar body to provide a finger stop at that point, andthefonward portion of said channel being slanted downwardly at an increasing angle to thehorizontal.

3. 'In a playing bar of the type described, a bar :body having a longitudinal finger channel of substantially arcuate section along :the top thereof,

said bar body being tapered forwardly to provide nel terminating short of the forward end of the bar body to provide a finger stop above the forward end of the said bar body, the forward portion of said channel being slanted downwardly at an increasing angle to the horizontal, said bar body being tapered forwardly to provide a rearwardly disposed center of gravity in said body.

5. In a playing bar of the type described, a bar body having a longitudinal finger channel of OLEN H. YATES.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name .Date

1,748,053 Blair Feb. '25, 1930 1,901,456 Carter May 16, 1933 2,184,733 Burgien Dec. 26, 1939

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