US3694562A - Automatic ensemble device for a keyboard electronic musical instrument - Google Patents

Automatic ensemble device for a keyboard electronic musical instrument Download PDF

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Publication number
US3694562A
US3694562A US133320A US3694562DA US3694562A US 3694562 A US3694562 A US 3694562A US 133320 A US133320 A US 133320A US 3694562D A US3694562D A US 3694562DA US 3694562 A US3694562 A US 3694562A
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US
United States
Prior art keywords
chord
melody
key switch
keys
switch circuit
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
US133320A
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English (en)
Inventor
Ryo Hiyma
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Nippon Gakki Co Ltd
Original Assignee
Nippon Gakki Co Ltd
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Filing date
Publication date
Priority claimed from JP45031217A external-priority patent/JPS501747B1/ja
Priority claimed from JP45031216A external-priority patent/JPS501746B1/ja
Application filed by Nippon Gakki Co Ltd filed Critical Nippon Gakki Co Ltd
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Publication of US3694562A publication Critical patent/US3694562A/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • G—PHYSICS
    • G10—MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS; ACOUSTICS
    • G10H—ELECTROPHONIC MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS; INSTRUMENTS IN WHICH THE TONES ARE GENERATED BY ELECTROMECHANICAL MEANS OR ELECTRONIC GENERATORS, OR IN WHICH THE TONES ARE SYNTHESISED FROM A DATA STORE
    • G10H1/00—Details of electrophonic musical instruments
    • G10H1/36—Accompaniment arrangements
    • G10H1/38—Chord
    • G10H1/383—Chord detection and/or recognition, e.g. for correction, or automatic bass generation
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G10—MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS; ACOUSTICS
    • G10H—ELECTROPHONIC MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS; INSTRUMENTS IN WHICH THE TONES ARE GENERATED BY ELECTROMECHANICAL MEANS OR ELECTRONIC GENERATORS, OR IN WHICH THE TONES ARE SYNTHESISED FROM A DATA STORE
    • G10H2210/00—Aspects or methods of musical processing having intrinsic musical character, i.e. involving musical theory or musical parameters or relying on musical knowledge, as applied in electrophonic musical tools or instruments
    • G10H2210/155—Musical effects
    • G10H2210/245—Ensemble, i.e. adding one or more voices, also instrumental voices
    • G10H2210/261—Duet, i.e. automatic generation of a second voice, descant or counter melody, e.g. of a second harmonically interdependent voice by a single voice harmonizer or automatic composition algorithm, e.g. for fugue, canon or round composition, which may be substantially independent in contour and rhythm
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G10—MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS; ACOUSTICS
    • G10H—ELECTROPHONIC MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS; INSTRUMENTS IN WHICH THE TONES ARE GENERATED BY ELECTROMECHANICAL MEANS OR ELECTRONIC GENERATORS, OR IN WHICH THE TONES ARE SYNTHESISED FROM A DATA STORE
    • G10H2210/00—Aspects or methods of musical processing having intrinsic musical character, i.e. involving musical theory or musical parameters or relying on musical knowledge, as applied in electrophonic musical tools or instruments
    • G10H2210/571—Chords; Chord sequences
    • G10H2210/616—Chord seventh, major or minor
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G10—MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS; ACOUSTICS
    • G10H—ELECTROPHONIC MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS; INSTRUMENTS IN WHICH THE TONES ARE GENERATED BY ELECTROMECHANICAL MEANS OR ELECTRONIC GENERATORS, OR IN WHICH THE TONES ARE SYNTHESISED FROM A DATA STORE
    • G10H2210/00—Aspects or methods of musical processing having intrinsic musical character, i.e. involving musical theory or musical parameters or relying on musical knowledge, as applied in electrophonic musical tools or instruments
    • G10H2210/571—Chords; Chord sequences
    • G10H2210/626—Chord sixth
    • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
    • Y10S—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y10S84/00—Music
    • Y10S84/04—Chorus; ensemble; celeste

Definitions

  • a first key switch circuit including key switches each [52] U.S. Cl ..84/1.l9, 84/1.24, 84/D1G. 4 having a normally open contact connected to the tone [51] Int. Cl. ..Gl0h l/02 generator of the associated tone, a normally closed [58] Field of Search ..84/1.01, 1.07, 1.08, 1.17, contact and a transfer contact, the normally closed 84/ 1.24, DIG.
  • This invention relates to a keyboard electronic musical instrument and more particularly to a keyboard electronic musical instrument provided with an automatic ensemble tone producing device.
  • a keyboard electronic musical instrument for example, an electronic organ
  • ensemble tones which constitute an additional line of melody, below or above the original melody, consisting of tones each being a member of the associated chord, thereby accomplishing harmonization to the original melody.
  • the ensemble performance has to be effected using not only one of the right hand fingers for playing melody tones and some of the left hand fingers for producing chord tones but also one or more of the remaining right hand fingers all at the same time. Therefore, the conventional electronic musical instrument has the drawbacks that the ensemble performance is considerably difiicult for beginners or middle class players and in fact can only be enjoyed by those who have accomplished advanced performance techniques.
  • melody and ensemble tones used in the ensemble performance generally have such pitches as never fail to be differentiated from each other in a predetermined degree.
  • the pitch is not limited to a predetermined degree.
  • melody tones are chosen to have either higher or lower pitches than those of the ensemble tones.
  • This invention has been accomplished in view of the above-mentioned circumstances, and is intended to provide an automatic ensemble performance device for a keyboard electronic musical instrument capable of playing desired ensemble tones simultaneously with tones of melody and chord simply by operating the keys used in producing melody tones and chord tones matched therewith.
  • an automatic ensemble device for a keyboard electronic musical instrument comprising tone generators; a first group of keys with associated keyers for playing chords; a second group of keys with associated keyers for playing melodies; a first key switch circuit including key switches each having a normally closed contact and a transfer contact, the normally closed contact being connected to the transfer contact of the key switch of an adjacent tone; and a second key switch circuit including key switches each connected to the transfer 7 contact of the key switch of a predetermined interval apart tone in the first key switch circuit and to a succeeding stage such as a tone coloring circuit.
  • FIG. 1 is a schematic circuit diagram of an automatic ensemble device for a keyboard electronic musical instrument according to an embodiment of this invention
  • FIG. 2 is a concrete circuit arrangement of the embodiment of FIG. 1;
  • FIGS. 3A and 38 respectively represent the schematic arrangements of unit switch circuits included in the first and second key switch circuits of FIG. 2;
  • FIG. 4 shows the concrete musical notations of the melody, chord and ensemble tones played by the automatic ensemble device according to the invention
  • FIGS. 5A and 5B illustrate other arrangements of the embodiment of FIG. 2;
  • FIG. 6 indicates another arrangement of the first key switch circuit
  • FIG. 7 is a schematic circuit arrangement of the first key switch circuit constituting the main part of an automatic ensemble device according to another embodiment of the invention for a keyboard electronic musical instrument.
  • FIG. 8 is a concrete circuit arrangement of a latching selector included in FIG. 7.
  • FIG. 1 is a schematic circuit arrangement of an automatic ensemble device according to an embodiment of the invention.
  • a keyboard electronic musical instrument for example, an electronic organ generally comprises tone generators 10, melody and chord performance sections 13 and 23, which include keyboards 11 and 21 having plural keys 11 to 11,, and 21 to 21, arranged in the order of musical notes in a chromatic scale and keyers 12 and 22 associated with the individual keys on the keyboards 1 1 and 21 and operated in interlocking relationship with selective depression of the corresponding keys so as to derive tone signals having predetermined pitches from the tone generators 10.
  • a keyboard electronic musical instrument has an upper and a lower keyboard
  • the upper keyboard is used as a melody keyboard 11
  • the lower keyboard is used as a chord keyboard 21.
  • the musical instrument is provided with a single keyboard, the whole of the keyboard is generally intended for melody performance, though a certain part in the lower tone region is used for chord performance.
  • the keys 11 to 11 on the keyboard 11 of the melody section 13 are selectively depressed, generally, with one of the right hand fingers to produce desired melody tones, whereas the keys 21 to 21, on the keyboard 21 of the chord section 23 are selectively depressed at the same time with some of the left hand fingers to generate desired chord tones. (In this case there are generally played bass tones in addition. Since, however, the bass tones are not essential in this invention, description thereof is omitted.)
  • a keyboard electronic musical instrument is provided with an ensemble performance section 33 of the undermentioned arrangement capable of playing simultaneously with melody and chord tones the desired ensemble tones which are well matched with the chord tones to be played and whose pitch is differentiated in a predetermined degree from that of melody tones, simply by selective depression of the melody and chord keys just as in normal melody and chord performances without carrying out the complicated, difficult finger operation required for a prior art keyboard electronic musical instrument where there is to be conducted said ensemble performance.
  • the ensemble performance section consists of a first key switch circuit 31 for selecting from the tone generators l operated at the time of chord performance, as described later, in interlocking relationship with selective depression of some of the keys on the chord keyboard 21 the preset combination tone generators which correspond to the musical notes of the chord tones to be played; and a second key switch circuit 32 for selecting from the tone generators connected with the first switch circuit 31, operated at the time of melody performance, as described later, in interlocking relationship with selective depression of one of the keys on the melody keyboard 11 and selected by said first switch circuit 31 only those tone generators which correspond to the musical tones whose pitch is lower or higher, for example, by major second, minor second, or minor third than that of the musical tones constituting melody tones.
  • FIG. 2 is a concrete circuit arrangement particularly of the ensemble section of FIG. 1 including first and second key switch circuits.
  • the first key switch circuit 311 consists of a plurality of unit switch circuits 311 to 311,- (where i denotes a given positive integer), as singled out in FIG. 3A, which are each provided with one movable contact strip 41 to 41,- operated like any of the keyer elements 22 to 22, of the chord keyers.22 in interlocking relationship with any corresponding one of the keys 21 to 21,- on the chord keyboard 21, one normally open fixed contact 42 to 42, and one normally closed fixed contact 43 to 43,.
  • the first key switches are preferably associated with the playing keys in the keyboard in such a manner that all of the same notenamed key switches (e.g., all C-switches) are simultaneously actuated by depression of a single key having that note name (e.g., C) in any octave of the keyboard.
  • all of the same notenamed key switches e.g., all C-switches
  • that note name e.g., C
  • the second key switch circuit 321 consists of a plurality of unit switch circuits 321 to 321,, as singled out in FIG. 3B, which are each provided with one movable contact strip 51, to 51,- operated like any of the keyer elements 12 to 12,- of the melody keyers 12 in interlocking relationship with any corresponding one of the keys 11, to 11, on the melody keyboard 1 l, and one normally open fixed contact 52 to 52,.
  • the normally open fixed contacts 42 to 42, of the unit switch circuits 311, to 311, of the first key switch circuit 311 are connected to the corresponding unit tone generators 10, to 10, through the corresponding lead wires W to W, bundled together.
  • the movable contact strips 41, to 41,- of said unit circuits 311 to 311, are
  • Table 1 represents the relationship of the musical notes of chord and melody tones versus those of ensemble tones (Duet), all played in the aforementioned case.
  • depression of a key corresponding to any of the musical notes F to G on the melody keyboard 11 enables an ensemble tone having a pitch corresponding to the musical note E
  • depression of a key corresponding to any of the musical notes A to C on the melody keyboard 11 enables an ensemble tone having a pitch corresponding to the musical note G to be played.
  • output signals from the keyers l2 and 22 and the second key switch circuit 321 are reproduced from a loud-speaker (not shown) through the corresponding tone coloring filters 14, 24 and 34 (which generally have different frequency characteristics for each group of several adjacent tone generators).
  • FIGS. 5A and 5B illustrate other patterns of connec- .tion between the first and second key switch circuits 31 and 32 where the ensemble tones derived from the ensemble performance section 33 are chosen to have lower pitches differentiated from those of melody tones by minor second and minor third respectively.
  • the same parts of FIGS. 5A and 5B as those of FIG. 2 are denoted by the same numerals and description thereof is omitted. I
  • Table 2 illustrates the relationship of the musical notes of the chord and melody tones versus those of ensemble tones.
  • FIG. 6 indicates another means for operating in the aforementioned manner the movable contact strips of the unit switch circuits included in the first and second key switch circuits of FIG. 2 in interlocking relationship with selective depression of the keys on the melody and chord keyboards 11 and 21.
  • the movable contact strips 61, to 61, of switches 60. to 60. associated with and actuated by the respective keys on the chord keyboard 21 are grounded through relay coils 63, to 63 respectively driving the movable contact strips 41, to 41; of the corresponding unit switch circuits 311 to 311, in FIG. 2.
  • the normally open fixed contacts 62, to 62, associated with said movable contact strips 61 to 61, are collectively connected to the ground.
  • a DC. source 6 5 The negative terminal of a DC. source 6 5 is grounded, and the positive terminal thereof is connected to the other sides of the relay coils through a normally open switch 64 which is' to be closed prior to performance when ensemble performance is required.
  • Every relay is provided with unit switches (each consisting of the movable contact strip 41,-, the normally open fixed contact 42, and the normally closed fixed contact 43,) for the same named tones in different octaves, the switches being connected one after another in a manner shown in the block 31 l in FIG. 2.
  • This circuit arrangement causes only those of the switches which correspond to the depressed keys on the chord keyboard 21 to be selectively closed so as to be connected to the DC. source 65, and in consequence only those of the relay coils 63 to 63,- which correspond to said closed switches to be also selectively energized, with the remaining relay coils kept deenergized. Accordingly, operation of the unit switch circuits 311, to 311,- can be controlled in the same manner as shown in FIG. 3A.
  • FIG. 7 is a schematic circuit arrangement of the first key switch circuit constituting the main part of an automatic ensemble device according to another embodiment of this invention for a keyboard electronic musical instrument.
  • the embodiment of FIG. 7 has a latching selector disposed between the movable contact strips 61 to 61; and the relay coils 63 to 63,-.
  • This latching selector 70 so acts as to cause the relay coils 63 to 63, to have a self-holding function so as to keep themselves selectively energized until there is depressed another combination of those keys on the chord keyboard 21 which correspond to the musical notes constituting other chord tones to be played next time, even though key depression is released after the relay coils 63 to 63 are selectively energized at the time of chord performance. 1
  • FIG. is a concrete circuit arrangement of the latching selector 70 of FIG. 7.
  • bistable flipflop circuits 701 to 701 each having two transistors as TR TR g, TRz TR22 TR TR.
  • the collectors of the transistors TR TR TR, each constituting one unit of the aforementioned groups are connected to the corresponding relay coils 63, to 63 and the collectors of the TR TR TR each constituting the other unit of I the aforementioned groups are connected to the D.C. source 65 through the corresponding resistors R R R R
  • the emitters of the former transistors TR TR TR are collectively grounded through a common choke coil L and the emitters of the latter transistors TR TR are directly grounded.
  • bistable flip-flop circuits 701 to 701 are so designed that when the corresponding switches 60, to 60, are opened, that is, under a normal condition in which there are not depressed the corresponding keys on the chord keyboard 21, the latter transistors TR to TR are turned on and the former transistors TR to TR are turned off and that when there are selectively closed said switches 60 to 60, in interlocking relationship with the depressed keys, the bistable flip-flop circuits corresponding to the closed switches present reversed conditions, causing the latter transistors TR to TR,- to be turned off and the former transistors TR to TR, to be turned on.
  • the flip-flop circuits 701 to 701,- act as to cause the corresponding exciting coils 63 to 63 to have a self-holding function so as to keep themselves selectively energized, and can continue, even after release of the depressed chord keys, the production of ensemble tones well matched with the chord tones to be played and having musical notes whose pitches are differentiated in a predetermined degree from those of the melody tones to be played.
  • the flip-flop circuits which have kept energized the relay coils corresponding to the chord tones already played reverse their conditions a second time to be brought back to the state when there is not played any chord performance, causing either group of transistors to be changed over from the ON to the OFF condition and the other group from the OFF to the ON condition, thereby stabilizing the entire apparatus. Therefore, the circuit arrangement of FIG. 8 always enables an ensemble performance corresponding to a freshly selected chord to be played exactly in the same manner as in the preceding embodiments without any obstruction.
  • the capacitor C connected between both ends of the DC. source 65 is a decoupling type intended to minimize objectionable momentary variations occurring in the voltage of said D.C. source when the flip-flop circuits 701, to 701, are switched as described above.
  • an automatic ensemble section comprising:
  • a first key switch circuit interconnected with said chord keys and operative in response to depression of chord keys to establish connections to tone generators equal in number to the number of tones in the chord and having the same letter designation;
  • a second key switch circuit interconnected with said melody keys and said first key switch circuit and operative in response to depression of said melody keys to select one of said tone generators connected to said first key switch circuit by said chord section;
  • an ensemble tone in addition to the chord and melody tones is automatically produced, said ensemble tone being always of the same letter designation as one of the tones produced by said chord section and always differing in pitch with and being in harmony with the tones produced by said melody section.
  • said first key switch circuit includes a plurality of fixed contacts connected to said tone generators, a second plurality of fixed contacts connected to said second key switch circuit and a plurality of movable switch members for bridging corresponding ones of said fixed contacts in response to depression of said chord keys, said movable switch members normally connecting said second plurality of contacts together.
  • said second key switch circuit includes a plurality of normally open switches selectively closed by depression of said melody keys and connected to said movable switch members of said first key switch circuit.

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  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Acoustics & Sound (AREA)
  • Multimedia (AREA)
  • Electrophonic Musical Instruments (AREA)
US133320A 1970-04-14 1971-04-12 Automatic ensemble device for a keyboard electronic musical instrument Expired - Lifetime US3694562A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
JP45031217A JPS501747B1 (de) 1970-04-14 1970-04-14
JP45031216A JPS501746B1 (de) 1970-04-14 1970-04-14

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DE (1) DE2117973A1 (de)
NL (1) NL161907C (de)

Cited By (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4311076A (en) * 1980-01-07 1982-01-19 Whirlpool Corporation Electronic musical instrument with harmony generation
US4508002A (en) * 1979-01-15 1985-04-02 Norlin Industries Method and apparatus for improved automatic harmonization
US5220121A (en) * 1989-05-31 1993-06-15 Yamaha Corporation Melody supplement control apparatus

Families Citing this family (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3844192A (en) * 1973-05-04 1974-10-29 Warwick Electronics Inc Chord control system for electronic organ

Citations (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2681585A (en) * 1951-11-02 1954-06-22 Hammond Organ Co Electrical musical instrument producing chorus effects
US3000252A (en) * 1953-10-09 1961-09-19 Baldwin Piano Co Electric musical instrument
US3049959A (en) * 1957-11-22 1962-08-21 Baldwin Piano Co Obtaining ensemble and celeste effects in electrical musical instruments
US3215767A (en) * 1962-01-23 1965-11-02 Baldwin Co D H Chorus effects in electronic organ
US3222447A (en) * 1961-11-20 1965-12-07 Jack C Cookerly Multiple use of wave shaping circuits for tone production
US3488515A (en) * 1965-10-08 1970-01-06 Nippon Musical Instruments Mfg Circuit arrangement for selective and durable signal coupling

Patent Citations (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2681585A (en) * 1951-11-02 1954-06-22 Hammond Organ Co Electrical musical instrument producing chorus effects
US3000252A (en) * 1953-10-09 1961-09-19 Baldwin Piano Co Electric musical instrument
US3049959A (en) * 1957-11-22 1962-08-21 Baldwin Piano Co Obtaining ensemble and celeste effects in electrical musical instruments
US3222447A (en) * 1961-11-20 1965-12-07 Jack C Cookerly Multiple use of wave shaping circuits for tone production
US3215767A (en) * 1962-01-23 1965-11-02 Baldwin Co D H Chorus effects in electronic organ
US3488515A (en) * 1965-10-08 1970-01-06 Nippon Musical Instruments Mfg Circuit arrangement for selective and durable signal coupling

Cited By (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4508002A (en) * 1979-01-15 1985-04-02 Norlin Industries Method and apparatus for improved automatic harmonization
US4311076A (en) * 1980-01-07 1982-01-19 Whirlpool Corporation Electronic musical instrument with harmony generation
US5220121A (en) * 1989-05-31 1993-06-15 Yamaha Corporation Melody supplement control apparatus

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Publication number Publication date
DE2117973A1 (de) 1971-10-28
NL161907C (nl) 1980-03-17
NL161907B (nl) 1979-10-15
NL7104946A (de) 1971-10-18

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JPS5918471Y2 (ja) 電子楽器