WO1995003601A1

WO1995003601A1 - Device for selecting musical notes of chords, scales and chord progressions

Info

Publication number: WO1995003601A1
Application number: PCT/CA1994/000410
Authority: WO
Inventors: Aldo Cervato
Original assignee: D'amico, Rocco
Priority date: 1993-07-26
Filing date: 1994-07-26
Publication date: 1995-02-02
Also published as: AU7378894A; ITVI930132A1; IT1271896B; ITVI930132A0

Abstract

This invention is a musical teaching device for selecting notes of chords, scales and/or sequences of chord tonalities for chord progressions in all keys for any musical instrument, comprising a base or means of support (2, 8, 19, 29) printed on one or both sides with multiple rows of notes in ascending sequence (3, 10, 21-23, 30-37) and one or more members (14, 24, 39) that are movable relative to the means of support and that have groups of windows (15, 27, 41-43), wherein each group selects the notes of chords or scales or chord tonalities for chord progressions.

Description

DEVICE FOR SELECTING MUSICAL NOTES OF CHORDS, SCALES AND CHORD PROGRESSIONS

TECHNICAL FIELD

The following description refers to a teaching device used for selecting notes of chords, scales and chord progressions in every key.

BACKGROUND ART

At present in order to understand the composition of chords, scales and chord progressions, music students have to consult books or charts. Some slide rules have already been patented, but most of them are too complex and the amount of information they display is very limited, hence they have minimal market success.

For example, U.S. Patent No. 5,113,739 issued to Pamela J. Thomson, entitled "Music Calculator", discloses an extremely complex combination of cylindrical rings and surfaces, which work out the calculation of scales and modes.

Another example is U.S. Patent No. 5,029,507 issued to Robert A. Bezeau and Mt. Clemens, entitled "Chord Progressions Finder", featuring a slide rule where a first member slides over a second member simulating a guitar fretboard. This chart is limited to little information for stringed instruments and it is relatively difficult to read and understand.

The "Apparatus for rapid reference to musical scales", U.S. Patent No. 5,173,566 issued to Tadashi Hiraoka, consists of three concentric discs used as a reference for transposing intervals or scales. Although this device is very simple compared to those mentioned above, the amount of information provided is minimal. DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION

A first purpose of the invention is to provide a teaching tool which permits the user to select very easily, in a short time and without the need for other means, chords, chord progressions and scales, in all keys, for any musical instrument.

.Another purpose of the invention is to provide a teaching aid which can be used by any level musician, with or without knowledge of classical notation.

Another object of the present invention is to develop a device that is extremely easy to read and is capable of displaying large amounts of information in very small dimensions.

All of the objects mentioned above are achieved by a device for the selection of notes which forms chords, scales and chord progressions in all keys, and which comprises: (i) a flat support printed on one or both sides with a plurality of rows of notes in ascending sequence; and (ii) one or more members, relatively movable on one or both sides of the flat support, having a plurality of rows of windows, wherein each row is capable of selecting notes of chords or scales, or sequences of tonalities for chord progressions from the rows of notes printed on the support. Beside each row of windows there is a single window which only displays the key for the chord or scale or chord progression which the row of windows selects.

A particular embodiment of the invention provides a flat support in the shape of a disc where the rows of notes in ascending sequence are printed on it along the radii. Also, the member with the rows of windows which select chords and scales has the shape of a disc. Another embodiment of the invention has the flat support with the shape of a rectangular strip which slides inside a channel made within a base or support disc. In this case as well, the member having the rows of windows has the shape of a disc.

In a further embodiment of the invention, both the flat support printed with rows of notes and the member having the rows of windows are made with a rectangular shape.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Other characteristics and forms of the invention are explained by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 shows a first embodiment of a device according to the invention wherein the flat support of the rows of notes is a disc;

Figure 2 shows a support disc for the device, where the rows of notes in ascending sequence are printed on the radii;

Figure 2a shows in detail the printing of a double row of notes along a radius of the disc of Figure 2;

Figure 3 shows a variation of the disc of Figure 2 which is included in the device of Figure 1 ;

Figure 4 shows in detail the printing on a sector of the disc of Figure 3;

Figure 5 shows a disc with a specially shaped window adapted to show the single key note and row(s) of notes printed on a radius of the support disc; Figure 6 shows the top disc of the device of Figure 1, having rows of windows which select notes of chords or scales or sequences of tonalities for chord progressions from the rows of notes printed on the radii of the support disc;

Figure 7 shows a second embodiment of a device according to the invention;

Figure 7a shows a variation of the device of Figure 7;

Figure 8 shows the support of the rows of notes of the device of Figure 7;

Figure 9 is a detail of a portion of Figure 8;

Figure 10 shows a variation of the support for the rows of notes of

Figure 8;

Figure 11 shows a top disc having rows of windows which joins the support of Figure 8;

Figure 12 shows a further embodiment of the invention, especially devised for guitar;

Figure 13 is an enlargement of the strip of Figure 12, shaped as a guitar neck and printed with rows of notes each related to a guitar string; and

Figure 14 is an enlargement of a detail of the device of Figure 12 showing the rows of windows of the top disc which selects the notes of chords and scales. BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

With reference to the above-mentioned figures, a first embodiment of a device according to the invention is shown in Figures 1 to 6. Figure 1 shows the device in its complex, and it is indicated generally with reference number 1.

Figures 2 to 6 show various parts of the device of Figure 1. Figure

2 shows in detail a support disc indicated with number 2, where double rows of notes 3 are printed along the radii 4 of the support disc.

Figure 2a shows in detail two rows of notes 5 and 6 extended over the octave, printed along each radius 4 of the disc 2. Above the rows <* of notes there is the name of a single note 7, which is the starting note of the row of notes.

Each row of notes, along each radius 4 of the disc, starts from a different key in a chromatic series.

The disc 2 with double rows of notes is used especially for selecting the notes of scales or sequences of tonalities for chord progressions.

When the device of Figure 1 is only used for chords, the support disc of Figure 2 is substituted by disc 8 of Figures 1 and 3, where along each radius 9 is printed only a single row of notes 10 accompanied by a single note 11 which indicates the key (see Figure 4).

The device shown in Figure 1 , having the support disc 2 or 8 depending on whether it is used for scales or chords, includes a middle facultative disc 12, shown in Figure 5, which rotates on the same axis as the disc 2 or 8. The disc 12 has a specially shaped window 13 which displays the row(s) of notes used for selecting the notes of chords or scales accordingly. The device of Figure 1 also includes disc 14 overlapping the base disc 2 or 8 and the middle disc 12. The disc 14 rotates on the same axis as the other discs and has rows of windows 15 along each radius for selecting notes of chords or scales, depending on whether it is overlapping the disc 2 or 8. All of the discs are connected at their centres by a pivot or means, such as a grommet, for allowing rotation about the axis.

With reference to Figure 1, which shows the device 1 comprising the disc 8 where are printed the rows of notes, the middle disc 12 having the window 13 and the top disc 14 providing the rows of windows 15, it is now possible to understand how the device selects the notes of chords or scales:

The user first rotates the middle disc 12 over the disc 8 to select the desired key 7, 11 (for example, "F" as in Figure 2a or "C" as in Figure 4), which is displayed through the window 13, then rotates the top disc 14 until the type of chord 17 written above the related row of windows 15 matches the selected key. The notes of the desired chord are then clearly displayed. Examples of the writing 17 on the top disc 14 identifying the chord type include: "Minor 9", "Minor 6", "Minor" and "13".

The above description highlights the extremely easy way such a device displays the notes of any chord in any key, or any scale and chord progressions, depending on whether the device includes the base disc 2 or 8 and whether the rows of windows on the disc 14 are specific for chords, scales or chord progressions.

As an advantage, a base disc printed with the characteristics of the disc 2 on one side and the disc 8 on the other side could be constructed and used so that, with a single device, on a first side it will be possible to select notes of chords, while on the other side, it will be possible to select notes of scales and chord progressions.

A further embodiment of the invention is represented in Figure 7 where its complex is indicated by 18. Its parts are shown in detail in Figures 8 to 11. Here, the flat support printed with rows of notes is a rectangular strip 19 which slides back and forward inside a channel within a support disc 20.

In Figure 9 the strip specific for chords is printed with two rows of notes in ascending chromatic sequence 21 and 22, where the top row 21 is extended only for an octave and the other row 22 is extended over two octaves. Figure 10 shows a variation of Figure 9 wherein the strip is specifically used for scales and chord progressions. It comprises three rows of notes in ascending chromatic sequence where the top row 21 is extended for an octave while the other rows 23 and 123 are extended over two octaves. The top row of notes of both Figures 9 and 10 will display only a note when overlapped by a group of windows 27 of a top disc 24, shown in Figure 11. Each group of windows 27 comprises a single window 25 and a row of windows 26. The single window 25 displays a single note from the top row of notes 21 shown in Figures 9 and 10, which indicates the key for the chord, scale or chord progression. The rows of windows generally indicated by 26 will display the notes of chords, scales or sequences of tonalities for chord progressions selected from the rows of notes 22 or 23 and 123, depending on whether the strip 19 is the one of Figure 9 for chords or the one of Figure 10 for scales and chord progressions. Examples of writing on the top disc 24 identifying the notes displayed through the rows of windows 26 include: "Minor", "Major" and "Dim 7".

In this case as well, it is possible to see that the two devices for chords or scales described above could be compacted into one device with two sides, one for chords and one for scales, with single base disc 20, where the strip 19 is printed on a first side with the scales of Figure 9 and on the other side with the scales of Figure 10. Of course, on the two opposite sides the disc 24 will represent chords on the side where the strip 19 is printed as in Figure 9 and scales where the strip is printed as in Figure 10. All discs are connected at their centres or along the rim of a central hole by a pivot or means for allowing rotation. - 7A -

The device of Figure 7 may appear simplified compared to the device of Figure 1. But both devices do approximately the same operations and have similar production costs.

Figure 7a shows a variation of the device of Figure 7 where the strip 19 of Figure 7 has the shape of a disc, indicated by 19a, and it is printed

- 8 - with the same rows of notes as the strip 19. Such a disc has a channel 19b where the pivot of the discs 24 can slide parallel to the rows of notes so that any row of windows can be positioned on the desired key.

Figure 12 shows another variation of the invention, especially devised for chords and scales for guitar. The device is indicated in its complex with number 28, and Figures 13 and 14 shows details of Figure 12.

The device of Figure 12 displays notes of chords and scales in all keys and also displays the position of such notes along each guitar string related to a fret number. The device- comprises a support strip with the shape of a guitar neck 29 printed with a plurality of rows of notes in ascending chromatic sequence as described for the device of Figure 7. But in this case, the two rows of notes are accompanied by other rows of notes related to the guitar strings and two lines of numbers which indicate the numbers of the frets of a guitar.

Figure 13 shows the strip 29 which is printed with two rows of notes 30 and 31 which are used to select the key and the notes of the chord or scale. Under the rows of notes 30 and 31, the reference number 310 indicates a line of numbers in two sequences: 12 to 23 and 0 to 15, where each number is related to a fret of the guitar fretboard. Rows of notes indicated by reference numbers 32, 33, 34, 35, 36 and 37 have notes printed in the same order as the notes of the strings along the guitar fretboard.

Below the rows of notes 32-37 is printed another line of numbers 370 in sequence 0 to 24 corresponding to the top numbers of frets for a guitar. The strip 29 slides into a channel within a support disc 38 printed with a guitar shape on one or both sides. Over disc 38 and rotating on the same axis (pivot) is a disc 39 having groups of windows 40 on each radius, each group comprising: (i) a single window 41 used to display the key for the chord or scale which is selected from the notes of the row of notes 30 printed on the strip 29; (ii) a row of windows 42 which selects the notes for the type of chord or scale in the chosen - 9 - key from the notes of the row of notes 31; (iii) a first extended window 510 which displays the two sequences of reference number 310 relating to the guitar frets which are simulated by columns 60; (iv) a plurality of rows of windows 43 having the same number as the simulated guitar strings, wherein each row of windows is related to a particular string (The example depicted shows 6 rows of windows indicated with 51, 52, 53, 54, 55 and 56.); and (v) a second extended window 560 showing the lower line of fret numbers 370 related to the guitar frets 60. In this way each window of the rows of windows 43 is related to a particular guitar string and a particular guitar fret.

A didactic advantage is offered by the teaching device 28 of Figure

12, which displays the notes of chords and scales in every key, and furthermore displays every position of such notes along the guitar fretboard.

To select a chord or a scale using any of the devices of Figures 7, 7a and 12, the user only has to choose a key by sliding forward or back the support printed with the rows of notes and then to turn the disc with the rows of windows to choose the type of chord or scale desired. The notes of the chord or scale are then clearly displayed.

In a possible variation of all of the embodiments described above, the single window for selecting and displaying a key, the rows of windows or the groups of windows 15, 27, 41, 42, 43 include transparent material having printed thereon graphic symbols such as circles, symbols representing fingers of a hand or the like.

Claims

- 10 - CLAIMS

1. A device for selecting musical notes of chords or scales or sequences of chord tonalities for chord progressions in a plurality of keys comprising: a flat support (2, 8, 19, 19a, 29) printed on at least one side with rows of notes in ascending sequence (3, 10, 21, 22, 23, 123, 30-37); and at least one slidable member (14, 24, 39) overlapping the flat support and having groups of windows (15, 27, 42-43); wherein each group of windows is adapted for selecting and displaying the notes of a particular chord or scale or sequences of tonalities for a chord progression; wherein each group of windows comprises a single window (13, 25,

41) for selecting and displaying a key and one or more rows of windows (16, 26,

42) for displaying the notes of chords or scales or sequences of chord tonalities for chord progressions, the notes relating to the selected key; and wherein the notes displayed by each window are selected from the row of notes printed on the flat support.

2. A device for selecting notes as claimed in claim 1: wherein the flat support printed with rows of notes in ascending sequence is a disc (2, 8); wherein the rows of notes are printed in ascending sequence on radii (4, 9) of the disc; wherein each row of notes starts from a different key in chromatic series; and wherein each row of notes is accompanied by a separate single note

(11) which indicates the key.

3. A device for selecting notes as claimed in claim 2, wherein each row of notes (5) is associated with another row of notes (6) such that the device is adapted for selecting and displaying notes of scales or chord progressions. - 11 -

4. A device for selecting notes as claimed in claim 2 or 3: wherein the at least one slidable member having the groups of windows is a disc; and wherein the device includes a slidable middle disc (12) which rotates underneath and on the same axis as the disc having the groups of windows, the middle disc having: (i) a window (13) for selecting and displaying a key note and associated row(s) of notes for chords or scales or chord progressions that are printed on the flat support disc, and (ii) a diameter smaller than the flat support disc and larger than the disc having the groups of windows, such that the key note is able to be read through the middle disc window (13).

5. The device of claim 4, wherein the support disc, the middle disc and the disc having the groups of windows are connected at a pivot point by connecting means that allows rotation about the axis.

6. A device for selecting notes as claimed in claim 1, wherein the flat support printed with the rows of notes is a strip (19) printed on at least one side with at least two rows of notes in ascending chromatic sequence, a first row (21) extending over one octave, and other row(s) (22, 23, 123) extending over two octaves; and wherein the strip can be slid back and forward in a channel within the support disc (20).

7. The device of claim 6, wherein the strip is generally rectangular.

8. A device for selecting musical notes as claimed in claim 1, wherein the flat support is a disc having a strip printed with rows of notes in ascending sequence (19a); wherein the at least one slidable member having the groups of windows is a disc; wherein the flat support disc and the disc having the groups of windows are connected at a pivot point by connecting means that allows rotation of the discs about the pivot; and - 12 - wherein the flat support disc has an extended window (19b) in which the pivot can be slid such that each row of windows moves in parallel over the rows of notes printed on the flat support.

9. A device for selecting musical notes as claimed in claim 6: wherein the strip is printed on at least one side with:

(i) two rows of notes in ascending chromatic sequence (30, 31); (ii) a group of rows of notes (32-37), each row corresponding to a guitar string; and (iii) two lines of numbers (310, 370) where each number is related to a guitar fret; wherein the at least one slidable member having the groups of windows is a disc and the groups of windows are arranged along radii of the disc; and wherein each group of windows (40) on each radius comprises: (i) a single window (41) for selecting and displaying the key for the chord or scale; (ii) a row of windows (42) for displaying the notes of the chord or scale in the selected key; (iii) a group of windows (43) arranged in rows (51-56), each row related to a guitar string such that each row of windows displays the notes of scales or chords related to a fret number displayed through a pair of extended windows; (iv) a first window of the pair of extended windows (510) for displaying the numbers of the frets represented by columns (60) perpendicular to the rows; and

(v) a second window of the pair of extended windows (560) for displaying the numbers (370) indicating other fret positions where any note displayed through any window can be found.

10. The device of claim 9, wherein the strip (29) has the shape of a guitar neck and the channel has a guitar shape. - 13 -

11. A device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the flat support disc is printed on a first side (8) with at least 12 rows of notes in ascending sequence, each row printed on a radius of the flat support disc such that the first side can be used for selecting the notes of chords, and wherein a second side (2) has at least 12 double rows of notes in ascending sequence, each double row printed along radii of the flat support disc such that the second side can be used for selecting the notes of scales and chord progressions.

12. A device as claimed in claim 6, wherein the strip (19) is printed on a first side with two rows of notes (21, 22), a first row (21) extending over an octave and a second row (22) extending over two octaves, such that the first side can be used for selecting the notes of chords, and wherein a second side of the strip is printed with a first row of notes (21) extending over an octave and second and third rows of notes (23, 123) each extending over two octaves such that the second side can be used for selecting the notes of scales and sequences of tonalities for chord progressions.

13. A device as claimed in claim 9, wherein the strip (29) that is slidable in the channel within the support disc (38) is printed on each side with rows of notes (30-37), such that a first side of the strip is used for selecting notes of chords, and a second side of the strip is used for selecting notes of scales or chord progressions.

14. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein a rectangular flat support printed with rows of notes is slidable within a second rectangular member having rows of windows, such that each row of windows overlaps a row of notes.

15. A device as claimed in any of claims 1 to 14, wherein at least one window of the groups of windows (15, 27, 42, 43) includes transparent material having a graphic symbol printed thereon.