Method for teaching music

• US 20080041217A1
• Filed: 06/21/2007
• Published: 02/21/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
• Original Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
• Inventors: Knudsen, Craig
• Granted Patent: US 7,507,893 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 84/464R
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 15/023 Electrically operated
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 15/08 Practice keyboards for teaching typing G09B13/02

Abstract

One embodiment of the present invention relates to a method for teaching music to one or more students. The instructor'"'"'s manual operation of a musical instrument controls in real-time the illumination of guide lamps on each student'"'"'s musical instrument. This allows the students to visually connect the note to be played with the instructor'"'"'s verbal instruction and then play the visually indicated note without having to look up at the instructor or a distant display. In another embodiment, the instructor'"'"'s manual operation of his musical instrument provides a score display of the played note on each student'"'"'s musical instrument. The students can visually connect the played note with the musical notation on the score display. Remote teaching over a communication network is also described as well as a removable interface for the musical instrument to assist in teaching and use of the instrument.

Claims

1. A device for use with an electronic musical instrument, said instrument having a panel comprising a display, a plurality of panel members and panel characters corresponding to the panel members, said device comprising:

a plate having a top and bottom surface, said bottom surface adapted to be placed on the panel;

a first aperture corresponding to a first panel member such that the first panel member extends through said first aperture;

a second aperture corresponding to the display such that the display is visible through the second aperture; and

a solid section covering at least a third panel member.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein the plate is removably attached to the panel.

3. The device of claim 1 wherein the solid section can be removed to uncover the third panel member.

4. The device of claim 1 wherein the electronic musical instrument is an electronic keyboard musical instrument.

5. The device of claim 1 wherein the top surface of the plate adjacent to the first aperture is marked with a first color.

6. The device of claim 5 wherein the first color extends along the top surface of the plate from the first aperture to an area adjacent to a fourth aperture, said fourth aperture corresponding to a fourth panel member adjacent to the first panel member.

7. The device of claim 6 wherein the first and fourth panel members perform a similar function for the electronic musical instrument.

8. The device of claim 5 wherein the first color extends along the top surface of the plate from the first aperture to an area adjacent to the second aperture.

9. The device of claim 8 wherein the display displays the first color.

10. The device of claim 1 wherein the top surface of the solid section comprises characters corresponding to a panel member.

11. The device of claim 10 wherein the characters on the top surface of the solid section are not identical to the panel characters corresponding to the panel member.

12. The device of claim 11 wherein the characters on the solid section are larger than the panel characters corresponding to the panel member.

13. The device of claim 1 wherein the plate is made of plastic.

14. The device of claim 2 wherein the plate is flat.