TWELVE-TONE-ROW MODULATOR

• US 3,752,031 A
• Filed: 08/05/1971
• Issued: 08/14/1973
• Est. Priority Date: 08/05/1971
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Istvan Mohos
• Original Assignee: Istvan Mohos
• Inventors: Mohos, Istvan
• Primary Examiner(s): Wilkinson, Richard B.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Franklin, Lawrence R.
• Application Number:
  US05/169,379
• Time in Patent Office: 740 Days
• Field of Search: 84/470-474,477-480,482
• US Class Current: 84/471.00R
• CPC Class Codes: G10G 1/02 Chord or note indicators, fixed or adjustable, for keyboard of fingerboards

Abstract

A modulator for visual manipulation of twelve-tone-row sequences of musical notes includes a base plate having letter names of musical notes arranged on its face in 12 vertical columns and at least 24 horizontal rows, and a square template divided into 12 vertical columns and 12 horizontal row of squares. The template is punched in selected squares to provide windows in the order of a selected twelve-tone-row sequence and is applied to the face of the base plate in its original position or in inverted or rotated positions to present visual readings of the twelve-tone-row or its retrogrades, inversions or transpositions.

Claims

1. A modulator for visual manipulation of twelve-tone-rows of musical pitches, comprising an elongated base plate and a template in superimposed position on said base plate, said base plate having a face with letter names of musical notes arranged in 12 vertical columns thereon, the noteS in each column being arranged in chromatic order of scales, with identical notes of said columns arranged in horizontal rows, said template having divisions formed thereon arranged in 12 vertical columns and 12 horizontal rows corresponding in size and spacing to the vertical columns and horizontal rows of said base plate, and windows selectively formed in said template at intersections of said columns and rows such that each row and each column has only one window formed therein, said template being adapted to be turned in the plane of its front surface relative to said base plate to change the position of its edges, and to be reversed relative to said base plate to locate within said windows inversions, retrogrades and retrograde inversions of said selected twelvetone-row sequence of notes.

2. A modulator according to claim 1 in which the 12 vertical columns of notes on said base plate are spaced apart by equal distances, and the horizontal rows of notes on said base plate are spaced apart by the same distances.

3. A modulator according to claim 2 in which said template is of square shape having four equal edges and is divided into contiguous squares arranged in 12 vertical columns and 12 horizontal rows.

4. A modulator according to claim 3 in which said base plate is of elongated rectangular shape, the width of said base plate being substantially equal to the length of one of the edges of said template, and the length of said base plate being at least twice the length of one of the edges of said template.

5. A modulator according to claim 4 in which the base plate has at least 24 horizontal rows of notes arranged in said vertical columns in continuous chromatic succession.

6. A modulator according to claim 1 in which said template has a square area divided into contiguous squares arranged in 12 vertical columns and 12 horizontal rows, and in which the series of vertical columns is bordered by an additional column of 12 squares, and squares of said additional column of 12 squares, the squares of said additional column containing a sequence of respective notes arranged in chromatic order.