Automatic chord performance apparatus for a chord organ

• US 3,889,568 A
• Filed: 01/31/1974
• Issued: 06/17/1975
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/1974
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Toshiyuki Amaya
• Original Assignee: Toshiyuki Amaya
• Inventors: Amaya, Toshiyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Wilkinson, Richard B.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Witkowski, Stanley J.
• Application Number:
  US05/438,515
• Time in Patent Office: 502 Days
• Field of Search: 84/1.01,1.03,1.17,1.24,DIG.12,DIG.22
• US Class Current: 84/611
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/38 Chord
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2210/576 Chord progression
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2210/596 Chord augmented
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2210/601 Chord diminished
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2210/616 Chord seventh, major or minor
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2210/626 Chord sixth
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 84/12 Side; rhythm and percussion devices
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 84/22 Chord organs

Abstract

An automatic chord performance apparatus for a chord organ is disclosed. The apparatus includes a chord selection switch which permits the player or performer to select both the tone or root (e.g. C, C sharp, D, . . . , B) and the type of pattern (e.g. major, minor, . . . , seventh) of the chords to be played for a desired muscial composition. These selections are encoded and stored in a random access memory. The apparatus further includes a program switch operated by the player to store the sequence of musical phrases to be played back to accordance with chord patterns of the music to be performed. Memory addressing circuits controlled by the program switch and responsive to a clock-pulse generating circuit cause the chord information previously stored in the memory to be selectively read out to a decoder during the musical performance. A chord selection circuit controlled by the decoded information from the decoder then reproduces the desired chord signal. A gate circuit means giving a rhythm pattern on the chord signal provides an output to an audio amplifier and speaker system.

Claims

1. An automatic chord performance apparatus for a chord organ comprising:

a. chord selection switch means on said chord organ permitting a player to preselect chord information in accordance with a musical composition to be performed, said chord information including both chord pattern and chord tone;

b. memory means for storing said chord information as a plurality of musical phrases, each of said musical phrases comprising a plurality of bars of said musical composition;

c. program means for storing the sequence of musical phrases to be played back in accordance with chord patterns of said musical composition;

d. address means controlled by said program means and connected to said memory means for reading out said chord information;

e. tone generating means; and

f. chord selection circuit means responsive to the chord information read out of said memory means for controlling the output of said tone generating means to reproduce chord signals.

2. An automatic chord performance apparatus as recited in claim 1 further comprising gate circuit means connected to receive said chord signals and adapted to be controlled to give a rhythm pattern on said chord signals.

3. An automatic chord performance apparatus as recited in claim 2 further comprising automatic rhythm generating means synchronized with said address means and controlling said gate circuit means for generating a preselected rhythm pattern.

4. An automatic chord performance apparatus as recited in claim 2 wherein said gate circuit means is manually controlled by the player to provide said rhythm pattern.

5. An automatic chord performance apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein said chord selection means includes two groups of manually operable switches, one of said groups of switches designating chord tone information and the other of said groups of switches designating chord type information.

6. An automatic chord performance apparatus as recited in claim 5 wherein said memory means is a random access binary memory, said apparatus further including:

a. encoder means connected between said chord selection means and said memory means for encoding said chord tone and said chord type information as binary words, each of said binary words being composed of bits designating both chord tone and chord type information; and

b. decoder means connected between said memory means and said chord selection means for decoding said binary words read out under the control of said address means into chord tone and chord type information.

7. An automatic chord performance apparatus as recited in claim 6 wherein said random access binary memory has information stored therein in accordance with a Y-address and an X-address, said address means including:

a. Y-address designation circuit means controlled by said program means for generating a Y-address signal to said random access binary memory; and

b. X-address designation circuit means synchronized with said Y-address designation circuit means for generating an X-address signal to said random access binary memory, said X-address signal designating the bars in said musical phrases and said Y-address signal designating said musical phrases.

8. An automatic chord performance apparatus as recited in claim 7 wherein said program means includes a Y-address program switch means manually oPerable for setting said sequence of musical phrases to be played back.