Electronic musical instrument with means for generating accompaniment and melody sounds with different tone colors

• US 4,476,766 A
• Filed: 01/05/1984
• Issued: 10/16/1984
• Est. Priority Date: 02/04/1980
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Casio Computer Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Casio Computer Company Limited
• Inventors: Ishii, Hiroshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Witkowski, S. J.
• Application Number:
  US06/568,283
• Time in Patent Office: 285 Days
• Field of Search: 84/1.01, 84/1.03, 84/1.11-1.13, 84/1.17, 84/1.19-1.21, 84/1.24, 84/1.28, 84/DIG. 12, 84/DIG. 22
• US Class Current: 84/610
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/0041 in coded form

Abstract

Predetermined performance keys in a group for a low octave section are used as read-out keys for reading out accompaniment memorized in a first memory, and the other keys in the keyboard are used as read-out keys for reading out melody memorized in a second memory. The read-out accompaniment and melody contents are reproduced with a first tone color designated by a first tone color designation switch given to the accompaniment and a second tone color designated by a second tone color designation switch given to the melody.

Claims

1. An electronic keyboard musical instrument comprising:

a keyboard having a plurality of performance keys, each of said performance keys being associated with a musical tone of a given pitch;

memory means for storing successive musical pitch codes in successive address areas, said successive musical pitch codes representing a musical piece;

control means coupled to said keyboard and including;

function setting means for dividing said performance keys of said keyboard in a plurality of groups as pitch code reading instruction keys; and

means coupled to said function setting means for addressing said memory means successively in accordance with operations of said performance keys set as said pitch code reading instruction keys so as to read out the successive musical pitch codes from said memory means;

tone color setting means coupled to said control means for setting different tone colors for tones to be generated by the operations of respective groups of pitch code reading instruction keys; and

tone generating means coupled to said control means and to said tone color setting means for generating tones having tone colors set by said tone color setting means, and pitches of said generated tones being determined by the read-out successive musical pitch codes, and not by the pitches of the operated pitch code reading instruction keys.

2. The electronic keyboard musical instrument of claim 1, wherein:

said plurality of performance keys of said keyboard are divided into a first key group comprising keys in a low octave section and a second key group comprising the other keys; and

said memory means includes a first memory for storing the pitch codes of the accompaniment of a musical piece being read out with the operation of said first key group and a second memory for storing the pitch codes of the melody of the musical piece being read out with the operation of the said second key group.

3. The electronic keyboard musical instrument of claim 1, wherein said memory means includes means for storing pitch codes of the musical piece supplied from an external input means.

4. The electronic keyboard musical instrument of claim 2, wherein said function setting means includes a function switch having a plurality of contacts and which is settable at first, second and third set positions for permitting writing of the content of performance with the operation of performance keys in said first memory in said first set position of said function switch, writing the content of performance with the operation of performance keys in said second memory in said second set position of said function switch, and reading of pitch codes written in said first and second memories with the operation of performance keys respectively belonging to first and second groups for reproduction of recorded sounds with different tone colors provided for the individual groups in said third set position of said function switch.

5. The electronic keyboard musical instrument of claim 4, wherein said memory means includes means for storing pitch codes of the musical piece supplied from an external input means.

6. The electronic keyboard musical instrument of claim 4, wherein:

said tone color setting means includes first and second tone color setting switches; and

said tone generating means includes;

first tone generating means coupled to said first tone color setting switch for producing a first tone signal according to pitch code read out from said first memory, said first tone signal having a first tone color designated by said first tone color setting switch; and

second tone generating means coupled to said second tone color setting switch for producing a second tone signal according to a pitch code read out from said second memory, said second tone signal having a second tone color designated by said second tone color setting switch.

7. The electronic keyboard musical instrument of claim 2, wherein:

said tone color setting means includes first and second tone color setting switches; and

said tone generating means includes;

first tone generating means coupled to said first tone color setting switch for producing a first tone signal according to pitch code read out from said first memory, said first tone signal having a first tone color designated by said first tone color setting switch; and

second tone generating means coupled to said second tone color setting switch for producing a second tone signal according to a pitch code read out from said second memory, said second tone signal having a second tone color designated by said second tone color setting switch.

8. An electronic keyboard musical instrument comprising:

a keyboard having a plurality of performance keys, each of said performance keys being associated with a musical tone of given pitch;

function setting means for dividing said performance keys of said keyboard in a plurality of groups as pitch code reading instruction keys;

a plurality of memory means, each memory means storing successive musical pitch codes in successive address areas, said successive musical pitch codes representing a musical piece;

addressing means coupled to said function setting means and to said keyboard, for addressing said respective memory means in accordance with operations of respective groups of pitch code reading instruction keys;

tone color setting means coupled to said function setting means for setting different tone colors for tones to be generated by the operations of respective groups of pitch code reading instruction keys; and

tone generating means coupled to said addressing means and to said tone color setting means for generating tones having tone colors set by said tone color setting means, and the pitches of said generated tones being determined.

9. The electronic keyboard musical instrument of claim 8, wherein:

said plurality of performance keys of said keyboard are divided into a first key group comprising keys in a low octave section and a second key group comprising the other keys; and

said plurality of memory means include a first memory means for storing the pitch codes of the accompaniment of a musical piece being read out with the operation of said first key group and a second memory means for storing the pitch codes of the melody of the musical piece being read out with the operation of the said second key group.

10. The electronic keyboard musical instrument of claim 9, wherein said function setting means includes a function switch having a plurality of contacts and which is settable at first, second or third set positions to permit writing of the content of performance with the operation of performance keys in said first memory means in said first set position of said function switch, writing the content of performance with the operation of performance keys in said second memory means in said second set position of said function switch, and reading of pitch codes written in said first and second memory means with the operation of performance keys respectively belonging to first and second groups for reproduction of recorded sounds with different tone colors provided for the individual groups in said third set position of said function switch.

11. The electronic keyboard musical instrument of claim 9, wherein:

said tone color setting means include first and second tone color setting switches; and

said tone generating means includes;

first tone generating means coupled to said first tone color setting switch for producing a first tone signal according to a pitch code read out from said first memory means, said first tone signal having a first tone color designated by said first tone color setting switch; and

second tone generating means coupled to said second tone color setting switch for producing a second tone signal according to a pitch code read out from said second memory means, said second tone signal having a second tone color designated by said second tone color setting switch.

12. An electronic keyboard musical instrument comprising:

a keyboard having a plurality of performance keys, said plurality of performance keys being divided into a first key group comprising keys in lower pitch section and a second key group comprising keys in higher pitch section;

first memory means for storing pitch codes of the accompaniment of a musical piece in successive address areas, said pitch codes being read out with the operation of said first key group;

second memory means for storing pitch codes of the melody of the musical piece in successive address areas, said pitch codes being read out with the operation of said second key group;

tone color setting means for setting different tone colors for tones to be generated by the operations of respective key groups;

first tone generating means coupled to said first memory means and to said tone color setting means, for producing a first tone signal having a first tone color designated by said tone color setting means and the pitch of said first tone signal being determined by the read-out successive musical pitch code, and not by the pitch code of the operated pitch code reading instruction keys; and

second tone generating means coupled to said second memory means and to said tone color setting means, for producing a second tone signal having a second tone color designated by said tone color setting means, and the pitch of said second tone signal being determined by the read-out successive musical pitch code, and not by the pitch of the operated pitch code reading instruction keys.

13. An electronic keyboard musical instrument comprising:

a keyboard having a plurality of performance keys, each of said performance keys being associated with a musical tone of a given pitch;

memory means for storing successive musical pitch codes;

control means coupled to said keyboard including;

function setting means for dividing said performance keys of said keyboard in a plurality of groups as pitch code reading instruction keys; and

means coupled to said function setting means for addressing said memory means successively in accordance with operations of said performance keys set as said pitch code reading instruction keys so as to read out the successive musical pitch codes from said memory means;

tone color setting means coupled to said control means for setting different tone colors for respective groups of pitch code reading instruction keys; and

tone generating means coupled to said control means and to said tone color setting means for generating tones having pitches corresponding to the read-out successive musical pitch codes and having tone colors set by said tone color setting means;

said plurality of performance keys of said keyboard being divided into a first key group comprising keys in a low octave section and a second key group comprising the other keys;

said memory means including a first memory for storing the pitch codes of the accompaniment of a musical piece being read out with the operation of said first key group and a second memory for storing the pitch codes of the melody of the musical piece being read out with the operation of the said second key group; and

said function setting means including a function switch having a plurality of contacts and which is settable at first, second and third set positions for permitting writing of the content of performance with the operation of performance keys in said first memory in said first set position of said function switch, writing the content of performance with the operation of performance keys in said second memory in said second set position of said function switch, and reading of pitch codes written in said first and second memories with the operation of performance keys respectively belonging to first and second groups for reproduction of recorded sounds with different tone colors provided for the individual groups in said third set position of said function switch.

14. The electronic keyboard musical instrument of claim 13, wherein said memory means includes means for storing pitch codes of the musical piece supplied from an external input means.

15. The electronic keyboard musical instrument of claim 13, wherein:

said tone color setting means includes first and second tone color setting switches; and

said tone generating means includes;

first tone generating means coupled to said first tone color setting switch for producing a first tone signal according to pitch code read out from said first memory, said first tone signal having a first tone color designated by said first tone color setting switch; and

second tone generating means coupled to said second tone color setting switch for producing a second tone signal according to a pitch code read out from said second memory, said second tone signal having a second tone color designated by said second tone color setting switch.

16. An electronic keyboard musical instrument comprising:

a keyboard having a plurality of performance keys, each of said performance keys being associated with a musical tone of given pitch;

function setting means for dividing said performance keys of said keyboard in a plurality of groups as pitch code reading instruction keys;

a plurality of memory means, each memory means storing successive musical pitch codes;

addressing means coupled to said function setting means and to said keyboard, for addressing said respective memory means in accordance with operations of respective groups of pitch code reading instruction keys;

tone color setting means coupled to said function setting means for setting different tone colors for respective groups of pitch code reading instruction keys; and

tone generating means coupled to said addressing means and to said tone color setting means for generating tones having pitches corresponding to the read-out successive musical pitch codes and having tone colors set by said tone color setting means;

said plurality of performance keys of said keyboard being divided into a first key group comprising keys in a low octave section and a second key group comprising the other keys;

said plurality of memory means including a first memory means for storing the pitch codes of the accompaniment of a musical piece being read out with the operation of said first key group and a second memory means for storing the pitch codes of the melody of the musical piece being read out with the operation of the said second key group; and

said function setting means includes a function switch having a plurality of contacts and which is settable at first, second or third set positions to permit writing of the content of performance with the operation of performance keys in said first memory means in said first set position of said function switch, writing the content of performance with the operation of performance keys in said second memory means in said second set position of said function switch, and reading of pitch codes written in said first and second memory means with the operation of performance keys respectively belonging to first and second groups for reproduction of recorded sounds with different tone colors provided for the individual groups in said third set position of said function switch.