Electronic musical instrument

• US 5,322,966 A
• Filed: 12/20/1991
• Issued: 06/21/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
• Original Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
• Inventors: Shimaya, Hideaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Shoop, Jr., William M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): DONELS, JEFFREY
• Application Number:
  US07/812,576
• Time in Patent Office: 914 Days
• Field of Search: 84/610, 84/613, 84/634, 84/637, 84/633
• US Class Current: 84/637
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/38 Chord
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2210/616 Chord seventh, major or minor

Abstract

An electronic musical instrument is disclosed which is capable of performing an automatic accompaniment in response to the operation of the instrument by a performer. The disclosed electronic musical instrument comprises an operational unit consisting of multiple keys; chord determination means for determining a chord in an accompaniment based on the state of the operational unit; accompaniment pattern generation means for generating an accompaniment pattern consisting of note data representing a sequence of notes, such that the accompaniment pattern is generated by sequentially reading note data representing at least one note from a memory device in accordance with the progression of a song; a supplementary note data table for generating supplementary note data designating at least one supplementary note for the chord based on the chord type and note data, such that any supplementary note designated by the supplementary note data is a note other than notes designated by note data from the accompaniment pattern generation means; and a tone generator for generating chords consisting of tones designated by the note data from the accompaniment pattern generation means and supplementary note data. With the disclosed device, an automatic accompaniment can be generated which has a pleasing and natural harmony, and which is accomplished with efficient and economical utilization of available data storage resources.

Claims

1. An electronic musical instrument comprising:

a) chord determination means for determining a chord type of a chord;

b) accompaniment pattern generation means for generating an accompaniment pattern comprising accompaniment pattern note data representing a sequence of notes, by sequentially generating said accompaniment pattern note data;

c) supplementary note generation means for generating supplementary note data designating at least one supplementary note based on said determined chord type and said accompaniment pattern note data, such that any supplementary note designated by said supplementary note data is a note other than respective sequential notes designated by said accompaniment pattern note data from said accompaniment pattern generation means; and

d) a tone generator for generating accompaniment tones based on said accompaniment pattern note data and said supplementary note data.

4. An electronic musical instrument in accordance with claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein said accompaniment pattern note data is higher than said supplementary note data in pitch.

5. An electronic musical instrument in accordance with claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein said accompaniment pattern note data is a root of said chord.

6. An electronic musical instrument in accordance with any of claim 1, 2 or 3 further comprising an operable member connected to said chord determination means for designating said chord.

7. An electronic musical instrument in accordance with claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein said accompaniment pattern note data is lower than said supplementary note data in pitch.

8. An electronic musical instrument in accordance with claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein said accompaniment pattern generation means comprises an accompaniment pattern memory for storing said accompaniment pattern.

9. An electronic musical instrument in accordance with claim 1 to 4, 6 and 7 to 8, wherein said accompaniment pattern generation means further comprises note data conversion means for generating converted accompaniment pattern note data from said accompaniment pattern note data based on said chord type, such that aid converted accompaniment pattern note data is used by said supplementary note generation means for generating said supplementary note data.

10. An electronic musical instrument in accordance with claim 9, wherein said chord determination means further determines a root note of said chord, and wherein said supplementary note generating means designates said supplementary note data further based on said determined root note.

2. An electronic musical instrument comprising:

a) chord determination means for determining a chord type of a chord;

b) accompaniment pattern generation means for generating an accompaniment pattern comprising accompaniment pattern note data representing a sequence of notes, by sequentially generating said accompaniment pattern note data;

c) supplementary note generation means for generating supplementary note data designating at least one supplementary note based on said determined chord type and said accompaniment pattern note data, and for additionally generating tone generation delay interval data corresponding to the supplementary note data, wherein any supplementary note designated by said supplementary note data is a note other than respective sequential notes designated by said accompaniment pattern note data from said accompaniment pattern generation means; and

d) a tone generator for generating accompaniment tones based on said accompaniment pattern note data and said supplementary note data, such that a tone designated by said supplementary note data is generated later than a corresponding tone designated by said accompaniment pattern note data by a time corresponding to said tone generation delay interval data.

3. An electronic musical instrument comprising:

a) chord determination means for determining a chord type of a chord;

b) accompaniment pattern generation means for generating an accompaniment pattern comprising accompaniment pattern note data representing a sequence of notes, by sequentially generating said accompaniment pattern note data;

c) supplementary note generation means for generating supplementary note data designating at least one supplementary note for said chord based on said determined chord type and said accompaniment pattern note data, and for additionally generating volume data corresponding to the supplementary note data, wherein any supplementary note designated by said supplementary note data is a note other than respective sequential notes designated by said accompaniment pattern note data from said accompaniment pattern generation means; and

d) a tone generator for generating accompaniment tones based on said accompaniment pattern note data and said supplementary note data, such that a tone designated by said supplementary note data is generated in a tone volume corresponding to said volume data.