Bicameral scale musical instruments

• US 6,093,879 A
• Filed: 01/19/1999
• Issued: 07/25/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 01/19/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Pye T. Wilfred
• Original Assignee: Pye T. Wilfred
• Inventors: Pye, T. Wilfred
• Primary Examiner(s): Donels, Jeffrey
• Application Number:
  US09/232,588
• Time in Patent Office: 553 Days
• Field of Search: 84/645, 84/451, 84/314 R, 84/312 R, 84/377, 84/380 R, 84/387 R
• US Class Current: 84/451
• CPC Class Codes: G10C 3/12 Keyboards; Keys
• CPC Class Codes: G10G 1/00 Means for the representation of music

Abstract

This application relates to various stepped pitch instruments crafted to a novel musical tuning system for the generated frequencies. As such, the tone selection devices are arranged to a distinct set of interval specifications when compared to the tone selection devices for a prior art instrument crafted to sound the common frequencies of 12 tone equal temperament. To generate the bicameral tones, the preferred tuning system utilizes two different series of Pythagorean perfect fifths separated by a known reference interval. Relative to 12 tone, the instant tuning system is primarily concerned both with improving the sour major and minor thirds and perfecting the slightly flat fifths. Substantially fewer tones per octave are used than the number required by standard just intonation. Various modifications to existing prior art instruments are described, as well as a novel enharmonic multitone keyboard.

Claims

1. In combination,

A) a stepped-pitch musical instrument;

B) a plurality of sound selection devices controlling a minimum of twelve elements, said devices subject to operator selection, said elements sufficient to provide a defined chromatic scale of pitches containing twelve pitch stations;

C) wave propagating means responsive to activation of said elements, said wave propagating means enabling the production of sound waves of distinct frequency corresponding to said selection of said selected devices;

D) said devices further arranged such that said defined chromatic scale contains both a first and a second tone-string of said sound waves, such that said first tone-string contains the tonic pitch of said defined chromatic scale, and such that said second tone-string contains the tritone pitch of said defined chromatic scale, whereas said tonic pitch and said tritone pitch of said defined chromatic scale are together termed the tonic pair;

E) said devices further arranged such that the particular pitches of each of said first and second tone-strings are not shared in common and such that both of said first and said second tone-strings each have a precise minimum of four similar intervals linking five of said particular pitches in ascending succession, where similar is defined as identical within a specified tolerance, where said specified tolerance is a cent value no greater than 1.5 cents;

F) said devices further arranged such that said first and said second tone-strings together contain six rung intervals separating six tritone pairs, whereby the value of a particular rung interval is the same rung interval within said specified tolerance for a basic minimum of five of said six tritone pairs;

G) said devices further arranged such that an actual minimum of ten of said twelve pitch stations of said defined chromatic scale are isomorphic within said specified tolerance relative to either of said pitches of said tonic pair when either is used as the zero degree station for said chromatic scale, and where the remaining five tritone pairs not including said tonic pair are categorized as modulating pairs;

H) said devices further arranged such that the values of a majority of the semitone intervals of said defined chromatic scale do not equal or do not approximate within a precise tolerance of 0.5 cents a 100.0 cent semitone interval.

2. The musical instrument in claim 1,

A) said devices further arranged such that said precise minimum of similar intervals is five, and such that the number of said particular pitches in ascending succession is six;

B) said devices further arranged such that said basic minimum of said six tritone pairs is six;

C) said devices further arranged such that said actual minimum of pitch stations of said defined chromatic scale expressing isomorphism is twelve.

3. The musical instrument in claim 2,

A) said devices further arranged such that the value of said five similar intervals linking six of said particular elements is a Pythagorean fifth, having a value that is 702 cents, within said specified tolerance;

B) said devices further arranged such that the value of said particular rung interval is 600 cents, within a rough tolerance of no greater than 13.5 cents.

4. The musical instrument in claim 3,

A) said devices further arranged such that said rough tolerance is either a value on or between 1.1 cents through 9.0 cents or is a value on or between 0.0 cents through 1.0 cent.

5. The musical instrument in claim 2,

A) with additional sound selection devices arranged to control a finite minimum of two enharmonic elements such that said defined chromatic scale is further isomorphic within said specified tolerance relative to either pitch of one particular pair of said five modulating pairs of said defined chromatic scale, and such that said two enharmonic elements produce on command two foreign pitches enharmonic for two original pitches of said defined chromatic scale, where said two original pitches are superfluous pitches of said defined chromatic scale;

B) said additional sound selection devices further arranged such that the specific shift musical interval separating said foreign pitches from said superfluous pitches is either a value on or between 19.8 cents through 27.0 cents or is a value on or between 8.0 cents through 19.7 cents.

6. The musical instrument in claim 2,

A) together with operator-controlled recursive switching means;

B) said sound selection devices further configured such that operator activation of said switching means replaces a plurality of superfluous pitches expressed by said minimum of 12 elements with enharmonic pitch values termed foreign pitches, where said superfluous pitches are component frequencies of at minimum one particular pair of said five modulating pairs of said defined chromatic scale;

C) said sound selection devices further configured such that subsequent actuation of said recursive switching means by said operator replaces the expressed frequencies of said foreign pitches with the initial frequencies of said superfluous pitches;

D) said sound selection devices further arranged such that the specific shift musical interval separating said foreign pitches from said superfluous pitches is either a value on or between 19.8 cents through 27.0 cents or is a value on or between 8.0 cents through 19.7 cents.

7. The musical instrument in any one of claims 5 or 6,

A) all said sound selection devices further arranged such that said one particular pair of said five modulating pairs is the individual tritone pair containing the chromatic seventh degree interval of said defined chromatic scale, said individual tritone pair is the dominant pair;

B) all said sound selection devices further arranged such that said foreign pitches are a higher frequency sharper relative to said superfluous pitches;

C) all said sound selection devices further arranged such that said defined chromatic scale is isomorphic within said specified tolerance relative to either pitch of said dominant pair serving as the modulated chromatic zero degree station of said defined chromatic scale.

8. The musical instrument in any one of claims 5 or 6,

A) all said sound selection devices further arranged such that said one particular pair of said five modulating pairs is the unique tritone pair containing the chromatic fifth degree interval of said defined chromatic scale, said unique tritone pair is the subdominant pair;

B) all said sound selection devices further arranged such that said foreign pitches are a lower frequency flatter relative to said superfluous pitches;

C) all said sound selection devices further arranged such that said defined chromatic scale is isomorphic within said specified tolerance relative to either pitch of said subdominant pair serving as the modulated chromatic zero degree station of said defined chromatic scale.

9. The musical instrument in claim 6,

A) said instrument belongs to the class of fretted string instruments, whereby the pitches sounded by said instruments are determined by a minimum of one selected string being pressed against one of a plurality of note-frets;

B) said operator-controlled recursive switching means are specific fret-placement controlling means, whereby the primary activation by said operator of said specific fret-placement controlling means exchanges said superfluous pitches available to said fretted string instrument with said foreign pitches, said exchange expediated by the simultaneous submerging of the particular note-frets enabling said superfluous pitches in favor of the elevation on command of different enharmonic note-frets enabling said foreign pitches at different prescribed locations beneath said selected string.

10. The musical instrument in claim 6,

A) said instrument belongs to the class of column of air instruments, whereby said column of air instruments sound designated pitches determined by the length of a section of tubing, said length separating a source of forced air and a release opening by a prescribed distance;

B) said operator controlled recursive switching means are lever-activated specific tube-length controlling means, whereby the activation by said operator of said specific tube-length controlling means changes said superfluous pitches of said column of air instrument into said foreign pitches as soon as said activation repositions said release opening to a different prescribed distance from said source of forced air.

11. The musical instrument in claim 6,

A) said instrument belongs to the class of column of air instruments, whereby said column of air instruments sound designated pitches determined by the length of a section of tubing, said length separating a source of forced air and a single release opening by a prescribed distance;

B) said operator controlled recursive switching means are valve-activated specific tube-length controlling means, whereby the activation by said operator of said specific tube-length controlling means changes said superfluous pitches of said column of air instrument into said foreign pitches by altering the distance of travel within said section of tubing from said source to said single release opening by a prescribed distance.

12. The musical instrument in claim 11,

A) together with a minimum of four of said specific tube-length controlling means individually introducing four insert tubes, the largest three of said four insert tubes lowering the sounding tone of said instrument under individual selection by 102 cents, by 204 cents, and by 396 cents all within said specified tolerance;

B) with the fourth of said specific tube-length controlling means configured to lower the combinational sounding tone of said instrument by an additional 11.7 cents when activated together with said 102 cent tube and said 204 cent tube;

C) said tube-length controlling means further configured such that said lowered combinational sounding tone is within said prescribed tolerance.

13. The musical instrument in claim 12,

A) together with a minimum of two extra tube-length controlling means individually introducing two calibrated tubes, each of said extra controlling means lowering the monophonic sounding tone by a prescribed frequency when in combination with other of said specific tube-length controlling means;

B) the first of said extra tube-length controlling means configured to lower the resulting tone value of said instrument by an additional 20.7 cents when activated by said operator together with said 102 cent insert tube and said 396 cent insert tube;

C) the second of said extra tube-length controlling means configured to lower the deeper resulting tone value of said instrument by an additional 39.8 cents when activated by said operator together with said 204 cent insert tube and said 396 cent insert tube;

D) said tube-length controlling means further configured such that said resulting tone value and said deeper resulting tone value are both generated within said prescribed tolerance.

18. The musical instrument in any one of claims 1, 14, or 16,

A) said devices further arranged such that said specified tolerance is either a value on or between 0.6 cents through 1.0 cents or is a value on or between 0.0 cents through 0.5 cents.

14. In combination,

A) a stepped-pitch musical instrument;

B) a plurality of sound selection devices controlling a minimum of sixteen elements, said devices subject to operator selection, said elements sufficient to provide a defined chromatic scale of pitches containing twelve pitch stations;

C) wave propagating means responsive to activation of said elements, said wave propagating means enabling the production of sound waves of distinct frequency corresponding to said selection of said selected devices;

D) said devices further arranged such that said defined chromatic scale contains both a first and a second tone-string of said sound waves, such that said first tone-string contains the tonic pitch of said defined chromatic scale, and such that said second tone-string contains the tritone pitch of said defined chromatic scale, whereas said tonic pitch and said tritone pitch of said defined chromatic scale are together termed the tonic pair;

E) said devices further arranged such that the particular pitches of each of said first and second tone-strings are not shared in common and such that both of said first and said second tone-strings each have a precise minimum of seven similar intervals linking eight of said particular pitches in ascending succession, where similar is defined as identical within a specified tolerance, where said specified tolerance is a cent value no greater than 1.5 cents;

F) said devices further arranged such that said first and said second tone-strings together contain eight rung intervals separating eight tritone pairs, whereby the value of a particular rung interval as measured between the two paired pitches of any one of said eight tritone pairs is the same rung interval within said specified tolerance for all of said eight tritone pairs;

G) said devices further arranged such that an actual minimum of twelve of said twelve pitch stations of said defined chromatic scale are isomorphic within said specified tolerance relative to the six component pitches of three of said tritone pairs when any member of said three tritone pairs is used as the initial zero degree station for said chromatic scale, where said three tritone pairs are identified as said tonic pair, the dominant pair, and the subdominant pair;

H) said devices further arranged such that the values of a majority of the semitone intervals of said defined chromatic scale do not equal or do not approximate within a tolerance of 0.5 cents a 100.0 cent semitone interval.

15. The musical instrument in any one of claims 5 or 14,

A) said instrument belongs to the class of open stringed instruments that further utilize the fingerkeys of a keyboard as said sound selection devices, whereby said open stringed instruments sound said elements by the activation by said operator of a plurality of said fingerkeys specific to the corresponding pitches of said defined chromatic scale;

B) said fingerkeys of said keyboard arranged in a minimum of three tiers;

C) said sound selection devices further configured such that said fingerkey specific pitches increase along horizontal rows by tritone interval values of said defined chromatic scale, and increase in stepped vertical columns by semitone values of said defined chromatic scale;

D) said class of said open stringed instruments includes as a category such instuments that employ the use of virtual open strings simulated by electronic means to provide electronically generated frequencies;

E) said class of said open stringed instruments includes as a category such instuments that employ the use of a computer language such as MIDI to trigger detatched tone producing devices either in real time or at subsequent times.

20. The musical instrument in any one of claims 5, 14, or 16,

A) together with independent fixed sequential medium;

B) whereby said sound waves sequentially generated in one segment of time in response to the sequential activities of said operators of said instrument are sequentially captured on said fixed medium for subsequent regeneration in another segment of time.

16. In combination,

A) a stepped-pitch musical instrument;

B) a plurality of sound selection devices controlling a minimum of seven elements, said devices subject to operator selection, said seven elements sufficient to provide a defined natural scale of pitches;

C) wave propagating means responsive to activation of said elements, said wave propagating means enabling the production of sound waves of distinct frequency corresponding to said selection of said selected devices;

D) operator-controlled recursive switching means;

E) said sound selection devices further configured such that operator activation of said switching means alters at least one superfluous pitch expressed by said minimum of seven elements by a specific shift musical interval into a new pitch foreign to said defined natural scale;

F) said sound selection devices further configured such that subsequent actuation of said recursive switching means by said operator exchanges the expressed frequency of said foreign pitch once again in favor of the initial frequency of said superfluous pitch;

G) said sound selection devices further arranged such that the specific shift musical interval separating said foreign pitch from said superfluous pitch is either a value on or between 19.8 cents through 27.0 cents or is a value on or between 8.0 cents through 19.7 cents.

H) said sound selection devices further arranged such that all frequencies of said seven member defined natural scale are identical frequencies to certain members of a separate reference defined chromatic scale of frequencies containing twelve pitch stations, such that said seven member defined natural scale is a subset of the 12 frequencies of said defined chromatic scale;

I) said devices further arranged such that said defined natural scale is isomorphic to both the chromatic zero degree station and the chromatic sixth degree station of said defined chromatic scale of 12 frequencies;

J) said defined chromatic scale containing both a first and a second tone-string of said sound waves such that said first tone-string contains the tonic pitch of said defined chromatic scale, and such that said second tone-string contains the tritone pitch of said defined chromatic scale, whereas said tonic pitch and said tritone pitch of said defined chromatic scale are together termed the tonic pair, and such that the particular pitches of each of said first and second tone-strings are not shared in common and such that both of said first and said second tone-strings each have a precise minimum of five similar intervals linking six of said particular pitches in ascending succession, where similar is defined as identical within a specified tolerance, where said specified tolerance is a cent value no greater than 1.5 cents;

K) said first and said second tone-strings together containing six rung intervals separating six tritone pairs, whereby the value of a particular rung interval as measured between the two paired pitches of any one of said six tritone pairs is the same rung interval within said specified tolerance for all of said six tritone pairs;

L) said twelve pitch stations are isomorphic within said specified tolerance relative to either of said pitches of said tonic pair when either is used as the initial zero degree station for said chromatic scale;

M) said defined chromatic scale with values for a majority of the semitone intervals of said defined chromatic scale that do not equal or do not approximate within a tolerance of 0.5 cents a 100.0 cent semitone interval.

17. The musical instrument in any one of claims 6 or 16,

A) said instrument belongs to the class of reed instrument, whereby the pitches sounded by said reed instrument are determined by said operator forcing a stream of air along the general two dimensional plane containing one of a plurality of contained thin reeds, causing said contained thin reeds to vibrate and generate said pitches;

B) said operator-controlled recursive switching means are specific reed-damping means, such that a particular reed is incapable of vibrating in said stream of forced air when in physical contact with said specific reed-damping means;

C) whereby the activation by said operator of said specific reed-damping means replaces at minimum one of said superfluous pitches intrinsic to said reed instrument with at minimum one of said foreign pitches intrinsic to said reed instrument by altering the physical position of the contact surface of individual dampers, such that a designated damper is moved from contact with one chosen thin reed engineered to produce said foreign pitch by an operator action that next places said designated damper in immediate physical contact with another chosen thin reed engineered to produce said superfluous pitch, or vice versa.

19. The musical instrument in any one of claims 5, 6, or 16,

A) all said sound selection devices further arranged such that said specific shift musical interval is either 11.7 cents within said specified tolerence, or is 23.4 cents within said specified tolerence.