Chord playing attachment apparatus

• US 8,835,731 B1
• Filed: 04/05/2013
• Issued: 09/16/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/05/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Perry, Travis
• Original Assignee: Perry, Travis
• Inventors: Perry, Travis
• Primary Examiner(s): HORN, ROBERT WAYNE
• Application Number:
  US13/857,611
• Time in Patent Office: 529 Days
• Field of Search: 843/17
• US Class Current: 84/317
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 15/00 Teaching music metronomes G04F5/02
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 15/06 Devices for exercising or strengthening fingers or arms; Devices for holding fingers or arms in a proper position for playing for teaching typing G09B13/00; exercising apparatus for developing or strengthening the muscles for physical training A63B21/00, A63B23/00
• CPC Class Codes: G10D 3/00 Details of, or accessories for, stringed musical instruments, e.g. slide-bars
• CPC Class Codes: G10D 3/08 Fingerboards in the form of keyboards
• CPC Class Codes: G10G 5/005 while playing, e.g. cord, strap or harness rests or guards as part of the instruments, see the particular instruments, e.g. G10D3/18

Abstract

A removable chord playing attachment and related method is disclosed. The chord playing attachment may be attached to a guitar or similar stringed instrument, and the user may use the chord playing attachment to learn to play the instrument. The present invention discloses a design that does not function as a capo, which allows the user play chords in standard keys. The present invention includes a specially configured nut or connector or anchor that forms a removable connection with a chord playing unit. The present invention encourages novices to learn to play the instrument in stages and eventually remove the invention entirely. A companion teaching manual is also disclosed.

Claims

1. Apparatus including a chord playing attachment adapted to attach to a guitar having strings, a fretted neck, head and body, the attachment comprising;

a nut having lower surface that rests upon the guitar neck near the head, and a plurality of spaced apart string depressions that each receive and provide support for a guitar string;

a chord playing unit adapted to be positioned on the fretted neck of the guitar connecting with the nut, the nut having left and right sides and left and right anchors that removably connect with the chord playing unit, the chord playing unit including a plurality of chord members, each chord member positioned substantially parallel to the strings, each chord member further comprising one or more string depressors positioned at preselected distances from the receiving unit and capable of depressing preselected strings of the guitar when depressed to make a preselected chord.

2. The chord playing attachment of claim 1, wherein the chord playing unit has an arch that is positioned above the proximate end of the guitar neck at the point where the guitar neck attaches to the guitar head.

3. The chord playing attachment of claim 1, wherein there are at least four chord ports.

4. The chord playing attachment of claim 3, wherein the chord playing unit includes an arch.

5. The chord playing attachment of claim 4, wherein the chord playing arch unit includes first and second sides.

6. The chord playing attachment of claim 4, wherein the chord playing unit includes diagonally extending flanges, each connected to a side of the arch.

7. The chord playing attachment of claim 6, wherein each chord member has a finger pad.

8. The chord playing attachment of claim 4 wherein the arch has a central post.

9. The chord playing attachment of claim 1, wherein the chord members are selected to make chords in the key of A.

10. The chord playing attachment of claim 1, wherein the chord members are selected to make chords in the key of G.

11. The chord playing attachment of claim 4, wherein each arch has a flange that extends down to engage a middle portion of the nut.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising the guitar.

13. The chord playing attachment of claim 6, wherein the left and right anchors of the nut extend beyond the sides of the neck of the guitar.

14. A method of using a chord playing attachment to learn to play a guitar, comprising:

a) attaching a nut to the guitar;

b) attaching a plurality of lever operated chord members to the guitar via the nut that can be used to play chords in a desired key;

c) playing chords on the guitar by depressing the chord members until understanding is gained; and

d) spacing the levers above the nut with an arch.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising playing chords as described in a companion manual.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the companion manual describes the order of the chords to be played by means of a legend which is color coded to correspond to colors of finger pads of the chord members.

17. A chord playing attachment apparatus adapted to attach to a guitar having strings, a fretted neck, head and body comprising;

a) a nut anchor having lower surface that rests upon the guitar neck near the head, and an upper portion having a plurality of spaced apart string depressions that each receive and provide support for a guitar string;

b) a chord playing unit having a frame that is above the chord playing unit releasably and removably adapted to be positioned above the fretted neck of the guitar connecting with the nut;

c) the nut having left and right sides and left and right anchors that removably connect with the chord playing unit;

d) the chord playing unit including a plurality of lever members, each lever member positioned substantially parallel to the strings, each lever member further comprising one or more string depressors positioned at preselected distances on the frame of the chord playing unit and capable of depressing preselected strings of the guitar when depressed to make a preselected chord; and

e) wherein the frame has an arch and the strings do not engage the chord playing unit at the arch.

18. The chord playing attachment of claim 17, wherein the chord playing unit arch is positioned above the proximate end of the guitar neck at the location near where the guitar neck attaches to the guitar head.

19. The chord playing attachment apparatus of claim 17, wherein there are at least four levers.

20. The chord playing attachment apparatus of claim 17, wherein the chord playing unit includes first and second spaced apart sides that each connect with a side anchor.

21. The chord playing attachment of claim 20, wherein the chord playing unit sides each include a diagonally extending flange.

22. The chord playing attachment of claim 17, wherein each lever has a finger pad.

23. The chord playing attachment of claim 17 wherein the arch has a central post that engages the nut.

24. The chord playing attachment of claim 17, wherein the lever members are selected to make chords in the key of A.

25. The chord playing attachment of claim 17, wherein the lever members are selected to make chords in the key of G.

26. The chord playing attachment of claim 17, wherein the nut has a slot and the central post extends down to engage the slot.

27. Apparatus comprising a guitar and the apparatus of claim 17, wherein the apparatus of claim 17 is attached to the guitar.

28. The chord playing attachment of claim 18, wherein the left and right anchors of the nut extend beyond the sides of the neck of the guitar.