Yamaha Corporation

Yamaha Music Foundation

Masao Ishibashi

Shinichi Ito

Tadahiko Ikeya

Masaki Hara

Tetsuya Takagi

Yoshihisa Ito

Yasuhiro Kawano

Kazuhisa Ueki

Sachiyo Kubo

Tokuji Hayakawa

Naoya Sasaki

Shinichi Itoh

A first input section is used for inputting first tone data, and a first output section is connected to the first input section via a first path. A second input section is used for inputting second tone data, and a second output section is connected to the second input section via a second path. A tone processing module performs tone processing on the tone data, and a processor is configured to insert the tone processing module into the first and second paths in response to selection of first and second modes, respectively. The tone processing module performs the tone processing on the first tone data in the first mode, and performs the tone processing on the second tone data in the second mode. The above allows connection of the module to be set easily in response to the selected mode.

Connection setting of tone processing module

An assistive music playing apparatus plays a music piece with musically acceptable notes even when the player inputs musically unacceptable notes. The apparatus provides a chord progression pattern, and comprises a note conversion device. A chord progression pattern defines a series of chords, which are presented one after another in time for a music progression. As the player plays music, inputting potentially unacceptable notes, the inputted notes will be converted to musically acceptable notes with reference to the currently presented chord in the chord progression. The note conversion rules are prepared different for a melody note range, a chord note range and a bass note range. Overlap of converted notes are avoided. Depending on the conditions of the player's note input, i.e., whether the melody is ascending or descending, or the chord is played in a block chord or in an arpeggio, the conversion rules may be selected to generate notes which fit the designated chord, even including non-basic notes or tension notes.

Assistive apparatus and computer-readable medium storing computer program for playing music

An arpeggio playing apparatus comprises a musical tone signal generating device including a plurality of arpeggio playing parts, or an automatic music playing device and at least one arpeggio playing part. The arpeggio playing part is capable of playing an automatic arpeggio with an arpeggio pattern at a progression tempo. Under the condition that one of the arpeggio playing parts or the automatic music playing device has started playing an automatic arpeggio or an automatic music performance at the progression tempo which defines a synchronization timing consisting of periodically aligned synchronization grids, when a start instruction for a new arpeggio playing part is received, the new arpeggio playing part starts the operation in synchronism with the defined synchronization timing. If the start instruction comes at a time point within a delay margin, the arpeggio playing is started immediately and the first span of the arpeggio pattern is played in a shortened time length between the start instruction and the first coming synchronization grid. If the start instruction comes at a time point outside the delay margin, the start of the arpeggio playing is suspended until the first coming synchronization grid.

Apparatus and computer program for playing arpeggio

An arpeggio playing apparatus comprises an arpeggio pattern storing device, an arpeggio pattern readout device and an arpeggio tone processing device. The arpeggio pattern storing device stores at least one arpeggio pattern pair including a regular version pattern and an accentuated version pattern for automatic arpeggio performances. When there comes a key-on event representing an arpeggio designation and a key-on velocity, the arpeggio pattern readout device reads out, from the arpeggio pattern storing device, the regular version pattern when the detected velocity is less than a predetermined threshold value, and the accentuated version pattern when the detected velocity is not less than the predetermined threshold value. The arpeggio tone processing device automatically plays arpeggio based on the arpeggio designation by the key-on event and according to the arpeggio patterns of the read-out versions.

Apparatus and computer program for playing arpeggio with regular pattern and accentuated pattern

An assistive music playing apparatus is provided for playing a music piece with musically acceptable notes even when the player inputs musically unacceptable notes. The apparatus provides a chord progression pattern, and comprises a note conversion device. A chord progression pattern defines a series of chords, which are presented one after another in time for a music progression. As the player plays music, inputting potentially unacceptable notes, the inputted notes will be converted to musically acceptable notes with reference to the currently presented chord in the chord progression. The note conversion rules are prepared different for a melody note range, a chord note range and a bass note range. Overlap of converted notes are avoided. Depending on the conditions of the player's note input, i.e. whether the melody is ascending or descending, or the chord is played in a block chord or in an arpeggio, the conversion rules may be selected to generate notes which fit the designated chord, even including non-basic notes or tension notes.

Assistive apparatus, method and computer program for playing music

A music apparatus is constructed for selecting style data of a music piece by designating a style name of the music piece among a plurality of music pieces, which are sorted by genres. In the music apparatus, a style selection table is provided for recording selection codes assigned to the style names of the music pieces in a sorted manner by genres, such that different selection numbers may be assigned to the same style name when the music piece labeled thereby is sorted into more than one genre. A conversion table is provided for recording a correspondence between each selection code and each style name. A data memory is provided for storing each style data of each music piece in correspondence to the style name of each music piece. A monitor presents the selection codes together with the style names according to the style selection table in the sorted manner by the genres. A control is operated to designate a selection code from a desired genre presented on the monitor. A processor converts the designated selection code into the corresponding style name by means of the conversion table for retrieving the style data from the data memory according to the converted corresponding style name, thereby ensuring that the same style data is retrieved by designating one of the different selection codes assigned to the same style name.

Apparatus for selecting music belonging to multi-genres

An automatic accompaniment apparatus stores a plurality of chord variety progression patterns corresponding to the respective types of chords. Each chord variety progression pattern is constituted by a subprogression of plural chords provided for the corresponding chord type. When a player designates chords in progression to be used for an automatic accompaniment performance, the chord type of each designated chord is detected, and each single chord will be substituted by a chord variety progression pattern for the chord type which is the same as such a designated single chord, under the condition that the chord variety progression function is made operative for such a designated chord and that such a designated chord is of a type for which a chord variety progression pattern is provided correspondingly. As the player performs a chord progression of a slower change, the apparatus realizes a modified complex chord progression with a faster chord change to enhance the variousness in chord progressions. The chord variety progression pattern may further include on/off control data for the accompaniment pattern and wavy control data for performance volume variation, thereby adding further variety in accompaniment performance.

Automatic accompaniment apparatus and method with chord variety

Separately from an accompaniment style data memory having stored therein one or more accompaniment style data each including performance data for an automatic accompaniment, a modifying data memory is provided which has stored therein one or more modifying data sets each including style designating data for designating any of the accompaniment style data stored in said accompaniment style data memory and modification instructing data for modifying contents of the accompaniment style data designated by the style designating data. Desired one of the modifying data sets is selected and read out from the modifying data memory. One of the accompaniment style data is read out from the accompaniment style data memory in response to the style designating data of the read-out modifying data set read out by said readout section and its contents are modified in accordance with the modification instructing data of the read-out modifying data set, so as to generate modified accompaniment style data. When the modification instructing data indicates a modification for a performance time longer than one pattern cycle of the designated accompaniment style data, the designated accompaniment style data is repetitively reproduced to provide time-length-expanded accompaniment style data, and the time-length-expanded accompaniment style data is then subjected to modification in accordance with the modification instructing data.

Automatic accompanying device and method capable of easily modifying

In a music apparatus, an operator panel designates a first style of automatic play. A tone generator sequentially generates musical tones to produce the automatic play in the designated first style. A DSP applies a first effect to the musical tones in matching with the first style of the automatic play. A CPU operates when the operator panel commands a style change from the first style to a second style during the course of the automatic play for controlling the tone generator to switch the automatic play to the second style. The CPU further operates when the style change necessitates an effect change from the first effect to a second effect matching the second style in a transient period for controlling the DSP before the controlling of the tone generator to complete the effect change within the transient period so that the DSP can apply the second effect to the musical tones timely when the automatic play is switched from the first style to the second style.

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Hamamatsu, Japan

Masao Ishibashi