The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jul. 07, 1998
Filed:
Dec. 03, 1996
Harumichi Hotta, Hamamatsu, JP;
Kazuhide Iwamoto, Hamamatsu, JP;
Hiroyuki Torimura, Hamamatsu, JP;
Masanobu Chihana, Hamamatsu, JP;
Yamaha Corporation, Hamamatsu, JP;
Abstract
An electronic musical instrument apparatus includes a pad and fret switches. When the pad is stricken while any one of the fret switches is depressed, at least a musical tone is generated. The apparatus has different modes of performance operation including a first melody mode, a second melody mode, a base mode, a first chord mode, a second chord mode, an ad-lib mode and the like. In the first melody mode, each time the pad is operated, a note event is read out from a memory, a previous tone that has been generated is muted and, at the same time, a next tone for the note event read out is immediately generated so that a legato-like performance can be performed. If desired, a mute switch is operated to mute a previous tone that is being generated so that a staccato like performance is performed. In the second melody mode, the base mode, the first chord mode and the second chord mode, performance data for note events is successively and continuously read out from a memory. Each time the pad is operated, the apparatus generates at least a tone for a note event that is read out at a moment of operation of the pad. In the ad-lib mode, different tones for ad-lib performance are assigned to the fret switches. When the pad is operated while any of the fret switches is depressed, at least a tone having a pitch assigned to the fret switch is generated.