Electronic musical instrument with automatic and semi-automatic playing

Abstract

When the action of key depression is paused in a semi-automatic play mode, the semi-automatic playing is switched to automatic playing. When the key depression is made in the automatic playing, the playing is shifted back to the semi-automatic playing. An electronic musical instrument includes a semi-automatic play timing controlling means responsive to a key-depression by a player for controlling the first timing for tone generation, and an automatic play timing controlling means responsive to a timing information contained in a musical playing data for controlling the second timing for tone generation. The automatic playing is enabled when the key depression is not detected within a predetermined duration of time in the semi-automatic playing with the first timing controlled by the semi-automatic play timing controlling means. In the semi-automatic playing, the key depression timing may be displayed at the second timing controlled by the automatic play timing controlling means for ease of the key depression by the player.