Wire clamping ligature for use with a single reed mouthpiece for a musical instrument2010-02-25and yet still allow full normal musical vibrational movement thereof. The second reed retaining wire also is preferably of a diameter less than 0.100 inches and is preferably configured at approximately 0.030 inches in diameter. The second reed retaining wire also includes a second reed first end and a second reed second end defined thereon.
A first drawbar is included attached to the first reed first end of the first reed retaining wire and attached to the second reed first end of the second reed retaining wire to facilitate retaining of the reed in engagement with respect to the mouthpiece. Similarly a second drawbar is attached with respect to the first reed second end of the first reed retaining wire and is also attached with respect to the second reed second end of the second reed retaining wire to facilitate retaining of the reed in abutment with the mouthpiece and yet allow vibrational movement thereof for full tonal qualities of the woodwind musical instrument.
An adjustable clamping device is operatively secured to the first drawbar and the second drawbar and is adapted to urge the first drawbar and the second drawbar together for tightening of the first reed retaining wire and the second reed retaining wire about the reed to affix it into abutment with respect to the mouthpiece of the instrument while still allowing musical vibrational movement thereof. The first and second reed retaining wires are preferably formed of a stainless steel wire material.
The adjustable clamping means of the present invention can include the combination of a threaded bore defined within the second drawbar and a clearance bore defined within the first drawbar. The threaded bore in the second drawbar is itself threaded whereas the clearance bore in the first drawbar is not threaded. A threaded clamping screw is adapted to extend through the clearance bore to be freely rotatable therein and to further extend into engagement with respect to the threaded bore to facilitate adjustable clamping movement in the first drawbar and the second drawbar. Tightening of the threaded clamping screw will pull the threaded bore and the second drawbar toward the clearance bore and the first drawbar. A cap means may be positioned on the threaded clamping screw adjacent the clearance bore to facilitate retainment of the clamping screw therein. The threaded bore is preferably positioned on the second drawbar between the points of attachment of the first reed retaining wire and the second reed retaining wire thereto. Similarly the clearance bore is preferably defined in the first drawbar at a position between the location of the first reed retaining wire and the second reed retaining wire. As such, tightening of the threaded clamping screw will
automatically equalize the pressure exerted by the first reed retaining wire and the second reed retaining wire with respect to one another due to the tightening thereof being exerted at a point between the positions of attachment thereto. To further facilitate tightening of the threaded clamping screw, a thumb screw tab may be fixedly secured thereto to facilitate rotational movement thereof.
In an alternative configuration of the adjustable clamping device of the present invention two clamping screws may be included adapted to extend through two pairs of clearance bores and threaded bores defined within bosses defined on the first and second drawbars respectively. Each individual threaded clamping screw will be of a configuration similar to the screw utilized in the above described configuration utilizing a single such screw and each may include cap means and thumb screw means to facilitate securement.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a wire clamping ligature for use with a single reed mouthpiece for a musical instrument wherein full vibrational movement of the reed is allowed.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a wire clamping ligature for use with a single reed mouthpiece for a musical instrument wherein the reed can be held firmly while still allowing it...
Electronic musical instrument with automatic and semi-automatic playing apparatus2010-02-05semi-
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.Claims
What is claimed is:
1. An electronic musical instrument for being selectively switched between
automatic playing, for carrying out musical tone generation according to timing information and tone information contained in a playing data, and semi-
automatic playing for carrying out musical tone generation according to the tone information, in response to key depression of a player, comprising:
key means for entering timing commands for tone generation;
key-depression detecting means for detecting the operation of the key means to produce a key-depression signal;
semi-
automatic play timing controlling means responsive to the key-depression signal for controlling a first timing for tone generation in the semi-
automatic playing;
automatic play timing controlling means responsive to the timing information for controlling a second timing for tone generation in the
automatic playing;
pause detecting means for monitoring the key-depression signal in the semi-
automatic playing, and when the key-depression signal is not issued for a first predetermined period of time, producing a semi-
automatic playing pause signal;
play mode switching means responsive to the semi-
automatic playing pause signal produced in the semi-
automatic playing for switching from the semi-
automatic playing to the
automatic playing; and
a tone generating means responsive to a selected one of the semi-
automatic play and the
automatic playing for performing the tone generation according to a pitch information contained in the playing data at one of the first and the second tone generation timings.
2. An electronic musical instrument according to claim 1, further comprising a key-depression timing displaying means for producing a stimulation indicative of timing for key depression at the second tone generation timing controlled by the
automatic play timing controlling means in the semi-
automatic playing.
3. An electronic musical instrument according to claim 1, wherein the stimulation is at least one of a visible display, an audible sound and a mechanical vibration.
4. An electronic musical instrument according to claim 1, wherein the
automatic playing upon being switched from the semi-
automatic playing starts from a paused part of the playing data where the semi-
automatic playing was paused.
5. An electronic musical instrument according to claim 1, wherein the
automatic playing upon being switched from the semi-
automatic playing starts from a part of the playing data which is earlier than an instant when the semi-
automatic playing was paused.
6. An electronic musical instrument according to claim 1, wherein the
automatic playing upon being switched from the semi-
automatic playing starts from the front of the playing data for a piece to be played.
7. An electronic musical instrument according to claim 1, wherein the play mode switching means is responsive to the key-depression signal which is issued in the
automatic playing that has been switched from the semi-
automatic playing for switching back the
automatic playing to the semi-
automatic playing.
8. An electronic musical instrument according to claim 1, wherein further comprising:
an
automatic play request counter for updating its count value at intervals of a predetermined period in the
automatic playing which has been switched from the semi-
automatic playing;
a read timing counter responsive to the key-depression signal in the semi-
automatic playing for updating its count until it coincides with a step time contained in the succeeding tone information;
a read timing counter updating means for adding a count, which corresponds to a time elapsed after a preceding key depression and calculated on the basis of the count of the
automatic play request counter, to the count of the read timing counter; and
said tone generating means producing a musical sound when the count of the read timing counter coincides wit...
