Electronic musical instrument with automatic and semi-automatic playing apparatus2010-02-05in 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.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...
