Music teaching device

Claim 2

A music teaching device comprising a plurality of mask means each bearing a representation of a musical staff and each having a discrete length corresponding to a particular musical scale, housing means provided with means simulating the keys of a musical instrument, signalling means, circuit means for operating said signalling means to indicate correspondence between a key and a note on said staff, slide means movable on said housing means and constructed and arranged for supporting any selected one of said mask means in a position of said slide means determined by the discrete length of the selected mask means, said circuit means including cooperating contact means on said slide means and said housing means for rendering said circuit means operable only for corresponding keys and notes in a particular musical scale determined by the selected mask means.

Claim 3

A music teaching device as recited in claim 1, said slide means having means for positioning one end of a selected mask means at a predetermined location thereon, said housing means having means for positioning a second end of a selected mask at a predetermined location thereon to locate said slide.

Claim 4

A music teaching device as recited in claim 1, said circuit means including a plurality of columns of note contacts mounted on said housing means, each column corresponding to the notes of a different musical scale, said circuit means including a set of selector contacts mounted on said slide and arranged in a column, said slide being movable transversely of said columns of note contacts to engage said selector contacts with a column of said note contacts corresponding to the length of a selected mask means supported on said slide means.

Claim 5

A music teaching device as recited in claim 3, said slide overlying said columns of note contacts, sAid selector contacts projecting from a lower face of said slide for engagement with said note contacts, said selector contacts extending into elongated parallel contact strips, said staff representations on said mask means having lines and spaces each overlying a corresponding one of said contact strips.

Claim 6

A music teaching device as recited in claim 4, said slide having a first insulating lamination, said selector contacts projecting from a lower face and said contact strips overlying an upper face of said first lamination, and a second insulating lamination overlying said contact strips and formed with a plurality of openings communicating therewith, said mask means being receivable in overlying relation to said second lamination.

Claim 7

A music teaching device as recited in claim 3, said circuit means including a manually-operable contactor engageable with any selected one of said contact means on said slide means to render said circuit means operable for a corresponding note.

Claim 8

A music teaching device as recited in claim 3, said circuit means including a set of key contacts one associated with each of said keys, said circuit means connecting successive columns of said note contacts each with a selected group of said key contacts whose associated keys correspond to the notes of a selected musical scale.

Claim 9

A music teaching device as recited in claim 7, said circuit means including manually-operable contactor means simultaneously engageable with any one of said key contacts and any one of said selector contacts, to operate said signalling means only when the key and note selected by said contactor means correspond in the musical scale determined by the length of a selected mask means supported on said slide means.

Claim 10

A music teaching device as recited in claim 1, said signalling means comprising audiofrequency oscillating circuits and a sound transducer connected to produce an audible signal of a frequency equivalent to any selected corresponding key and note.

Claim 11

A music teaching device as recited in claim 1, said signalling means comprising a series of lamps one associated with each of said keys.

Claim 12

A music teaching device comprising housing means provided with means simulating the keys of a musical instrument, a number of key contacts each associated with one of said keys, a number of columns of note contacts each column corresponding to the notes of a selected musical scale, first circuit means connecting successive columns of said note contacts each with a selected group of said key contacts whose associated keys correspond to the notes of the selected musical scale, a slide bearing a set of selector contacts arranged in a column, said slide being movable transversely of said columns of note contacts to engage said selector contacts with a different column of said note contacts in each of a number of positions of the slide, a plurality of masks each bearing a representation of a musical staff and each of length corresponding to a selected musical scale, said slide being adapted to support any selected mask thereon and said masks having staff lines and spaces each overlying a corresponding one of said selector contacts, said slide having means for positioning one end of the selected mask at a predetermined location thereon, said housing having means for positioning a second end of the selected mask at a predetermined location thereon to locate said slide in one of said positions in which said selector contacts engage one of said columns of note contacts corresponding to the musical scale of the selected mask, a first manually-operable contactor engageable with any selected one of said key contacts, a second manually-operable contactor engageable through any selected line or space of the staff of said mask with a corresponding one of said selector contacts, second circuit means interconnecting said contactors, energizing and signalling means, said contactors completing a circuit through said first and second circuit means and said energizing and sigNalling means when engaged with key and selector contacts corresponding to one another in the selected musical scale.

Claim 13

A music teaching device comprising housing means provided with means simulating the keys of a musical instrument, a number of key contacts each associated with one of said keys, a number of columns of note contacts each column corresponding to the notes of a selected musical scale, first circuit means connecting successive columns of said note contacts each with a selected group of said key contacts whose associated keys correspond to the notes of the selected musical scale, a slide bearing a set of selector contacts arranged in a column, said slide being movable transversely of said columns of note contacts to engage said selector contacts with a different column of said note contacts in each of a number of positions of the slide, a plurality of masks each bearing a representation of a musical staff and each of length corresponding to a selected musical scale, said slide being adapted to support any selected mask thereon and said masks having staff lines and spaces each overlying a corresponding one of said selector contacts, said slide having means for positioning one end of the selected mask at a predetermined location thereon, said housing having means for positioning a second end of the selected mask at a predetermined location thereon to locate said slide in one of said positions in which said selector contacts engage one of said columns of note contacts corresponding to the musical scale of the selected mask, a first manually-operable contactor engageable with any selected one of said key contacts, a second manually-operable contactor engageable through any selected line or space of the staff of said mask with a corresponding one of said selector contacts, second circuit means interconnecting said contactors, energizing and signalling means, said contactors completing a circuit through said first and second circuit means and said energizing and sigNalling means when engaged with key and selector contacts corresponding to one another in the selected musical scale.