Harmony generating apparatus and method of use for karaoke

Claim 2

A harmony data generation apparatus, comprising: a storage device for storing music piece data including at least guide melody data, karaoke performance data and accompaniment data; a key detecting device for detecting a key on the basis of a pitch distribution of aggregated frequencies of the occurrence of tones for each selected component of the music piece data; and, a means for generating harmony data in each desired key detected by said key detecting device, whereby a resulting pitch is one of higher and lower than the melody data by a predetermined degree based upon extraction of notes of a length not smaller than a quarter note from said karaoke performance data and said guide melody data, said aggregated distributions of frequencies of occurrence of tones, and a comparison of the derived distributions of frequencies of occurrence of tones with major judgment and minor judgment scales.

Claim 3

A karaoke apparatus, comprising: a storage device which stores music piece data including song melody data and karaoke performance data of a karaoke music piece; a key detecting device which detects a key on the basis of pitch distribution of the music piece data; a karaoke performing device which reads out karaoke performance data to execute a performance of the karaoke music piece; a song inputting device which inputs a song voice signal; and a harmony signal producing device for converting the song voice signal supplied from the song inputting device into a harmony voice signal in the key detected by the key detecting device, a pitch of the signal being one of higher and lower than the song melody data by a predetermined degree, based upon extraction of notes of a length not smaller than a quarter note from said karaoke performance data and said guide melody data, aggregated distributions of frequencies of occurrence of tones from said music piece data, and a comparison of the derived distributions frequencies of occurrence of tones with major judgment and minor judgment scales, and, a means for outputting the converted signal together with the song voice signal supplied from the song inputting device.

Claim 4

A karaoke apparatus, comprising: a storage device which stores music piece data including song melody data and karaoke performance data of a karaoke music piece; a key detecting device which detects a key on the basis of pitch distribution of the music piece data; a karaoke performing device which reads out karaoke performance data to execute a performance of the karaoke music piece; a song inputting device which inputs a song voice signal; and a harmony signal producing device for converting the song voice signal supplied from the song inputting device into a harmony voice signal in the key detected by the key detecting device, a pitch of the signal being one of higher and lower than the song melody data by a predetermined degree, based upon extraction of notes of a length not smaller than a quarter note from said karaoke performance data and said guide melody data, aggregated distributions of frequencies of occurrence of tones from said music piece data, and a comparison of the derived distributions frequencies of occurrence of tones with major judgment and minor judgment scales, and, a means for outputting the converted signal together with the song voice signal supplied from the song inputting device.

Claim 7

A method for generating harmony as defined in claim 3, wherein said step of reading out further includes detecting one of the presence and absence of harmony data.

Claim 8

A method for generating harmony as defined in claim 3, wherein said step of detecting further includes detecting a key of said music piece on the basis of the distribution of frequencies of occurrence for each tone in which octave information for pitches can be abstracted.

Claim 9

A method for generating harmony as defined in claim 3, wherein said step of simultaneously aggregating is replaced by a step of dividing said music piece into plural portions, and aggregating frequencies of occurrence of twelve semitones in each of the divided portions so that a key is detected for each portion.

Claim 10

A method for generating harmony as defined in claim 3, wherein said detecting and generating steps are replaced by detecting a modulation in said music piece and creating harmony data of a suitable interval corresponding to the scale of the key from the melody data.

Claim 11

A method for generating harmony as defined in claim 3, wherein said method is performed in a karaoke apparatus.