US7345236B2 — Method of automated musical instrument finger fin…

Claim 1

Independent Claim 216 words

A computing system for automatically determining hand and/or fingering positioning information for performing a musical composition on at least one musical instrument, comprising: a. a memory, b. an input device for inputting the musical composition into the computing system, c. a processor for automatically (i) identifying all strokes and stroke groups in the input musical composition, wherein a stroke is a note or a chord, and wherein a stroke group for each instrument comprises sequential strokes of the musical composition that can be played at one positional location on that instrument, (ii) selecting a stroke group to be used to determine the hand and/or fingering information for each stroke to be performed on each instrument, wherein each selection is based on the shortest path of hand and/or fingering movement on the instrument between sequential strokes, and (iii) using the selected stroke groups to determine the hand and/or fingering positioning information for playing the strokes in the musical composition on each musical instrument, and d. an output device for outputting the hand and/or fingering positioning information for performance of the musical composition on at least one musical instrument, wherein at least one musical instrument is selected from the group consisting of a stringed instrument, a woodwind instrument, a brass instrument, a keyboard instrument, and a percussion instrument.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 216 words

A computing system for automatically determining hand and/or fingering positioning information for performing a musical composition on at least one musical instrument, comprising: a. a memory, b. an input device for inputting the musical composition into the computing system, c. a processor for automatically (i) identifying all strokes and stroke groups in the input musical composition, wherein a stroke is a note or a chord, and wherein a stroke group for each instrument comprises sequential strokes of the musical composition that can be played at one positional location on that instrument, (ii) selecting a stroke group to be used to determine the hand and/or fingering information for each stroke to be performed on each instrument, wherein each selection is based on the shortest path of hand and/or fingering movement on the instrument between sequential strokes, and (iii) using the selected stroke groups to determine the hand and/or fingering positioning information for playing the strokes in the musical composition on each musical instrument, and d. an output device for outputting the hand and/or fingering positioning information for performance of the musical composition on at least one musical instrument, wherein at least one musical instrument is selected from the group consisting of a stringed instrument, a woodwind instrument, a brass instrument, a keyboard instrument, and a percussion instrument.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 46 words

The computing system according to claim 1 , wherein at least one musical instrument is selected from the group consisting of banjo, guitar, bass, harp, lute, mandolin, viola, violin, violoncello, bassoon, clarinet, flute, oboe, saxophone, trombone, cornet, horn, trumpet, tuba, accordion, organ, piano, drum and xylophone.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 54 words

The computing system of claim 1 , wherein the hand and/or fingering positioning information comprises an array of hand position information selected from the group consisting of which hand is being described, which finger is placed where on at least one musical instrument, and to which stroke in the musical composition the information refers.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 45 words

The computing system according to claim 3 , wherein at least one musical instrument is selected from the group consisting banjo, guitar, bass, harp, lute, mandolin, viola, violin, violoncello, bassoon, clarinet, flute, oboe, saxophone, trombone, cornet, horn, trumpet, tuba, accordion, organ, piano, drum and xylophone.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 39 words

The computing system of claim 1 , wherein the hand and/or fingering positioning information minimizes hand movement when the musical composition is performed on the musical instrument, or makes performance of the musical composition on the musical instrument easier.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 103 words

The computing system of claim 1 , wherein the input device is selected from the group consisting of a data storage device containing digital musical data, a computer network from which digital musical data are obtained, a computer program, stored on a computer readable medium, where digital musical data are entered by a mouse, keyboard, or tablet, a MIDI device providing digital musical data, a digitizing scanner that scans paper containing the musical composition and a means of converting the digitized image into digital musical data, a microphone that captures musical sounds and a converter that converts the sounds into digital musical data.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 44 words

The computing system of claim 1 , wherein the output device is selected from the group consisting of a data storage device, a computer network, a printer, a computer monitor, and a device that uses the hand and/or fingering information for a musical performance.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 26 words

The computing system of claim 1 , wherein the computing system comprises a device for digitizing a musical composition that is input in a non-digitized form.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 23 words

The computing system of claim 1 , wherein the hand and/or fingering positional information is provided for at least two different musical instruments.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 224 words

A computing system for automatically determining hand and/or fingering positioning information for performing a musical composition on at least one musical instrument, comprising: a. a memory, b. an input device for inputting the musical composition into the computing system, c. a processor for automatically (i) identifying all strokes and stroke groups in the input musical composition, wherein a stroke is a note or a chord, and wherein a stroke group for an instrument comprises sequential strokes of the musical composition that can be played at one positional location on that instrument, (ii) selecting a stroke group to be used to determine the hand and/or fingering information for each stroke to be performed on each instrument, wherein each selection is consistent with a user-selected secondary manner of performing the musical composition, and (iii) using the selected stroke groups to determine the hand and/or fingering positioning information for playing the strokes in the musical composition on each musical instrument in the user-selected secondary manner, and d. an output device for outputting the hand and/or fingering positioning information for performance of the musical composition on the at least one musical instrument according to the user selected secondary manner, wherein at least one musical instrument is selected from the group consisting of a stringed instrument, a woodwind instrument, a brass instrument, a keyboard instrument, and a percussion instrument.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 224 words

A computing system for automatically determining hand and/or fingering positioning information for performing a musical composition on at least one musical instrument, comprising: a. a memory, b. an input device for inputting the musical composition into the computing system, c. a processor for automatically (i) identifying all strokes and stroke groups in the input musical composition, wherein a stroke is a note or a chord, and wherein a stroke group for an instrument comprises sequential strokes of the musical composition that can be played at one positional location on that instrument, (ii) selecting a stroke group to be used to determine the hand and/or fingering information for each stroke to be performed on each instrument, wherein each selection is consistent with a user-selected secondary manner of performing the musical composition, and (iii) using the selected stroke groups to determine the hand and/or fingering positioning information for playing the strokes in the musical composition on each musical instrument in the user-selected secondary manner, and d. an output device for outputting the hand and/or fingering positioning information for performance of the musical composition on the at least one musical instrument according to the user selected secondary manner, wherein at least one musical instrument is selected from the group consisting of a stringed instrument, a woodwind instrument, a brass instrument, a keyboard instrument, and a percussion instrument.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 45 words

The computing system of claim 10 , wherein at least one musical instrument is selected from the group consisting of banjo, guitar, bass, harp, lute, mandolin, viola, violin, violoncello, bassoon, clarinet, flute, oboe, saxophone, trombone, comet, horn, trumpet, tuba, accordion, organ, piano, drum and xylophone.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 55 words

The computing system of claim 10 , wherein the hand and/or fingering positioning information comprises an array of hand position information selected from the group consisting of which hand is being described, which finger is placed where on the at least one musical instrument, and to which stroke in the musical composition the information refers.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 45 words

The computing system of claim 12 , wherein at least one musical instrument is selected from the group consisting of banjo, guitar, bass, harp, lute, mandolin, viola, violin, violoncello, bassoon, clarinet, flute, oboe, saxophone, trombone, cornet, horn, trumpet, tuba, accordion, organ, piano, drum and xylophone.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 43 words

The computing system of claim 10 , wherein the user-selected secondary manner is selected from the group consisting of easier fingering, minimized hand movement, ease of performance, tonal quality, natural or artificial harmonics, and techniques that affect how a note is to played.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 103 words

The computing system of claim 10 , wherein the input means is selected from the group consisting of a data storage device containing digital musical data, a computer network from which digital musical data are obtained, a computer program, stored on a computer readable medium, where digital musical data are entered by a mouse, keyboard, or tablet, a MIDI device providing digital musical data, a digitizing scanner that scans paper containing the musical composition and a means of converting the digitized image into digital musical data, a microphone that captures musical sounds and a converter that converts the sounds into digital musical data.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 44 words

The computing system of claim 10 , wherein the output means is selected from the group consisting of a data storage device, a computer network, a printer, a computer monitor, and a device that uses the hand and/or fingering information for a musical performance.

Claim 19

Independent Claim 228 words

A method for automatically determining hand and/or fingering positional information for performing a musical composition on at least one musical instrument, comprising: a. providing a computing system, b. inputting the musical composition into the computing system, c. using the computing system to automatically (i) identify all strokes and stroke groups in the input musical composition, wherein a stroke is a note or a chord, and wherein a stroke group for an instrument comprises sequential strokes of the musical composition that can be played at one positional location on that instrument, (ii) select a stroke group to be used to determine the hand and/or fingering information for each stroke to be performed on each instrument, wherein all selections are either (a) based on the shortest path of hand and/or fingering movement between sequential strokes on the musical instrument, or (b) consistent with a user-selected secondary manner of performing the musical composition, and (iii) use the selected stroke groups to determine the hand and/or fingering positioning information for playing the strokes in the musical composition on each musical instrument, and d. outputting the hand and/or fingering positioning information for performance of the musical composition on the at least one musical instrument, wherein at least one musical instrument is selected from the group consisting of a stringed instrument, a woodwind instrument, a brass instrument, a keyboard instrument, and a percussion instrument.

Claim 20

Independent Claim 228 words

A method for automatically determining hand and/or fingering positional information for performing a musical composition on at least one musical instrument, comprising: a. providing a computing system, b. inputting the musical composition into the computing system, c. using the computing system to automatically (i) identify all strokes and stroke groups in the input musical composition, wherein a stroke is a note or a chord, and wherein a stroke group for an instrument comprises sequential strokes of the musical composition that can be played at one positional location on that instrument, (ii) select a stroke group to be used to determine the hand and/or fingering information for each stroke to be performed on each instrument, wherein all selections are either (a) based on the shortest path of hand and/or fingering movement between sequential strokes on the musical instrument, or (b) consistent with a user-selected secondary manner of performing the musical composition, and (iii) use the selected stroke groups to determine the hand and/or fingering positioning information for playing the strokes in the musical composition on each musical instrument, and d. outputting the hand and/or fingering positioning information for performance of the musical composition on the at least one musical instrument, wherein at least one musical instrument is selected from the group consisting of a stringed instrument, a woodwind instrument, a brass instrument, a keyboard instrument, and a percussion instrument.

Claim 21

Dependent Claim 44 words

The method of claim 17 , wherein at least one musical instrument is selected from the group consisting of banjo, guitar, bass, harp, lute, mandolin, viola, violin, violoncello, bassoon, clarinet, flute, oboe, saxophone, trombone, cornet, horn, trumpet, tuba, accordion, organ, piano, drum and xylophone.

Claim 22

Dependent Claim 54 words

The method of claim 17 , wherein the hand and/or fingering positioning information comprises an array of hand position information selected from the group consisting of which hand is being described, which finger is placed where on the at least one musical instrument, and to which stroke in the musical composition the information refers.

Claim 23

Dependent Claim 43 words

The method of claim 19 , wherein at least one musical instrument is selected from the group consisting banjo, guitar, bass, harp, lute, mandolin, viola, violin, violoncello, bassoon, clarinet, flute, oboe, saxophone, trombone, comet, horn, trumpet, tuba, accordion, organ, piano, drum and xylophone.

Claim 24

Dependent Claim 38 words

The method of claim 18 , wherein the hand and/or fingering positioning information minimizes hand movement on the musical instrument when the musical composition is performed or makes performance of the musical composition on the musical instrument easier.

Claim 25

Dependent Claim 43 words

The method of claim 18 , wherein the user-selected secondary manner is selected from the group consisting of easier fingering, minimized hand movement, ease of performance, tonal quality, natural or artificial harmonics, and techniques that affect how a note is to be played.

Claim 26

Dependent Claim 102 words

The method of claim 17 , wherein the input means is selected from the group consisting of a data storage device containing digital musical data, a computer network from which digital musical data are obtained, a computer program, stored on a computer readable medium, where digital musical data are entered by a mouse, keyboard, or tablet, a MIDI device providing digital musical data, a digitizing scanner that scans paper containing the musical composition and a means of converting the digitized image into digital musical data, a microphone that captures musical sounds and a converter that converts the sounds into digital musical data.

Claim 27

Dependent Claim 43 words

The method of claim 17 , wherein the output means is selected from the group consisting of a data storage device, a computer network, a printer, a computer monitor, and a device that uses the hand and/or fingering information for a musical performance.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	2011-03-18	2011-09-17	2012-03-18	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	2015-03-18	2015-09-17	2016-03-18	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	2019-03-18	2019-09-17	2020-03-18	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Method of automated musical instrument finger finding

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