A handheld musical instrument for playing a variety of audio program, the handheld musical instrument includes a main body portion with one or more sensors, a handle portion engaged with said main body portion, wherein said handle portion includes one or more control buttons to select a type of program to be played by said handheld musical instrument and a gesture detection module for detecting gestures associated with said handheld musical instrument and controlling a tempo associated with said program played by said handheld musical instrument based on said detected gestures.

A pedal device for an electronic percussion instrument is provided, wherein first and second detection means for detecting a rotation of a pedal by different methods are alternatively disposed in a base. The pedal has a pressing part on a lower surface side. The base includes a first portion located under the pressing part for supporting the first detection means, and a second portion located around the first portion for supporting the second detection means. The first portion supports the first detection means such that a first pressed part of the first detection means is disposed on a displacement trajectory of the pressing part that displaces with the rotation of the pedal, and the second portion disposes the second detection means such that a second pressed part of the second detection means is disposed on the displacement trajectory of the pressing part.

A pickup for a musical instrument includes a first assembly, a housing, and a magnet. The first assembly comprises a base plate, a pole that extends from the base plate, and a coil of wire wrapped around the pole. A first lead wire extends from a first coil end and a second lead wire extends from a second coil end. The housing is user attachable to, and detachable from, the top of the first assembly, independently of any electrical connections made to electronics of the musical instrument. Moreover, the housing attaches to and detaches from the first assembly such that when attached, the pole of the first assembly is in magnetic cooperation with the magnet. Also, the housing is removable, thus allowing the magnet to be changed out to another magnet without removing strings or other hardware of the musical instrument.

A pedal sound modification device is disclosed for varying an electrical signal. The device includes a plate pivotably coupled to a base. A slide potentiometer is coupled to the base and has a slider arm slidably engaging a linear potentiometer. The linear potentiometer extends between proximal slide end and a distal slide end. A linkage rod is pivotably coupled to the plate and the slide potentiometer for displacing the slide arm relative to the linear potentiometer upon a pivoting displacement of the plate relative to the base. The plate contacts the base for defining a proximal slide arm stop and positions the slide arm immediately adjacent to the proximal slide end for preventing damage to the slide potentiometer. The plate contacts the base for defining a distal slide arm stop and positions the slide arm immediately adjacent to the distal slide end for preventing damage to the slide potentiometer.

In several embodiments of the invention, a pickup saddle for a stringed instrument includes a U-shaped top cap having two legs, each leg including a receiving portion configured to mate with a mating portion of a base, a base fitted to the interior of the top cap, where two surfaces of the base include a mating portion matching with and affixed to a receiving portion of the top cap, a piezoelectric transducer placed between the top cap and the base and electrically connected to the base, a positive wire connected to the piezoelectric transducer, and a ground wire connected to the base.

In several embodiments of the invention, a pickup saddle for a stringed instrument includes a U-shaped top cap having two legs, each leg including a receiving portion configured to mate with a mating portion of a base, a base fitted to the interior of the top cap, where two surfaces of the base include a mating portion matching with and affixed to a receiving portion of the top cap, a piezoelectric transducer placed between the top cap and the base and electrically connected to the base, a positive wire connected to the piezoelectric transducer, and a ground wire connected to the base.

A percussion instrument driving device includes an actuator and an actuator mount. The actuator includes an actuator surface configured to vibrate in response to an electrical signal to vibrate a vibration surface of a percussion instrument from outside of the percussion instrument. The actuator mount is disposed outside the percussion instrument having a vibration surface. The actuator mount is configured to mount the actuator to the percussion instrument from outside of the percussion instrument, with the actuator surface facing the vibration surface and spaced from the vibration surface.

Provided is a musical instrument including a vibratable body; and a vibrator. The vibrator includes a vibrating body that vibrates in a predetermined direction; and a coupling member coupling the vibrating body and the vibratable body and that transmits vibration of the vibrating body to the vibratable body. The coupling member includes a shaft extending between the vibrating body and the vibratable body; a first wire rod coupling one end portion of the shaft and the vibrating body; and a second wire rod coupling another end portion of the shaft and the vibratable body. A resonance frequency of each of the shaft, the first wire rod, and the second wire rod is at least 10 kHz.

A detecting device 100 detects an elastic wave propagating through the air. The detecting device 100 includes: a first electrode 12 that is a plate having a cantilever structure with a fixed end FX and a free end FR and that vibrates by being bent by the elastic wave; and a second electrode 32 that is a plate, that is opposed to the first electrode, and that has a predetermined distance from the first electrode. The detecting device 100 detects the elastic wave on the basis of a change in capacitance between the first electrode and the second electrode 32. An end of the second electrode 32 in a direction from the fixed end FX to the free end FR is closer to the fixed end than the free end.

A detecting device 100 detects an elastic wave propagating through the air. The detecting device 100 includes: a first electrode 12 that is a plate having a cantilever structure with a fixed end FX and a free end FR and that vibrates by being bent by the elastic wave; and a second electrode 32 that is a plate, that is opposed to the first electrode, and that has a predetermined distance from the first electrode. The detecting device 100 detects the elastic wave on the basis of a change in capacitance between the first electrode and the second electrode 32. An end of the second electrode 32 in a direction from the fixed end FX to the free end FR is closer to the fixed end than the free end.