Disclosed is a pitch adjuster for a musical instrument having valves for selectively directing air flow through additional tubes and tuning slides on at least some of the additional tubes. The pitch adjuster automatically adjusts the tuning slides depending upon which valves are directing the air flow to pass through their additional tubes. There are a pair of adjustable linear solenoids connected between the additional tubes and their tuning slides, each of which adjusts the tuning slide when the solenoid is energized. There are sensors to detect whether each valve is directing the air flow through its additional tube. There is also a controller connected to sensors and solenoid for energizing the selected solenoids when the controller receives input from at least two sensors that the valves are directing the air flow to pass through their additional tubes.

Disclosed is a pitch adjuster for a musical instrument having valves for selectively directing air flow through additional tubes and tuning slides on at least some of the additional tubes. The pitch adjuster automatically adjusts the tuning slides depending upon which valves are directing the air flow to pass through their additional tubes. There are a pair of adjustable linear solenoids connected between the additional tubes and their tuning slides, each of which adjusts the tuning slide when the solenoid is energized. There are sensors to detect whether each valve is directing the air flow through its additional tube. There is also a controller connected to sensors and solenoid for energizing the selected solenoids when the controller receives input from at least two sensors that the valves are directing the air flow to pass through their additional tubes.

A woodwind instrument with improved tonal characteristics that plays both in-tune and with a timbre consistent with the rest of the range of notes. The instrument may be an improved saxophone having a tone hole on at least one joined section of the saxophone. The joined section may be a joint between a saxophone body and a upper bow, a joint between a saxophone body and lower bow or both. A connecting ring may be used at the joined section and, if used, will receive the tone hole. A method of improving the tonal characteristics of a saxophone comprises the steps of identifying at least one joint between two sections on said saxophone and soldering a tone hole at the joint. A connecting ring may be soft soldered to the joint.

A musical instrument accessory includes a base plate, two supports, a track, and multiple weights. The two supports connect the base plate to the neck of the musical instrument and the track is located on the base plate. The user may customize the musical instrument by putting one or more weights on appropriate positions on the track. This action modifies the weight distribution of the accessory, creates more vibrations, and modifies affect the tone color and response of the musical instrument in the meantime. With experimentation, everyone can create his or her own unique tone color and response by simply shifting one or more weights to different positions on the track.

A musical instrument accessory includes a base plate, two supports, a track, and multiple weights. The two supports connect the base plate to the neck of the musical instrument and the track is located on the base plate. The user may customize the musical instrument by putting one or more weights on appropriate positions on the track. This action modifies the weight distribution of the accessory, creates more vibrations, and modifies affect the tone color and response of the musical instrument in the meantime. With experimentation, everyone can create his or her own unique tone color and response by simply shifting one or more weights to different positions on the track.

Described is a twin valve attachment for musical instruments, such as a trombone. The attachment includes a lever that is rotatable between a B-Flat configuration and an F note configuration. Also included are first and second rotary valves. The first rotary valve is operably connected with the F lever, while the second rotary valve is operably connected with the first rotary valve. F-attachment piping is fluidly connected with both the first and second rotary valves. Thus, a user may rotate the F lever to selectively direct air flow through the F-attachment piping (for the F note configuration) or bypass the F-attachment piping (for the B-Flat configuration).

A flute headjoint includes a cylindrical pipe section (2), an embouchure hole (3) bounded by a reinforcing element (4), a crown (6) terminating the pipe section (2) situated to the left of the embouchure hole (3), and a concave tuning plug (8) disposed in the pipe section (2) in a sonic chamber (5) situated under the embouchure hole (3). The cylindrical pipe section (2) is longer compared to conventional configurations, the crown (6) is open, the tuning plug (8, 12, 15, 23) is a cylindrical body with its face situated facing the embouchure hole (3) having a sunken three-dimensional configuration made as a combination of regular or irregular arcuate and flat faces. A balance weight (40) is positioned in the resonator cavity (5a) between the tuning plug (8, 12, 15, 23) and the crown (6). Pipe section (2) includes an additional extension piece (42, 43) which is removable

Described is a twin valve attachment for musical instruments, such as a trombone. The attachment includes a lever that is rotatable between a B-Flat configuration and an F note configuration. Also included are first and second rotary valves. The first rotary valve is operably connected with the F lever, while the second rotary valve is operably connected with the first rotary valve. F-attachment piping is fluidly connected with both the first and second rotary valves. Thus, a user may rotate the F lever to selectively direct air flow through the F-attachment piping (for the F note configuration) or bypass the F-attachment piping (for the B-Flat configuration).

The disclosure provides an approach for tuning musical instruments. In one embodiment, a tuning application determines frequencies of a series of notes played on a brass instrument, either with open tuning or with a valve pressed. As a musician holds a last note in the series and a tuning or valve slide is moved, the tuning application determines, based on a change in frequency of the last note and the measured frequencies of the other notes in the series, the change in frequency of the other notes. The tuning application then determines a compromise tuning that minimizes the total difference between the current frequencies of the notes and known note frequencies in a frequency table or previously tuned note frequencies if any of the notes were previously tuned. Upon achieving the compromise tuning, the musician or an actuator is instructed to stop moving the tuning or valve slide.

The invention relates to a flute headjoint comprising a cylindrical pipe section (2), an embouchure hole (3) bounded by a reinforcing element (4), a crown (6) adapted to terminate the pipe section (2) situated to the left of the embouchure hole (3), and a concave tuning plug (8) disposed in the pipe section (2) in a sonic chamber (5) situated under the embouchure hole (3). The flute headjoint according to the invention is characterised in that the cylindrical pipe section (2) is longer compared to conventional configurations, the crown (6) is configured to be open, the tuning plug (8, 12, 15, 23) being a cylindrical body with its face situated facing the embouchure hole (3) having a sunken three-dimensional configuration made as a combination of regular or irregular arcuate and flat faces, and has a balance weight (40) adapted to be placed in the resonator cavity (5a) between the tuning plug (8, 12, 15, 23) and the crown (6), and also has an additional extension piece (42, 43).