A musical instrument protection system includes a plurality of pad devices each having any shape, a body including an adhesive side, a contact side, and a thickness. The pad device is defined by the adhesive side and the contact side, separated by the thickness which can be any color or design. The contact side may be in contact with a hand of a user during an in-use installed condition, and the adhesive side is configured to be adhered to an outer surface of a musical instrument such that it provides a protective barrier for protecting finished outer surfaces, preserving and sometimes enhancing the acoustics of the musical instrument.

A light sensor 19 is provided for detecting a position of a lever 14 (an intermediate position between an initial position and a terminal position of the lever 14) between an ON state and an OFF state of the lever 14, and a musical sound in accordance with the position of the lever 14 detected by the light sensor 19 is generated. That is, in each of the ON state of the lever 14, the OFF state of the lever 14, and the state where the lever 14 is therebetween, different musical sounds are generated when the head 6 is percussed. Therefore, compared with the conventional technique where musical sounds can only be generated based on the ON or OFF state of the lever 14, musical sounds of a greater variety can be generated.

A light sensor 19 is provided for detecting a position of a lever 14 (an intermediate position between an initial position and a terminal position of the lever 14) between an ON state and an OFF state of the lever 14, and a musical sound in accordance with the position of the lever 14 detected by the light sensor 19 is generated. That is, in each of the ON state of the lever 14, the OFF state of the lever 14, and the state where the lever 14 is therebetween, different musical sounds are generated when the head 6 is percussed. Therefore, compared with the conventional technique where musical sounds can only be generated based on the ON or OFF state of the lever 14, musical sounds of a greater variety can be generated.