According to an aspect of the present invention, there is an electric violin comprising a sound bar having a first tang and a second tang. The central portion of the sound bar rests on a top plate of the violin, separated by a separator pad, and the first and second tangs protrude to an inner cavity of the violin through a first and a second plate hole of the top plate. A pickup assembly includes a first and a second pickup, where each of the pickups comprise a bobbin made of two plates separated by a plurality of magnetic polepieces and surrounded by a coil wire. Each of the pickups includes a compression mechanism including a height adjustment screw that holds the compression mechanism at a firm tension while the distance between the plurality of the magnetic polepieces of the pickup and the corresponding tang satisfies a tolerance gap.

A set of new accessories for the violin family instrument, switch fingerboards, which includes an assembly of switches, suitable for violin learners. Switches are laid out regularly on the spots corresponding to the notes which are written on the fingerboards. Once a switch is turned on (pressed by a finger), a CPU will be triggered, and then output of the signal of a desired pitch will immediately cause the speaker to produce a sound of that pitch. Such a switch fingerboard will surely assist beginners to practice how to stop strings and to shift positions to get pitches more precisely and efficiently. Additionally, an n-like, switch assembly fingerboard is described, where all the switches are embedded into a rectangular plate in equal intervals. With the same CPU, ROM, amplifier and speaker system, any sound recorded from a performance in the violin family, corresponding to each note, can be replayed on command.

An input device for operating a musical instrument having musical behavior of string instruments, which comprises a key plate unit containing a set of input keys to be pressed by a player, in order to generate a first set of electric input signals, which emulate a combination of pressed keys of a musical instrument or a combination of pressed strings; a stick unit with variable tension of displacement including a stick to be moved by the player between predetermined discrete positions, which emulate a combination of strummed strings of a musical instrument.

An input device for operating a musical instrument having musical behavior of string instruments, which comprises a key plate unit containing a set of input keys to be pressed by a player, in order to generate a first set of electric input signals, which emulate a combination of pressed keys of a musical instrument or a combination of pressed strings; a stick unit with variable tension of displacement including a stick to be moved by the player between predetermined discrete positions, which emulate a combination of strummed strings of a musical instrument.

A system for playing a multi-string instrument utilizing a device in conjunction with hardware and software that once programmed on a computer using a touchscreen, solenoids press the strings down on the frets on the neck of a multi-string instrument, requiring a user to only need to touch the touchscreen and simultaneously strum the strings by any method.

A sound post assembly for a musical instrument, comprising two or more mechanically movable parts that allow for a length adjustment of the sound post assembly and one or more electrical components. In an example embodiment, the electrical components are configured to electrically measure the force exerted by the sound post on the upper and lower walls of the instrument's sound box. In some embodiments, the electrical components may operate to mechanically change the length of the sound post assembly through an electrical actuator, such as a piezo-electric actuator or an electro-magnetic motor. Also disclosed are example safety mechanisms and methods of wiring and interfacing said sound post assembly with a control unit.

An accessory for modifying sound output of a musical instrument. The body of the instrument has a soundboard. The accessory includes a sound sensor, an actuator, a fastener, and a controller. The sound sensor engages the body and senses vibration of the body representing the sound output of the musical instrument. The actuator engages the soundboard and deforms the soundboard of the musical instrument so as to modify the sound output of the musical instrument. The sound sensor is preferably arranged distally to the actuator. The fastener engages the accessory to the musical instrument, to locate the actuator against the soundboard of the musical instrument. The controller is connected to the actuator and the sound sensor for receiving and analysing the sound output sensed by the sound sensor, and controlling the actuator in dependence on the sound output sensed by the sound sensor.

An ergonomic, portable, electronic, string-like instrument that utilizes a string-like interface. The string-like interface is tactile for sightless playability and capable of advanced input such as force and pressure sensitivity. The string-like interface functions to select a note, trigger a selected note, select and play a note on the instrument or an external peripheral. The instrument is played using the techniques of multiple stringed instruments and the ergonomics allow the user to hold and handle the device consistent with playing techniques familiar to musicians of multiple instruments. It is internally or externally powered and connects directly to industry-standard musical hardware such as MIDI devices, amplifiers and multi-track recorders.

Embodiments of the present disclosure can provide systems, methods, and computer-readable medium for implementing user interfaces for interacting with a virtual instrument. For example, a user interface for a virtual instrument may be presented on a display of a device. The user interface may have any suitable number of strings (or keys) associated with a physical instrument. Each string/key may correspond to an associated audio file. Touch input may be received at the user interface. In some embodiments, the touch input may include a location corresponding to a particular string. The associated audio file may be selected based on the location. The associated audio file may be presented (e.g., via a speaker of the device) at a volume that corresponds with the pressure at which the touch input was provided.

An onboard electronic system and associated method enables a player of an acoustic stringed instrument to control an electronic signal for modifying and amplifying sound while playing an instrument. The onboard electronic system is embedded in the tailpiece and/or the chinrest portions and/or shoulder-rest portion of the stringed instrument, and includes at least one pickup, a battery-powered amplification unit and at least one controller. The method includes steps for controlling sound amplification and tonal modification onboard an acoustic stringed instrument. The steps include sensing vibration from strings with a pickup, generating an electrical signal and transmitting the electrical signal to an amplification unit via an input cable, and modifying the electrical signal in response to one or more controllers located onboard the instrument.