A music generating system enables a user to generate independent and sequential musical melodies, having reduced latency periods, without playing an electronic percussion instrument. The music generating system includes an electronic percussion instrument, a MIDI controller coupled to the electronic percussion instrument, a unidirectional USB communication link coupled to the MIDI controller, a MIDI converter coupled to the unidirectional USB communication link, a bidirectional USB-MIDI communication link coupled to the MIDI converter, and a rhythm drum machine in communication with the bidirectional USB-MIDI communication link. The MIDI converter is configured to independently and sequentially receive and learn a first audio control signal and a second audio control signal in a non-overlapping pattern, and thereby independently and sequentially generates and transmits to the rhythm drum machine a first musical melody and a second musical melody corresponding to the first audio control signal and the second audio control signal, respectively.

An adjustable guitar effects pedalboard for anchoring guitar effects pedals. More specifically, a pedalboard having at least two telescoping sections, wherein the pedalboard is configured to allow users to adjust the width of the pedalboard to fit their needs. The pedalboard can have an upper level and a lower, telescoping level, and the upper level and the lower, telescoping level may be curved and further contain a plurality of holes on which users can use cable ties to anchor their guitar effects pedals. The plurality of holes in each of the at least two telescoping sections may align with each other in various positions of expansion and contraction.

A musical instrument, for example, a keyboard guitar, includes a body, an elongated neck coupled to the body, neck keys disposed on the elongated neck, and an output for transmitting an electrical signal generated by the musical instrument. Activation of each neck key generates an electrical signal at the output representing a pitch associated with a musical note. The musical instrument may also include body keys disposed on the body, and a strum bar that generates an electrical signal at the output representing a pitch associated with a musical note based on which of the body keys are activated during activation of the strum bar. Further, the musical instrument may include a continuous graphic image spanning the front face of the body and the body keys, forming a continuous pattern that is unbroken across a transition between key surfaces of the body keys and the front face of the body.

Embodiments are directed to a musical instrument having buttons, where the buttons determine the magnitude of the interval by which the melody will jump from the last note played. With a small number of interval buttons and an up/down strum bar, embodiments can play almost any melody and more notes than a piano. One embodiment is directed to an interval-based guitar including fret buttons whose input signals are used to calculate the interval by which to change the pitch of the prior note. Providing input via a strum bar or a sensor, a new note is generated by adding or subtracting the interval to/from the prior note to generate a new note.

A video game includes an audio-video stream combined with game graphics and game sounds. The game graphics are overlaid on the video stream and updated in synchronization with the stream. Update of the game graphics and sounds depends on inputs received from a game player. The game player may provide input using a game controller coupled to the video game by an adapter. The video game may play on a Blu-ray player.

A musical instrument with an improved interface for playing the instrument is provided. The musical instrument may be configured with a musical scale and a key. An input interface of the musical instrument may be configured based on the scale and key to allow a player of the instrument to easily play multiple collections of notes, or chords, in a simplified manner. For example, the improved interface allows a user to play a number of chords or other collection of notes without having to depress or engage a number of sound actuators at different locations along instrument.

An improved musical instrument is disclosed. The musical instrument includes at least one key assembly and at least two sets of sensors. The sensors sense one or more attributes pertaining to a force exerted on the at least one key assembly. A control unit is provided to determine amount of force sensed by sensors based on the sensed one or more attributes, and to determine location, at which the force on the at least one key assembly is exerted based on the determined amount of force sensed by the sensors. The control unit is configured to generated signals based on the determined amount of force sensed by the sensors, and the determined location. The generated signals are associated with one or more acoustic parameters.

A device for detecting the grip pattern when playing a bowed instrument, having a sensor film arrangeable on the fingerboard for detecting the grip pattern. The sensor film is formed from at least one resistance layer, a conductive layer and a spacer layer arranged in-between, and having an evaluation circuit, by which evaluation circuit the resistance changes of the sensor film caused by the grip pattern are able to be detected. The resistance layer is divided into a number of resistance tracks corresponding to the number of strings of the bowed instrument. The width of each resistance track is formed increasing from one end of the sensor film to the other end of the sensor film, and the upper layer of the sensor film is formed by the conductive layer, and the sensor film has a curvature, corresponding to the arch of the fingerboard.

A music based video game provides a user directed sound generation feature. In some embodiments, the user is provided a video game controller simulating a musical instrument, which the user may operate similarly to its real musical instrument counterpart. A free play feature is provided for users to operate the video game controller, where a processor of a video game console receives input signals from the video game controller and outputs audio samples based on the received input signals. During the free play feature, multiple suggestions as to how to operate the video game controller are simultaneously provided to give users some guidance as to what to play using the video game controller.

A musical instrument, for example, a keyboard guitar, includes a body, an elongated neck coupled to the body, neck keys disposed on the elongated neck, and an output for transmitting an electrical signal generated by the musical instrument. Activation of each neck key generates an electrical signal at the output representing a pitch associated with a musical note. The musical instrument may also include body keys disposed on the body, and a strum bar that generates an electrical signal at the output representing a pitch associated with a musical note based on which of the body keys are activated during activation of the strum bar. Further, the musical instrument may include a continuous graphic image spanning the front face of the body and the body keys, forming a continuous pattern that is unbroken across a transition between key surfaces of the body keys and the front face of the body.