A toy guitar includes a guitar body defining an interior space. The toy guitar may further include a track extending within the interior space from an opening of the guitar body. The toy guitar may further include a guitar neck arranged partially in the opening. The neck is manipulateable between an extended position in which the guitar neck extends from the guitar body and a retracted position in which the guitar neck is at least partially retracted into the interior space along the track. In some cases, the guitar neck may include a retention structure configured to retain the guitar neck in the extended position. The toy guitar may also include an input assembly integrated with the guitar neck configured to cause the toy guitar to emit a light or a sound upon receipt of an input when the guitar neck is in the extended position.

A method and system for teaching oneself to learn to play a string instrument and master it by analyzing ones real-time hand/finger movement/technique/form, enabling oneself to progress and correct ones own mistakes simultaneously. In one aspect, a system for learning to play a string instrument is provided that includes a simulation instrument that includes a plurality of strings, wherein at least one of the strings includes at least one-touch sensing sensor thereon in communication with at least one processor to receive a signal from the at least one touch-sensing sensor and determine therefrom when and where on the at least one string a user applies pressure to the at least one string.

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 system and method for an adaptable effects unit is provided. In one aspect, the system allows users to manipulate audio signals transmitted from a musical instrument prior to being output by a speaker. In another aspect, the system allows users to create virtual signal chains that may be used to alter audio signals of a musical instrument without the need of multiple effects units. In yet another aspect, the system may be used in a way that allows a user to customize the controls of a physical effects unit so that the controls better suit the user's needs. Generally, the system allows users alter and customize a physical effects unit via a user interface of a computing device. The physical effects unit is configured in a way such that it may receive instructions from the computing device.

An electronic musical instrument includes: a chord-playing input device; a sounding part that emits chord sounds; and a display part that displays an image. The chord-playing input device includes: a chord designating button group assigned with chords; a chord changing button group assigned with change methods for changing an assignment state for the chord designating button group; a sounding information generating part that generates sounding information for making the sounding part emit the sound of the chord corresponding to operation for the chord designating button group and chord changing button group; and a display information generating part that generates display information for making the display part display a plurality of chord images and change method images in the same arrangement order as those of the chord designating button group and chord changing button group.

The present disclosure is directed at methods, apparatus and systems for implementing an improvised guitar playing feature on a rhythm-action game. The improvised guitar playing feature allows players to manipulate a guitar controller to produce a pleasing, musical-sounding improvised play even if the players have little experience or skill at improvising music. This feature uses quantized 8.sup.th and 16.sup.th note musical phrases, or “licks”, strung together to form authentic, melodic, and rhythmically musical and impressive guitar lines, regardless of the player's ability. The improvised guitar playing feature can also display cues directing the player to improvise in a certain manner, while still providing players a degree of musical freedom in selecting how to play. In some embodiments, the present disclosure is also directed at scoring mechanisms for evaluating improvised guitar play.

An electronic stringed instrument includes: at least one linear string member to be plucked by a user; a plurality of string support members each supporting the string member at different positions in a longitudinal direction of the string member, each of the string support members being individually deformable in accordance with a plucking of the string member by the user; a plurality of sensors that output signals indicating respective deformation states of the plurality of string support members, wherein the respective deformation states of the plurality of string support members may be different from each other depending on a way the string member is plucked; and at last one processor configured to generate a musical tone control signal based on the signals output from the plurality of sensors.

A modular approach to large string array electronic musical instruments such as specialized harps, zithers, sympathetic string arrays, the Harry Partch Kithara, the Harry Partch Harmonic Cannon, and other large string array electronic musical instruments is presented. A mounting frame is used to interchangeably secure a plurality of a plurality of musical instrument modules, each comprising a plurality of strings configured to vibrate and create electronic signals. An electronic interface is configured to transmit electrical signals from the plurality of musical instrument modules to an external system. The electronic interface can be configured to provide a multichannel output. The arrangement can further comprise either or both of at least one audio mixer and at least one signal processor.

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.

A keyboard with strum string apparatus for creating accurate guitar sounds with an electronic keyboard includes a microcontroller is coupled within a keyboard body. A power source, a pair of speakers, a plurality of control buttons, and a plurality of piano keys are coupled to the keyboard body and are in operational communication with the microcontroller. A plurality of piano keys is coupled to the keyboard body. A strum board is coupled to the keyboard body. The strum board has a strum base coupled to the keyboard body, a pair of bridges coupled to the strum base, a plurality of strings extending between the pair of bridges, and a pickup coupled to the strum base. The pickup is in operational communication with the microcontroller.