Provided is an automatic music playing control device that provides an instruction of playing music, the control device implementing natural music playing capable of expressing the timing and voicing in live music playing of a musical instrument by a player. The automatic music playing control device includes at least one processor, and the at least one processor selects a voicing pattern corresponding to a combination of the probabilistically-selected number of sounds to be emitted and a decided voicing type corresponding to a range from among a plurality of voicing patterns based on a scale decided according to the tune and chords of a music piece and instructs a sound source to emit a chord voiced based on the selected voicing pattern.

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.

A system and method for making musical decisions is provided. The approach is based on algorithms which compose music driven by an input of desired emotional tension over time. A method for abstraction and quantification of musical structures is detailed, as well as the application of this method in a generative algorithm that produces musical sequences. The overall goal of this method is to use a set of abstractions and guidelines to generate emotionally appropriate new music in real time.

An information processing system acquires a detection signal corresponding to each manipulated operator, among the plurality of operators, that has been manipulated by a user and identifies a manipulation amount or intensity of each of the plurality of operators based on the acquired detection signal. The system further identifies a chord that corresponds, from among the plurality of operators, to a combination of detected two or more manipulated operators. The identifying of the chord includes determining a root note pitch included in the chord based on the manipulation amount or intensity of each of the detected two or more manipulated operators.

An automated music composition and generation system and process for producing one or more pieces of digital music, by providing a set of musical energy (ME) quality control parameters to an automated music composition and generation engine, applying certain of the selected musical energy quality control parameters as markers to specific spots along the timeline of a selected media object or event marker by the system user during a scoring process, and providing the selected set of musical energy quality control parameters to drive the automated music composition and generation engine to automatically compose and generate one or more pieces of digital music with control over the specified qualities of musical energy embodied in and expressed by the piece of digital music to composed and generated by the automated music composition and generation engine.

An automated music composition and generation system and process for producing one or more pieces of digital music, by providing a set of musical energy (ME) quality control parameters to an automated music composition and generation engine, applying certain of the selected musical energy quality control parameters as markers to specific spots along the timeline of a selected media object or event marker by the system user during a scoring process, and providing the selected set of musical energy quality control parameters to drive the automated music composition and generation engine to automatically compose and generate one or more pieces of digital music with control over the specified qualities of musical energy embodied in and expressed by the piece of digital music to composed and generated by the automated music composition and generation engine.

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.

The pedal steel guitar has a plurality of strings strung across the body, with at least one multi-element transducer positioned proximate the strings. At least one foot pedal or knee lever, carried by the body and being physically disengaged from the plurality of strings, is coupled to at least one sensor that produces an electronic sensor signal when the pedal or lever is moved. A digital signal processor receives the electronic transducer signal and the electronic sensor signal and operates on the electronic transducer signal in the digital domain. The processor uses the electronic sensor signal to manipulate at least one tonal property of the electronic sensor signal. The digital signal processor produces an audio output. The digital signal processor is programmed to change the manner in which the digital signal processor manipulates the at least one tonal property based on programming information received through a programming input.

The pedal steel guitar has a plurality of strings strung across the body, with at least one multi-element transducer positioned proximate the strings. At least one foot pedal or knee lever, carried by the body and being physically disengaged from the plurality of strings, is coupled to at least one sensor that produces an electronic sensor signal when the pedal or lever is moved. A digital signal processor receives the electronic transducer signal and the electronic sensor signal and operates on the electronic transducer signal in the digital domain. The processor uses the electronic sensor signal to manipulate at least one tonal property of the electronic sensor signal. The digital signal processor produces an audio output. The digital signal processor is programmed to change the manner in which the digital signal processor manipulates the at least one tonal property based on programming information received through a programming input.