Fretboard light strips with illuminable note indicia

Abstract

The present invention is a device and method for teaching note locations, fretboard patterns, scales, chords, and songs on the fingerboard of a fretted stringed instrument (fretboard), such as an electric or acoustic guitar, bass guitar, or other fretted instrument. The invention comprises a set of affixable fretboard strips (strips) that adhere to the surface of the stringed instrument, using a mild adhesive or other means of attachment, so as not to damage the instrument, and a number of electronic illuminable markings, such as LED lights, which indicate musical notes and concepts. Once applied to an instrument, an external controller illuminates the electronic illuminable markings in sequence in order to communicate the note positions of notes, scales, chords, playable patterns and songs in order to teach the same to would be students.

Claims

1. a device comprising: a set of affixable light strips for a stringed instrument, wherein each light contained on each light strip corresponds to a permissible musical note position, which may illuminate in a variety of sequences and rhythms according to cues sent from a controller device to communicate musical concepts, scales, melodies, chords, patterns, and songs, further wherein each strip temporarily affixes to and can be removed from a stringed instrument using an attachment mechanism or adhesive element.

2. a method of affixing illuminable visual sequential or non-sequential cues for indicating musical concepts, scales, melodies, chords, patterns, and songs to a surface of a fretboard of a stringed instrument, comprising: illuminable musical indicia indicating musical note positions or musical concepts, scales, melodies, chords, patterns, and songs on a set of affixable light strips; and affixing the set of strips to the surface of the fretboard of a string instrument; wherein each sticker within the set is placed between frets and underneath strings of the stringed instrument.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0038] Having thus described the invention in general terms, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, which are not necessarily drawn to scale, and wherein:

[0039] FIG. 1 provides a frontal view of one embodiment of the present invention, including the controller sending a signal to one note on a set of four electronic LED strips.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0040] The present invention consists of a set of removable electronic LED or light strips 1, which can be affixed to the surface of a fretted instrument using a variety of attachment mechanisms 2, including but not limited to adhesives technologies having illuminable LED or electronic lights 3, 4 that provide visual cues for players of stringed fretted instruments attempting to learn patterns, note sequences, scales, chords, note positions, or songs. Each LED or light strip 1 is made of a thin, flexible material, such as plastic or vinyl, or similarly flexible and, ideally, durable materials and attaches directly to the fretboard of a fretted stringed instrument of choice and may be removed without damaging the instrument's substrates or finish.

[0041] The lights of the LED or light strips 3, 4 are illuminated by a controller device 5, via an electric or radio wave signal or wired or wirelessly transmitted signal 6, sent by a controller 5, and may be illuminated one at a time 4 or simultaneously, or in sequence, for various durations and in various colors, as determined by software or circuit boards of the controller 5 in conjunction with the materials constituting the light strips.

[0042] FIG. 1 shows a frontal view of a preferred embodiment of the present invention that is applicable to a standard sized acoustic or electric guitar. In this preferred embodiment, the set of removable electronic LED strips comprises four removable strips 1 having a rectangular or trapezoidal planer top surface and a rectangular or trapezoidal planar bottom surface. Although this preferred embodiment contains only four removable strips 1, each corresponding to the first four frets of the guitar, a set of strips may include twelve or twenty-four or more or less strips and may cover the entire length of the fretboard, if desired.

[0043] In a preferred embodiment, each light strip 1 is made of a thin, flexible, but strong, non-stretching material, such as vinyl or plastic, or similar material. In a preferred embodiment, each strip 1 is bendable, but not easily stretched or broken. Each light strip 1 corresponds to one fret of the fretboard and in a preferred embodiment contains as many lights 3 as there are strings for the given instrument. In at least one preferred embodiment, the strips 1 are for use on a six stringed instrument, in which case there will be, in at least one preferred embodiment, six lights 3 per light strip, one corresponding to each possible note that can be played on the strips corresponding to any given fret.

[0044] Each light strip 1 can be easily slipped under the strings of an existing standard sized instrument then attached using an affixing mechanism 2. The affixing mechanism 2 may be made of 3.5 mil, clear gloss flexible vinyl that includes adhesives, or Velcro, or may be made of other materials. The affixing mechanism 2 may be permanently attached to the strips or may be temporarily attached and may be replaceable. If a clear gloss flexible vinyl is used as the affixing mechanism, the bottom surface of the vinyl may be coated with an ultra low-tack removable adhesive, such as 64 ultra low-tack removable acrylic, so as to not damage the wood substrate. Preferably the target adhesive used allow the affixing mechanism to be cleanly removed from most wood lacquered finishes for up to 6 months or longer.

[0045] The preferred overall dimensions of each light strip 1 will vary, depending on the instrument to which each strip set pertains, however, a number of important limitations of said dimensions may be noted. The width of the strips to be placed between the frets closest to the head of the stringed instrument may be smaller than the width of the strips to be placed between the frets furthest from the head of the stringed instrument to account for the trapezoidal aspect of fretboards. Also, the height of each strip may be smaller than the distance between the frets to be covered by the strip at issue. Finally, the width of each strip may be limited to no more than is necessary to cover the entire width of the fretboard of the instrument where the strip is to be attached, plus a small amount of space to grip the sides of the neck of the instrument. This limitation allows the player of the instrument to make natural contact to the surface of the back of the neck of the instrument with one's thumb even when the strips are attached to the fretboard of the instrument.

[0046] The top surface of each light strip 1 does not contain adhesive. It does contain, however, illuminable mechanisms 3, 4, such as LED lights or other electronic lights, which can be controlled via an external wireless or wired controller device 5.

[0047] The controller 5 may be comprised of a portable hand held device, such as a smart phone or tablet, or it may be comprised of a computer, or a standalone controller made specifically for the purposes of controlling the led light strips set.

[0048] The controller contains software in a preferred embodiment, which can be updated from time to time. This software communicates with each light 3 of the light strips individually via the controller and is capable of lighting one note light 4 at a time or multiple notes simultaneously or in sequence.

[0049] In one preferred embodiment, a smart phone is used as the controller 5. In this preferred embodiment, the smart phone 5 communicates with each light 3 in the light strip 1 individually via wireless signals 6 in order to indicate when and for how long to illuminate any given light, which in turn, indicates to the fretted instrument student when and for how long a given note should be played.

[0050] In this preferred embodiment, the light strips 1 may be attached to the fretted instrument using vinyl strips 2 containing a mild adhesive on the bottom surface, which can be replaced and removed from the instrument, when appropriate. The lights 3, 4 of each light strip 1 are not illuminated during rests 3, and are illuminated 4 when the corresponding note to a given light ought to be played.

[0051] In a preferred embodiment, the color of the lights 3, 4 contained in the light strips may also be controlled via the controller 5, and may change to indicate note velocity or according to user preference, or for other reasons.

[0052] These figures, along with the accompanying descriptions demonstrate a unique, novel, and superior solution to the problem of providing visual cues for learning to play stringed instruments on the surface of the instrument itself. The present invention's ease of application, universal applicability, aesthetic appeal, streamline and simple design, and incremental application process cause it to be superior to all similar inventions, providing a substantial and significant improvement to all prior art.

[0053] Although the present invention has been described in accordance with the embodiments shown, one of ordinary skill in the art will readily recognize that there could be variations to the embodiments and those variations would be within the spirit and scope of the present invention. Accordingly, many modifications may be made by one of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.