 |
Claims  |
|
|
I claim:
1. A computerized music notation system comprising:
(a) first input means for entering a series of pitch codes representing
respective pitches which are to be designated as occurring in a series of
basic music intervals of a music piece;
(b) second input means for entering, separately and independently of said
first input, a series of relative rhythm codes for designating respective
types of rhythm elements, including said pitches, as occurring in the
basic music intervals of the music piece, wherein said relative rhythm
codes include at least a series of main division codes, each of which
represents a respective main division rhythm element designated as
occurring in a basic music interval, and interposed demarcation codes each
of which delimits a respective one of the basic music intervals of the
music piece, wherein the rhythm codes for each basic music interval
includes one or more main division codes and a demarcation code delimiting
each said basic music interval;
(c) third input means for selecting a desired interval duration value to be
assigned to each of the basic music intervals corresponding to a selected
time signature for a desired music notation output for the music piece;
(d) computer means connected to said first, second, and third input means
and having: (1) programmed counting means for counting the number of main
division codes occurring in each basic music interval, as delimited by a
respective demarcation code, from said rhythm codes entered through said
second input; and (2) programmed duration assigning means for assigning a
fixed duration value to each of the main division rhythm elements in each
respective basic music interval, said fixed duration value being based
upon said selected interval duration value assigned to the basic music
intervals divided by the number of main division codes counted by said
programmed counting means as occurring in each said basic music interval;
and
(e) output means for providing a music notation output in the selected time
signature based upon the rhythm codes designating the rhythm elements
including pitches in the basic music intervals of the music piece, the
pitch codes representing pitches for the respective rhythm elements, and
the fixed duration values assigned to the respective rhythm elements by
said computer means.
2. A computerized music notation system according to claim 1, wherein each
said basic music interval is a beat unit of music, said interval duration
value assigned to the beat units is a selected time signature of the
music, and said demarcation code is a terminator code representing the end
of each beat unit.
3. A computerized music notation system according to claim 1, wherein said
relative rhythm codes include a main division code for rests as another
type of rhythm element, representing the relative proportion by which a
rest element divides a basic music interval in which it is designated to
occur.
4. A computerized music notation system according to claim 1, wherein said
relative rhythm codes include a main division code for ties as another
type of rhythm element, representing the relative proportion by which a
tie element divides a basic music interval in which it is designated to
occur.
5. A computerized music notation system according to claim 1, wherein said
relative rhythm codes include a main division code for dots as another
rhythm type, representing the relative proportion by which a dot element
divides a basic music interval in which it is designated to occur.
6. A computerized music notation system according to claim 1, wherein said
relative rhythm codes include a pitch subdivision code representing a
relative subdivision by a pitch of a main division of a basic music
interval.
7. A computerized music notation system according to claim 1, wherein said
relative rhythm codes include pitch, rest, tie, and dot subdivision codes
representing a relative subdivision by a pitch, rest, tie and dot element,
respectively, of a main division of a basic music interval.
8. A computerized music notation system according to claim 7, wherein each
division code is a marker for a respective proportional division of a
basic music interval, and said programmed counting means of said computer
means includes a first program section for counting a first number of main
division codes designated in a basic music interval and calculating a
fixed duration value to be assigned to each main division element based
upon the interval duration value assigned to the basic music interval
divided by said first number, and a second program section for counting a
second number of subdivision codes within a main division plus the main
division code and calculating a fixed duration value to be assigned to the
corresponding main division element and each subdivision element of said
main division based upon the interval duration value assigned to the basic
music interval divided by the product of said first and second numbers.
9. A computerized music notation system according to claim 1, wherein said
third input means includes means for selecting a fundamental key of music
for the entered pitches, and said computer means includes a pitch program
section for assigning proper pitch names to the pitches in accordance with
the selected fundamental key of music, and an output program section for
specifying coordinate locations and designs of notation elements on staff
lines for output by said output means corresponding to said assigned pitch
names and fixed duration values.
10. A computerized music notation system according to claim 9, wherein said
output program section assembles data specifying said notation elements on
output tables, and includes a program subsection for specifying desired
attributes of said notation elements.
11. A computerized music notation system according to claim 10, wherein
said attributes include a type and location of stem associated with a
notation element.
12. A computerized music notation system according to claim 10, wherein
said attributes include a type and location of flag associated with a
notation element.
13. A computerized music notation system according to claim 10, wherein
said attributes include a type, angle, and length of beam associated with
two or more notation elements.
14. A computerized music notation system according to claim 2, wherein said
relative rhythm codes include a beat multiple code representing a multiple
of beat units spanned by a type of rhythm element.
15. A computerized music notation system according to claim 2, wherein said
relative rhythm codes, include an autoterminator code for automatically
entering a predetermined number of rhythm codes for pitches to occur in
each beat unit and a demarcator code delimiting each beat unit.
16. A computerized music notation system according to claim 1, wherein said
output means includes a display screen.
17. A computerized music notation system according to claim 1, wherein said
output means includes a printer.
18. A computerized music notation system according to claim 1, wherein said
output means includes a music synthesizer for generating synthesized
sound.
19. A computerized music notation system according to claim 1, wherein said
output means includes a permanent storage device, and said computer means
includes an input/output program section for storing and retrieving music
data to and from said permanent storage device.
20. A computerized music notation system according to claim 19, wherein
said input/output program section stores and retrieves original input
pitch codes and rhythm codes, and said computer means includes a
regeneration program section for regenerating music notation data from
pitch and rhythm codes stored and retrieved from said permanent storage
device.
21. A computerized music notation system according to claim 19, wherein
said computer means includes a modification program section for generating
modified music notation data in accordance with currently selected
compositional parameters applied to music data stored and retrieved from
said permanent storage device.
22. A computerized music notation system according to claim 1, wherein said
first input means includes an instrumental keyboard.
23. A computerized music notation system according to claim 1, wherein said
second and third input means includes a control keyboard.
24. A computerized music notation system according to claim 1, wherein said
second input means includes an ergonometric coding device which is
actuated by a physical action of the user other than finger keypressing.
25. A computerized music notation system according to claim 1, wherein said
first and second input means are constituted by a scanner device for
scanning an original sheet of music notation and providing an input of
pitch and rhythm codes based thereon.
26. A computerized music notation system according to claim 1, wherein said
computer means includes a code conversion program section for assigning
relative proportion values to the rhythm codes in the respective basic
music intervals and generating intermediate music data incorporating said
pitch codes and said relative proportion values of said rhythm codes.
27. A computerized music notation system according to claim 26, further
comprising a synthesizer for generating synthesized sound from an input of
said intermediate music data.
28. In a computerized music notation system of the type having first input
means for entering a series of pitch codes representing respective pitches
occurring in a series of basic music intervals of a music piece, second
input means for entering rhythm codes representing respective rhythm
elements including said pitches occurring in the series of basic music
intervals of the music piece, computer means for processing said pitch
codes of said first input means and said rhythm codes of said second input
means, and output means for providing a music notation output based upon
the processing by said computer means,
the improvement of programming means comprising:
(a) a first section for programming said computer means for receiving the
series of entered pitch codes;
(b) a second section for programming said computer means for receiving the
series of rhythm codes separately and independently of the pitch codes and
for designating respective rhythm elements, including pitches, as
occurring in the basic music intervals of the music piece, said rhythm
codes including at least a series of main division codes each of which
represents a respective main division rhythm element designated as
occurring in a basic music interval, and interposed demarcation codes each
of which delimits a respective one of the basic music intervals of the
music piece, wherein the rhythm codes for each basic music interval
includes one or more main division codes and a demarcation code delimiting
each said basic music interval;
(c) a third section for programming said computer means for selecting a
desired interval duration value to be assigned to each of the basic music
intervals corresponding to a selected time signature for a desired music
notation output for the music piece;
(d) a counting section for programming said computer means for counting the
number of main division codes occurring in each basic music interval as
delimited by a respective demarcation code;
(e) a duration assigning section for programming said computer means for
assigning a fixed duration value to each of the main division rhythm
elements in each respective basic music interval, said fixed duration
value being based upon said selected interval duration value assigned to
the basic music intervals divided by the number of main division codes
occurring in each said basic music interval as counted by said counting
section;
(f) a pitch name section for programming said computer means for assigning
respective pitch names corresponding to said pitch codes received by said
first section; and
(g) an output section for programming said computer means for assembling
output data corresponding to notation elements designated by the pitch
names assigned by said pitch name section, the rhythm elements designated
by the rhythm codes received by said second section, and the fixed
duration values assigned to the rhythm elements by said duration assigning
section.
29. A computerized music notation system according to claim 28, wherein
said relative rhythm codes also include main division rhythm codes for
ties, rests, and dots which divide a basic duration interval, and
subdivision rhythm codes for designating subdivisions of any main
division.
30. Programming means for a computerized music notation system according to
claim 28, wherein said rhythm codes include subdivision codes representing
respective subdivision rhythm elements designated as occurring in
associated main division rhythm elements, and wherein said programmed
counting section includes a first counting section for counting a first
number of main division codes occurring in a basic music interval and
calculating a fixed duration value to be assigned to each main division
rhythm element based upon the selected interval duration value assigned to
the basic music interval divided by said first number, and a second
counting section for counting a second number of subdivision codes
occurring within a main division plus the corresponding main division code
and calculating a fixed duration value to be assigned to the corresponding
main division element and to each subdivision element of said main
division element based upon the selected interval duration value assigned
to the basic music interval divided by the product of said first and
second numbers.
31. In a computerized music notation method for use in a computerized music
notation system of the type having first input means for entering a series
of pitch codes representing respective pitches occurring in a series of
basic music intervals of a music piece, second input means for entering
rhythm codes representing respective rhythm elements including said
pitches occurring in the series of basic music intervals of the music
piece, computer means for processing said pitch codes of said first input
means and said rhythm codes of said second input means, and output means
for providing a music notation output based upon the processing by said
computer means,
the improvement wherein said music notation method comprises:
(a) entering a series of pitch codes by said first input means;
(b) entering a series of rhythm codes by said second input means separately
and independently of the pitch codes of said first input means for
designating respective rhythm elements, including pitches, as occurring in
the basic music intervals of the music piece, said rhythm codes including
at least a series of main division codes each of which represents a
respective main division rhythm element designated as occurring in a basic
music interval, and interposed demarcation codes each of which delimits a
respective one of the basic music intervals of the music piece, wherein
the rhythm codes for each basic music interval includes one or more main
division codes and a demarcation code delimiting each said basic music
interval;
(c) entering an input selection of a desired interval duration value to be
assigned to each of the basic music intervals corresponding to a selected
time signature for a desired music notation output for the music piece;
(d) processing said entered rhythm codes by counting the number of main
division codes occurring in each basic music interval as delimited by a
respective demarcation code;
(e) assigning a fixed duration value to each of the main division rhythm
elements in each respective basic music interval, said fixed duration
value being based upon said selected interval duration value assigned to
the basic music intervals divided by the number of main division codes
occurring in each said basic music interval;
(f) assigning respective pitch names corresponding to said entered pitch
codes; and
(g) assembling output data corresponding to notation elements designated by
the assigned pitch names, the rhythm elements designated by the entered
rhythm codes, and the fixed duration values assigned to the rhythm
elements.
32. A computerized music notation method according to claim 31, wherein
said rhythm codes include subdivision codes representing respective
subdivision rhythm elements occurring in associated main division rhythm
elements, and wherein said processing step includes counting a first
number of main division codes occurring in a basic music interval and
calculating a fixed duration value to be assigned to each main division
rhythm element based upon the selected interval duration value assigned to
the basic music interval divided by said first number, and counting a
second number of subdivision codes occurring within a main division plus
the corresponding main division code and calculating a fixed duration
value to be assigned to the corresponding main division element and to
each subdivision element of said main division element based upon the
selected interval duration value assigned to the basic music interval
divided by the product of said first and second numbers. |
|
 |
|
 |
Claims |
|
|
|
Description |
|
|
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a computerized music notation system in which
pitch codes are entered on an instrument keyboard and rhythm codes are
entered on a control keyboard as data sets independent of each other. The
pitches and rhythm codes are then processed together by a computer program
in order to produce integrated music data for storage, modification,
translation, display, printed music notation, synthesized music or other
forms of output.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Music notation has traditionally been written out by hand and entered in an
automated system for publication as typeset or printed sheets. The manual
process of handwriting, revising, and/or transcribing music notation can
be very laborious for the music composer. For the music publisher, the
conversion of handwritten notation into an automated typesetting or
printing system requires the manual inputting of data, and only a limited
capability exists for compositional modifications. The data generally must
be reentered if the rhythm of the music is substantively changed.
Micro computers have been applied to music composition for digital
processing of music data. Such computer systems allow a composer to
compose on a keyboard and to store, manipulate, and output the data as
synthesized music or as printed music notation. These systems have been
generally of two types, i.e. realtime coding and non-realtime coding. In
realtime coding systems, music is entered on an instrument keyboard, such
as a piano-type keyboard, with exactly the timing and rhythm as it is
intended to be played. The key inputs are analyzed by computer for their
indicated pitches and the actual time durations and rhythms by which they
are pressed on the keyboard in order to derive the proper notation. In
non-realtime systems, the pitches are entered as separate data from their
durations and rhythms.
As an example of a realtime system, Davis et al. U.S. Pat. No. 3,926,088
employs an organ keyboard on which an operator plays the pitch keys and a
foot pedal which is pressed to indicate the start of each measure. The
pitch keys in each measure are then processed into music notation
according to the time durations and rhythmical ordering in which they are
pressed. Such realtime systems have the disadvantage that the music must
be played through with metronomic accuracy in order for the durations and
ordering of the pitches to be analyzed correctly. The necessity of
entering the pitch keys exactly as they are to be played severely limits
the ability of the composer to compose or modify the music at the
keyboard. Further, such systems have built-in limitations in
discriminating notes of short durations or of complex rhythms.
In non-realtime systems, pitches are entered by selecting from an array of
designated pitch keys, and the note durations associated with the pitches
are entered separately by selecting from a prescribed set of binary
fractions, i.e. halfs, quarters, eighths, sixteenths, etc., in order to
define the desired music notes. Other rhythmical types, such as ties
(continued notes) and rests (pauses), are entered in a similar manner as
the pitches. For example, Rauchi U.S. Pat. No. 4,307,645 and Ejiri et al.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,215,343 disclose non-realtime coding systems having keys
for standard notes, ties, and rests in binary fractions. Namiki et al.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,202,235 employs note duration keys in integer multiples of
1/16th intervals.
Such non-realtime systems are cumbersome to use since a specific duration
is assigned in a fixed relationship to each pitch key. These systems have
little capability of modifying the music notation into different time
signatures without reentering the data. Moreover, the same rhythm
representations in some cases may be played with different actual time
durations, since conventional music notation uses binary note symbols
whereas more complex rhythm structures may be desired. The assignment of a
fixed binary symbol t each pitch in conventional systems would therefore
result in music data that did not represent actual time durations for a
wide range of rhythms, and would limit the usefulness of the data, for
example, for playing the music on a synthesizer.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In view of the aforementioned limitations of conventional systems, it is a
principal object of the present invention to provide a computerized system
in which pitch data and relative rhythm data are entered as data sets
independent of each other, and then are processed together to generate an
integrated music data output. A central feature of the invention is that
the rhythm data represent the relative proportions by which the pitches,
rests, ties, and other rhythm types divide a basic music interval, such as
the main beat, so that their relative proportions remain specified even if
the time signature of the beat is changed. It is a further object that a
screen display, printed music notation and other forms of output can be
generated from the pitch and rhythm data responsive to a wide range of
selected compositional parameters, and can be modified or changed by
computer processing without having to reenter the original data.
In accordance with the invention, a computerized music notation system
comprises: (a) first entry means for entering pitch data representing a
series of tone pitches; (b) second entry means for entering relative
rhythm data representing the relative proportions by which selected rhythm
types, including the pitches as one rhythm type, divide a basic music
interval, such as a beat of the music, wherein the rhythm data includes at
least a first rhythm code indicating each main division of the beat by a
pitch and a demarcator code delimiting each beat; (c) processing means for
processing the rhythm data with the pitch data, including (1) means for
assigning relative beat division values to the rhythm codes of each beat
in accordance with beat divisions indicated by the relative rhythm data,
(2) means for selecting a fixed duration value assigned to each beat, (3)
means for calculating fixed beat division values for the rhythm codes in
each beat in accordance with the fixed duration value assigned to the beat
and the relative beat division values assigned to the rhythm codes, and
(4) means for linking the fixed beat division values for the rhythm codes
to corresponding ones of the series of pitches; and (d) output means for
providing an output of the pitches linked to their corresponding fixed
beat division values.
The above-described basic structure of the invention provides for the pitch
data to be entered independently of the corresponding relative rhythm
data, and the two sets of data are processed together to assign fixed
duration values to the pitches according to a selected time signature. In
the preferred implementation of the invention, the main beat of the music
is the basic duration interval, i.e. the preferred system is beat
oriented. In standard music notation, the time signature indicates the
number of beats per measure and the note duration of each beat, e.g.
half-note per beat, quarter-note per beat, etc. The system according to
the present invention processes the pitch data and the relative rhythm
data together by assigning note duration values to the pitches calculated
according to their relative proportions within a beat and the note
duration per beat.
The relative rhythm coding of the invention also includes rhythm codes for
other rhythm types, i.e. ties, rests, and dots, as well as subdivision
codes for designating subdivisions of any main division of a beat by the
rhythm types. The codes are selected to correspond to conventional types
of rhythm notations, so that entry and interpretation of the rhythm codes
parallels conventional music notation for the convenience of the user. The
rhythm codes constitute a relatively small code set, yet they allow
expression of music notation to a high degree of rhythmical complexity.
The main division and subdivision codes permit the user to encode note
durations other than conventional binary fractions, e.g. 1/3rd, 1/5th,
1/6th 1/7th notes, etc.
If the user desires to have music notation translated into a different time
signature, the original pitch and relative rhythm data can be retrieved
from storage, and the note durations of the pitches and other rhythm types
can be recomputed for the new time signature. Since the relative rhythm
codes represent the intended proportions by which the rhythm types divide
each beat, the same rhythm codes can be used both to generate music
notation using standard binary note symbols, and also as data to a
synthesizer representing the actual durations of the notes to be played.
The key of music can also be selected as a system parameter, and the
corresponding pitch names and the proper locations and notehead styles of
the notes on a musical staff are defined during processing of the pitch
data in the selected key.
The preferred system configuration of the invention includes an instrument
keyboard for entering pitch data by pressing corresponding pitch keys, a
control keyboard for entering the relative rhythm codes, as well as
command codes for selecting the parameters of and operating the system, a
computer for executing the program for processing the pitch and rhythm
data, and associated output devices such as a display screen, a printer, a
music synthesizer, and/or a data storage device. Pitch and relative rhythm
data for the system can also be derived by computer processing in reverse
sequence to that described above, from input obtained through digital
scanning and feature recognition of original music notation.
Other features of the computerized music notation system of the invention
include program routines for deriving ledger lines, staff notations,
stems, flags, beams, dotted notes, notehead designs, articulation marks,
line, measure, beat, and note spacings, and other aspects of fully
featured music notation. The invention is advantageous for a wide range of
applications, e.g. composition, music synthesis, printing of music
notation, computerized music archiving, and performing high speed
retrieval, regeneration, and modification of music data under computer
control.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The above-mentioned objects, purposes, features, and applications of the
invention are described in further detail below in conjunction with the
drawings, of which:
FIG. 1 illustrates an example of conventional music notation;
FIG. 2 is a chart depicting conventional note symbols for pitches and other
rhythm types;
FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of an overall computer system configuration
including associated input and output devices and computer processing
sections in accordance with the invention;
FIG. 4 is a chart of a preferred set of relative rhythm codes used in the
invention;
FIG. 5 is a flow diagram of the Main Parsing Loop for pitch and rhythm data
in the preferred notation processing program of the invention;
FIG. 6 is a flow diagram of the Beat Processing routine of the processing
program for processing the pitch and rhythm data in beat units;
FIG. 7 is a flow diagram of the LV1DRW routine for processing the pitch and
rhythm data into an integrated music data output form;
FIGS. 8(a) and 8(b) are flow diagrams of the BCODI subroutine of LV1DR for
converting the input rhythm codes into rhythm data with assigned relative
beat division values;
FIG. 9 is a flow diagram of the BVNLOC subroutine of LV1DRW for determining
notation parameters for the output of fully featured music notation;
FIGS. 10 and 11 are schematic diagrams of input and output functions for a
beat of music;
FIG. 12 illustrates storage and retrieval of music data to or from
permanent storage in beat units;
FIG. 13 illustrates regeneration of output data from permanent storage to
associated output devices in beat units;
FIG. 14 is a chart of some attributes of notation parameters and output
data generated by the notation processing program of the invention;
FIGS. 15(a), 15(b), 15(c), and 15(d) show some examples of the conversion
of rhythm code sequences to output notation in the preferred system of the
invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Music Notation Conventions
In the following description, certain conventions and terminology for music
and music notation are used. These are discussed below in order to explain
their intended meaning. However, it should be understood that the
invention is deemed not to be limited by the conventions and terminology
used within this description, but rather shall encompass the full range of
potential forms and applications to which its general principles might be
adapted.
Referring to FIG. 1, a musical score is written with notes marked on ledger
lines 10, which are grouped in staffs 10a, 10b, indicating treble and bass
clefs in which the music is played. The position of the notes on the lines
or spaces of the staff represent the pitch of the note in the indicated
octave. A fundamental key of the music ("C major" in FIG. 1) is selected
to define the starting pitch of the octave scales indicated by the musical
staff.
The staff lines are divided horizontally into measures by vertical bars 11.
Each measure or bar of music is composed of a series of regular beats 12
which form the primary recurring rhythmic pulse of the music. For the
implementation of the invention as described herein, the beat is the basic
music duration interval for which music data are coded. A time signature
is selected for the score to define the number of beats to a bar and the
notehead expression of each beat. Thus, in the example of FIG. 1, music
written in 4/4 time signature has four beats 12-1, 12-2, 12-3, 12-4, to a
bar and each beat has a quarter note duration. The actual time duration of
each beat depends upon the tempo by which the music is played. The tempo
is set by individual interpretation, or may be set by a timing scale in
music synthesizers.
The rhythm of the music, i.e. the ordering of sound, is defined by certain
conventional rhythm elements or types, which include pitches 13, ties
(continued pitch) 14, rests (pauses) 15 and 16, and dots (dotted notes)
17. A dot follows a pitch note or rest symbol and indicates a sustaining
of one half the duration of the associated note. It can also be used as an
abbreviation for several ties. Pitch notes and rests have different
notations depending on their duration. In FIG. 2, the conventional
notehead designs using binary symbols for note duration are shown, along
with the notations for ties and dotted notes.
An octave on a piano keyboard has a regular progression of 7 pitch names
and 12 semitones from one octave to the next. In the key of C, for
example, an octave progresses by pitches named C, D, E, F, G, A, B, C. The
progression of pitches of an octave depends upon the keynote pitch and the
convention for the progression of keys on the keyboard. Some pitches are
assigned different pitch names depending on the key of the music.
Pitch notes are indicated in music notation by an inclined oval dot which,
for fractions of a whole note, have a stem 13a on the left or right side.
The stems may have flags 13b indicating binary note fractions, or they may
have a beam 18 joining the stems of a group of notes in a beat. Beams can
have different angles of inclination and lengths depending on the ascent
or descent of the grouped notes, and may have multiple beam lines
representing binary fractions to express divisions of the beat.
The actual duration by which flagged or beamed notes are played depends
upon the proportions by which the notes divide a beat and the note
duration assigned to the beat. If the actual duration of the note is a non
binary fraction of the beat, the convention in music notation is to depict
the note with the closest binary fraction representation. For example, for
a quarter-note beat interval, two combined (beamed) eighth-notes indicate
two pitches each played with an eighth-note duration, whereas three beamed
eighth-notes (a triplet) are used to indicate three pitches each played in
one-third of the quarter-note beat interval. Thus, the conventional binary
representations in music notation do not necessarily correspond to the
actual durations of the notes when performed. Two or more notes beamed
together may have a spline indicating that they are a dublet, triplet,
etc. Standard music notation also includes articulation marks, such as for
emphasis 19, deemphasis 20, etc.
Overall Computer System
In accordance with the invention, a preferred system configuration is shown
in FIG. 3. An instrument keyboard 21, such as a piano-type keyboard, is
used to enter pitch codes corresponding to the pitch keys depressed into
computer system 23. A control keyboard 22, such as a standard ASCII
keyboard, is used to enter rhythm and command codes into computer system
23 as an independent data set. For ergonomic ease of use, the rhythm codes
may be entered by other types of input devices such as foot pedals, a
speech recognition module, light pen, mouse, head movement monitor, or
other type of simple coding device.
The computer system 23 executes a program for music data processing
functions, of which the main part in this invention is the notation data
processing section 24. This section receives input pitch codes (PCODE)
from instrument keyboard 21 and rhythm codes (RCODE) from command keyboard
22 or input device 22a, and processes them together in a Main Parsing Loop
which generates output data tables (NTDATA) specifying music notation
characteristics for final output to a screen display 25, through display
interface 25a, and/or to a printer 26, through printer interface 26a.
Permanent storage 27 is connected to computer system 23 for storage and
retrieval of the notation data, and also of the original data sets PCODE
and RCODE in Simple Code Form, and an intermediate rhythm data set BBCODE,
as | | |
