musical instrument

Abstract

To provide a musical instrument capable of suppressing the hum of chords and playing music that relaxes the performer and the audience. [Solution] A musical instrument equipped with a vibration generating unit capable of producing sounds of each pitch that makes up a scale of one octave or more, the vibration generating unit being tuned so that each pitch of the scale vibrates at frequency intervals according to just intonation, and so that at least three pitches that make up the scale vibrate at Solfeggio frequencies.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] This invention relates to a musical instrument that can produce and play sounds over a scale of one or more octaves. [Background technology]

[0002] Musical instruments include keyboard instruments such as pianos and organs that can produce sounds over an octave or more and can play chords on a single instrument, electronic instruments such as electronic pianos, electones, and synthesizers, string instruments such as guitars, and percussion instruments such as xylophones and glockenspiels. Also, some instruments, such as wind instruments such as trumpets, can only produce single notes on a single instrument and cannot play chords, but can produce sounds over an octave or more and can be used in an ensemble to play chords.

[0003] These instruments that can produce sounds over a scale of one octave or more can play pleasant music by playing chords in a tuned state. Generally, when tuning an instrument, the pitch of a reference note (e.g., "A") is determined, and the pitches of notes other than the reference note are determined according to a predetermined temperament. The most typical temperaments currently used for tuning are just intonation and equal temperament. Just intonation is a tuning system that is defined using only just intervals, which are integer ratios of frequencies. Just intonation is excellent in that it produces beautiful-sounding chords without noticeable beats when the key is constant, but it has a drawback in that the frequency intervals (logarithmic) between adjacent notes are not uniform, so when the key is changed, the harmony is lost and a sense of incongruity is felt. On the other hand, equal temperament is a tuning system in which the interval between two notes in an octave (an interval with a frequency ratio of 2:1) is divided logarithmically into 12 equal parts to define semitones, two semitones are defined as whole steps, and a seven-tone scale is defined by whole steps and semitones. Equal temperament is advantageous in that it can be played at the same interval regardless of the key to which it is transposed, and can be played without adjusting the pitch.

[0004] In recent years, many musical instruments are tuned in equal temperament, which allows for playing without discomfort even when transposed. However, an instrument tuned in equal temperament has the disadvantage that, because the interval between two notes is not a simple integer ratio, a beat always occurs when a chord is played. Therefore, when performing a performance that does not require modulation or transposition, an instrument tuned in just intonation is used to perform a performance with a good sound without noticeable beats.

[0005] On the other hand, in recent years, certain frequencies called Solfeggio frequencies have been attracting attention as frequencies that have various positive effects such as relaxing the mind and body. There are nine types of Solfeggio frequencies: 174Hz, 285Hz, 396Hz, 417Hz, 528Hz, 639Hz, 741Hz, 852Hz, and 963Hz, and each frequency is known to have its own unique effect on the mind and body.

[0006] In response to this, for example, an electronic device that outputs sounds with Solfeggio frequency sounds superimposed thereon to relax the user has been proposed as an electronic device capable of preventing changes in physical condition due to weather (see, for example, Patent Document 1). This electronic device outputs music consisting only of sounds of a predetermined Solfeggio frequency, or music in which Solfeggio frequency sounds are superimposed with an arbitrary sound. When Solfeggio frequency sounds are superimposed with an arbitrary sound, it is also described that music containing many Solfeggio frequency sounds or sounds with Solfeggio frequency sounds are played at a volume that is emphasized to the extent that the user can distinguish the Solfeggio frequency sounds from other music. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0007] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6837407 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0008] It is hoped that performers can freely use the sounds of Solfeggio frequencies to create music that has a positive effect on the mind and body, and that live performances using the sounds of Solfeggio frequencies can relax audiences. In particular, if it becomes possible to freely perform using chords that combine the Solfeggio frequencies, it is believed that there will be more opportunities to provide music that gives a pleasant impression. The electronic device described in Patent Document 1 can output music using Solfeggio frequencies, but the music that can be output is limited to specific music set in the electronic device. In other words, it is difficult for the electronic device to play any chord using Solfeggio frequencies like a musical instrument, to play sounds using Solfeggio frequencies with varying dynamics, or to freely create new music using Solfeggio frequencies.

[0009] Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide an instrument that can be freely played in a scale including sounds of Solfeggio frequencies, and that can play chords with suppressed beats when playing chords including Solfeggio frequencies, thereby obtaining an instrument that can provide music that allows the performer and audience to relax without worrying about beats. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] The musical instrument of the present invention, which has been made to solve the above problems, is an instrument equipped with a vibration generating unit capable of producing sounds of each pitch that makes up a scale of one octave or more, and the vibration generating unit is tuned so that each pitch of the scale vibrates at frequency intervals according to just intonation, and at least three pitches that make up the scale vibrate at Solfeggio frequencies. In the above device, when tuning the scale, the vibration generating unit may set the reference tone frequency to 528 Hz for the pitch of C (upper C) and 264 Hz for the pitch of C one octave lower (lower C), and the frequencies of the other pitches may be determined by the just intonation. In the above device, the musical instrument may be an instrument in which each pitch constituting a musical scale can be tuned individually. Effect of the Invention

[0011] According to the musical instrument of the present invention, it is possible to produce the pitches that make up a scale of one octave or more, so that chords can be played solo or in an ensemble, and since each pitch that makes up the scale is tuned in just intonation, the occurrence of beats in the chords can be sufficiently suppressed. And by making at least three pitches that make up the scale into sounds of Solfeggio frequencies, it becomes possible to freely perform various performances using these Solfeggio frequencies, and it is also possible to provide music that can relax and make the performer and the audience feel comfortable. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the pitch (frequency) of the sound output by an electronic keyboard instrument according to one embodiment of the present invention in relation to the keys, showing an example in which tuning is performed according to just intonation and five types of Solfeggio frequency pitches are included. [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the pitch (frequency) of a sound output by a conventional electronic keyboard instrument in relation to the keys, showing an example in which tuning is performed according to a general equal temperament. [Diagram 3] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the pitch (frequency) of a sound output by a conventional electronic keyboard instrument in relation to the keys, showing an example in which tuning is performed according to a general just intonation system. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0013] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention applied to an electronic keyboard instrument (electronic piano) will be described with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 is a diagram showing the pitch (frequency) of the sound output by the electronic keyboard instrument according to the present invention in relation to the keyboard. As mentioned above, there are nine Solfeggio frequencies: 174Hz, 285Hz, 396Hz, 417Hz, 528Hz, 639Hz, 741Hz, 852Hz, and 963Hz.

[0014] In this embodiment, the note C is set to 528 Hz, which is the center of the Solfeggio frequency, as the reference note when tuning an electronic keyboard instrument. Therefore, the frequency of the note C one octave lower is 528 / 2=264 Hz. Next, the pitches of the other scales are set as follows, following the theory of setting the notes in just intonation. The note "Re" is 9 / 8 of 264Hz (the lower C) = 297Hz. The note "mi" is 5 / 4 of 264Hz = 330Hz The note F is 4 / 3 of 264Hz = 348Hz The note "so" is 3 / 2 of 264Hz = 396Hz The note A is 5 / 3 of 264Hz = 440Hz The note "C" is 15 / 8 of 264Hz = 495Hz In this case, the Solfeggio frequency of 396 Hz was obtained for the note G.

[0015] Next, the notes of the black keys are set as follows, following the theory of setting notes in just intonation. The note C# is 16 / 15 of 264Hz = 282Hz The note D# is 6 / 5 of 264Hz = 317Hz The note F# is 7 / 5 of 264Hz = 369Hz The note G# is 8 / 5 of 264Hz = 422Hz The note B# is 9 / 5 of 264Hz = 475Hz.

[0016] In this case, the difference between the calculated value of the C# note, 282Hz, and the Solfeggio frequency of 285Hz was 3Hz (1%), and since the effect on the beat was thought to be small, the advantages of the Solfeggio frequency were incorporated and frequency manipulation was performed to adopt the Solfeggio frequency of 285Hz as the C# note. Similarly, the difference between the calculated value of the note G#, 422Hz, and the Solfeggio frequency of 417Hz is 5Hz (1%), and since the effect on the beat is thought to be small, the advantages of the Solfeggio frequency were incorporated and a frequency manipulation was performed to adopt the Solfeggio frequency of 417Hz for the note G#. Similarly, the difference between the calculated value of 634Hz for the D# note one octave higher and the Solfeggio frequency of 639Hz is 5Hz (1%), and since the effect on the beat is thought to be small, the advantages of the Solfeggio frequency were incorporated and frequency manipulation was performed by adopting the Solfeggio frequency of 639Hz as the D# note one octave higher.

[0017] In this way, by performing slight frequency manipulation during tuning to the extent that beats are not noticeable, it has become possible to incorporate five types of Solfeggio frequencies into the 17 pitches ranging from the lowest C to the C one octave above and up to the E. In order to efficiently obtain the benefits of the Solfeggio frequencies, it is desirable to incorporate as many as possible, at least three types of Solfeggio frequencies, but in this embodiment, five types of Solfeggio frequencies can be incorporated.

[0018] In addition, the instrument in this embodiment is tuned using just intonation, which is a simple fractional ratio of the frequency of the fundamental tone with the lowest frequency (lowest C in this embodiment), so it is possible to play beautiful chords with almost no noticeable beats.

[0019] <Comparative Example> Here, we will explain the frequency of each pitch when tuned by the conventional method, in order to compare with instruments tuned by the conventional common equal temperament or just intonation. Figures 2 and 3 are diagrams showing the pitch (frequency) of the sound output by an electronic keyboard instrument in relation to the keys, with Figure 2 showing the pitches adopted in the conventional equal temperament tuning, and Figure 3 showing the pitches adopted in the conventional just intonation tuning.

[0020] In the general equal temperament shown in Figure 2, the base note is the note A, which is set at 440Hz. An octave is then divided logarithmically into 12 equal parts to set the frequencies of the other notes. In other words, the frequency of the note on the right of the note A is multiplied by 2^(1 / 12), and the frequency of the note on the left is divided by 2^(1 / 12) to create the scale.

[0021] In this tuning, the note G is 392Hz, the note G♯ is 415Hz, and the note C is 523Hz, and the difference between these and the Solfeggio frequencies of 396Hz, 417Hz, and 528Hz is small, so the Solfeggio frequencies can be used instead of the frequencies of these three notes. However, when the frequency is manipulated in equal temperament, the logarithmic 12-part relationship between the adjacent notes and the notes one octave lower and one octave higher is lost. This causes discomfort when modulating, and the greatest feature of equal temperament (unnatural modulation) is lost. Furthermore, in equal temperament tuning, the scale is determined as an irrational ratio of 2^(1 / 12) times (a ratio that cannot be expressed as a fraction), which results in a performance that generates a beat, and the effect of the performance using the Solfeggio frequencies is canceled out by the beat, and a sufficient relaxing effect cannot be obtained. From the above, in equal temperament, the disadvantages of manipulating the frequency to create a Solfeggio frequency are greater than the advantages.

[0022] On the other hand, in the general just intonation of Figure 3, the reference note is essentially the note A, with the frequency of A set to 432 Hz, and the frequencies of the notes from A to C (the lower C) are determined according to just intonation, and then the frequencies of the other notes are set with C as the fundamental note. Specifically, it is set as follows: The note A is set to 432 Hz, and this is divided by 5 / 3 according to just intonation to calculate the frequency of the note C. In other words, the fundamental note C is 432Hz / (5 / 3)=259.2Hz. Next, following the theory of setting sounds in just intonation, the notes are set as follows: The note "re" is 9 / 8 of 259.2Hz = 292Hz The note E is 5 / 4 of 259.2Hz = 324Hz The note F is 4 / 3 of 259.2Hz = 346Hz The note "so" is 3 / 2 of 259.2Hz = 389Hz The note A is 5 / 3 of 259.2Hz = 432Hz The note B is 15 / 8 of 259.2Hz = 486Hz The note C one octave higher is 2 / 1 of 259.2 Hz, or 518 Hz.

[0023] Next, the notes of the black keys are set as follows, following the theory of setting notes in just intonation. The note C# is 16 / 15 of 259.2Hz = 276Hz The note D# is 6 / 5 of 259.2Hz = 311Hz The note F# is 7 / 5 of 259.2Hz = 363Hz The note G# is 8 / 5 of 259.2Hz = 415Hz The note B# is 9 / 5 of 259.2 Hz, or 467 Hz.

[0024] In this tuning, the note G# is 415Hz, and the difference with the Solfeggio frequency of 417Hz is small, so a Solfeggio frequency can be used instead of the frequency of this note. However, since only one Solfeggio frequency is used, the relaxing effect of using the Solfeggio frequency cannot be fully obtained.

[0025] In contrast, in the instrument of this invention, by devising the type of standard note (for example, C) used for tuning and the frequency associated with that note, three or more Solfeggio frequencies are included as the frequencies of each pitch that makes up a scale of one or more octaves, and by using just intonation for tuning, the beats when chords are produced are suppressed to an unnoticeable level, allowing the performer and audience to freely perform music that relaxes them.

[0026] While the musical instrument of the present invention has been described above using an electronic keyboard instrument, there is no particular limitation on the type of instrument, and any instrument that can play a scale of one octave or more can be played as the musical instrument of the present invention, either solo or in an ensemble.

[0027] Although no specific tuning method has been described so far for tuning the instrument of the present invention, it is basically tuned using the just intonation tuning method that has been used for individual instruments in the past. In that case, if the pitch is to be adjusted to match the Solfeggio frequency, a tuning tool such as a tuning fork can be used. When tuning an instrument (such as a piano, electone, or xylophone) in which the individual pitches that make up the scale can be adjusted one by one, tuning can be performed using a tuning fork of the corresponding frequency. On the other hand, for instruments like guitars, which change the pitch of multiple notes with a single straight fret, a special instrument is used in which the fret position is changed so that the string amplitude is a fractional ratio of just intonation. By making the frets just intonation and adjusting the tension of the strings, a just intonation guitar can be obtained. Similarly, for wind instruments like trumpets, which change multiple pitches with three piston valves, a similar special instrument is used. By making the three piston valves and two triggers that finely adjust the pitch just intonation, a just intonation trumpet can be obtained. [Industrial Applicability]

[0028] This invention can be used for musical instruments that can be played over a scale of one octave or more, such as electronic pianos.

Claims

1. A musical instrument having a vibration generating unit capable of producing sounds of each pitch constituting a scale of one octave or more, The musical instrument is characterized in that the vibration generating unit is tuned so that each pitch of the scale vibrates at a frequency interval according to just intonation, and at least three pitches constituting the scale vibrate at a Solfeggio frequency.

2. 2. The musical instrument according to claim 1, wherein, when tuning the scale, the vibration generating unit sets a reference tone frequency of 528 Hz for the pitch of "C" and 264 Hz for the note of "C" one octave lower, and frequencies of other pitches are determined by the just intonation.

3. 2. The musical instrument of claim 1, wherein the musical instrument is capable of tuning each pitch that constitutes a musical scale one by one.

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