Automatic Accompaniment Chord Selection via Melody Database Matching
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional electronic musical instruments struggle to accurately play appropriate chords as accompaniment to a melody, especially for beginners, as they require manual dexterity and human judgment, leading to inaccuracies and difficulties in playing chords simultaneously with the melody.
Innovation Solution
An automatic accompaniment apparatus and method that utilizes a music database to search for matching melodies, judges chords based on performance information, and selects chords for automatic accompaniment, comparing functional harmonies to ensure high accuracy and appropriateness.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If manual chord playing is required alongside melody, then human judgment and musical expression are maintained, but beginners find it difficult and time-consuming to play both hands simultaneously
Solution Approach 1:
The system automatically generates accompaniment chords based on the melody input, allowing the instrument to serve itself by eliminating the need for manual chord playing. The automatic chord generation unit analyzes the melody and produces appropriate accompaniment chords autonomously.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical manual chord-playing system with an automatic chord generation system that uses signal processing and music theory algorithms to determine appropriate accompaniment chords, substituting physical dexterity requirements with computational analysis.
2Ease of operation
If automatic chord generation is implemented, then ease of playing is improved for beginners, but chord accuracy and musical appropriateness may deteriorate without human judgment
Solution Approach 1:
The system incorporates feedback mechanisms where the automatic chord generation unit continuously analyzes the melody input and adjusts chord selections based on music theory rules and patterns, refining its accuracy through iterative processing of melodic information.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent pre-loads a comprehensive database of music theory knowledge and chord progression patterns into the automatic chord generation unit, allowing it to make accurate chord judgments by matching real-time melody analysis against pre-established musical rules and patterns.
3Speed
If chord selection is made quickly for real-time accompaniment, then responsiveness is improved, but chord accuracy may worsen due to insufficient analysis time
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary analysis by continuously monitoring the melody input and pre-calculating potential chord options based on music theory patterns, so that when a chord decision is needed, the most appropriate option is already identified from pre-computed candidates.
Solution Approach 2:
The chord determination process is segmented into multiple independent analysis stages: melody feature extraction, pattern matching against music theory database, chord candidate generation, and final selection. This segmentation allows parallel processing that maintains both speed and accuracy.
Data Source
AI summary
An automatic accompaniment apparatus is provided. The apparatus is provided with a music database having music data of plural musical pieces recorded therein, the music data including melody information and chords corresponding to the melody information, a performance recording unit for recording performance information for giving an instruction of generating a musical tone in response to performed operation, a music searching unit for searching for music data including melody information corresponding to the performance information in the performance recording unit through the music database, a chord judging unit for judging chords from the performance information in the performance recording unit, a chord selecting unit for selecting one of the chords included in the music data found by the music searching unit and the chords judged by the chord judging unit, and an automatic accompaniment unit for giving an instruction of generating accompaniment in accordance with the selected chords.