1. Technical Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a performance assist apparatus that can assist a person in playing a musical instrument.
2. Description of the Related Art
A technology in which a musical instrument is played automatically using a machine is widely known. For example, player organs or player pianos that play music automatically have been produced since a long time ago. Recently, in addition to such machines that can play a keyboard instrument automatically, machines that can play a wind instrument automatically have been developed. A device that plays a brass instrument automatically is descried in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2004-177828 and Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2004-258443.
In the conventional player organ or piano or the technology described in the above noted patent documents, a machine plays all performances automatically and users do nothing but listen to the performances. In the meantime, many people have a desire to play an instrument by themselves. For example, many people desire to enjoy playing an instrument through their own manipulations even though they have a poor playing skill. These conventional technologies cannot satisfy such a desire to play an instrument.
One method may be designed to energetically assist in blowing a brass instrument. Such a device may receive a performance sound through a microphone or the like and electrically amplify the sound and then output it through a speaker. However, in this case, howling (i.e., acoustic feedback) occurs between the microphone and the speaker.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds