Patent ID: 8716587
Filing Date: 2014-05-06
Classification: G10H

Abstract:
1. A musical instrument having a first fingerboard portion designed to be operated by one hand of a player and a second body portion designed to be operated by the other hand, means within each of the two portions for sensing, at multiple lateral locations across a respective portion, at least one of activity, position or movement of its respective hand or a finger of such hand, means in each of the two portions adapted to produce an output pitch of at least one note corresponding to the music being generated by the user, and means enabling the two portions to communicate with one another, and further in which the portions are separate interacting units, at least one of which is played using the fingers of one hand, and the instrument includes means to detect the degree of separation of the units from one another and to dynamically modify the pitch of notes of the music being generated by the instrument in response thereto; and further in which each of the fingerboard and body portions is provided with a plurality of real or virtual strings “plucked” by the user, and wherein the fingerboard portion and the body portion are connected together so that actuation of one or more of the strings on the body portion by one hand will cause a signal to be emitted corresponding to one or more musical notes, the pitch of which is determined by the position of the fingers of the other hand on the fingerboard portion.