Abstract:
A portable, multi-function Ukulele learning device is disclosed having three disks. In one embodiment, a larger inner disk is axially affixed at its center to a smaller disk on its obverse face and on its converse face. Both smaller disks define slots for exposing key, note, vamp or chords on the inner disk. The disclosed apparatus provides an efficient, unique means of teaching Ukulele users, or the users of other instrument, to play music.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims priority to, and incorporates, U.S. provisional application 61/753,427 for Wayne Reis filed on Jan. 16, 2014. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     This invention relates to devices for learning music, and more particularly relates to printed wheels axially interconnected for learning chords on the Ukulele. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     Learning to play the Ukulele can be discouraging for students and amateurs unfamiliar with its complex chords and vamps. Many students become discouraged because of their inability to play transpose keys, learn chords or play vamps and the lack of available literature and instructional materials on the use of Ukuleles. It would be highly beneficial to provide students and other Ukulele players with a tool for learning to play which is small and efficient, and easily carried with the instrument. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     From the foregoing discussion, it should be apparent that a need exists for a Ukulele chord wheel. Beneficially, such an exercise ball would overcome many of the difficulties with prior art by providing a more functional apparatus to players of the Ukulele. 
     The present invention has been developed in response to the present state of the art, and in particular, in response to the problems and needs in the art that have not yet been fully solved by currently available apparatii and methods. Accordingly, the present invention has been developed to provide a multi-function Ukulele chord wheel, the chord wheel comprising: an inner disk having an obverse face and a converse face, the obverse face of the inner disk printed with three concentric rings, an outer ring, a middle ring, and an inner ring; wherein the outer ring comprises a plurality of printed chromatic keys; wherein the middle ring comprises a plurality of first printed vamp chords, each first printed vamp chord associated with a printed chromatic key disposed directly above in the outer ring; wherein the inner ring comprises a plurality of second printed vamp chords, each second printed vamp chord associated with a first printed vamp chord disposed above in the middle ring; an obverse disk defining a U-shaped slot on its perimeter, the obverse disk axially affixed to a center of the inner disk; wherein the U-shaped slot exposes contents of a segment when the U-shaped slot is axially rotated to align with said segment; a converse disk defining an L-shaped slot, the converse disk axially affixed to a center of the inner disk; and wherein the L-shaped slot exposes one or more printed chords, the printed chords associated with one or more printed keys circumscribing a perimeter of the inner disk. 
     In various embodiments, the diameter of the apparatus may be between one inch and 100 inches. In some embodiments, the inner disk, obverse disk and converse disk are fabricated from one of cardboard, paper, wood, elastomeric materials, and metal. 
     The printed matter on the apparatus may be one of engraved and embossed. The inner disk may comprise twelve segments. The obverse face may comprise five chord diagrams. The obverse face may comprise three shaded chord diagram groups. 
     A second multi-function Ukulele chord wheel is recited, the chord wheel comprising: an inner disk having an obverse face and a converse face, the obverse face of the inner disk printed with three concentric rings, an outer ring, a middle ring, and an inner ring; wherein the outer ring comprises a plurality of printed chromatic keys; wherein the middle ring comprises a plurality of first printed vamp chords, each first printed vamp chord associated with a printed chromatic key disposed directly above in the outer ring; wherein the inner ring comprises a plurality of second printed vamp chords, each second printed vamp chord associated with a first printed vamp chord disposed above in the middle ring; an obverse disk defining a slot on its perimeter, the obverse disk axially affixed to a center of the inner disk; wherein the slot exposes contents of a segment when the U-shaped slot is axially rotated to align with said segment; a converse disk defining a slot, the converse disk axially affixed to a center of the inner disk; and wherein the slot exposes one or more printed chords, the printed chords associated with one or more printed keys circumscribing a perimeter of the inner disk. 
     These features and advantages of the present invention will become more fully apparent from the following description and appended claims, or may be learned by the practice of the invention as set forth hereinafter. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       In order that the advantages of the invention will be readily understood, a more particular description of the invention briefly described above will be rendered by reference to specific embodiments that are illustrated in the appended drawings. Understanding that these drawings depict only typical embodiments of the invention and are not therefore to be considered to be limiting of its scope, the invention will be described and explained with additional specificity and detail through the use of the accompanying drawings, in which: 
         FIG. 1  is an obverse view of an inner Ukulele wheel in accordance with the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is an obverse view of a Ukulele wheel in accordance with the present invention; 
         FIG. 3  is a converse view of an inner Ukulele wheel in accordance with the present invention; and 
         FIG. 4  is a converse view of a Ukulele wheel in accordance with the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Reference throughout this specification to “one embodiment,” “an embodiment,” or similar language means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present invention. Thus, appearances of the phrases “in one embodiment,” “in an embodiment,” and similar language throughout this specification may, but do not necessarily, all refer to the same embodiment. 
     Furthermore, the described features, structures, or characteristics of the invention may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments. In the following description, numerous specific details are provided to provide a thorough understanding of embodiments of the invention. One skilled in the relevant art will recognize, however, that the invention may be practiced without one or more of the specific details, or with other methods, components, materials, and so forth. In other instances, well-known structures, materials, or operations are not shown or described in detail to avoid obscuring aspects of the invention. 
       FIG. 1  is an obverse view of an inner Ukulele disk  100  in accordance with the present invention. The inner Ukulele disk  100  comprises an outer ring  102 , a middle ring  104 , an inner ring  106 , twelve chromatic keys  108 , twelve first chord vamps  110 , and twelve second chord vamps  112 . 
     The disk  100  in the shown embodiment is 6.5 inches wide, but may vary from 1 inch wide to more than 100 inches wide. The disk  100  may be manufactured from cardboard, paper, wood, polymeric materials, metals, alloys and the like. The disk  100  is printed or engraved with chromatic keys  108  circumscribing the perimeter of the disk  100  within an outer ring  102 . The outer ring  102  in the shown embodiment comprises a white background. The outer ring  102  in other embodiments may comprise a shaded, patterned, textured or colored background. 
     The disk  100  is divided, in the shown embodiment, into twelve equally-sized, radially-extending segments. The disk is divided into an outer ring  102 , a middle ring  104 , and an inner ring  106 . The disk  100  comprises an obverse face and a converse face. The segments may be shaded or color-coordinated in accordance with musical associations they share. 
     Twelve first chord vamps circumscribe the perimeter  110  of the middle ring  104 . The middle ring  104  is shown with a black background. The middle ring  104  in other embodiments may comprise a shaded, patterned, textured or colored background. 
     Twelve second chord vamps circumscribe the perimeter  112  of the inner ring  106 . The inner ring  106  is shown with a white background. The inner ring  106  in other embodiments may comprise a shaded, patterned, textured or colored background. 
     When the apparatus comprising the disk  100  is used, the keys, notes, chords or vamps shown in the inner ring  106  (closest to the center of the disk  100 ) is meant to be played first by a user, followed by the keys, notes, chords, or vamps shown in the middle ring  104 . 
     In various embodiments, the disk  100  may be divided into more or less than twelve segments, and may comprise more of less than twelve chromatic keys  108 . 
     The obverse side of the disk  100  is shown. A smaller inner disk is affixed to the disk  100  for featuring segments on the disk  100 . 
       FIG. 2  is an obverse view of a Ukulele wheel  200  in accordance with the present invention. The wheel  200  comprises an outer ring  102 , an inner disk  202  defining a U-shaped slot  204 . 
     The wheel  200  is a multifunctional product that display every Hawaiian vamp, transposes every vamp key, transposes chords or any song on the Ukulele, displays the top 40 chords and chord diagrams and displays the top five vamp chord diagrams all in one portable apparatus. 
     The wheel  200  comprises an inner disk  202  which defines a U-shaped slot  204  on its outer perimeter. The disk  202 , in the shown embodiment, may be affixed to the disk  100  with a metal or polymeric eyelet at the center of the wheel  200 , but may be affixed to the disk  100  using other means known to those of skill in the art. 
     The inner disk  202  is rotated axially around the disk  100  with a user&#39;s thumb or fingers. The U-shaped slot  204  exposes the chords, notes, keys, and/or vamps printed or engraved on a segment of the obverse face of the disk  100 , each being associated one with another when playing the Ukulele or another instrument, strung or unstrung. 
     The disks  100 ,  202 , and  402  may be rotated, or interchanged. Disks  202  and  402  may be interchanged. 
       FIG. 3  is a converse view of an inner Ukulele disk  300  in accordance with the present invention. The disk  300  comprises an outer ring  302  having chromatic keys  108 , an inner ring  304 , chord diagrams  306 , and chord diagram groups  308 . 
     The disk  300  shows the converse face of the disk  100 . This converse face comprises a printed or engraved outer ring  302  mirroring the outer ring  102  and its keys and/or chromatic chords  108 . The disk  300  comprises an inner ring  304  having a plurality of chord diagrams  306 . These chord diagrams  306  comprise five chord diagram groups  308 , which are shaded. The chord diagram groups  308  are arranged in L-shaped fashion as shown, but be otherwise arranged in other embodiments. The chord diagram groups  308  may be color-coordinated, embossed, or otherwise distinguished from the remaining chord diagrams  306 . The unshaded chord diagram groups  306  comprise five unshaded chord diagrams. The chord diagrams  306  and chord diagram groups  308  may comprise more or less than the number of show grouping, diagrams, chords, and the like. 
       FIG. 4  is a converse view of a Ukulele wheel  400  in accordance with the present invention. The wheel  400  comprises chromatic keys  108 , and an inner converse disk  402  defining an L-shaped slot  404 . 
     The inner converse disk  402  is affixed at its center to the disk  100  on the obverse face of the disk  100 . The inner converse disk  402  defines an L-shaped slot  404  for exposes one or more of the chord diagrams  306  and/or chord diagram groups  308 . 
     A user of the wheel  400  rotates the L-shaped slot  404  axially around the disk  402  until the L-shaped slot  404  aligns underneath a desired/selected chromatic key  108 . The slot  404  then exposes the chords  306 ,  308  associated on the Ukulele with the selected chromatic key  108 . 
     The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from its spirit or essential characteristics. The described embodiments are to be considered in all respects only as illustrative and not restrictive. The scope of the invention is, therefore, indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description. All changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are to be embraced within their scope.