Patent ID: 8173887

Claim:
A musical instrument adapted to be used as a video game controller, comprising: a body portion; a neck portion, the neck portion connected to the body portion at a first end and comprising a plurality of finger positions between the first end and a second end; a first string strung across the body portion to the second end of the neck portion; a first analog sensor module located under the first string on the neck portion, the first analog sensor module corresponding to a first one of the plurality of finger positions, the first analog sensor module configured to detect a finger at a location proximate the first string at the first finger position, and the first analog sensor module configured to generate a first signal when the finger is detected at the first finger position; a string detection module located on the body portion proximate the first string, the string detection module configured to determine whether the first string has been played, and the string detection module configured to generate a second signal when the first string has been played; and a processing module configured to receive the first signal and the second signal, the processing module configured to generate a digital signal corresponding to the first signal and the second signal, and the processing module configured to output the digital signal to an external computing system.