Patent ID: 7709724

Claim:
A performance apparatus comprising: a plurality of key switches arranged in two dimensions along X- and Y-coordinate axes, an X-coordinate position of each of said key switches being associated with tone generation timing, a Y-coordinate position of each of said key switches being associated with a tone pitch; a storage section that stores a music piece data set comprising tone generating data having data of tone pitches and tone generation timing associated with said key switches; a repeat-section setting section that, in a repeat-section setting mode, causes the plurality of key switches to function as setting operators and sets a repeat section of the music piece data set on the basis of the X-coordinate position of any operated one of said key switches; and a reproduction section that reproduces the music piece data set stored in said storage section, said reproduction section repetitively reproducing the tone generating data of the music piece data set included in the repeat section set by said repeat-section setting section, wherein said storage section stores a plurality of music piece data sets in a grouped format, each of one or more music piece data sets grouped into a group being assigned a layer, wherein the performance apparatus further comprises a music-piece-data-set selection section that, in a layer selection mode, causes the plurality of key switches to function as layer selecting operators and selects one of the layers, on the basis of the Y-coordinate position of any operated one of the key switches, to thereby select, from among the one or more music piece data sets within the group, one music piece data set having the selected layer assigned thereto, and wherein said repeat-section setting section sets a repeat section of the music piece data set of the layer, selected by said music-piece-data-set selection section, on the basis of the X-coordinate position of the operated key switch.