Patent ID: 7640501

Claim:
A performance data editing method for a computer system containing a display, comprising the steps of: controlling the computer system to display a plurality of layers on a screen of the display, wherein each of said plurality of layers is assigned to a different type of articulation to be added to a musical tone to be generated based on the performance data, said different type of articulation causing the musical tone to be generated in accordance with a specific performance technique; in response to a user instruction, attaching an execution icon at a prescribed position onto one of said plurality of layers that is displayed on the screen of the display, wherein said attached execution icon represents execution-related data for adding, to the musical tone to be generated, a predetermined type of articulation to which said one of said plurality of layers is assigned; controlling the computer system to display a small-scale display option for each individual layer of said plurality of layers; in response to user selection of a small-scale display option for an individual layer, providing an instruction to control the individual layer to be subjected to small-scale display; and controlling the computer system to perform the small-scale display for the individual layer in response to the instruction, said small-scale display including a small-scale graphical representation of the attached execution icon on the individual layer, wherein said step of attaching an execution icon is performed only if said one of said plurality of layers is not subjected to small-scale display at the time of the user instruction.