Patent ID: 7605324

Claim:
An apparatus for assisting in playing a musical instrument comprising: a manipulation quantity detecting device for detecting a quantity of manipulation by a player against a musical instrument for playing said musical instrument; an assistance signal generating device for generating an assistance signal which represents a degree of assistance in playing said musical instrument by processing said detected quantity of manipulation according to a given assistance coefficient; and an actuating device adapted to be coupled to said musical instrument for actuating said musical instrument based on said assistance signal; wherein said musical instrument is a brass instrument having a mouthpiece; and wherein said actuating device includes artificial lips having a plurality of elastic members covering said mouthpiece, an actuator for actuating said artificial lips based on said assistance signal to establish an embouchure for playing said brass instrument and a gas blowing mechanism for blowing compressed gas into said mouthpiece through said artificial lips, wherein said artificial lips and said gas blowing mechanism are controlled based on said assistance signal to determine an amount of said blown compressed gas.