Patent Application
20200388185
Playing stringed instruments such as guitars, mandolins, banjos and the like involves contact with the instrument strings by the player's fingers. A player needs to develop muscle memory for accurate chord transitioning, strumming, picking and plucking. Additionally, repeated play of a stringed instrument creates callouses on fingers to reduce sensitivity and pain thereby allowing a player to play longer periods of time.
It is not always reasonable or convenient to carry around a bulky instrument. Further, It can be difficult for many players to play enough to maintain muscle memory and finger callouses, Travel may be an impediment, since the instruments may be bulky and not conducive to some modes of transportation. Or the demands of a busy schedule may lead the player to reduce or stop playing for a period of time that the muscle memory and callouses dissipate.
Features and advantages of the disclosure will readily be appreciated by persons skilled in the art from the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the drawing wherein:
In the following detailed description and in the several figures of the drawing, like elements are identified with like reference numerals. The figures may not be to scale, and relative feature sizes may be exaggerated for illustrative purposes.
Referring now to
The base plate 60 carries several raised rounded bars 62A, 62B, 62C, 62D and 62E protruding from the surface 60-1 of the base plate. In an exemplary embodiment, the opposed end bars may each act as a nut or bridge element (in guitar terms), and have a somewhat higher elevation or height above the surface 60-1 than the intermediate bars 62B, 62C, 62D, which may correspond to frets. The number of intermediate bars or frets in this example is three, but this may vary depending on the particular application, for example, from one to five fret-like intermediate bars or frets.
The device 50 further includes sets of pegs 64A-64F and 66A-66F on opposed respective ends 60-2, 60-3 of the base plate 60. The pegs serve to support the strings 68A-68F, six in this example, in tension over the surface 60-1 of the base plate. This exemplary embodiment emulates several frets of a six-string guitar, but the number of strings and corresponding pegs may be higher or lower, for example to emulate a stringed instrument with a different string count.
Various mechanical techniques may be used to mount the strings to the base plate. In this exemplary embodiment, the pegs are threaded into holes formed in the base plate, and each peg includes a transverse hole (64A-2 in peg 64A, for example) through which the string is passed. The string may be tied off at the peg, or have a knot formed in the string which prevents the string from pulling through the transverse hole. Each peg can be turned to tighten the string sufficiently so that the desired string tension can be obtained. The strings will be tightened and in contact with the raised bars 62A and 62E in this exemplary embodiment.
The device 50 emulates a portion of the guitar neck, and the user may exercise his/her fingers by strumming the strings, and may change finger positions along the base plate during the exercise.
To use the device 50, it may be used in a free-standing form. However, in accordance with a further aspect, the device 50 may be mounted or attached to the forearm of the user, so that it may be engaged by the fingers of the opposite arm of the user.
The device 50 has a layer 70 affixed to the bottom surface 60-4 of the base plate 60, and the sleeve 80 has a layer 82 formed or attached to a portion of the outer surface of the sleeve. The layers 70 and 82 in this example are complementary elements of a hook and loop fastener structure. The device 50 may be pressed against the layer 82 to engage the fastener structure. The device can be placed on either the right arm or left arm, and with the device secured on the forearm, the fingers of the opposite arm may strum the strings of the device as described above.
In another exemplary embodiment, a sleeve structure 86 is an openable structure, as shown in
In a further alternate embodiment, opposite ends of the device 50 may be attached to straps 92, 94, which have hook and loop fastener strips 92A, 92B and 94A, 94B attached at the distal ends thereof. The straps may be used to affix the device 50 to a user's forearm or to another convenient attachment location allowing for ready exercising use. This location could be to the user's forearm but could also be a belt worn by the user, or even an arm rest or the like.
The training device is multifunctional. When affixed to the sleeve or cuff, it allows a player to develop or maintain muscle memory, promoting accurate chord transitioning. It also develops or maintains callouses necessary for painless play, which allows the player to play the instrument longer periods of time.
When attached to the strap or belt, it allows a player to develop muscle memory promoting accurate strumming, picking and plucking, while at the same time developing callouses.
Although the foregoing has been a description and illustration of specific embodiments of the subject matter, various modifications and changes thereto can be made by persons skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention.
