CONTROLLING AUTOMATIC ACCOMPANIMENT IN AN ELECTRONIC MUSICAL INSTRUMENT

1 . A method for controlling an automatic accompaniment in an electronic musical instrument, comprising:

recognizing chords played by on the electronic musical instruments from at least one note played on the electronic musical instrument;

initiating automatic accompaniment in response to pressure applied to a pedal coupled to the electronic musical instrument, wherein the automatic accompaniment automatically plays sounds of at least one additional instrument to accompany the playing of the electronic musical instrument;

recognizing a chord played based on at least one played note after initiating the automatic accompaniment; and

playing the automatic accompaniment in the recognized chord.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the initiating the automatic accompaniment comprises:

determining whether the pressure is applied to the pedal beyond a predetermined threshold, wherein the automatic accompaniment is initiated in response to determining that the pressure is applied beyond the predetermined threshold.

3 . The method of claim 2 , further comprising:

extending a duration of the playing of the at least one note in response to determining that the pressure applied to the pedal is not beyond the predetermined threshold without initiating the automatic accompaniment.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the automatic accompaniment operates according to a first automatic accompaniment method and a second automatic accompaniment method, wherein the automatic accompaniment initiated in response to the pressure applied to the pedal comprises the second automatic accompaniment method, further comprising:

using the first automatic accompaniment method to provide automatic accompaniment based on a chord played by pressing at least three notes when the pressure is not applied to the pedal to initiate the second automatic accompaniment method, and

wherein the second automatic accompaniment method provides automatic accompaniment in a chord based on a first played note without waiting for further notes of the chord to be played.

5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein the first automatic accompaniment method is used when pressure is not applied to the pedal.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein providing the automatic accompaniment comprises providing automatic accompaniment in response to a first played note of the chord being played without waiting for a subsequent note while the pressure is applied to the pedal, wherein the chord in which the automatic accompaniment is played is based on the first played note, wherein a key note of the chord comprises the first played note.

7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the providing the automatic accompaniment comprises:

in response to detecting a second played note while the pressure continues to be applied to the pedal, updating the chord depending on the first and second played notes; and

playing the automatic accompaniment in a chord whose key note is the first played note and whose additional degree is the second played note.

8 . The method of claim 7 , wherein when the first and second played notes are played at a same moment, then the automatic accompaniment arranges the first and second played notes based on which note is higher than the other.

9 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the providing the automatic accompaniment further comprises:

in response to detecting a third played note while the pressure continues to be applied to the pedal, updating the chord depending on the first, second and third played notes; and

playing the automatic accompaniment in the chord based on the first, second and third played note.

10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the providing the automatic accompaniment further comprises:

in response to detecting a fourth and fifth played note while the pressure continues to be applied to the pedal, updating the chord depending on the first, second third, fourth and fifth played notes;

playing the automatic accompaniment in the chord based on the first, second, third, fourth and fifth played notes; and

ignoring for purposes of playing the automatic accompaniment any notes detected after the fifth played note while the pressure continues to be applied to the pedal.

11 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the automatic accompaniment continues to play in the chord being played in response to releasing the first played note while the pressure continues to be applied to the pedal.

12 . The method of claim 1 , wherein providing the automatic accompaniment comprises providing automatic accompaniment in response to a first played note of the chord being played without waiting for a subsequent note while the pressure is applied to the pedal, wherein the chord in which the automatic accompaniment is played is based on the first played note, wherein a key note of the chord comprises the first played note, further comprising:

detecting a playing of a new first played note after the pedal is released; and

providing the automatic accompaniment based on the new first played note in response to applying pressure to the pedal after the pedal is released.

13 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the electronic musical instrument comprises an electronic keyboard and wherein the pedal comprises a sustain pedal.

14 . An accompaniment device coupled to an electronic musical instrument, wherein a pedal is coupled to the electronic musical instruments, wherein the accompaniment device is configured to perform operations, the operations comprising:

recognizing chords played on the electronic musical instruments from at least one note played on the electronic musical instrument;

initiating automatic accompaniment in response to pressure applied to a pedal coupled to the electronic musical instrument, wherein the automatic accompaniment automatically plays sounds of at least one other instrument to accompany the playing of the electronic musical instrument;

recognizing a chord played based on at least one played note after initiating the automatic accompaniment; and

playing the automatic accompaniment in the recognized chord.

15 . The accompaniment device of claim 14 , wherein the initiating the automatic accompaniment comprises:

determining whether the pressure has been applied to the pedal beyond a predetermined threshold, wherein the automatic accompaniment is initiated in response to determining that the pressure is applied beyond the predetermined threshold.

16 . The accompaniment device of claim 15 , wherein the operations further comprise:

extending a duration of the playing of the at least one note in response to determining that the pressure to the pedal is applied beyond the predetermined threshold without initiating the automatic accompaniment.

17 . The accompaniment device of claim 14 , wherein the automatic accompaniment operates according to a first automatic accompaniment method and a second automatic accompaniment method, wherein the automatic accompaniment initiated in response to the pressure applied to the pedal comprises the second automatic accompaniment method, wherein the operations further comprise:

using the first automatic accompaniment method to provide automatic accompaniment based on a chord played by pressing at least three notes when the pressure is not applied to the pedal to initiate the second automatic accompaniment method, and

wherein the second automatic accompaniment method provides automatic accompaniment in a chord based on a first played note without waiting for further notes of the chord to be played.

18 . The accompaniment device of claim 17 , wherein the first automatic accompaniment method is used when pressure is not applied to the pedal.

19 . The accompaniment device of claim 14 , wherein providing the automatic accompaniment comprises providing automatic accompaniment in response to a first played note of the chord being played without waiting for a subsequent note while the pressure is applied to the pedal, wherein the chord in which the automatic accompaniment is played is based on the first played note, wherein a key note of the chord comprises the first played note.

20 . The accompaniment device of claim 19 , wherein the providing the automatic accompaniment comprises:

in response to detecting a second played note while the pressure continues to be applied to the pedal, updating the chord depending on the first and second played notes; and

playing the automatic accompaniment in a chord whose key note is the first played note and whose additional degree is the second played note.

21 . The accompaniment device of claim 20 , wherein when the first and second played notes are played at a same moment, then the automatic accompaniment arranges the first and second played notes based on which note is higher than the other.

22 . The accompaniment device of claim 20 , wherein the providing the automatic accompaniment further comprises:

in response to detecting a third played note while the pressure continues to be applied to the pedal, updating the chord depending on the first, second and third played notes; and

playing the automatic accompaniment in the chord based on the first, second and third played note.

23 . The accompaniment device of claim 22 , wherein the providing the automatic accompaniment further comprises:

in response to detecting a fourth and fifth played note while the pressure continues to be applied to the pedal, updating the chord depending on the first, second, third, fourth and fifth played notes;

playing the automatic accompaniment in the chord based on the first, second, third, fourth and fifth played notes; and

ignoring for purposes of playing the automatic accompaniment any notes detected after the fifth played note while the pressure continues to be applied to the pedal.

24 . The accompaniment device of claim 19 , wherein the automatic accompaniment continues to play in the chord being played in response to a releasing of the first played note while the pressure continues to be applied to the pedal.

25 . The accompaniment device of claim 14 , wherein providing the automatic accompaniment comprises providing automatic accompaniment in response to a first played note of the chord being played without waiting for a subsequent note while the pressure is applied to the pedal, wherein the chord in which the automatic accompaniment is played is based on the first played note, wherein a key note of the chord comprises the first played note, further comprising:

detecting a playing of a new first played note after the pedal is released; and

providing the automatic accompaniment based on the new first played note in response to applying pressure to the pedal after the pedal is released.

26 . An electronic keyboard coupled to a pedal, comprising:

a keyboard having keys;

an accompaniment device configured to perform operations, the operations comprising:

recognizing chords played on the keyboard from at least one note corresponding to at least one of the keys played;

initiating automatic accompaniment in response to pressure applied to the pedal, wherein the automatic accompaniment automatically plays sound of at least one other instrument to accompany the playing of the keyboard;

recognizing a chord played based on at least one played note corresponding to at least one of the keys after initiating the automatic accompaniment; and

playing the automatic accompaniment in the recognized chord.

27 . The electronic keyboard of claim 26 , wherein the initiating the automatic accompaniment comprises:

determining whether pressure has been applied to the pedal beyond a predetermined threshold, wherein the automatic accompaniment is initiated in response to determining that the pressure to the pedal is applied beyond the predetermined threshold.

28 . The accompaniment device of claim 26 , wherein the automatic accompaniment operates according to a first automatic accompaniment method and a second automatic accompaniment method, wherein the automatic accompaniment initiated in response to the pressure applied to the pedal comprises the second automatic accompaniment method, wherein the operations further comprise:

using the first automatic accompaniment method to provide automatic accompaniment based on a chord played by a pressing of at least three notes when the pressure is not applied to the pedal to initiate the second automatic accompaniment method, and

wherein the second automatic accompaniment method provides automatic accompaniment in a chord based on a first played note without waiting for further notes of the chord to be played.

29 . The accompaniment device of claim 28 , wherein the first automatic accompaniment method is used when pressure is not applied to the pedal.

30 . The accompaniment device of claim 26 , wherein providing the automatic accompaniment comprises providing automatic accompaniment in response to a first played note of the chord being played without waiting for a subsequent note while the pressure is applied to the pedal, wherein the chord in which the automatic accompaniment is played is based on the first played note, wherein a key note of the chord comprises the first played note.

31 . The accompaniment device of claim 30 , wherein the providing the automatic accompaniment comprises:

in response to detecting a second played note while the pressure continues to be applied to the pedal, updating the chord depending on the first and second played notes; and

playing the automatic accompaniment in a chord whose key note is the first played note and whose additional degree is the second played note.

32 . The accompaniment device of claim 30 , wherein the automatic accompaniment continues to play in the chord being played in response to a releasing of the first played note while pressure continues to be applied to the pedal.

33 . The accompaniment device of claim 26 , wherein providing the automatic accompaniment comprises providing automatic accompaniment in response to a first played note of the chord being played without waiting for a subsequent note while the pressure is applied to the pedal, wherein the chord in which the automatic accompaniment is played is based on the first played note, wherein a key note of the chord comprises the first played note, further comprising:

detecting a playing of a new first played note after the pedal is released; and

providing the automatic accompaniment based on the new first played note in response to applying pressure to the pedal after the pedal is released.