US1394407A - Attachment for stringed instruments - Google Patents

Description

A. CHERNIAVSKY. ATTACHMENT FOR STRINGED INSTRUMENTS.

APPLICATION FILED HAY24.1920.

1,394,407. Patented Oct. 18, 1921.

aim/2a P171665 v 20 Ewe/rub 7:

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ABRAHAM CHERNIAVSKY, 013 LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

ATTACHMENT FOR STRINGED INSTRUMENTS.

Application filed May 24,

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it lmown that I, ABRAHAM GHERNIAV- SKY, a citizen of Russia, residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles, State of California, have invented new and use ful Improvements in Attachments for Stringed Instruments, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relatesto stringed instruments in general; to all such stringed instruments as violins and Violoncello which are played with a bow, and such stringed instruments as a guitar or banjo or the like, played by plucking. The general object of the invention is the provision of a finger guide, register or check applicable to such stringed instruments and adapted to the teaching and learning of proper and accurate finger positions for accurate intonations on such instruments. Although my invention is applicable to all such stringed instruments, for the purposes of illustrating my invention I shall describe it as applied to a violin; but it will be understood that such description as applied to a violin is not intended at all as a limitation upon the in vention.

Accurate intonation on a violin and such stringed instruments is always difficult to a learner. It is the object of this invention to provide an attachment which may be easily applied to a violin and which, when in position, will give the player a check for one or more finger positions. It is also an object to provide such a device as may be readily set in the different hand positions for such stringed instruments.

WVith the foregoing general statement of my invention in mind, the invention itself, its ob jects and its corresponding accomplishments, as well as a specific form of the invention as applied to a violin, will be more clearly apparent from the following detailed description of the attachment in its specific form as applied to a violin; reference for this purpose being had to the accompanying Specification of Letters Patent.

I Patented Oct. 18, 1921. 1920. Serial No. 383,755.

Fig. 6 is a section taken as indicated by line 6-6 on Fig. 3; and Fig. 7 is a section taken as indicated by line '7-7 on Fig. 3.

In the drawings the numeral 10 may designate the body of the stringed instrument (violin in this case) and the numeral 11 may designate the neck and 12 the four strings of the instrument. In order to conveniently attach my device to the neck of the instrument I form a sort of troughshaped body 13 adapted to fit around the underside of the neck near the head; and a transverse bolt or other securing member as shown at 14 passes over the upper surface of the neck behind the string bridge 14;; and thus the member 13 is held securely in position. A longitudinal guide member 15 extends from one side of member 13 and this guide member 15 has a bearing at 16 resting upon the body of the violin. The parts are so arranged that when the bearing 16 rests upon the violin body the part 13 is pressed up against the bottom surface of the neck and the bolt 14 rests on the upper surface; and the parts are therefore all held practically immovable in their proper set positions. A little adjustability longitudinally may be provided for, as will be readily seen from inspection of the drawings, so the guide member 15 may be adjusted slightly longitudinally of the neck and fingerboard to get it in just the proper position with reference to the finger positions on the strings; or the device may be made accurately to size and proper position of the device may be assured by placing the bolt let directly against the bridge 1 1 One side of member 13 is flared out as illustrated at 13 as a guide against which the thumb of the players hand is placed. Under the member 13 there is a guide 20 in which a tongue 21 is adapted to fit. The tongue 21 carries at its outer end bearings 22 for a small rubber roller 23. This roller is adjustable in position longitudinally of the violin neck by moving the tongue 21 in and out of guide 20; and the roller beconn' a guide and rest for the palm of the lluiul in holding the violin; the roller 23 being thus a guide acting in combination with guide or stop 13 to insure proper position of the hand under the neck of the violin. The roller 23 may be moved to suit the different positions of the hand.

The longitudinal guide 15 also has, near the bearing 16, another extension bearing 25, whi@h extends transversely across the body. By this arrangement the guide 15 isheld rigidly in position and can not twist out of its proper upright position illusi. trated in the drawings. 7

The guide 15 maybe formed in anysuitable manner to provide a plurality of openings into whichthe shanks of checks 31 may be fitted. In practice I may. make the guide 15 by bending a piece of sheet metal into inverted channel form (see Fig. '6) and then cutting slots across the upper edge of the member as shown at. 32. These slots make openings into which the shanks 30 may be placed; and the slots are cut in such positions as to enable the checks to be placed in proper position to attain the objects as herein described. These checks are of such a form as to reach over the fingerboard 35 and over the strings 12. They may in some c'a'ses'be made to reach over all -four of the strings and n other cases be made to reach over only one or two or three of the strings.

This is clearly illustrated in the Various checks in thejdrawings. The shorter checks allow the'finger'to reach onto a string past their ends without necessarily having to reach directly overthe check. The object of the checks is to form a guide over which the finger may reach and thus be in proper position to' hold a string against the finger 7 board for proper intonation. In Fig. 1 the nngers are shown at F reaching over the checks. N ow these checks will be'placed in different positions for different scales 'or for different kinds of compositions or for the different positions of the hand; For instance, in the simple procedure of teaching scales one or more of the checks may be used and they may be placed in such aposition as to check the finger in its position getting a .determinant note for the particular scale being played. It is not necessary here to describe all oi' the various determinatlve factors which enter into the choice of position 7 of the checks; butit" may be stated generally that thechoice of'position otthe checker a plurality of checks may depend very largely upon convenience or very largely upon what position'of acheck or checks will give the pupil the most frequent checking of correct positioning of the fingers for proper intonation. For instance, if a given composition returns quite frequently to some dominant or determinative pitch or tonality, the check may be placed for that particu lar position of the finger, so that, every time the composition returnsto thatpar-v ticular note, the fingers of the pupil are rechecked again and again for proper position. Furthermore I proposeto arrange compositions, and to create compositions,"

especially adapted to being played with my attachment, so as toobtain the maximum benefit from their use for teaching and learning purposes (and, incidentally, also toa violin, not for purposes of: limiting my invention to that particular application, but for the purpose of giving aeclear and distinct understanding of the invention. Those skilled in the art may readily apply the device to other stringed instruments and may make the necessary modifications and changes therefor. And, further than that, I do not limit my invention to the specific so as to avoid compositions which would arrangement and combination and 'formation of parts herein shown and described; believing my invention'to be broad in its nature and only limited as specifically stated by thefollowing claims.

'Having described a preferred form of my invention, I claim: V y

1. In combination with a stringed instrument, a guide extending longitudinally of the fingerboard, and transversely extending finger checks carried adjustably' on the guide.

2. In combination with astringed instrument, a guide extending longitudinally of the fingerboard and having openings spaced alongitslength; and a finger check having a shank adapted to fitjinto said openings and havinga portion adapted to overhang the strings and fingerboard.

3. In combination with a stringed instrument, a guide extending longitudinally of.

the fingerboard, and transversely'extending finger checks carried 'on the guide; and a thumb and palm guide for the hand in connection with the check carrying guide.

4c. In combination with a stringed instrument, a guide extending longitudinally of the fingerboard, and transversely extending finger checks carried on the guide; and a thumb and palm guide for the hand in .connection with the check carrying guide, em-

bodying a projectionf'against which the thumb may be placed when grasping the neck of the instrument, and a roller under the instrument neck.

5. In combination with a stringed instrument, a guide extending longitudinally of the fingerboard, and transversely extending finger checks carrledon the, guide; and a thumb and palm guide. forthe hand in con-f nection with the checkcarrying guide, embodying a projection against which the thumb may be placed when grasping the neck of the instrument, and a roller under strument alongside its fingerboard, and a the instrument neck said roller being adtransversely extending finger check longijustable in longitudinal position. tudinally adjustable on the guide.

6. An attachment for stringed instru- In Witness that I claim the foregoing I 5 ments embodying a guide, and a transversely have hereunto subscribed my name this 14th 1-3 extenlgiing fifiger (gieck longitudinally adday of May, 1920. justa 1e on t e i e. T T 7. An attachii ent for stringed instru- ABRAHAM HERB IAVSKX' ments embodying a longitudinal guide prolVitness: 10 vided with means for securing it to the in- VIRGINIA BERINGER.

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