Electronic stringed musical instrument with parameter selecting function

Abstract

An electronic musical instrument having a function of selecting a musical tone parameter just before, or after during a musical performance is provided. The instrument has a first manually operable element such as a tremolo arm deflectably mounted on the main body of the instrument and positioned adjacent to stretched strings, and a second manually operable element (e.g., push button) attached to the first operational element. In one embodiment, the first element serves as a controller for varying a first musical parameter (e.g., pitch modulation) while the second element functions as another controller for varying a second, different musical parameter (e.g., tone color). In another embodiment, the second element serves as a variable function assignor for the first element. Depending on the function assigning of the first element, the second element provides a variable parameter controller (e.g., tremolo, vibrato). In either case a player can select the musical tone parameter at hand speedily and surely without any substantial interruption of playing the strings, whereby the music performance will be enriched and diversified.