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DE-102024003680-A1 - A device for relieving the right shoulder muscles of a right-handed player when playing a stringed instrument, while simultaneously utilizing the resulting free fall force of the right arm to stabilize the instrument. The device consists of a body support that connects the upper bout of the instrument to the player's torso, and an armrest that attaches to the rib of the upward-facing lower bout of the instrument, allowing the right upper arm to rest comfortably.

DE102024003680A1DE 102024003680 A1DE102024003680 A1DE 102024003680A1DE-102024003680-A1

Abstract

A device for relieving the right shoulder muscles of a right-handed player when playing a stringed instrument, while simultaneously utilizing the resulting free fall force of the right arm to stabilize the instrument. The device consists of a body support that connects the upper bout of the instrument to the player's torso and an armrest that attaches to the rib of the upward-facing lower bout of the instrument, allowing the right upper arm to rest comfortably. When playing a stringed instrument, the right arm must be constantly held in a forward-raised and laterally abducted position due to the instrument's size, using muscle strength to prevent its weight from altering the instrument's playing position. The armrest allows the upper arm to rest comfortably, thus completely relieving the right shoulder muscles. The body support prevents the upper bow of the instrument from being levered forward and upward when the right arm, with its falling force, acts backward and downward on the lower bow. The device causes the force of fall released by the relaxation of the right shoulder muscles to clamp and fix the instrument between the arm, the leg on which it stands, the body support and the contact point between the base of the instrument and the upper body of the player.

Inventors

  • Erfinder gleich Anmelder

Assignees

  • Markus Krutzfeld

Dates

Publication Date
20260513
Application Date
20241109

Claims (12)

  1. Device for relieving the right shoulder muscles of a player and for simultaneously fixing stringed plucked instruments (1), in particular guitars, electric guitars, lutes, mandolins, during playing, characterized in that it consists of a body support (3) connecting the upper bout (13) of the plucked instrument (1) with the left side of the body of the right-handed player (S) at belt level and an armrest (5) intended for resting the right upper arm (OA) and attached to the upwardly facing rim (101) of the lower bout (15) of the stringed plucked instrument (1).
  2. Body support (3) according to Claim 1 , characterized in that it consists of a stable webbing (31) and the first fastening means for connecting the plucked instrument (1) to the body support (3) is designed as a two-part hook and loop element (301), the loop side (301a) of which is attached to the downwardly facing rim (101) of the upper bout (13) of the plucked instrument (1) and the hook side (301b) of which is part of the webbing (31) of the body support (3).
  3. Body support (3) according to Claim 1 , characterized in that the first fastening means (301) for connecting the plucked instrument (1) to the body support (3) is designed as a hook element (307) attached to the end of an extended strap (31) for hooking into the sound hole (107) of the plucked instrument (1).
  4. Body support after Claim 1 , characterized in that the first fastening means (301) for connecting the plucked instrument (1) to the body support (3) is designed as a strap fastener (309) which is attached to the strap pin (193) of the plucked instrument (1).
  5. Body support after Claim 1 and one of the Claims 2 until 4 , characterized in that the second fastening means (303) for connecting the body (K) of the player (S) to the body support (3) is designed as a hook element (303) or as a carabiner hook (303a) for hooking into a belt loop of the trousers of the player (S) or on other loops or straps provided for this purpose.
  6. Body support after Claims 1 and 5 , as well as one of the Claims 2 until 4 , characterized in that the webbing (31) can be separated or joined together as desired by means of a plug-in locking device (305) arranged between the first and the second fastening means (301 and 303).
  7. armrest (5) after Claim 1 , characterized in that it consists of a dimensionally stable foam body for arrangement on the upwardly facing rim (101) of the lower bout (15) of a stringed plucked instrument (1) and which on its underside corresponds to the shape of the rim (101) and on its upper side has a large, slightly curved or flat surface for the purpose of supporting the upper arm (OA).
  8. armrest (5) after Claim 7 characterized in that it has an outer shell made of a smooth material such as leather or imitation leather or any other smooth covering.
  9. armrest (5) according to the Claims 7 and 8 , characterized in that a third fastening means for connecting the armrest (5) to the frame (101) of the stringed plucked instrument (1) is designed as a two-part Velcro system, wherein the hook part of the Velcro system is firmly attached to the outer shell of the armrest (5) in the curve (503) and the loop part is attached to the frame (101) of the instrument (1).
  10. armrest (5) after Claims 7 and 8 , characterized in that the third fastening means for connecting the armrest (5) to the frame (101) of the stringed plucked instrument (1) is designed as suction cups firmly attached to the outer shell.
  11. Anti-slip device for stabilizing a stringed plucked instrument (1) on the right thigh (O) of a right-handed player (S), characterized in that it is attached as a strip made of open-pored foam material to the rim (101) of the instrument (1) at the level of the downward-facing lower bout (15).
  12. Stringed plucked instrument (1), characterized in that it is equipped with a device according to the Claims 1 until 11 is provided to relieve the right shoulder muscles and to fix the stringed plucked instrument (1) during playing.

Description

The invention relates to a device for relieving the right shoulder muscles of a right-handed player when playing a stringed instrument. The device consists of a body support, which, as a stable strap, connects the upper bout of a stringed instrument to the left side of the player's torso. Furthermore, the device comprises an armrest, which is attached to the rib of the upward-facing lower bout of the stringed instrument. The right upper arm rests on the armrest over a large area. The purpose of the device is to relieve the muscles in the player's right shoulder and to utilize the resulting force of the right arm's fall to fix the instrument in the playing position. The force of the falling arm is transferred via the armrest to the body of the instrument and, via a lever, to the body support and from there to the player's pelvic girdle. In this way, the instrument is clamped and fixed between the arm, the leg on which it stands, and the upper body, while the body support prevents the upper bow of the instrument from being levered away and upwards. The following description of the conditions for playing a stringed plucked instrument, as well as the description of the prior art, serves, in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, to further explain the problem stated and the invention. The drawings show: 1 a schematic representation of a classical guitar 1 as a stringed plucked instrument with the division of the body 11 into upper bout 13, lower bout 15 and waist 17 2 A schematic representation of the playing position of the right arm A when playing in a conventional playing position, viewed from the right, with the free space F between the upper arm OA and the body K of the player S, into which, when the right shoulder muscles relax, the arm A falls together with the instrument 1. 3 a schematic representation of the playing position of the right arm A when playing in the conventional playing position with the gap L between upper arm OA and rib 101 of the instrument 1 4 a schematic representation of the multi-part body support 3 of the device, consisting of the webbing 31, the first and second fastening means 301 and 303 and the plug-in locking device 305 5 a schematic representation of the application of the body support according to the invention 3 5a a schematic representation of the body holder 3 in the open state of the plug-in locking device 6 a schematic representation of the body support 3 in a variant of the first fastening element, designed as a hook element 307 in the sound hole 107 7 a schematic representation of the back of an acoustic guitar with a strap button 193 at the neck joint 191 7a a schematic representation of the body mount 3 in a variant of the first fastening element in the form of a webbing strap 31 on a strap buckle 309 for attachment to the strap pin 193 of a guitar 1 7b a schematic representation of the body support 3 in a variant of the first fastening element in the form of a webbing strap on a buckle 309 in conjunction with a carrying strap for playing while standing 8 a schematic representation of the armrest 5 of the device attached to the frame 101 of the lower bow 15 of the instrument 1 9 a schematic representation of the device with the body support 3 and the armrest 5 in the application according to the invention. 10 a schematic representation of the device with the body support 3 and the armrest 5, as well as the anti-slip device 7 in the application according to the invention. Stringed plucked instruments (1), such as guitars (see below). 1 Lutes and mandolins are held in a specific way to be played while seated. The body (11) rests on one or both thighs (O) with the soundboard (105) facing almost vertically. For right-handed players, the neck (19) is angled diagonally upwards and to the left, and the back (103) of the instrument (1) rests against the upper body (K) of the player (S). The left hand frets the fingerboard, and the right hand plucks the strings. In all known holding positions, the right arm (A) must be raised over the body (11) and held in this position. The forearm (UA) rests on the edge of the body (109), which forms the perimeter right-angled edge at the transition between the soundboard (105) and the ribs (101) of the stringed instrument (1). It arises due to the width of the frame (101), over which the arm (A) must be lifted, spreading away and to the sides. and due to the shape and size of, for example, acoustic guitars (1), a free space (F) between the arm (A) and the body (K) of the player (S). In 2 The arm position is shown in the position of anteversion, which means raising forward, and abduction, which means spreading to the side, as well as the free space (F). With relaxed shoulder muscles, the arm (A) would naturally fall backward and downward towards the body (K) into the free space (F), thereby also moving the large bulge of the body, called the lower bow (15), of the instrument (1) into the free space (F) (cf. 2 The body (11) of the ins