Zither, instruments with many strings on multitouch screens.

Some number of strings stretching the long way across the screen.

The number of strings may be specified

The tuning of the strings may be specified

Some number of frets across the short dimension of the screen

Unfretted, as in violin, viola, cello, etc.

Chromatically fretted, as in guitar, banjo, mandolin, etc.

Diatonically fretted, as in dulcimer, etc.

The fretboard generates notes when the musician taps.

The position of the tap maps to a position on a string which

specifies the frequency of the note sounded.

Notes may be quantized to the nearest fret or allowed to take on

intermediate tones.

Sliding the finger along the string direction slides the note to

the new position or fret.

Sliding the finger across the string direction after the initial tap

bends the note

Multiple simultaneous taps on the same string may sound together,

or the furthest down string tap may take precedence.

The technical details of capacitive touch mean that close touches

may not be resolved into separate fingers, but may merge into one super finger. This will depend on the hardware.

The notes may be realized

by using a synthesized instrument

The available synths are free physical instrument models from the

Faust distribution. See https://faust.grame.fr

or by generating MIDI events

or by generating OSC events

The fretboard is mounted at chest height facing out so that the

left and right hands can tap from opposite sides of the “neck”.

The fretboard may be split into different sections.

For instance, the upper half of the fretboard may be tuned to the 6 bass strings of a 12-string Chapman Stick for the left hand, while the lower half is tuned to the 6 melody strings for the right hand.

At least one string x fret position is allocated to trigger the

configuration dialog.

Other string x fret positions may be allocated to trigger other

functions, such as key modulation, string retuning, etc.

Extensions

Implement a breath controller with a barometer and a tube.

USB MIDI device.

Implement a microphone with a tube and a mems microphone.

USB Audio device, possibly combined with the USB Audio output.

Implement pressure velocity sensitivity with some overlay

on the touch screen. Or an underlay.

Implement tactile and/or visual position cues.

An overlay with monofilament line marking strings and frets

would need to be changed if the number of strings or frets changed.

recri / zither.tcl