Patent US 5,286,912

An electronic musical instrument with playback of background tones and generation of key-on phrase tones, in which a simple adlib play can be performed while a user is singing using a microphone or as an interlude without requiring high-grade techniques is disclosed. The electronic instrument includes an instrument main body (1) having a microphone (5) and a plurality of key pads (6), a section for playing back stored background tones of a song, a memory (21) for storing note pattern data for a plurality of phrases each consisting of a series of a plurality of key-on phrases in correspondence with the plurality of key pads, and a tone generator (20) for reading out the note pattern data of the corresponding phrase in response to an operation of the key pad (6), and forming tone generation signals. The output from the microphone, the playback signals of the background tones, and the tone generation signals of the phrase are supplied to a loudspeaker (11). Parallel to the playback background tones, the prestored phases can be read out and played back as needed upon operation of the key pads. A singer sings a selected song while listening to the background tones of the song. Upon combination of some phrases, a simple adlib play is performed, and a joyful performance can be made.