An electronic musical instrument having a tone generator system is disclosed. The tone generator system incorporates N programmable generators (180, 190, 140) (where N is less than 12, and typically 7) which forms a system having the ability to sound notes of N different nomenclature tones at one time. A microprocessor (50) controls the assignment of particular notes to each of the programmable generators, in accordance with the played keys of the keyboard(s) (and the tab switches, in the event that a partial footage is selected). Each of the programmable generators includes a chain of dividers (291 to 297) and gates (240 to 247) which are also under the control of the microprocessor. The information ascertained by the microprocessor from the keyboard(s) (and the tab switches) is used to control the selection of gates which control the passage of tone signals from the appropriate dividers in the chains of dividers to an audio output system (200). More than one note of a particular nomenclature can be simultaneously gated from the divider chain of a particular programmable generator.