AU2016101313A4 - Music Learning System Based on Open String and One-Finger Chords - Google Patents

Abstract

A simplified method for learning and playing strummed and plucked musical instruments is disclosed. The innovation embodied in the invention is a matrix of open string and one-finger chords that can be substituted for full chords in backing tracks and accompaniments for ukulele and guitar. The formal chords derived in this manner have been adjusted to the requirements of data entry for computer accompaniment creation software. The resultant backing tracks and music scores allow beginners to play along confidently using these simpler chords as the notes they play correspond with the backing. They can focus on aspects of strumming and timing with less to worry about chord finger positions or hitting a wrong note. Many popular and contemporary songs can be accommodated with the chords derived from this research. The innovation is adaptable to strummed string instruments other than guitar and ukulele. F G C Am (F Ad9, F 2 (Gad-19sus4 One-finger ukulele Chords UO narnm,-.4 *he E:herds in p irentheses) 4 Barre chords (L)6 " Figure 3 101".122 Figure 4

Description

TITLE: MUSIC LEARNING SYSTEM BASED ON OPEN STRING AND ONE-FINGER CHORDS

TECHNICAL FIELDS

[0001] The present invention is a table of open string and one-finger chords that restructure music scores to simplify learning the ukulele and guitar. This includes the fields of education and music.

BACKGROUND ART

[0002] Musical performance with stringed instruments requires the learner to match hand movements to a musical score. It is an unnatural coordination made more so by the limitations of tuning the strings to different notes to make the instrument more compact. The result of the compromise is that movement becomes non-linear and traditional methods require memorizing the criss-crossing of strings as ‘scales’.

[0003] Once scales are learned it becomes possible to play a wide range of popular songs as many are written using recurring three or four-chord sequences. These are referred to as the ‘scale degree’ of chords within a given key by roman numerals. For example in the key of C the root chord C is its degree #l. Going up the scale of whole steps leads to the F chord in IVth degree, G in Vth degree and the variant of A expressed in lower case as iv denoting it as minor, abbreviated as Am.

[0004] Three and four chord sets account for many popular songs of the 20th Century: the l-IV-V, l-vi-IV-V, l-V-iv-IV and twelve-bar blues. Applying these to a song requires rehearsal and concentration on other aspects such as strumming and singing so methods that simplify chord fingering reduce the overall cognitive load.

TECHNICAL PROBLEM

[0005] Prior attempts to simplify the learning process have generally restructured the properties of the instrument and the playing methods to suit the music score. Many music systems intended as ‘easy’ rely on specially-composed original songs, a gadget or even a game to try to make the necessary practice repetitions easier and more instantly rewarding for the learner. This contrasts with the present invention which requires no new songs, gadgets, capo’s, muffled or skipped strings, or special tunings.

It requires only a ukulele or guitar in standard tuning and can be adapted to many songs. There are dozens of related plucked and strummed stringed instruments, for example banjo, balalaika, mandolin, and bouzouki, that could similarly be accommodated with the concept of the present invention but their specific chords would have to be tested depending on their string tuning.

[0006] There have been previous systems that superficially seem to use ‘one-finger’ chords but close examination shows that these are not true ‘one-finger’ systems in a cognitive sense if they require the player to control their other fingers to mute or bypass some strings. They are a traditional approach that takes the music as an immutable ‘given’ and requires the learner to adjust to the music. Such approaches reduce the number of fingers pressed to the strings but do little to reduce the overall cognitive load as the learner still has to remember which other strings to avoid and/or mute, and muting a string requires some memory and dexterity in its own right. Alternate tunings have the same limitations. They adapt to suit the music, are confusing to beginners, and require time and knowledge to implement.

SOLUTION TO PROBLEM

[0007] The present invention reverses this process for learning the instrument by rewriting the music itself to fit the player. The invention consists of a table of open string (‘zero-finger’ or Ό-finger’) and one-finger chord substitutions that can be used to rescore many songs, embodied as Table 1.

[0008] A ‘zero-finger chord’ refers to strumming the open strings. A ‘one-finger chord’ refers to the pressing of a single note while strumming all the strings, as depicted in Figure 1. A single finger might also press more than one string at a time, as with the barre chord in Figure 4, but such chords would be described in terms of the number of actual notes pressed rather than the number of fingers employed to do it as for example in Figure 5 where three fingers are used to press the strings instead of a barre.

[0009] The broad underlying concept, “The novel solution proposed in my play-by-ear method is to re-write the music to suit the ergonomics rather than adapt the player to the music.”, was originally published by the Applicant in Literature citation 1 and 2.

[0010] The innovation of the present invention is the extension of these broad principles based on further original research, resulting in a new set of chords specifically for open strings and the ukulele. Table 1 is the subject of the present invention: the matrices of ‘recommended chords’. The columns within the matrices list the chord substitutions appropriate to the number of fingers to be used to make the chord. The left-most column ‘open’ (ie ‘zero-finger’ chords) refers to the fact that the open strings of the ukulele or guitar make a combination of notes that can be taken as at least several different chords, for the ukulele: C6, Em aug5 sus4, G add9 sus4 6th no5, or Am7. The guitar open string set is: D69 sus4, Em11, G69, A11, and Bm11 aug5. These chords have been modified to those in Table 1 to accommodate computer input.

[0011] For the guitar in particular these chords allow some of the most common sequences in pop songs to be approximated with open strings: the l-IV-V, l-vi-IV-V, l-V-iv-IV and twelve-bar blues. This can be done for guitar in the key of D with the l-vi-IV-V sequence corresponding to chords D, Bm, G, A, approximated with D69, Bm11, G69, and A11. This means that backing tracks can be created using the D69-Bm11-G69-A11 that have the sound of a familiar l-vi-IV-V sequence even though each chord is comprised of the same shared set of notes. These notes can be arranged to make diverse chord emphases by removing some notes or assigning different octaves to them so that the chords sound different. Because they remain a constant set of notes they can be played with the open strings, which have that same set of notes. The learner can strum on the open strings through the entire song and will at no point discord with the backing track. They can thus concentrate on their strum and rhythm technique without having to worry about finger placements on the strings or hitting a wrong note. Many pop songs can be re-scored to these note sets.

[0012] The ukulele is more restricted in this regard as it requires at least a single one-finger chord, rather than open string only, to play any of these sequences. But this still means that the ubiquitous l-IV-V, l-vi-IV-V, l-V-iv-IV and twelve-bar blues can be played on ukulele in key of C by either skipping the IV degree or merely moving one finger on and off to play IV as the one-finger F2 chord, giving the l-vi-IV-V sequence corresponding to chords C, Am, F, G, approximated with C6, Am7, F2 and G2.

[0013] Table 1 is intended for accompaniment, commonly using a computer to create backing tracks. The entries in Table 1 include open string and one-finger chords that can substitute for full chords. The corresponding finger positions on the instrument for the chords in the Table are shown in Figure 3. The matrix lists ‘Complexity’ as columns corresponding to the number of fingers to be deployed, ranging from zero (open string) to one-finger chords. Chords and their substitutions for a given complexity are in the rows. The one-finger G2 chord in Figure 1 is contrasted with the traditional G chord using three fingers depicted in Figure 2. The concept underlying the present invention is the fundamental innovation of re-writing the music to fit the ergonomics of the ukulele or guitar player, for example changing G chords to G2s. A comprehensive range of popular tunes can be re-written using the substitute chords in Table 1 as depicted in Figures 1 and 3.

CITATION LIST

[0014] Literature 1: Benjamin, T. (2010). A new ‘instant play’ approach to music learning: Music in Action, Summer. V.8, no 3. Australian Music Association. Melbourne, and [0015] Literature 2: Benjamin, T. (2011) Play Guitar in 10 Minutes: Development of an instant-learn online music education system. Global TIME -Online Conference on Technology, innovation, Media & Education, February 22-24..

ADVANTAGEOUS EFFECTS OF INVENTION

[0016] The Table of recommended chord substitutions according to the present invention can achieve the following advantageous effects: [0017] The first advantageous effect is that a player will have reduced cognitive load when learning the guitar, ukulele or similar plucked and strummed instruments by using the simplest possible open string and one-finger chords.

[0018] The second advantageous effect is that backing tracks for many songs can be created with software or as scores to be played by an instructor that match the simple open string and one-finger chords [0019] The third advantageous effect is the simplicity of the present invention as it can be implemented with or without minimal aids such as stickers and available software. It uses standard tunings of the instruments. The relevant portions of the tables are small enough to be memorized by an average person.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0020] Figure 1 shows the one-finger position for a ukulele that produces the ‘G add9 sus4 no 5 ||R24’ chord, which is approximated as chord ‘G2\

Figure 2 shows the traditional three finger G chord.

Figure 3 shows example one-finger positions on ukulele frets for chords

Figure 4 shows an example of a barre chord on 4th fret for a ukulele.

Figure 5 shows an example of three fingers used in place of a partial barre chord for three or four fingers on the 5th fret for a guitar.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

[0021] The best way to put the present invention into effect is to use the chord sets as input to widely-available computer software, for example the Patent Literature citation 1 and 2 and many similar accompaniment apps, which can substitute the chords quickly throughout the song with a ‘search and replace’ function. These prior inventions are not essential to the present invention as an accomplished musician could do these chord substitutions mentally and the chords in the present invention rarely clash with the traditional full chords of orthodox players. A learner could play without a backing track as the goal is to play the chord sets by ear. The available software makes it much easier for less-experienced teachers and other likely users and has the major advantage of creating re-usable backing tracks as midi files.

[0022] The Table in the present invention takes account of current limitations of software in that current accompaniment apps, particularly those relying on database methods, do not play all possible permutations so a chord like ‘G2’ is a compromise based on the way data is commonly entered in such software. A more precise specification of the one-finger G2 version as “G add9 sus4 no 5 ||R24”’ might be programmable with future versions of such software.

[0023] The claims that define the present invention are for the chord set as a tool for rewriting music and creating backing tracks so that the simplest open string and one-finger chords of the ukulele or guitar sound right when played along. Methods of scoring and transposing music have been the subjects of patents. A ‘chord table’ as in the present invention is distinguished from a ‘song’, because a table is a tool that can be applied to many songs and its chords can be played in any order.

[0024] The table is more likely to be used by a music teacher or music group leader but could be used by an individual learner. The ukulele and guitar chords are intended to be played initially with one-finger versions as in Figures 1 and 3. Even if individuals are capable of full chords, the one-finger versions serve as a common denominator for group or classroom learning with beginners.

[0025] Unlike prior supposedly simple music learning systems, in the present invention there are no muffled or skipped strings. The entire set of strings are intended to be strummed as a chord. This reduces cognitive load on the learner as a muffled note or selective strumming on certain strings would be yet other elements to memorize.

[0026] Individual chords in themselves are generic to music and ineligible for a claim. The specific tested chord set is the present invention. It can be described by analogy as ‘abbreviations’ or ‘homonyms’. For example the words ‘no’ and ‘know’ are pronounced the same but ‘no’ requires only two letters. This is familiar to people who input such substitute text abbreviations on mobile devices. This was the analogous logic applied to musical chords. For example, a full ‘G’ chord on the ukulele requires three fingers, as can be seen in Figure 2. A one-finger modification produces a similar-sounding ‘G2’ chord, technically a ‘G add9 sus4’, as in Figure 1.

[0027] The G2 substitution would sound odd if used as a root chord in key of G. It is only acceptable if played quickly in a song in keys other than G, particularly key of C. The present invention makes a substantial difference by providing a backing track that makes the G2 sound ‘correct’. The person re-scoring the music according to the Table 1 of the invention would substitute a ‘G2’ for most instances of the G chord. In many songs in key of C the G chord is only played intermittently. In the popular 12-bar blues format for example in key of C the G chord would usually only appear twice within each twelve bar series, such that the fleeting substitute ‘G2’ chord sounds less harsh than it would if it were the root chord.

[0028] The one-finger chords in the invention were derived by successively eliminating notes from traditional two- or three-fingered chords which commonly require contortions to master that are very difficult for many people. Some learners have trouble enough with the one-finger chords. They often need stickers placed on the frets, as in Figures 1 and 4, to learn even the one-finger versions.

[0029] Simple open string and one-finger chords are an essential part of the present invention as it is intended for total beginners. It can be seen from the blank entries in Table 1 that it required specific research to validate the zero- and one-finger chord sets. Some chords cannot be approximated with less than a full chord. Some keys did not lend themselves to one-finger variants of the chords. For example, the keys of G or D in ukulele are distorted beyond recognition with one-finger chords as they contain insufficient numbers of the respective G and D notes and too many discordant notes, so require a traditional approach. However, the ukulele lends itself to one-finger chords in the important key of C, whereas by contrast it is more difficult to derive useful one-finger chords in key of C for a guitar. This gives the ukulele at least some advantage over guitar because many instruments used in schools work well in key of C.

[0030] Chord substitution is not an entirely logical or mathematical process as the different possible variations of a reduced chord such as ‘G add9 sus4’, the one-finger chord in Figure 1, are perceived subjectively. This can be understood again by analogy to homonyms. The single character T might substitute orally for ‘are’ ‘ar’ ‘our’ ‘err’ ‘ere’ and ‘hour’, which could each sound distinctive depending on the speaker, listener and English dialect. In the same way the one-finger chords of the present invention can be played in distinctive ways depending on how they are struck with the strum hand, emphasising one string over another and whether strumming up or down strokes. Some one-finger variants will sound better than others in a given song. This required field testing and subjective judgment by the Applicant. Some learners may find the one-finger substitutions irritating and even confusing while others might regard them as a modern or jazz sound.

[0031] This table is therefore not an invariant mathematical formula but rather a compromise product of hypothesis testing. The specific selection resulting in the present invention had to take account of other factors such as the conventions of software data entry and importance of the key of C in ensemble with other instruments common to schoolrooms.

CITATION LIST PATENT LITERATURE

[0032] Patent Literature 1: “Automatic improvisation system and method” CA 2259369 A1 and US 5990407

[0033] Patent Literature 2: “Music performance system” US 6696631 B2 BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

[0034] The present invention benefits from placing paper stickers on specific notes as seen in Figures 1 and 4. This takes account of the fact that many learners have difficulty even remembering positions for one-finger chords let alone adding to this their difficulty with strumming and singing. Stickers have themselves become components of patents but they are a traditional and generic school method hence prior art and only an optional aid for the present invention. Video instructions and pre-recorded backing tracks are other optional aids for learners and instructors.

EXAMPLES

[0035] The song Loch Lomond contains a l-iv-IV-V sequence common in popular songs, particularly those of the 1950s. The score and lyrics in key of C traditionally are:

GC Am F GCAmFG

Oh! You'll take the high road, and I'll take the low, And I'll be in Scotland afore ye

The present invention, according to Table 1 would re-score these for ukulele as: G2 C6 Am7 F2 G2 C6 Am7 F2 G2

Oh! You'll take the high road, and I'll take the low, And I'll be in Scotland afore ye

The re-scoring for ukulele would be played with one-finger chords as in Figuresl and 3.

[0036] The present invention for key of C would re-score these for guitar as: G69 Cmaj9 A7sus Fm9t>5 G69 Cmaj9 A7sus Fm9b5 G69

Oh! You'll take the high road, and I'll take the low, And I'll be in Scotland afore ye [0037] This would allow a guitar learner to play along, but key of C is less than ideal for one-finger guitar with the present invention so a guitar learner could find it more useful and tuneful if transposed to key of D as: A7sus D69 Bm11 G69 A7sus D69 Bm11 G69 A7sus

Oh! You'll take the high road, and I'll take the low, And I'll be in Scotland afore ye

This transposition to key of D using the chords of the present invention has the unique property that the entire sequence can be accompanied with the open strings of the guitar. Each chord has approximately the same set of notes. At no point in the song would the open strings markedly discord with this set of four chords in a sequence common to many pop songs. Anyone could strum along instantly.

[0038] This example shows that a compromise would have to be struck between guitar and ukulele as their respective re-scorings would result in different computer backing tracks. A key that suits one might not suit the other. In practice these instruments might combine with minimal clash as the respective chords for the two instruments for a particular key can sound similar, given that so many strings remain unchanged with a one-finger chord.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

[0039] There are estimated to be millions of guitars and ukuleles. But only a fraction of sales are followed up by the owners learning to play the instrument. There is a market for basic tuition. There is also a market among relief teachers, community group leaders, scout leaders and corporate presenters for musical activities that can have total beginners participating in minutes without special paraphernalia.

[0040] Many patents have been awarded for musical ‘learning aids’ as distinct from ‘songs’ or ‘music’ itself, which would be subject to copyright instead of patent. The present invention is a tested set of chords that might be assembled into any number of existing or potential songs. The underlying concept of re-writing the music score itself is in the public domain, prior art published by the Applicant. The innovation is the extension of the principles to open strings and the ukulele.

[0041] Of particular significance, the capability of playing a full range of popular music with the open strings of the guitar logically substantiates a claim that this is the “simplest possible” playing system. Using the Table 1 key of D chord set D69, Bm11, G69, A7sus, uniquely allows the l-iv-IV-V common to 50s-60s music and the more recent l-V-iv-IV variant to be played with no chords at all to finger or memorize. A group of total beginners of unlimited size with no talent prerequisite could strum along with such a backing with no fear of a mistake. Their timing and strumming errors would be inconsequential as even if they completely lost their place all their notes would still fit with all the notes in the backing. A verifiable “easiest possible” or “simplest possible” claim has exclusive marketing properties for industrial applications.

[0042] It took experimentation to determine whether the principle previously published by the Applicant might be adapted to open strings and ukulele. It was not a foregone conclusion. The research showed it was not possible to do a completely open-string set of l-iv-IV-V chords for ukulele. Movements of a single finger have more impact on a four stringed instrument than on a six-stringed guitar. A movement of a finger from one string to another creates four changes: the original note is sacrificed and a new note takes its place. Moving that finger to a destination string reverses the pattern: the destination string's original note is sacrificed and it is replaced with a new note. One lost, one gained, plus another lost and another gained results in four changes by movement of a single finger from one string to another. Four changes on a four-stringed instrument can have a pronounced effect to the ear. Therefore some one-finger chords can sound quite macabre. The same logic would apply to other four-stringed strummed instruments. For these reasons it was not predestined or obvious that a one-finger system that worked for guitar might be applicable to the ukulele or similar instruments like banjo. Indeed, the system applied to guitar works best in keys other than C. Only a small number of keys were found adaptable for the ukulele but importantly this included the key of C. That key alone makes the invention useful for schools.

[0043] The chord substitutions the subject of this Claim are in some cases a strained compromise. For example, in standard tuning the open strings of neither guitar nor ukulele contain an F-note. By contrast the G-note common to standard tune of both instruments still leaves the G major chord hard to approximate on a ukulele with anything less than the traditional three finger variant as in Figure 2. The substitute ‘G2’ chord chosen for the Claim, technically a ‘G add9 sus4 no 5 ||R24’ as played in Figure 1, despite containing two G-notes, only sounds appropriate when played transiently within a song rather than standing on its own. Transposing a song from key of C to key of G for ukulele would lose some of the benefit of the invention as the root chord of G would require a three-finger version rather than the one-finger G2 for the tune to be recognisable as G to the beginning ukulele player. Flowever, the G2 in a backing track derived from the present invention would compensate for much of the loss by making the substitute G2 chord fit more comfortably.

[0044] Other frequently-used chords such as D and E can be played on ukulele with one finger only if that finger is laid across all four frets - a ‘barre’ chord, as shown in Figure 4. The D barre chord on the second fret of the ukulele is useful as it can play along with the open strings of the guitar. It leaves only one note, the F#, not common to both so allows playing along with minimal discord. Conversely, the easiest form of C chord for guitar for some persons can be a barre across the higher strings at fret #5, as shown in Figure 5 in which three fingers are used in place of the barre. That allows playing along with the ukulele in key of C. But barre chords cannot be played by all learners. They require a flat not knobbly finger and a good grip. A three-finger version as depicted in Figure 5 for some persons might be actually easier to play than the one-finger barre as there is no particular contortion or memory component because the three fingers are simply placed next to each other, a well-rehearsed motor skill. The chord sets subject to the Claim in Table 1 therefore are a product of research, an empirical compromise taking into account the ergonomics derived from experiment, experience with learners, and suitability for computer input.

Claims (6)

1. A music learning system comprising: an embodiment of tables for the re-scoring of music to match open string and one-finger chords respectively for guitar and ukulele.

2. A music learning system as in Claim 1 comprising: an embodiment of a tested set of recommended chord substitutions played respectively on guitar and ukulele.

3. A music learning system as in Claim 1 comprising: an embodiment of visual and auditory depictions of the fingering of the chords in Claim 1 with open strings or one finger on ukulele or guitar.

4. A music learning system as in Claim 1 comprising: an embodiment of substitute chords capable of modification to other tunings and other plucked and strummed stringed instruments.

5. A music learning system as in Claim 1 comprising: an embodiment of substitute chords that correspond to data input requirements of chord-based computer improvisation and music arranger software.

6. A music learning system as in Claim 1 comprising: recommended open string and one-finger chords that can substitute for full chords as per Table 1: