CA1135085A - Musical notation - Google Patents

Musical notation

Info

Publication number
CA1135085A
CA1135085A CA000329272A CA329272A CA1135085A CA 1135085 A CA1135085 A CA 1135085A CA 000329272 A CA000329272 A CA 000329272A CA 329272 A CA329272 A CA 329272A CA 1135085 A CA1135085 A CA 1135085A
Authority
CA
Canada
Prior art keywords
note
lines
stave
heads
medium
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired
Application number
CA000329272A
Other languages
French (fr)
Inventor
Laurence C. Capper
Richard J. Capper
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
CAPPER STYLES WHOLE TONE Co Ltd
Original Assignee
CAPPER STYLES WHOLE TONE Co Ltd
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by CAPPER STYLES WHOLE TONE Co Ltd filed Critical CAPPER STYLES WHOLE TONE Co Ltd
Priority to CA000329272A priority Critical patent/CA1135085A/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of CA1135085A publication Critical patent/CA1135085A/en
Expired legal-status Critical Current

Links

Landscapes

  • Electrophonic Musical Instruments (AREA)

Abstract

ABSTRACT
MUSICAL NOTATION

A keyboard comprises a front row of keys and a rear row of keys corresponding to respective whole-tone scales a semitone apart. the rear keys are symmetrically staggered between the front keys. Musical notation for use with the keyboard comprises a stave with lines arranged in pairs, the width of the space between adjacent pairs being substantially double the width of the space between the lines of a pair. The notation includes note-heads 11, 12 positioned in relation to the stave lines, there being two types of note-head distinguished by coloration, corresponding respectively to the two rows of keys 16,17.

Description

1 ~ 35 ](~ O~ '5~

_l~s~ r, NOTA'I'~:ON

'rhjs ;nvention relates to mus;cal notation for use with a keyboard cornprising a rront row and a rear row of keys, the rows corresponding to respective whole-tone scales a semitone apart, the ke~s of the rear row being symmetrically stag,ered between the keys of the front row. A keyboard of this type is particularly suitable for the per..ormance of non-~odal music, facilitates the spanning of octaves and larger intervals, and simpli.fles fingering. How-ever, it is not easy to relate this t~7pe of keyboardto the conventional notation.
~ he present invention provides musical notation for use with a keyboard of the type referred to, in which the musical notation comprises a stave having parallel hori~ontal lines, the lines being arranged in pairs, the width of the space between adjacent pairs of lines being substantially double the width of the space between the lines of a pair, whereby the lower line of a given pair correspDnds to a given ke~ in each row, the space between the lines of the given pair corresponds to the next higher key, the upper line of the given pair corresponds to the next higher key, the lower line of the next higher pair corresponds to a key one octave above the given key, and so on, the 9~5;

mllc,i(~al nol,ntion further compris;ng note-heads positioned in re1ation to the lines oI' t~e stave, there being two t,ypes of no-te-head dis-tinguished from each o-ther by coloration, the two types respec-tively corresponding to the two rows of keys.
~ hus a given note-head on the stave is directly related to a single key on the ke~board b~ the position and coloration of the note-head. The stave can be used as a graph of pitch versus time, giving the advantage that the notation can be read and translated into musical sounds by automatic means comprising photo-electric detec-tors and means for transporting a sheet~
film, or other carrier medium bearing the notation.
~o facilitate reading and reproduction of the notation, it is preferable for one t~pe of note-head to be light-coloured (e.g, white) and for the o~her to be dark-coloured (e.g. black). Furthermore, the preferred note-head has the form of a triangle in which one side is vertical and the opposite apex serves as a reference point for the position of the note-head in relation to the stave lines. The preferred notation includes rests distinguished from the note-head b~ shape, preferabl~ being in the form of four-pointed stars.
The duration of the notes and rests is preferabl~
indica-ted b~ dots in association with the note-heads and rests and b~ the position of the dots relative to 113S~8S

t.}~ S~ .iV~ r~ot;~s ~ s-~;s.
'l'he ;.nven~.;on also provides ke;yboards and ~lusica]
ins~;:ruments dc~s;gr~ed for llSe with the~ above-described notation.
Thus, the inven1;ion provides a keyboard comprisi-ng a front row and a rear row of keys, the rows corresponding to respective whole-tone scales a semi-tone apart, the ke~s of the rear row being s~Jmmetricall~
staggered between the keys of the front row, in which, in one of the rows, the first and third keys in each octave starting on a given note are distinguished from the remainder of the keys in that row, preferably visually and tactually.
~he invention also provides a musical instrument comprising sound-generating elements adapted and arranged to be struck, each element emitting a note of a given pitch when struck, the elements being arranged in two rows corresponding to respective whole-tone scales a semitone apart, the elements of one row being s~mmetrically staggered between the elements of - the other row. Preferabl~, i.n one of the rows, the first and third elements in each octave starting on a given note are distinguished from the remainder of the elements in that row. Such an instrument may be a xylophone, a glockenspiel, or a marimba, for example.
~he inventi.on also provides a free-reed inst:rument ~ ,........... .

113~ S

_ tl. _ comT):~is;ng n .eri.es o~ soun~ geneIating un;ts arranged to produce a whole-tone scale when blown and t;o produce a whole-tone sca~e a scmitone higher when sucked.
Such an instrurnent ma~ be a but-ton accordion or a mouth organ, for exampl.e.
~ he inven-tion also provides a free-reed instrument comprising a slide and a series of sound-generating units arranged to produce a whole-tone scale when blown and sucked without the slide being operated and to produce a whole-t:one scale a semitone higher when blown and sucked with the slide being operated. Such an instrument may be a mouth organ, for example.
~ he invention will be described further, b~ wa~
of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
Figure 1 illustrates musical notation according to the present invention in conjunction with a keyboard;
- ~igure 2 illustrates a stave covering a plurality of octaves;
Figure 3 illustrates notes and rests of various durations;
Figure 4 is an end view of a mouth organ; and Figure 5 is a front view of the mouth organ.
In order to facilitate theoreti.cal exposition, the whole-tone scale starting on the note A is designa-ted A,B,S,~,F,G. ~he whole-tone scale a 1135~8S

semitone h;gher i.5 designatcd A', I", etc. (reIerLed to as "A ra;sed", "B ra;sed", etc.). No-tes beJonging to the Imraised scale are indicated b~ white note-heads 11 and notes belonging to the raised scale are indica-tea 5 by black note-heads 12 on a stave 1~ comprising lines arranged in pairs, the width of the space between adjacent pairs being double the width of the space between the lines of a pair. ~he lower line of each pair corresponds to the note name G- and thè upper line 10 corresponds to the note name B.
~ach note-head 11 is in the form of a triangle in which one side is vertical and the opposite apex serves as a reference point for the position of the note-head in relation to the stave lines~ ~igure 1 shows the 15 relationship between the position and coloration of the note-heads and a ke~board 14 comprising a front row of ke~s 16 corresponding to the scale A,B,S,~,~,G and a rear row of ke~s 17 corresponding to the scale A', B', S', ~ ', G'. ~he ke~s corresponding to G and B are 20 distinguished from the remaining ke~s 16 b~ colour or r texture (preferabl~ both). ~he stave 13 in ~igure 1 is suitable for a instrument of limited range.
~igure 2 shows a stave 13 covering the normal pitch range of an orchestra, each octave being numbered 25 at the left of the stave, the space between the pair 1~3S~S

of l;nes at; t;he bottom o~ ocl,ave number 5 correspond;ng to Q ~ 40 ~z.
~`;gure 3 shows notes and rests of increasing duration from left to right. ~he basic note of unit dura~ion is represented by a triang-ular note-head without dots. ~he basic rest of unit duration is represented b~ a four-pointed star without do-ts. ~he duration of the other notes and rests is indicated by associated dots in accordarlce with the followi,n,g rules:
dot in upper right-hand quadrant doubles duration;
second dot in upper right-hand quadrant doubles duration again, etc.;
dot in up,~er left-hand quadrant halves duration;
second dot in upper left-hand quadrant halves duration again, etc.;
dot in lower right-hand quadrant increases duration of note or rest by one-half;
second dot in lower right-hand qua~rant increases duration by one-half of previous dot's increase, etc.
~he keyboard described above may be used in an~
ke~board instrument, e.g. plano, organ, or piano accor-dion. Clearly, musical instruments other than keyboard instruments can also be adapted to facilitate their use with the above-described nota-ti~n. ~or'instance, a xylophone can be provided with two rows of wooden bars arranged in the same way as the keys shown in ~igure 1. ,, 113~35 A 20-reed mouth organ can l,e designed -to have 10 sollnd-g~nerating un;-t;s, each compr;sing -I,wo reeds, arranged as a series along the mouth piece of the instrument. I'he arrangement Or the notes along the mouth piece can be represented by the following ~able 1, in which capltal letters indicate notes produced b~
blowing and lower case letters indicate notes produced by sucking.
Table 1 , . _ .. _ S s' ~ t'lF f~ G g' A a' B b' IS s' ~ t' G g A similar arrangement of sound-generating units can be applied to free-reed instruments utilising bellows, such as melodeons and button accordions. Pro-vidiag two series of buttons, with precisely the same arrangement of notes except that blow and suck (push and pull) are reversed, enables all chords to be played.
~he mouth organ shown in Figures 4 and 5 is a 40-reed instrument having 10 sound-generating units, each comprising four reeds, arranged as a series along the mouthpiece 18. ~ach unit has an upper aperture 21 and a lower aperture 22. ~he instrument has a slide 19 spring-biased to a posi-tion (shown in Figure 5) in which it closes off the upper apertures 21. When depressed, 1iL~5~5 - ~3 -t~ icl(~ I~ o~ r)},~r ~L)~r~;u~ 21 ~nd clo~
o~f l,ll(` .lOW(`:I` .lp(`rtU~.'eS 2~. Tl)e alrangem(~nt of` the not;os corresporl(3il1g to l;he a~?er-lures a]ong the mouth-piece- 18 can be represented ~y the followirlg ~able 2, in which capital let-ters indicate notes produced by blowing and lower case letters indica-te notes produced by suck-ing. r~he upper row corresponds -to "slide in"
and the lower row corresponds to "slide ou-t".
Table 2 ....
~'g'¦ A'b'¦ S't' _ A'b' S't'¦ ~'g' A'b' S't' ¦~'g' g ¦ A b ¦ S t F g A b S t I ~ g A b S t ¦ ~ g Comparing ~'igure 1, it will be noted that all note-heads falling on lines correspond to sucked notes and that all black note-heads correspond to "slide in".
Just above and below the mouthpiece 18, the case of the mouth organ bears braille indents or raised spots (e.g. 2~) to facilitate location of -the notes by the player.
It will be apparen-t that the above-described system of musical notation is simple and logical, completely eliminating the need for key si~natures, accidentals, and clefs. The stave corresponds precisely with the keyboard. r~here is only one way of indicating a given note (pitch) by the coloration and position 1135~85 of a note-head. 'I'ransposition is simple. Microtones (fractions of a whole-tone) can be indicated by partial co]oration of note-heads; for instance, ra;sing or lowering a note b~ a quarter-tone can be indicated b~ blacking-in the upper or lower half (respectively) of a white note-head.
The musical notation may be printed in a raised or embossed manner in order to project from the sheet, film, or other carrier medium bearing it, so that the notation can be sensed by touch. ~his would be of h great utility to the blind, who would be able to read the notation directly, without its having to be - translated into conventional braille notation.

Claims (6)

THE EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION IN WHICH AN EXCLUSIVE
PROPERTY OR PRIVILEGE IS CLAIMED ARE DEFINED AS FOLLOWS:
1. A sheet, film, or other carrier medium bearing musical notation comprising a stave and note-heads to represent pitch, the stave having parallel lines arranged in pairs, the width of the space between adjacent pairs of lines being sub-stantially double the width of the space between the lines of a pair, whereby - with the lines horizontal and lying one above another - the lower line of a given pair corresponds to the first element in a given octave in the said one of the rows, the space between the lines of the given pair corresponds to the second element in the given octave in that row, the upper line of the given pair corresponds to the third element in the given octave in that row, the lower line of the next higher pair corresponds to the first element in the next higher octave in that row, and so on, the note-heads being positioned in relation to the lines of the stave, there being two types of note-head distinguished from each other by coloration, the two types respectively corresponding to the two rows of elements.
2. A medium as claimed in claim 1, in which each note-head has the form of a triangle in which one side is perpendicular to the stave lines and the opposite apex serves as a reference point for the position of the note-head in relation to the stave lines.
3. A medium as claimed in claim 1, in which the musical notation further comprises rests distinguished from the note-heads by shape.
4. A medium as claimed in claim 3, in which the rests are in the form of four-pointed stars.
5. A medium as claimed in claim 1, 2 or 3, in which the duration of notes, and rests when present, is indicated by dots in association with the note-heads, and rests when present, and by positions of the dots relative to the respective note-heads, and rests when present.
6. A medium as claimed in claim 1, 2 or 3, in which the musical notation protects from the surface of the carrier medium, so that it can be sensed by touch.
CA000329272A 1979-06-07 1979-06-07 Musical notation Expired CA1135085A (en)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
CA000329272A CA1135085A (en) 1979-06-07 1979-06-07 Musical notation

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
CA000329272A CA1135085A (en) 1979-06-07 1979-06-07 Musical notation

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
CA1135085A true CA1135085A (en) 1982-11-09

Family

ID=4114380

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
CA000329272A Expired CA1135085A (en) 1979-06-07 1979-06-07 Musical notation

Country Status (1)

Country Link
CA (1) CA1135085A (en)

Similar Documents

Publication Publication Date Title
KR100621825B1 (en) Music notation implement and music
US3218904A (en) Guitar training device
US4054079A (en) Keyboard and notation system
US4926734A (en) Graphic/tactile musical keyboard and nomographic music notation
US2406946A (en) Music teaching device
US6124540A (en) Musical notation system
US7220907B2 (en) Data recording and retrieval, sheet music, music keyboard tablature and method of teaching music
US3845685A (en) Musical instruments
CA1135085A (en) Musical notation
US2718169A (en) Device for teaching music
US3973460A (en) Keyboard type musical instrument
CN210804855U (en) Fast music piano for beginner
KR102395137B1 (en) Kalimba musical note and auto generation system thereof
US877911A (en) Keyboard.
US2028809A (en) Piano keyboard chart
US4782734A (en) Keyboard keys for larger hands
US7005569B2 (en) Method for imparting music score reading and keyboard performance skills
US2003384A (en) Piano chord player
US788063A (en) Device for teaching music.
JP7399250B1 (en) Keyboard instrument practice aids
US3707897A (en) Keyboard teaching device
JP2550472Y2 (en) Teaching tool for playing piano
US2984142A (en) Music chart
JP3244919U (en) Kalimba performance aids
CA1086540A (en) Keyboard and notation system

Legal Events

Date Code Title Description
MKEX Expiry