GB190112087A - Improvements in Musical Notation and in Keyboards for Musical Instruments - Google Patents

Abstract

12,087. McGoun, A. June 13. Music notation; organs; pianofortes.-Instead of arranging the keys as at present, black and white keys strictly alternate. The tonic for the time being is indicated visually by a slide with marks upon it. The tonic, dominant, or other desired note can also be made apparent to the touch by small movable plugs shown by circles in Fig. 1. The staff consists of four lines, with leger lines, as in Fig. 4, which shows an octave of the chromatic scale. Open-headed notes indicate white keys, and black-headed notes black keys. The duration of a note is indicated by its shape, and new forms of rest signs are proposed to avoid confusion with note signs. A chromatic tonic-sol-fa notation is also proposed, in which each of the twelve notes of the octave has a different name and sign. The signs of the notes corresponding to black keys are printed in heavy type, and those corresponding to white keys in lighter type.