US964716A - Expression-marking for note-sheets. - Google Patents

Description

P. K. VAN YORX.

EXPRESSION MARKING FOB NOTE SHEETS;

LPPLIOATIOI IILBD D110. 81, 1908.

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APPLICATION IILED DEG. 31, 1908.

964,716. Patented July 19, 1910.

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UNITED STATI11 PATENT OFFICE.

PERCIVAL K. VAN YORX, F MERIDEN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE VIILCOX & WHITE COMPANY, OF MERIDEN, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION OF CONNECTICUT.

EXPRESSION-MARKING FOR NOTE-SHEETS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 19, 1910.

Application filed December 81, 1908. serial No. 470,154.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PnRoivAL K. VAN Yonx, a citizen of the United States, residing at Meriden, New Haven county, Connecticut, have invented certain new and usetul Improvements in Expression-Marking for Note-Sheets, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to an improved marking for perforated note-sheets for use in connection with mechanical music playing instruments such as piano players, player pianos, organs and the like.

The object of the invention is to provide a. system of marking which will clearly indicate to the operator at all times the precise changes necessary to an artistic rendering of the particular composition being executed.

This invention is essentially an improvement upon the subject matter disclosed in my former Patent No. 854,064:, dated May 21st, 1907.

My invention aims at providing the operator with instructions which will keep him posted, throughout the rendering of a composition, as to what tempo and volume is to be observed. To that end, I provide instructions which are constantly before him on the moving note-sheet directing him whether the speed or tempo is to be maintained, increased or diminished, and also whether the volume is to be maintained, increased or diminished.

In this improvement the method of marking is so complete as to not only advise the operator as to the two different kinds of expression to be observed, namely, speed and volume and changes therein, but it also advises the operator as to the degree of change in each. In other words, if a slight retard (as distinguished from a substantial retard) is called for, that variation or degree of retard is indicated. The same is true as to the degree of volume changes.

My invention is exceedingly simple in that it requires only a single line extending lengthwise of the sheet. By this means I am enabled to provide an uninterrupted source of information for the operator directing him as to all the different expression effects and changes requisite for an artistic performance of each composition.

My invention does not so dominate or subordinate the operator as to make him a mere part of a machine, but on the contrary cultivates his musical sense, permits him to exercise reasonable liberties and thereby encourages and develops his individual artistic ability.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a plan View of a portion of a note sheet bearing my improved marking, indicating only one kind of expression changes. Fig. 2 is a similar View, the marking thereon indicating two kinds of expression changes. Figs. 3 and t are similar views to Figs. 1 and 2 respectively, showing however a modified marking.

In. Fig. 1 no dynamic or volume changes are indicated. While it is rare that such a piece might be composed, I have illustrated the invention in this form in order to emphasize and make clear one phase of said invention. In this figure, diti'erent characters composing the line have diiierent meanings, respectively, A means, increase speed; R means, decrease speed; and T means, normal speed. Together with these characters, I associate, where needed, arbitrary signs or co-efiicients, for example, I may employ a crescent over one of these characters meaning a slight change, as distinguished from a substantial change. I may also employ one or two arrows arranged. at the side of one of said characters to arbitrarily mean another thing, for example, an accent. The presence of this secondary or subordinate character does not change the general. significance of the main character, but qualifies the meaning of the same. Hence in reading said line a series of Ts would indicate the adoption and maintenance of a substantially uniform tempo or speed. An It with a crescent over the same would indicate a slight pause relatively to what preceded. If a plain It appeared after a normal tempo or speed, this would mean a substantial retard. If these Its were repeated, and at the end, or in their midst, there appeared an R with a crescent over the same, it would mean a still greater retard atthat point; in other words, a slightly greater retard relatively to the already retarded tempo that was being observed. So, by this very simple system of marking, the degree of variations in a certain kind of expression, to wit, tempo or speed, may be readily understood by the operator, whereby he may manipulate the instrument in a pleasing and intelligent manner. The hold mark may also be employed. The importance of this will be best appreciated when it is understood that the line of characters thus employed for the purpose of indicating one kind of expression (for example, expression depending upon speed) is also used as a means to advise the operator as to changes in another kind of expression. I or this second purpose the line would be caused to extend to the right and left on the sheet. the direction and pitch of the line to the rightand left being sutlicient alone to indicate when a. volume change is to occur and the degree to which said volume shall be varied. To illustrate, I have shown in Fig. the same characters as employed in Fig. 1, but, in order to indicate to the user changes in volume, it will be seen that said line extends to the right and left at certain places and at other places it extends straight or parallel to the edge of the sheet. It may be assumed that the line extending to the right indicates an increase of volume; whereas the line extending to the left means a decrease of volume. A straight line parallel with the edge of the sheet means a continuance of the same volume whether that be pianissimo or double forte, or anything between said two extremes. It is obvious that these instructions may be indicated by other characters than those arbitrarily shown in l and 2, so long as each different character shall mean a certain thing; in other words, the Ts shall always mean a return to normal tempo, the As shall always mean an increased speed relatively to what has previously obtained. The It's shall always mean a slower speed relatively to what has previously obtained. If desired, the its shall always mean a greater speed than the normal tempo selected and the Rs shall always mean a lesser speed than the normal tempo selected, it being merely necessary that the user be informed at the outset as to which style of marking is adopted in order that he may not be led astray.

This system of marking does not preclude the use of the usual musical terms. It not infrequently happens that the normal tempo in av composition is changed at one or more places; for example, the first part of a composition may have a normal tempo at andante followed later by allegro and so on. In the first section of the composition referred to, the presence of the character T would mean that andante tempo is to be observed; whereas in the second part of said composition, the presence of the character T would mean allegro From the foregoing, it will be apparent that this invention aims at simplicity and economy not only from the users standpoint, but also from the standpoint of the manufacturer, for, instead of being required to follow two or more lines in the rendering of a composition, the operator has but to follo a single line. In manufacturing note sheets, the maker has merely to apply a single expression line instead of two or more lines, thus saving much time and expense.

In Figs. 3 and t, I have shown a modification of my invention in which I have used as an exponent for the main characters a mark corresponding to the apostrophe, which when it appears once, for example, against an R, means more retard; when it appears twice, still more retard; three times, still more retard, and so on. In Fig. 3, the first It (reading from the top) means a slight retard the following It means slightly more retard; the following It means still more of a retard and so on. As the exponents reduce in number the degree of retard reduces, that is, the tempo approaches normal. Here, the operator may be clearly informed whether a gradual or abrupt increase or decrease in speed, or a gradual or abrupt increase or decrease in volume is required or called for, it being merely necessary to construct the line as described and then direct it to the right or left, as shown in Fig. to indicate volume changes.

In the rendering of music the main expression effects are brought about by variations in speed and volume and while I have shown, and thus far described, the characters themselves as arbitrarily indicating speed, and the line formed by said characters as arbitrarily indicating volume; it should be clearly understood that I may employ the characters to arbitrarily indicate volume and the direction of the line to indicate speed, this being a mere obvious reversal of what I have disclosed.

From the foregoing, it will be apparent that the operator is kept constantly posted throughout the entire rendering of a composition of the expression desired at each and every place therein.

Inasmuch as it is quite as essential to advise an operator that av certain speed or certain volume is to be maintained, as it is to advisehim that a change in speed or a change in volume is to occur, the importance of aseries of characters to produce the line effectis apparent. To that end, my present invention (as in my patent first above referred to) requires in many places throughout a composition a repetition of the same character, even though no change is to occur in that kind of expression cared for by characters. By this means, if for any reason the operators attention is momentarily directed away from the note sheet, he need have no fear of losing his way because upon redirecting his attention thereto, he is bound to find instructions thereon to advise him just what expression is to be observed at that point whether or not there has been a change during the interval When he Was looking away. Furthermore, by repeating the characters (even though no change occurs), the line is produced, which line is provided for the second purpose of indicating a different kind of expression. The importance and value of this feature of improvement Will be manifest When it is understood that in apparatus employing these note-sheets only a very small portion of the note sheet is exposed at any one time.

What I claim is:

As an article of manufacture, a note sheet for music playing instruments and the like, expression marks thereon arranged in series and With such regularity and frequency as to produce in effect a line, said marks comprising different main characters indicating respectively certain main differences in one kind of expression, together With correlated characters therefor to indicate the degrees of variation in said kind of expression, said line extending at places parallel With, and at other places diagonally to, the edge of the sheet to indicate certain other kinds of expression and the degrees of Variation in said other kind of expression.

PERGIVAL K. VAN YORX.

Vitnesses R. C. MITCHELL, A. Monronn.

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