WO1995004345A1

WO1995004345A1 - An improved keyboard design and music notation

Info

Publication number: WO1995004345A1
Application number: PCT/NZ1994/000075
Authority: WO
Inventors: Alfred George THORNE
Original assignee: Chromatic Investments Limited; THORNE, Brian, George; LAWRY, Wendie; NOVAK, Pamela, Joy
Priority date: 1993-07-28
Filing date: 1994-07-28
Publication date: 1995-02-09
Also published as: AU7277194A

Abstract

A new musical keyboard is described which simplifies the learning and playing of keyboard music. The new keyboard has black and white keys arranged alternately on the keyboard for the whole length of the keyboard, each key having a semi-tone difference in sound between the next key. A new musical notation system for presenting music for play on the new keyboard is also provided.

Description

AN IMPROVED KEYBOARD DESIGN AND MUSIC NOTATION

Technical Field

This invention relates to musical instrument keyboards and more particularly to the layout and configuration of musical keyboards.

Background of Invention

In existing musical keyboards, for example a piano keyboard, there are normally 88 notes consisting of 52 white keys and 36 black keys and the keyboard is divided into 7 octaves. The white and black keys are not arranged alternately and therefore it is difficult for learners to quickly and easily learn scales and methods of fingering required for differing scales.

With existing musical keyboards it is necessary to use a different fingering movement for different scales in which music is played.

Disclosure of the Invention

An object of this invention is to simplify the rudiments of keyboard music and to improve the ease of learning and ease of performance of musical keyboards, or to at least provide the public with a useful choice.

Further objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent from the following description which is given by way of example only.

According to one aspect of this invention there is provided a keyboard having keys of two different colours, the differently coloured keys arranged alternately on the keyboard, and wherein each key when played creates a semi-tone difference in sound from both its adjacent keys.

In particular the invention provides a keyboard having alternate black and white keys, wherein each key when played creates a semi-tone difference in sound from both its adjacent keys.

The keyboard has a succession of keys, ie a white key succeeded by a black key (herein b's), and having a semi-tone in sound between them, and a black key succeeded by a white key, having a semi-tone in sound between them. The whole keyboard, regardless of length and number of keys, is made up of alternating black and white keys which in association with the sound producing mechanism creates, on playing each key, a semi-tone difference in sound between adjacent keys, thus being entirely chromatic.

One or several of the notes may be marked as a visual and/or sensory location aid. For example, a visual aid with location on the keyboard, the F b notes may be colour coded or otherwise marked and the C notes may have a depression on their leading edge or otherwise marked. Thus the keyboard may have a visual as well as a sensory location aid.

An advantage of this keyboard is that there are only two major scale forms. Once a scale is learnt starting on a white key it may be repeated with exactly the same movement starting on any white key. The same procedure is repeated on the black keys. Once mastered it is the same for any black key.

The configuration of the keys means that the stretch between two keys one octave apart is smaller distance than on a conventional keyboard making it easier to play for people with small hands.

On a full sized piano keyboard there would be 91 keys utilizing the invention compared with 88 keys on standard keyboards. However, the keyboard according to the present invention could be shortened. Alternatively extra string(s) to be struck by the hammer(s) for the or each additional key can be added to the piano or other musical instrument.

An advantage of the invention is that there are only two sets of fingering movements required to play any tune in a given key. If a student learns to play a tune starting on a white key, then having learnt the fingering movements the student can start on any white key and will automatically be able to play the tune. With an existing keyboard it is necessary to use a different fingering movement for each different key in which music is played. With the new keyboard it is only necessary to change the fingering movement if the student starts the tune on a black key. Once the second fingering movements have been learnt it applies to any black key.

Another aspect of this invention relates to a musical notation system for presenting music suitable for play on the modified musical keyboards of the invention.

In particular, the invention provides a musical notation system comprising a staff and a series of notations, the notations adapted to be positioned either on a line or between two lines, the notations representing notes on a keyboard as described above, such that notations placed successfully on or between the lines of the staff in sequence represent the sequence of notes on the keyboard.

The staff preferably has six lines. Further aspects of the invention will become apparent from the following description which is given by way of example only.

Brief Description of Drawings

Examples of this invention will become apparent from the following description which is described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure la is a plan view of the black and white keys of an existing keyboard;

Figure lb is a representation from above of a new keyboard according to the invention;

Figures 2a and 2b are representations of alternative ways of writing a music staff to suit the new keyboard;

Figure 3 gives an example of a melody line written in the notation; and

Figure 4 is a representation of the new notation.

Best Mode of Carrying Out the Invention

As is shown in Figure lb, the keyboard is chromatic and there is always a semi-tone between the adjacent black and white keys. A whole tone separates neighbouring black keys and neighbouring white keys.

The note F is identified by a colour code. The C keys have a depression on their leading edges which is a visual and sensory aid. The identification assists a student with location and ease of playing.

Due to the nature of the keyboard layout, music to accompany the keyboard must be revised.

A new music notation system is needed to accompany the keyboard and alternative examples of the "great staff" are shown in Figures 2a and 2b.

Each staff has six lines. A note is written either on a line or a between two lines. The notes are written in order B, C, D, E ascending up the great staff, alternatively on and between the lines. As shown in Figure 2b, a B is written under the bottom-most line then the next note, a C is written first on the line up. The next note, D, is written between the first and second lines whilst the note E is written on the second line up and so on.

There are always two types of note, ie a black note and a white note, that may be written on each line or in each space. A black or filled-in note means it must be played on a black key and a white or hollow note means it must be played on a white key.

A simple melody using this notation is illustrated in Figure 3.

The actual notation or way of writing the notes has had to be changed to accommodate the necessity of writing notes for black keys and white keys. This is shown in Figure 4. For example, a note to be held for four beats is written as a circle between two vertical lines. Industrial Applicability

The musical keyboard layout and musical notation according to the present invention will find wide application in the music industry. They will simplify the rudiments of keyboard music and improve the ease of learning and playing a keyboard instrument.

Claims

1. A keyboard characterised in that the keyboard has keys of two different colours, the differently coloured keys arranged alternatively on the keyboard, and wherein each key, when played creates a semi-tone difference in sound from both its adjacent keys.

2. A keyboard having alternate white and black keys, characterised in that each key, when played creates a semi-tone difference in sound from both its adjacent keys.

3. A keyboard according to claim 1 or claim 2 in which at least one of the keys is colour coded as an aid to identification.

4. A keyboard according to any one of claims 1 to 3 in which at least one of the keys is physically marked as an aid to identification.

5. A keyboard according to claim 3 in which one particular note is colour coded at each occurrence along the length of the keyboard.

6. A keyboard according to claim 4 in which one particular note is physically marked at each occurrence along the length of the keyboard.

7. A keyboard according to claim 4 or claim 6 in which the keys are physically marked by a depression on their leading edge.

8. A keyboard according to any one of the preceding claims comprising 91 keys in total.

9. A musical notation system for presenting music suitable for play on the keyboard according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

10. A musical notation system comprising a staff and a series of notations, the notations adapted to be positioned either on a line or between two lines, the notations representing notes on a keyboard according to any one of claims 1 to 8, such that notations placed successively on or between the lines of the staff in sequence represent the sequence of notes on the keyboard.

11. A musical notation system according to claim 10 in which the notations are of two types: a hollow notation which represents one colour of notes on the keyboard and a filled in or black notation which represents the second colour of notes on the keyboard.

12. A musical notation system according to claim 10 or claim 11 wherein the staff consists of six lines.