Musical notation keyboard

Abstract

The invention relates to the digital music writing being a digital musical notation symbols input tool. The invention is a keyboard specially dedicated for digital input of musical notation symbols. The keyboard is used for digital input of sheet music. The keyboard can be implemented as a physical device and shaped as combination of images in a touch screen. Every musical notation symbol shall be inputed with the keyboard control element specially dedicated for input of such symbol. Novelty of the invention is that the keyboard is a device specially dedicated for input of musical notation which does not require any accessories; all the musical notation symbols can be inputed using this keyboard only with the combination of two actions: indication of the symbol's location and the symbol itself; all the symbols shall be inputed as such, not by indication of their values; all the symbols which consist of elements, which have the values of their own shall be inputed by elements; the note heads, located vertically in different positions on the musical staff shall be considered as independent signs.

Claims

1. The invention is a keyboard specially dedicated for digital input of musical notation symbols: the keyboard is used for digital input of sheet music; the keyboard is an aggregate of control elements, which serve for input of musical notation symbols, including those, which are not specific symbols of musical notation, but used in musical notation and for each of the musical notation symbols, inputted with this keyboard, corresponds a specific control element, operation of which is performing input the respective symbol; various solutions of this keyboard are possible, and the number of control elements in a specific solution would depend on the range of the music writing tasks, to perform which the specific solution is intended.

2. Key feature of the keyboard, which is presented in claim 1, is that any simple musical notation symbol, i.e. the symbol which is not consist of the elements having their own values, shall be inputted by a single action which is operation of the control element, which serves for input of such symbol, and if the symbol is complex, i.e. consists of the elements having their own values, then it shall be inputted by elements, and its elements shall be inputted as simple symbols, and at the same time the keyboard can have solutions assuming that some of the most common complex symbols shall be inputted as simple ones.

3. Key feature of the keyboard, which is presented in claim 1, is the principle of input of musical notes based on that note is considered as an aggregate of symbols where one symbol is a note head and serves for designation of the sound's pitch and another one is a symbol of duration and serves for designation of the sound's duration; for input of note heads the keyboard has a group of control elements, of which each serves for input of note head in a specific vertical position on the musical staff, i.e. on the specific line of the musical staff, in the gap between the specific lines of the musical staff, above or beneath the specific line of the musical staff; for input of duration's symbol i.e. note value, there is a group of the keyboard control elements of which each is serving for input of symbol with specific duration; input of musical note is performed by operation of the keyboard control element, which serves for input of the note head in its specific vertical location on the musical staff and operation of the keyboard control element which serves for input of symbol of specific duration; and as the result the musical note is generated, which would designate a sound with the required pitch and duration, provided that the clef and if required accidentals been inserted.

4. Key feature of the keyboard, which is presented in claim 1, is that each of the musical notation symbols, whose value in the sheet music depends on its length and location, for example, phrase marks, graphical designations for crescendo and diminuendo, can be inputted according to claim 2 with the single action and in this case it will have the standard length as determined by its standard font; but that symbol would have a specific location and length if required, then the input of such symbol will be performed by more than one action, namely: operation of the keyboard control element, which serves for input of such symbol and indication of its location, start and end points.

5. Key feature of the keyboard, which is presented in claim 1, is that the musical notation symbols, whose values depend on their length and location, and which include more than one element, for example, tuplets, volta brackets, shall be inputted according to claim 4 with the only difference that input of such symbols requires operation of the control elements, which serve for input of symbols which are their elements.

6. Key feature of the keyboard, which is presented in claim 1, is that input of any musical notation symbols, regardless of their value and length shall be performed by operation of the control elements included in the keyboard, thus input of any musical notation symbols can be performed in any sequence; and this means that any mixed-mode operations to create a sheet music, for example, generation of musical score, i.e. input of musical staffs with the brace or brackets to unite them, input of time signatures, input of notes, input of articulation marks, input of instructions accompanying the sheet music, can be performed in any sequence, at any point of the sheet music input it is possible to switch from one of these operations to another one, and such switching would not require any additional actions.

7. Key feature of the keyboard, which is presented in claim 1, is that any musical notation symbol shall be inputted with its help via indication of the symbol itself, but not its value, and the keyboard can be implemented in various solutions depending on whether all the musical notation symbols shall be inputted according to this principle; and the keyboard's basic solution is that every musical notation symbol shall be inputted by indication of the symbol itself, but it is possible to implement other solutions of the keyboard, where some symbols or groups of musical notation symbols will be inputted by indication of their values.

8. Key feature of the keyboard, which is presented in claim 1, is that it is possible to implement a keyboard solution where the notes input method shall be different from that described in claim 3 with the input of note heads in specific vertical positions on the musical staff performed according to claim 7 via indication of sounds with specific pitch, and respectively, the keyboard will have control elements for input of note heads of which each is dedicated to input of indication of sound with specific pitch which determine the respective vertical position of the note head on the musical staff; and in this solution input of the notes designating the sounds of specific pitch and duration shall be performed in such a method where durations are inputted according to the method described in claim 3, while the pitches shall be inputted by operation of the control elements responsible for input of designations for the sounds of specific pitch.

9. The keyboard, which is presented in claim 1, can be implemented as follows: as physical devices differing in structure, including modular computer keyboards, i.e. consist of components or units, virtual keyboards and others, connectible to the computer devices of various types, including desktop PC, laptops, single-board computers, tablets, wearable computers, mobile devices, etc.; as an aggregate of images on the display device which could be intended for the touch screen devices.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0022] FIG. 1. A musical notation symbols input keyboard implemented as a physical device.

[0023] FIG. 2. A musical notation symbols input keyboard implemented as an aggregate of images in the touch screen.

[0024] FIG. 3. A musical notation symbols input keyboard implemented as an aggregate of images in the touch screen, and this aggregate is divided into 3 units, which can replace one another in the screen by turning the pages or switching.

[0025] FIG. 4. A keyboard for input of musical notation symbols designating pitches and durations of the sounds.

[0026] FIG. 5. A group of the keyboard control elements, serving for input of designations for the sounds' pitches via indication of sounds with specific pitch.

[0027] FIG. 6. A group of the keyboard control elements, which serve for input of the sounds' note value symbols, containing special control elements for input of the symbols having stems in opposite directions.

[0028] FIG. 7. A group of the keyboard control elements of which each is serving for input of rest with specific duration.

[0029] Keyboard control elements serving for input of the following symbols:

[0030] 1. note heads in specific vertical positions on the musical staff,

[0031] 2. accidentals,

[0032] 3. clefs,

[0033] 4. musical staff,

[0034] 5. octave signs,

[0035] 6. note values,

[0036] 7. note values increasing dot,

[0037] 8. tie,

[0038] 9. rest indication,

[0039] 10. beam for beaming notes,

[0040] 11. tuplet,

[0041] 12. time signature,

[0042] 13. division,

[0043] 14. plus,

[0044] 15. digits from 0 to 9,

[0045] 16. common time and alla breve,

[0046] 17. bar line,

[0047] 18. brace,

[0048] 19. bracket,

[0049] 20. repeat signs,

[0050] 21. volta brackets,

[0051] 22. articulation marks,

[0052] 23. phrase mark (ligature),

[0053] 24. dynamics,

[0054] 25. graphical designations for crescendo and diminuendo,

[0055] 26. tempo signatures,

[0056] 27. tremolando,

[0057] 28. glissando,

[0058] 29. ornaments,

[0059] 30. arpeggiato,

[0060] 31. fermata,

[0061] 32. instrument-specific notation,

[0062] 33. rests.

[0063] Note: The keyboard control elements, serving for input of the same symbols have same numbers in all the figures.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0064] The musical notation input keyboard is an aggregate of control elements, such as the control elements serving for input of musical notation symbols, control elements serving for input of the symbols which are not specific for musical notation, but used in musical notation, control elements serving for the standard computer functions used in working with texts.

[0065] The keyboard control elements serving for input of the musical notation symbols include those serving for input of the symbols used for designation of the sounds' pitch, such as note heads 1, accidentals 2, clefs 3, musical staff 4, octave signs 5; control elements serving for input of the symbols used for designation of the sounds' duration, such as note values 6, dots to increase note values, 7, tie 8, grouping of note values with beams 10, control elements serving for input of time signatures 12, 16, control elements serving for input of tuplets 11, control elements serving for input of rests 9, 33, control elements serving for input of braces and brackets 18, 19, control elements serving for input of bar lines of various shape 17, 20, control elements serving for input of articulation marks 22, control elements serving for input of phrase marks 23, control elements serving for input of dynamics 24, 25, control elements serving for input of tempo signatures 26, control elements serving for input of ornaments 29, control elements serving for input of instrument-specific notation 32, control elements serving for input of tremolando 27, glissando 28, volta brackets 21, fermata 31 and other musical designations.

[0066] The keyboard control elements serving for input of the symbols which are not specific for musical notation, such as digits 15, plus sign 14, division sign 13.

[0067] The keyboard control elements serving to perform standard computer functions, same as used in working with texts, include those, which serve for indication of the symbols' location. The keyboard control elements serving for indication of the symbols' location can be those used for moving cursor. The functions of such control elements can be performed via the touch screen.

[0068] The keyboard control elements serving for input of the musical notation symbols can bear the images of such symbols, and the control element serving for input of some symbol shall bear the image of the same symbol whose input it serves for. However, a significant feature of the keyboard is that each of the musical notation symbols inputted with this keyboard corresponds to the dedicated control element, which serves for input of the symbol, but images placed on the control elements serving for input of some certain musical notation symbols need not be the image of the same symbols.

[0069] The special keyboard control elements serving for input of the symbols used for indication of the sounds' pitch: the control elements serving for input of note heads 1, accidentals 2, clefs 3, and musical staff 4.

[0070] The special keyboard control elements serving for input of the symbols used for indication of the sounds' durations: the control elements serving for input of note values 6, dotes to increase note values 7, ties 8.

[0071] Input of all the symbols listed above shall be performed by the single action—operation of the control element, corresponding to the respective symbol.

[0072] The control elements used for input of note heads and duration signs serve for generation of musical notes, i.e. the symbols which designate the following two parameters of the sound simultaneously: the sound's pitch and duration.

[0073] Each of the control elements serving for input of note heads shall provide for input of the note head in a specific vertical position on the musical staff: either on one of the lines or in one of the gaps between the lines, beneath the lower line, or above the top line, or on the leger lines of the musical staff, or beneath, or above them. With the inserted clef and accidentals when required the note head inputted in a certain vertical position on the musical staff will designate a sound of the certain pitch. However the note head look as it has in the sheet music to be inputted depends on duration of the sound which it is designating.

[0074] To input the musical note which has some certain looks and designating two parameters of the musical sound—its pitch and duration, one should operate the control element, which serves for input of the note head in the required vertical position on the musical staff, as well as to operate the control element which serves for input of the required note value symbol. As the result of these actions, provided that the clef and accidentals when required have been inserted, input of the musical note to designate a sound of the certain pitch and duration, will be performed. When required, this note can be added with the required number of dots to increasing the duration, the note can be connected with the tie to another note, designating the sound of the same pitch.

[0075] The keyboard can be supplied with various number of control elements, serving for input of note heads in certain vertical positions on the musical staff.

[0076] The number of the keyboard control elements serving for input of note values can be varied. Various keyboard solutions are possible depending on that, whether the same note values with the stems of opposite directions shall be inputted with the same control element, or each of such symbols shall be inputted using an individual control element. FIG. 6 shows a group of control elements used for input of note values which includes two control elements to input each of durations, of which one has its stem up and another one has its stem down.

[0077] The keyboard control elements serving for input of note heads in certain vertical positions on the musical staff can bear images of the note heads in the respective vertical positions on the musical staff. Such control elements can bear other images as well, for example, letter names. In FIG. 1, 2, 3, 4 the keyboards of which each one has a group of control elements serving for input of note heads in certain vertical position on the musical staff and bearing the images of the note heads in the respective positions are shown. In FIG. 5 a group of keyboard control elements bearing letter names of the sounds with respective pitch is shown.

[0078] If the clef is inputted in the certain vertical position on the musical staff, then the number of operations required to input the clef and the number of control elements operated to input such clef will depend on that, which clef namely and on which line of the musical staff is to be inputted.

[0079] To input any clef on the certain line on the musical staff one should operate the control element responsible for input of the respective clef and indicate on which line namely of the musical staff the clef should be located. Indication of the line, where the clef should be located can be performed by operation of the control element which serves for input of note head on the same musical staff line where the clef should be located.

[0080] Besides, if the G-clef should be located on the second line of the musical staff in the bottom, then it can be inputted by single operation of the control element, which serves for input of the G-clef. If the F-clef should be located on the fourth line of the musical staff in the bottom, then it can be inputted by single operation of the control element, which serves for input of the F-clef.

[0081] Besides, for recording the alto clef and tenor clef there is a method, which assumes one operation to input one of these clefs, and two operations to input another one, while in both cases the same control element is operated. There are two options for implementation of this method. In the first option the single operation of the control element serving for input of the C-clef shall provide for input of the C-clef on the third line of the musical staff, double operation of the same control element shall provide for input of the C-clef on the fourth line of the musical staff in the bottom. In the second option the single operation of the control element serving for input of the C-clef shall provide for input of the C-clef on the fourth line of the musical staff in the bottom, double operation of the same control element shall provide for input of the C-clef on the third line of the musical staff.

[0082] The rest symbols can be inputted from the keyboard using various methods, and the method of rest input shall determine, which of the rest input control elements shall be included in the keyboard.

[0083] There is a method where the keyboard has control elements of which each one serves for input of the rest with some certain duration. With this method input of the rest having a specific duration is performed by single operation of the control element, which serves for input of such rest. In FIG. 7 a group of the keyboard control elements of which each is serving for input of the rest with specific duration.

[0084] With the second method the keyboard shall have a special control element which serves for input of rests 9; the rests shall be inputted by operation of the special control element, which serves for input of rests and operation of the control element which serves for input of some note value. A combination of these actions shall provide for input of the rest, whose duration corresponds to the duration characteristic to that duration control element which has been operated.

[0085] The dedicated keyboard control elements serving for input of the bar lines varying in shape and purpose 17, 20, articulation marks 22, dynamics 24, tempo signatures 26, ornaments 29, fermata 31. Input of all the symbols listed above shall be performed by the single action—operation of the control element, dedicated to input of the respective symbol.

[0086] Among the designations listed there are ones which consist of more than one symbol, for example, mP, mF. The keyboard can have special control elements dedicated to input of the similar frequently used designations, which include more than one symbol. The keyboard can also have the control elements serving for input of individual symbols included in such designations, which include more than one symbol as shown in FIG. 1, 24. In this case input of such designations, which consist of more than one symbol, shall be performed by operation of the control elements dedicated for input of the individual symbols included in such designations.

[0087] There are a keyboard control elements dedicated to input braces 18 and brackets 19.

[0088] To input the brace to unite two or more musical staffs it is required to operate the control element which serves for input of such brace 18, as well as to indicate the musical staff where the brace is beginning and the one where it is ending. When it is required to input a brace to embrace only one musical staff without connection to others, then to input such brace it will be enough to operate the control element which serves for input of brace and select the musical staff.

[0089] To input the single bracket to unite two or more musical staffs it is required to operate the control element which serves for input of such bracket 19, as well as to indicate the musical staff where the bracket is beginning and the one where it is ending. For input of multiple brackets to embrace only one musical staff there is a method which requires to operate the control element which serves for input of the brackets 19, to input of the required number of brackets to be inputted, to operate the control elements dedicated to input of digits 15, and to select the musical staff to be embraced. For input of two or more brackets to embrace two or more musical staffs there is a method which requires the same actions with the only difference that it is required to select the musical staff where the brackets are beginning and the one where they are ending.

[0090] There are keyboard control elements dedicated to input the symbols of graphical designations for crescendo and diminuendo 25, phrase marks 23, octave signs (transfers one octave up and transfers one octave down) 5, glissando 28. To input one of the above listed symbols with specific location and length it is required to indicate locations of the symbol's end points and operate the control element, which serves for input of such symbol.

[0091] For input of the multiple octave transfer symbol (for example 15 ma sign) there is a method, where the same operations are performed as for the one octave transfer with the only difference that it is required to operate control elements dedicated to input of the one octave transfer symbol as many times as many octaves transfer the symbol to be inputted should designate.

[0092] Also there is another method to input the octave sign. For this purpose it is required to set location of the octave transfer symbol's ends, operate the control element, which serves for input of the octave transfer symbol 5, operate the control elements which serve for input of digits 15, and input the number indication of interval, corresponding to the required number of octaves, to which the transfer is being made as indicated by the symbol to be inputted.

[0093] There is a keyboard control element dedicated to input of tremolando indications 27. To input tremolando in the specific position between notes it is required to input the note symbol located to the left from the tremolando symbol, operate the control element, which serves for input of tremolando, operate the control element which serves for input of the note value less than one quarter. This way the tremolando will be inputted with as many lines as many flags had the note value, indication of which was performed. Then the note symbol located to the right frdm tremolando should be inputted.

[0094] There is a keyboard control element dedicated to input of tuplet 11. To input this symbol in the specific position in the sheet music it is required to operate the control element which serves for input of the tuplet, operate the control element(s) which serve(s) for input of digits 15 and input the number included in this symbol to indicate the number of shares into which the total time value of the note and rest symbols united by this symbol is divided.

[0095] Input of the tuplet to divide the total time value of the notes united by the tuplet into 3 shares (so called triplet) which is the most commonly used tuplet can be performed using a simplified method. For this purpose one should perform the same actions as described for input of any tuplets, excluding operation of the control elements serving for input of digits.

[0096] There is a keyboard control element dedicated to input of volta brackets 21. To input the volta bracket symbol into specific position in the sheet music, it is required to indicate location of its ends, operate the control element which serves for input of the volta bracket symbol, operate the control element(s) which serve(s) for input of digits 15 and input the number indication included beneath this symbol.

[0097] There is a keyboard control element dedicated to input beaming notes, i.e. replacement of note value flags which are equal or less than ⅛ with beams. To input two or more beamed notes, it is required to operate the control element which serves for replacement of note value flags which are equal or less than ⅛ with beames 10, then input the required notes.

[0098] There is a keyboard control element dedicated to input of time signatures 12.

[0099] To input a time signature in the shape of a fraction it is required to operate the control element which serves for input of time signatures, operate the control elements, which serve for input of digits 15, and input the number required in the numerator, then operate the control element which provides for switching to input of denominator 13, then input the number required in the denominator.

[0100] To input a complex time signature shaped as a fraction, where numerator is made by a sum of a few numbers, it is required to operate the control element, which serves for input of time signature 12, operate the control elements, which serve for input of digits 15, and input the first of the numbers required in the numerator, operate the control element, which serves for input of plus symbol 14, operate the control elements, which serve for input of digits 15 and input the next number required in the numerator. This way all the numbers required in the numerator shall be inputted together with plus signs between them, then operate the control element which provides for switching to input of denominator 13, then input the number required in the denominator.

[0101] To input a complex time signature shaped as a sum of fractions it is required to complete the same actions as required to input time signature shaped as a fraction with the single numerator, then operate the control element, which serves for input of plus sign 14, and input plus, complete the same actions as required to input time signature shaped as a fraction with the single numerator. This way input as many time signatures shaped as fractions with single numerator and plus sign between them as required.

[0102] Besides a time signatures shaped as fractions there are other forms of time signatures, all of them can be inputted from the keyboard. To input a time signature shaped as a single number it is enough to operate the control element which serves for input of time signatures and the control element(s) which serve(s) for input of digits. To input a time signature shaped as two or more fractions, followed directly by one another, it is required to complete the same actions as for input of the sum of fractions only without input of plus sign between then. If the time signature is shaped as two or more fractions, followed directly by one another, where all fractions or part of them are in parentheses, then the input shall be performed by the same method, only for this purpose a keyboard solution which includes control elements for parentheses is required. Time signatures shaped as conventional symbols, which do not include digits can be inputted with the help of control elements dedicated to such symbols as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, 16. To simplify the input procedure some of the most common time signatures in the shape of fractions can be inputted with the special control elements dedicated for input of such symbols.