INCREMENTALLY IMPROVED DIATONIC STAFF MUSICAL NOTATION SYSTEM

Abstract

I disclose a system of sheet music notation. It allows for quicker visual identification of the line or line space number on an individual staff and replaces clefs with simpler pitch indicators. It creates an equality between the two upper and lower staves of the grand staff by using a 6+6 staff line combination in which the first notes in both staves are named the same (though different octaves). It allows for an intermediate step between 5+5 and 6+6 notations to help convert those used to the 5+5 notation to the 6+6 notation and vice versa. It allows the number of staff lines to be increase as a music student becomes more advanced. Finally it creates a staff in which each note in a scale is represented just once and same named notes in different octaves are always in the same staff position.

Claims

1. A music notation comprising a diatonic staff of N lines, where N is greater than or equal to two, and at least one member selected from the group consisting of distinguishable line, distinguishable line space, left side pitch indicator and right side pitch indicator.

2. The article of claim 1 in which N=6 and said member is a distinguishable line at a position selected from the group consisting of the bottom of a bass staff and the top of a treble staff.

3. The article of claim 1 in which said member depends upon the key of the music piece.

4. The article of claim 1 in which said member depends upon the tessitura.

5. The article of claim 1 in which N increases with the ability of the musician to read the notation.

6. A music notation comprising: P diatonic staves with N.sub.1, N.sub.2, . . . N.sub.P lines, respectively, where N.sub.1, N.sub.2 . . . N.sub.P are integers greater than or equal to 1 and P is an integer greater than or equal to 2; wherein each staff contains at least one same named note on at least one same position.

7. The article of claim 6 where P=2, N.sub.1=6 and N.sub.25 and the 6th line corresponds to a member of the group consisting of distinguished line and line.

8. The article of claim 6 where P=2, N.sub.1=6 and N.sub.2=6.

9. The article of claim 6 where C4 is on a ledger line between at least two of the staves.

10. The article of claim 6 where all N.sub.1, N.sub.2, . . . N.sub.P=M where M is a member selected from the group consisting of 3 and 4.

11. The article of claim 10 in which M=3 and ledger lines are not allowed.

12. The article of claim 10 in which M=4; wherein ledger lines and notes below and above the top and bottom lines of each staff are not allowed.

12. The article of claim 6 where the staves display the notes for one musician.

13. The article of claim 12 where the notation is for a keyboard instrument.

14. The article of claim 13 where said keyboard instrument is a piano.

15. The article of claim 6 in which N increases with the ability of the musician to read the notation.

16. A combination of P>0 staves in which the number of lines in each staff N.sub.1, N.sub.2, . . . N.sub.P is larger than 0 and is increased as the student ability to read the notation improves.

17. The article of claim 1 implemented with a computer system with program and memory and a member of the group consisting of printing out the music and displaying the music.

18. The article of claim 6 implemented with a computer system with program and memory and a member of the group consisting of printing out the music and displaying the music.

19. The article of claim 16 implemented with a computer system with program and memory and a member of the group consisting of printing out the music and displaying the music.

Description

DRAWINGS

[0018] FIG. 1 shows the standard grand staff in which C notes can be found on second ledger line below the bass staff (C2), between the 2.sup.nd and 3.sup.rd lines in the bass staff (C3), on the middle ledger line between the staves (C4), in the treble staff between the 3.sup.rd and 4th lines (C5) and on the second ledger line above the treble staff (C6).

[0019] FIG. 2 shows a grand staff with an extra helper line at the bottom of the bass staff. This allows C3 and C5 to both be between the 3.sup.rd and 4th lines in the upper and lower staves and C2 and C4 are both on a single ledger line.

[0020] FIG. 3 shows a grand staff with an extra helper line at the top of the treble staff. C4 and C6 are both on a single ledger line and C5 and C3 are both between lines 3 and 4 in the upper and lower staves, respectively, counting from top to bottom.

[0021] FIG. 4 shows a new grand staff with six lines in each staff.

[0022] FIG. 5 shows a standard grand staff without clefs but with pitch indicators.

[0023] FIG. 6 displays a new grand staff with more than two staves. The lettering indicates the identity of the single ledger lines in between the staves, and this lettering replaces the clefs.

[0024] FIG. 7 displays a staff with five lines and the middle line is thicker than the other lines.

[0025] FIG. 8 displays a staff with 6 lines in which the middle line space has a grey background.

[0026] FIG. 9 displays two staves in which each staff has three lines and two line spaces and two additional positions right above and below the staves

[0027] FIG. 10 displays two staves in which each staff has four lines and three line spaces. The positions right above and below the staves are not allowed.

[0028] FIG. 11 displays a non-continuous grand staff with the positions of C3 and C5 indicated.

DEFINITIONS

[0029] N+M grand staff: a grand staff consisting of a bass staff with N lines and a treble staff with M lines. [0030] Bass staff: the bass staff in the grand staff, the staff typically utilized by the left hand. [0031] Black keys: A diatonic keyboard instrument is typically consisting of black and white keys in which the white keys correspond to the scale of C major and the black keys are the keys needed to make a chromatic scale. [0032] Combinations of staves: staves that are meant to be played simultaneously by one person. Thus even if orchestra partituras or four hand piano pieces may have two staves with same named notes that are to be played at the same time, they staves are meant to be played by different people. [0033] Diatonic staff: A staff in which each position is taken by a note in a diatonic scale, typically the C major scale. [0034] Distinguishable line: line distinguishable from other line(s) by weight, style (full, dashed, dotted, dash-dotted, double line, etc.) and/or color. [0035] Distinguishable line space: line space distinguishable from other line space(s) by color (for example, shaded) or spacing width; or line weight, style and color of lines defining the space. [0036] Helper line: additional line added to a staff to make same named notes appear on the same line or line space in at least two staves counting the lines in parallel fashion for both staves (down to up, or up to down, for both staves). [0037] Keyboard instrument: a musical instrument with a diatonic keyboard; mechanical or electronic. [0038] Line space: the space between two lines of the same staff. [0039] Musician: refers to the person using the music notation. Can be an instrumentalist or a vocalist and can be a student or a professional. [0040] Pitch indicator: A clef that is a symbol from the American Standard Pitch Notation or other notations that specify both the note name and the octave. Can be on the right hand side or the left hand side of a staff. [0041] Same position: Notes that have the same position in different staves in which the position, on, above or below a line or a ledger line, is counted top to bottom or bottom to top but in the same way for all staves. [0042] Same named note: a note that has the same name (A, B, G) without regard to which octave it is in (so C4 has the same name as C3 etc.). [0043] Staff space: the space between two staves. [0044] Standard piano grand staff: the standard diatonic grand staff consisting of two 5 line staves with a G clef on the second line of the treble staff and an F clef on the fourth line of the bass staff (counting from bottom to top). [0045] Treble staff: the treble staff in the grand staff, the staff typically utilized by the right hand

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0046] Certain embodiments of the present invention include, but are not limited to:

First Embodimentthe Diatonic Grand Staff Helper Line

[0047] In FIG. 2 is shown a helper line 201 drawn below the bass staff of the diatonic grand staff. This allows C5 and C3 to be placed between the 3.sup.rd and 4.sup.th lines, counting bottom to up, in the treble and bass staves and C2 and C4 both placed on single ledger lines. Thus rather than five difference C positions there are now only three.

[0048] A corresponding helper line 301 may also be drawn above the treble staff of the grand staff (FIG. 3), making C4 and C6 both appear on the first ledger line and, if one this time counts the lines from top to bottom, C5 and C3 both appear between the 3rd and 4.sup.th lines in the upper and lower staves. Thus rather than five difference C positions there are now only three.

[0049] The helper line(s) can be a distinguishable line.

Second Embodimentthe 6+6 Diatonic Grand Staff

[0050] The standard diatonic scale has seven notes on lines and line spaces. If a note is on a line, the same note in the next octave will be on a line space and vice versa. The best one can do on a system of continuous lines and spaces is to have two different placements of each note. This can be accomplished with the 6+6 diatonic grand staff.

[0051] The 6+6 grand staff, (see FIG. 4) adds a sixth line 401 at the bottom of the bass staff and a sixth line 402 at the top of the treble staff of the grand staff. This allows the C4 ledger line to be duplicated two octaves up (C6) and two octaves down (C2). The six lines plus the ledger line adds up to seven lines containing exactly two full scales (each of which has seven named notes). I have reduced the number of different positions for C from five to three, this time no matter whether the lines are counted from top to bottom or bottom to top.

[0052] Same named notes in the bass staff are in the same positions as in the treble staff of the new grand staffthere is no two-note shift as in the 5+5 grand staff.

[0053] The sixth lines do not have to be drawn the same as the other lines, they can be distinguishable lines to accommodate musicians changing from the 5+5 grand staff to the 6+6 grand staff or vice versa, allowing the sixth lines to be ignored or noticed as convenient.

Third Embodiment

[0054] In the continuous grand staff, whether a 5+5 or a 6+6 continuous grand staff, there is only need for one pitch indicator 501 (FIG. 5), not two (such as the two G and F clefs), since the relationship between the two staves is set by continuity. In fact, since the middle position is defined as C4 there is no need for clefs at all, the space between the two staves can function as a clefthe ornateness of the grand staff can be drastically reduced.

[0055] Not only could there be fewer pitch indicators (clefs), there could be more. For example, the pitch indicators could be the Cs (for example, just C4 or also C3 and C5 indicated by 502 and 503, respectively). The pitch indicators could also occur on both sides of the staffthe left AND the right side, to make the note reading close to the both sides of the staff a little easier (504, 505 and 506).

[0056] Pitch indicators that are standard pitch indicators makes it easy to discuss octaves. If a student is playing the A4 instead of the A3, one can easily tell him that if the pitch indicators are used instead of ornate clefs.

[0057] There could also be pitch indicators of the key of the music that is being played.

Fourth Embodiment

[0058] FIG. 6 shows that one can repeat the second embodiment structure up and/or down to create the opportunity to place more notes with a minimal number of ledger lines (the C2, C4 and C6 in between the staves being the exception) and have the same named notes on the same lines.

[0059] The placement of the pitch indicators of the third embodiment could be repeated.

[0060] If the notes require the repeated staff to be used but not the original staff, the original staff could have an octava line placed above it.

[0061] If there is space needed for writing (dynamics, etc.) and there is an empty piece of staff, a part of the staff could be partially erased.

Fifth Embodiment

[0062] As shown in FIG. 7, one can have distinguishable lines or distinguishable line spaces, to make it easier for the eye to identify the lines, spaces and notes within the staff. While a clef distinguishes the lines of a staff, it is confined to the left hand side and does not have the same visual reach as a distinguishable line or distinguishable line space. If the staff has an odd number of lines, the middle line can be a distinguishable line. If the staff has an even number of lines, the line space between the middle two lines can be a distinguishable line space. One does not have to make the middle line or line space distinguishable, another line or line space can be selected to distinguishable as well.

Sixth Embodiment

[0063] Thus far, C4 and C5 are on a (ledger) line and a line space, respectively. In order for both C4 and C5 to look the same, it is necessary to break up the sequence line-line space-line-line space etc, i.e. break the principle of continuity (which is often broken by the use of ledger lines anyway). Thus a set of three lines, two line spaces and two positions on top and below the bottom of the lines accommodates exactly 7 notes (the order can be, but does not have to be, D3, E3, F3, G3, A3, B3, and C4 in the bass staff and D4, E4, F4, G4, A4, B4, C5 in the treble staff) (FIG. 9). The repetition of a staff allows each octave to look the same. The same can also be accomplished with four lines and three line spaces (in which no notes are allowed above or below the lines and the notes could be, for example, E3, F3, G3, A3, B3, C4 and D4 in the bass staff and E4, F4, G4, A4, B4, C5 and D5 in the treble staff) (FIG. 10). The space between the staves could have a different back ground color and a different width from the line space width.

Seventh Embodiment

[0064] The number of lines in each staff can be flexible. When a beginner learns to read notes the lines in each staff can be displayed one at a time as the student becomes more advanced. The first lines to be displayed could be the bottom line in the treble staff and the top line in the bass staff or it could be the bottom line in the treble staff and the bottom line in the bass staff, etc. This is particularly useful when music is displayed by a computerthe computer can figure out just how many lines are needed for a particular music piece.

Eighth Embodiment

[0065] If we give up on the notion of the middle C, continuity and anti-parallel thinking altogether, then a convenient notation system is one in which no matter how many lines, an E is always on the first line. Rather than having a grand staff with F and G clefs we would have a grand staff with, for example, a C3 and a C5 pitch indicator (or two G or two F clefs for that matter in which it is understood that they denote two different octaves), see FIG. 11.

[0066] In broad embodiment, the present invention is a music notation system and method. While the foregoing written description of the invention enables one having ordinary skill to make and use what is considered presently to be the best mode thereof, those having ordinary skill will understand and appreciate the existence of variations, combinations, and equivalents of the specific embodiment, method, and examples herein. The invention should therefore not be limited by the above described embodiment, method, and examples, but by all embodiments and methods within the scope and spirit of the invention.

[0067] This music notation implement may be formed as a sheet music when the above-mentioned lines, line spaces, and pitch indicators are drawn on a sheet such as a piece of paper, or may be formed as a program that shows such musical score on a display of personal computer or have it printed out by a computer or the like. When printing out music, the embodiments presented in this disclosure can be computer programmed options to utilize for printing and displaying if the customer requests them and to demonstrate the new notation system to increase customer demand.

CONCLUSIONS, RAMIFICATIONS, SCOPE

[0068] According to one or more aspects, my article has one or more of the following advantages:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0069] The present invention is in the technical field of sheet music notation.

[0070] G10G 1/02. Chord or note indicators, fixed or adjustable, for keyboard of fingerboards G09B 15/00

[0071] Teaching Music

[0072] The present invention is in the technical field of music notation and charting. Music notation or charting is any system used to visually represent aurally perceived music through the use of written symbols. Particularly, the present invention is in the technical field of music notation or charting systems that combine enhanced functionality and greater readability for musicians who are not full-time professionals.