Method for learning music scale theory

Abstract

A method for learning music scale theory includes utilizing a music theory-based card game. A plurality of cards forms a deck, each card representing a predetermined music note according to a 7-note system. One or more players are dealt cards to make a hand. Players draw cards from a draw deck or a discard pile, and discard cards to the discard pile, until a player creates a sequence of cards in the player's hand that corresponds to a complete musical scale or mode.

Claims

1. A method for learning music scale theory, comprising the steps of: providing a plurality of cards forming a deck, each card representing a predetermined music note according a 7-note system, wherein the deck of cards comprises at least one set of cards required to reach a unique scale sequence that completes a theoretically correct music scale or mode; dealing to at least one player a plurality of cards from the deck to make a hand; using undealt cards from the deck to create a draw deck; creating a discard pile of at least one card; drawing a card from either the draw deck or the discard pile; discarding a card from the hand to the discard pile; and repeating the drawing and discarding steps until a player creates a sequence of cards in the player's hand of cards that corresponds to a complete musical scale or mode.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the deck of cards includes a card for each sharp and flat of the seven notes, or interval, based on all possible scale degrees.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the player is limited to using each card in the hand only once to reach the scale or mode sequence.

4. The method of claim 1, including the step of removing interval cards from the deck.

5. The method of claim 1, including the step of providing an instructor to assist the player in determining a completed scale or mode sequence of cards.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the scale sequence is a major or minor scale, according to the Circle of 5ths.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the scale sequence is a mode of the diatonic scale.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the player's hand is seven cards.

9. The method of claim 1, including the step of shuffling the deck of cards before the dealing step or shuffling the discard pile when the draw deck is depleted to create a new draw deck.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one player comprises multiple players who play in rotating sequence, and during each player's turn the player can either take a card from the top of the draw deck or the discard pile.

11. A method for learning music scale theory, comprising the steps of: providing a plurality of cards forming a deck, each card representing a predetermined music note according a 7-note system, wherein the deck of cards comprises a card for each sharp and flat of the seven notes, or interval, based on all possible scale degrees required to reach a unique scale sequence that completes a theoretically correct music scale or mode; dealing to each of a plurality of players seven cards from the deck to make a hand; using undealt cards from the deck to create a draw deck; creating a discard pile of at least one card; each player, in sequence, either drawing a card from the draw deck or the discard pile and discarding a card from the player's hand to the discard pile until a player creates a sequence of seven cards in the player's hand that corresponds to a complete musical scale or mode.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the player is limited to using each card in the hand only once to reach the scale or mode sequence.

13. The method of claim 11, including the step of removing interval cards from the deck.

14. The method of claim 11, including the step of providing an instructor to assist the player in determining a completed scale or mode sequence of cards.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the scale sequence is a major or minor scale, according to the Circle of 5ths.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the scale sequence is a mode of the diatonic scale.

17. The method of claim 11, including the step of shuffling the deck of cards before the dealing step or shuffling the discard pile when the draw deck is depleted to create a new draw deck.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The accompanying drawings illustrate the invention. In such drawings:

(2) FIG. 1 shows a flow chart of the game and method of the present invention;

(3) FIG. 2 shows an exemplary card deck of the invention; and

(4) FIG. 3A and FIG. 3B shows an exemplary deck of cards embodying the invention, illustrating cards A flat through G Sharp, and all the intervals involved in making the music scales.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

(5) While the invention is susceptible to various modifications and alternate forms, a specific embodiment thereof has been shown by way of example and the drawings and will herein be described in detail. It should be understood, however, that there is no intent to limit the invention to the particular form disclosed, but on the contrary, the invention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

(6) The game of the present invention can be played one of several different ways depending on the ages and the skills of the players. Any of the levels, however, can be played with any number of players. If more players are added, then it would be appropriate to increase the size of the deck as described below.

(7) At all levels of the game, the object of the game is to combine cards from the deck to achieve a sequence which comprises and completes a valid music scale. In a preferred embodiment, the object is to use the face values of the cards dealt to make a major or minor music scale according to the theoretical music concept known as the “Circle of 5ths”. Another embodiment would be to create a sequence known in music theory as a “mode” of a diatonic scale. Any sequence of cards equaling one of these values (a valid major or minor scale, or mode of a diatonic scale) would be appropriate and would determine the player the winner of the game.

(8) At the beginning of the game, each player is dealt a plurality of cards, typically seven, which constitute his or her hand. The rest of the deck comprises a draw deck and is placed in front of one or more players with one card turned face up to form a discard pile. During the player's turn, he or she may choose to take the face up card, or draw a card from the top of the deck. After the player has decided whether to keep the newly drawn card, he or she will discard one card to keep their hand at seven cards.

(9) In all embodiments of the game, the note cards will reflect their exact value (i.e. a C Sharp is a C sharp). In the preferred embodiment of the game, the interval cards will be in relation to the first card of the scale, known as the Root note, or Tonic. For example, the Perfect 5th interval card would represent the scale note that is the 5th note in sequence in the scale the player is attempting to complete. For example, the Perfect 5th above C Sharp is G Sharp, so if a player were trying to complete a C Sharp scale, the Perfect 5th card would be played as a substitute for G Sharp. There are two interval cards (Whole Notes and Half Notes), which can be played to represent any position in the music scale, according to their theoretically correct scale formula.

(10) In the Major and Minor embodiment of the game, several cards in the game become unusable to game play, as they represent intervals that are not present in either Major or Minor scales.

(11) In a more advanced embodiment of the game, players will form scale sequences, known in music theory as “modes,” which are scales based on ascending degrees of the diatonic scale. In this embodiment, the remainder of the interval cards will be added to the deck in order to make forming those scale sequences possible. In the preferred embodiment of this level of game play, the interval cards would still be in relation to the Root note, or Tonic, as described previously.

(12) In the most advanced embodiment of the game, the interval cards may be played in relation to any of the cards the player holds in their hand. For example, if a player held a Perfect 5th card, it could represent a Perfect 5th above or below any of the other cards in the music scale sequence. For example, a Perfect 5th above D Sharp is A Sharp, so if a player were trying to complete a C Sharp scale, they may play the Perfect 5th card as a substitution for A Sharp, claiming it represents a Perfect 5th above the 2 nd scale degree, which is D Sharp.

(13) In any embodiment of the game, a person may serve as an instructor, in order to help the players place the card in the correct sequence in order to form an appropriate music scale.

(14) Cards used to play the game are illustrated in FIG. 3. A typical “group” of cards is a sequential deck, with all the notes of the 7-note music scale system, including naturals, sharps and flats of the -note system, and intervals. However, in different embodiments of the invention, decks with more or less cards could also be used. Other cards may be removed or added from each group of the deck in other embodiments.

(15) Cards should be shuffled face down at the beginning of play and should be dealt from the top of this active draw pile. As cards are used, discarded cards are placed face up in a discard pile. When the active draw card pile gets low, the discard pile is turned over, shuffled, and put back into play.

(16) The game can be ended when the first player completes the sequence of a theoretically correct major scale, minor scale, or mode.

(17) The invention therefore provides for a user directed note and interval sequencing experience in a card game, with provided instruction on possible scale combinations.

(18) Although several embodiments have been described in detail for purposes of illustration, various modifications may be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. Accordingly, the invention is not to be limited, except as by the appended claims.