Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 11th Sept., 1886.
Complete Left, 8th June, 1887.
Complete Accepted, 8th July, 1887.
I, ARCHIBALD GALBRAITH, of Dalton School House, Lockerbie, Dumfriesshire,
Schoolmaster, do hereby declare the nature of my invention to be as follows:-
My invention has reference to a new or improved musical notation, which comprises
both the ordinary notation and the Tonic Sol-Fa notation, and which will have the
great advantage, that all music printed or written in it may be played from, on the
instrument for which it is set, by any musical performer, and at the same time be
sung from by any young person or singer who understands the sol-fa notation, thus
giving such music the double advantage and value of being performed by persons who
understand either of these well-known notations.
My invention or improvements consist in a new or special simple construction of
printed and written signs for all the notes of the gamut, and certain changes connected
with the signs of the sharps and flats of the ordinary notation, and in the arrangement
of those new or altered signs for the notes and the changes of or connected with
them, which will all be so little altered from, and so essentially kept in accordance
with the ordinary system of musical notation, of the five lines or E, G, B, D, and F,
and of the four spaces F, A, C, and E, of the stave, that the music set and represented
in this new notation will be as easily read and performed from, as the ordinary
notation. While the signs of this new notation, which represent the corresponding
notes of or on the tonic sol-fa notation, are all so simple that any singer understanding
this will be able to read and sing any piece of music in the new notation in a very
short time, as the mind can almost intuitively comprehend and retain the simple forms
and equivalents of the sol-fa scale and notation.
In order that the nature and novelty of my said new or improved musical notation
may be properly understood, I have shown it in an octave scale of the gamut stave of
or corresponding to the ordinary notation, and the corresponding signs of the Tonic
sol-fa scale or notation, which are written below the notes to make the whole more
clear, giving an example of both the printed and written signs under this notation
on the accompanying Sheet of Drawings, reference being also had to the letters and
explanatory writing on the Sheet.

page_text: "
Referring to these Drawings, it will be seen that the key or tonic note "Doh" is
of circular form in my new notation, and exactly the same as in the old notation, as
seen on the left of Figure 1; the second note of the scale "Re" consists of two
joined lobs, as seen to the right of Figure 1; the third note "Me," three joined lobs,
as shown to the left of Figure 2; the fourth note "Fah," four joined lobs, as seen
to the right of Figure 2. Then for the fifth note "Soh," the notes are retained as in
the ordinary notation with the open and black circle, but having either a black score
or line across the open part, or a white score across the black note respectively, as
shown to the left of Figure 3. For the "Lah" and the "Te" the same signs or
notes are retained as for the ordinary notation, but with a white circle to the left of
the note for the former, as seen to the right of Figure 3, and a white circle to the
right for the latter, as seen to the left of Figure 4. While the eighth or octave note
Doh," as seen to the right of Figure 4, is a duplicate of the first note, seen to the
left in Figure 1; the signs or notes being all shown open for the semibrieve and
minum, and close or black for the crotchets and quavers. The third line in each of
these four Figures, illustrates a shorthand mode of forming the notes for this new
notation, as suitable for speed and facility in writing them. In this new notation the
player is guided as usual by the "signature" and the position of the notes on the
stave, while the singer is guided by the new form of the notes as stated. At Figure 5
on the Drawings is shown two lines of the tune of "Home sweet home" in this new
notation in the key of E in printed form, as an example to illustrate its application.
In this new notation the signs for the sharps, flats, and naturals shown at a Figure 6,
where used by both player and singer are the same as in the ordinary notation; but
when these signs are filled up in black in accordance with the new notation, as
indicated at 6 Figure 6, they are not to be observed by the singer, although necessary
for the player; and the dotted natural as seen at c Figure 6 is used to lower an
interval raised accidentally half a tone, to its original pitch; and the common or
unaltered natural as seen at d Figure 6 is used to raise an accidentally flattened
interval to its original pitch. The signs for the various "rests" are the same as in the
ordinary notation.
It will be seen from the foregoing description and from the Drawings that the
essential feature of the invention is to indicate the key relationship of the intervals in
any key, by the form of the note to the singer by this new notation.
Dated this 11th dan af Sandrina 1000

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Musical Notation.
I, ARCHIBALD GALBRAITH, of Dalton School House, Lockerbie, Dumfriesshire,
Schoolmaster, do hereby declare the nature of my invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement in writing, reference being had to the accompanying sheet of
Drawings and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say :-
My inventionh as reference to a new or improved musical notation, which comprises
both the ordinary notation and the Tonic Sol-Fa notation and which will have the
great advantage that all music printed or written in it may be played from, on the
instrument for which it is set, by any musical performer, and at the same time be
sung from by any person or singer who understands the sol-fa notation, or the ordinary
staff notation, thus giving such music the double advantage and value of being
performed by persons who understand either of these well-known notations.
My invention or improvements consist in a new or special simple construction of
printed and written signs for all the notes of the gamut, and certain changes connected
with the signs of the sharps and flats of the ordinary notation, and in the arrange-
ment of those new or altered signs for the notes and the changes of or connected
with them, which will all be so little altered from, and so essentially kept in accordance
with the ordinary system of musical notation,-of the five lines or E, G, B, D, and F,
and of the four spaces F, A, C, and E, of the stave,-that the music set and represented
in this new notation will be as easily read and performed from, as the ordinary notation.
While the signs of this new notation, which represent the corresponding notes of or
on the tonic-sol-fa notation, are all so simple that any singer understanding this will
be able to read and sing any piece of music in the new notation in a very short time,
as the mind can almost intuitively comprehend and retain the simple forms and
equivalents of the sol-fa scale and notation.
In order that the nature and novelty of my said new or improved musical notation
may be properly understood, I have shown it in an octave scale of the gamut stave of
or corresponding to the ordinary notation, and the corresponding signs of the Tonic
sol-fa scale or notation, which are written below the notes to make the whole more
clear, giving an example of both the printed and written signs under this notation on
the accompanying Sheet of Drawings, reference being also had to the letters and
explanatory writing on the Sheet.
Referring to these Drawings, it will be seen that the key or tonic note "Doh" is
of circular form in my new notation, and exactly the same as in the old notation,
being in this instance shown on the key of F, as seen on the left of Figure 1; the
second note of the scale "Re" consists of two joined lobes as seen to the right of
Figure 1; the third note "Mi" three joined lobes, as shown to the left of Figure 2;
the fourth note "Fah" four joined lobes, as seen to the right of Figure 2. Then for
the fifth note "Soh," the notes are retained as in the ordinary notation with the open,
and black, circle, but having either a black score or line across the open part, or a

page_text: دو
white score across the black note respectively, as shown to the left of Figure 3. For
the "Lah" and the "Te" the same signs or notes are retained as for the ordinary
notation, but with a white circle to the left of the note, for the former, as seen to the
right of Figure 3, and a white circle to the right for the latter, as seen to the left of
Figure 4; While the eighth or octave note "Doh," as seen to the right of Figure 4,
is a duplicate of the first note, seen to the left in Figure 1; the signs or notes being
all shown open for the semibreve and minum &c., and close or black for the crotchets
and quavers &c. The third line in each of these four Figures, illustrates a shorthand
mode of forming the notes for this new notation, as suitable for speed and facility in
writing them. In this new notation the player is guided as usual by the "signature
and the position of the notes on the stave, while the singer is guided by the new form
of the notes as stated. At Figure 5 on the Drawings is shown two lines of the tune
of "Home Sweet Home" in this new notation in the key of E in printed form, as an
example to illustrate its application. In this new notation the signs for the sharps,
flats, and naturals shown at a Figure 6, where used by both player and singer, are the
same as in the ordinary notation; but when these signs are filled up in black in
accordance with the new notation, as indicated at b, Figure 6, they are not to be
observed by the singer, although necessary for the player; and the dotted natural as
seen at c, Figure 6, is used to lower an interval raised accidentally half a tone, to its
original pitch; and the common or unaltered natural as seen at d, Figure 6, is used
to raise an accidentally flattened interval to its original pitch. The signs for the
various "rests are the same as in the ordinary notation.
"
It will be seen from the foregoing description and from the Drawings that the
essential feature of the invention is to indicate the key relationship of the intervals
in any key, by the form of the note to the singer by this new notation.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said Invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is :-
:-
First. The construction and use of a musical notation, comprising the combination
of the ordinary, and the Tonic Sol-Fa notation, substantially as, and for the purposes
herein described, and illustrated in the accompanying Drawings.
Second. In a system of musical notation, the construction and arrangement of
printed and written signs or notes, substantially as and for the purposes and advantages
herein described, in reference to and shown in the accompanying Drawings.
Dated this 8th day of June 1887