AN IMPROVED SYSTEM AND IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR THE DEMONSTRATION AND TEACHING OF MUSIC
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Edward Gedge, of No. 11, Wellington Street,
Strand, London, in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, for the Invention
of "AN IMPROVED SYSTEM AND IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR THE DEMONSTRATION
AND TEACHING OF MUSIC." A communication from abroad by Madamoiselle
Marie Augustine Chassevant, of 34, Faubourg St. Martin, Paris, France.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Edward Gedge at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 30th July 1879.
WILLIAM EDWARD GEDGE, of No 11, Wellington Street, Strand, London, in the
County of Middlesex, Patent Agent. AN IMPROVED SYSTEM AND: IMPROVED
APPARATUS FOR THE DEMONSTRATION AND TEACHING OF MUSIC." A commiuni-
cation from abroad by Madamoiselle Marie Augustine Chassevant, of 34, Faubourg,
St. Martin, Paris, France.
The difficulties encountered in the demonstration or teaching of music are based
on the one hand upon the multiplicity of the signs, and on the other upon the
method hitherto used of classifying them, or at least of engraving them on the
memory.
This method has the defect of not striking the imagination and of being very
dry to the beginner; the result is that the scholar must be as it were already a
musician in order to gain a thorough knowledge of the preliminaries of this
science, for it, is only when the student begins to comprehend and to execute or
play that a taste for the study arises and the application to learn it.
The object of this Invention is to supply this want for musical instruction by a
novel means of presenting all the signs composing the study of music from which.
is formed a method permitting the retention in the memory of their use, and,
value.
This means offers two advantages; the first results from the idea of mobilising
or rendering moveable all the musical signs.
The second, of forming them into a game, which presented as an amusement
would give to the child all the zeal for instruction which it gives to-pleasure.
The first part of the game is thus composed:
A-box of any kind contains cards upon which are drawn only the stave for

page_text: to represent the effective sonorousness of each instrument, and that of the voices in
choral and instrumental concert.
It is made like that above described, that is to say, it is composed of a strip of
card-board cut out and pasted upon linen, so that it may be folded like the first.
The keyboard of the piano is drawn at the base, then the musical stave and the
corresponding notes above indicated. Small squares variously colored, or. tinted
and bearing the name of each instrument indicate by the position which they
occupy upon the stave the points where their effective intonation begins and ends.
__ On each side of the tableau the instruments are drawn of their material form
the same coventional color being given to them as to the squares, which represent
them.
All these moveable signs including the musical notes, these squares may also be
noveable and arranged so as to be placed by the scholar.
By unfolding this keyboard the place is shown which each instrument occupies
in the orchestra, and that of the human voices in the scale' of intonation,
By refolding it the study may be limited to certain of them,
:
.1"

page_text: To facilitate this mode of learning and to permit several scholars to collectively
follow the lessons, there is arranged a table and a desk, a board, or any surface
around or upon which are drawn the lines of the musical stave; several scholars
may therefore find room near with every facility to work rapidly, and put into its
place the musical sign indicated by the master.
The scholar has in his possession a real musical composing apparatus or com-
positor, which permits him to execute all the rhythmical combinations.
This table and this desk are shown, Figs. 1 and 2 of the accompanying Sheet of
Drawing.
The object of the second part of this Invention is,―
1°. A keyboard typical of the piano.
2°. A keyboard typical of the piano; of the orchestra, and of voices.
1°. THE PIANO KEYBOARD.
The object of this novel mode of teaching being to strike the imagination by
material things, the keyboard typical of or resembling that of a piano is adopted in
order that the child may be made to understand the exact relation of the written
note with that which the child touches, avoid the faults of the octave, and limit the
keyboard to the part which it is desired should be studied, thus giving a more
perfect idea of the instrument in progressing by parts.
The eye of the child, which may easily stray over the seven octaves of the key-
board, is more easily fixed by successively limiting the study to two or three
octaves.
This keyboard is a tableau composed of a sheet of card board cut out with as
many staves as there are octaves and pasted upon a piece of linen, which permits
each of these staves to be folded the one on the other.
The Figure 3 of the Drawing shows this arrangement.
The keys of the piano are drawn, and their intonation drawn above upon the
gamut.
By folding over these various staves in a certain way the study may be limited
to those which are left uncovered. The movable signs may also be applied
thereon.
2°. THE KEYBOARD OF THE PIANO, ORCHESTRA, AND VOICES.
Following the same order of idea this kind of keyboard has been made in order
to represent the effective sonorousness of each instrument, and that of the voices in
choral and instrumental concert.
It is made like that above described, that is to say, it is composed of a strip of
cardboard cut out and pasted upon linen, so that it may be folded like the first.
The keyboard of the piano is drawn at the base, then the musical stave and the
corresponding notes above indicated. Small squares variously coloured or tinted
and bearing the name of each instrument indicate by the position which they
occupy upon the stave the points where their effective intonation begins and ends.
On each side of the tableau the instruments are drawn of their natural form, the
same conventional colour being given to them as to the squares which represent
them.
All these movable signs including the musical notes, these squares may also be
movable and arranged so as to be placed by the scholar.
By unfolding this keyboard the place is shown which cach instrument occupies
in the orchestra, and that of tho human voices in the scale of intonation.
By refolding it the study may be limited to certain of them.
Having now described and ascertained the nature of the said Invention com-
municated to me as aforesaid,-
I claim as secured to me by the hereinbefore in part recited Letters Patent.
The exclusive use of the improved means for the demonstration and teaching of
music, substantially as hereinbefore described by the aid of
1° Movable pieces, characters, or type, representing all the musical signs either
separately or in
groups.

page_text: 2º. Of signs also movable but variously coloured, indicating the incidental flats
and sharps, and so on.
3º Of a table or desk or analogous apparatus upon which the staves are drawn
to permit collective teaching.
4. Of a keyboard typical of the piano, which may be folded up to limit the
study to certain staves.
5°. Of a keyboard typical, of the piano, of the orchestra, and of the voices
indicating to the scholars, and even to the leader of the orchestra at a glance, the
degree of intonation occupied by each instrument, and by the human voices in the
musical scale.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Edward Gedge, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty eighth day of January, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and eighty..