AN IMPROVED METHOD OR MEANS FOR FACILITATING THE TEACHING OF TNE PIANOFORTE AND SIMILAR KEYED INSTRUMENTS." PROVISIONAL SPFICATION
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Joseph Richard Atha, of Ackworth, Professor of
Music, and John Terry, of Normanton, both in the County of
York, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED METHOD OR MEANS FOR
FACILITATING THE TEACHING OF TNE PIANOFORTE AND SIMILAR KEYED
INSTRUMENTS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Joseph Richard Atha
and John Terry at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with their Petition, on the 16th November 1875.
"
We, JOSEPH RICHARD ATHA, of Ackworth, Professor of Music, and
JOHN TERRY, of Normanton, both in the County of York, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED METHOD OR
MEANS FOR FACILITATING THE TEACHING OF THE PIANOFORTE AND SIMILAR KEYED
INSTRUMENTS," to be as follows:-
Our Invention relates to improved means for facilitating the teaching
of the pianoforte, organ, or other keyboard musical instrument. And
it consists in the employment of a strip or a sheet, upon which a

page_text: .
number of fixed or representative keys called tones and semitones are
represented by any suitable means. Each of these keys is drawn to
correspond exactly to the size or scale of a pianoforte, organ, or other
keyed instrument, so that the distance from one key to another, or over
a group
of keys, shall be precisely the same as those of the pianoforte,
harmonium, or other instrument it is desired to learn. The keys may
be in any suitable number, from one to seven octaves. Upon all or
some of these keys their names are placed, and opposite thereto the
notes or characters in their proper staves by which they are represented
in music.
In using this Invention the strip is stretched flat upon a table or
similar support, and the representative keys are fingered in exactly the
same manner in playing a piano or other keyboard instrument.
The apparatus of this Invention are that the advantages of this
Invention are that the pianoforte or other keyboard instrument may
be learned without the use of such instrument, the fingers are
strengthened, and the touch equalized, while greater rapidity of exe-
cution may be attained in less time than hitherto.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Joseph Richard Atha and John Terry in the 2
Great Seal Patent Office on the 13th May 1876.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOSEPH
RICHARD ATHA, of Ackworth, Professor of Music, and JOHN TERRY, of
Normanton, both in the County of York, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her 2
Letters Patent, bearing date the Sixteenth day of November, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in the
thirty-ninth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto us, the said Joseph Richard Atha and
John Terry, Her special licence that we, the said Joseph Richard Atha
and John Terry, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as we, the said Joseph Richard Atha and John Terry, our
executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with,
and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during

page_text: exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "AN
IMPROVED METHOD OR MEANS FOR FACILITATING THE TEACHING OF THE PIANOFORTE
AND SIMILAR KEYED INSTRUMENTS," upon the condition (amongst others)
that we, the said Joseph Richard Atha and John Terry, our executors
or administrators, by an instrument in writing under our, or their, or
one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to
be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Scal Patent
Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the date
of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said Joseph Richard Atha and John
Terry, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement, reference being had to
the accompanying Sheet of Drawings, that is to say :-
Our Invention relates to improved means for facilitating the teaching
of the pianoforte, organ, or other keyboard musical instrument, and
consists in the employment of a strip or sheet of any suitable material,
on which are represented in any desired number, from one to seven
octaves, the fixed or representative keys called tones and semitones.
Each of these keys is made to correspond exactly to the size or scale of
a piano or other keyboard, so that the distance from one key to another,
or over a group of keys, shall be precisely the same as in the instrument
it is desired to learn. The keys are to be fingered in exactly the same
manner as when playing on the instrument itself. The names are
placed on all or some of the keys, and opposite thereto the notes in
their proper staves by which they are indicated in music.
The accompanying Drawing shows the Invention, which we term the
"desideratum," which may either consist of a sheet of calico to be
spread out flat upon a table, or it may be of paper mounted on a wood
backing and have raised keys, in which form it is preferably made in
sections jointed together, so as to fold up for the sake of portability.
Or said raised keys may be placed upon any suitable material.
The advantages possessed by our Invention are that by its aid a
proficient knowledge of the pianoforte or other keyboard instrument may

page_text: be quickly obtained without the assistance of an instrument, the fingers
of the weakest hands are also strengthened and the touch equalized in
much less time and with greater ease to the muscles of the hand and
wrist than when learning from an instrument, while great rapidity of
execution may be attained in less time than is required in the practice
of the instrument itself. It also saves considerable expense in the wear
while acquiring a knowledge of the instrument, as well as the monotony
of sound in practising the scales and exercises.
Having described the nature of our Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, we declare that what we claim as our Invention
to be protected by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,
the improved method or means of teaching the piano and other key-
board instruments consisting of a strip or sheet, on which the fixed or
representative keys are delincated or applied together with the notes as
they are indicated in music, substantially as shown and described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Joseph Richard Atha, for myself
and on behalf of the said John Terry, have hereunto set my
hand and scal, this Twelfth day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-six.