Appliance to be Fitted to Key-board Instruments to Facilitate the Reading, Writing, Learning, and Transposition of Music, and for use with other Musical Instruments with like objects.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd Nov., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 29th July, 1892-Accepted, 2nd Nov., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Appliance to be Fitted to Key-board Instruments to Facilitate the
Reading, Writing, Learning, and Transposition of Music, and
for use with other Musical Instruments with like objects.
JOSEPH GRAVE, York Cottage, Epsom, Company Manager, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention has reference partly to my method of staff-notation described in
Provisional Specification No. 13235, dated 5th August 1891; partly to the numeral
notation described therein; partly to the monosyllabic names of notes, do re, mi,
fa, sol, la, & si, whether applied to a Moveable Do notation with the staff or, as in
the Tonic Sol-Fa method, without the staff; & partly to the key-board instrument.
This invention indicates the tonic relations of staff-notes to each other; affords a
simultaneous representation of a musical sound in several notations, making the
different methods interchangeable as far as possible; and it facilitates the trans-
position of music both at sight & in writing.
Two strips of cardboard or other suitable material of sufficient length to embrace
several octaves on a key-board are placed one behind the other on edge at the back-
ends of the keys. Both strips are ruled off into 12 sections of uniform width per
octave, so that a section should come opposite each of the 12 keys of the octave.
On the front strip the seven sections corresponding to the diatonic scale are marked
with the numerals 1 to 7 & with do, re, &c. in regular sequence; they are also
perforated sufficiently to expose to view the seven corresponding signs of sound on
the staff printed on the back strip. The other five sections of each octave on the
front strip are left blank & serve to relegate into the background, as it were, the
five less important keys opposite them which are not to be struck until an accidental
appears in the text.
On the back strip every section exhibits a sign of sound upon the staff in the
following special order ;-C, C, D, D, E, F, F, G, G, A, A, B. Only seven of
these being seen at one time through the perforations in the front strip, adjustment
to any of the 15 keys or scales in which music is written, excepting only F & F
with I flat, is effected by a sliding movement of either strip, both strips being also
moved together so that No. 1 shall always be opposite the key-note in the text &
the key-note on the instrument.
To provide for the two excepted keys above a third strip is used in place of the
second; the signs of sound being put in the following special order;-C, C, D, D,
E, F, F, G, G, A, B,,B. This order permits adjustment to any key except Bb
& B with 5 sharps. In this manner the keys lacking on one strip are found on the
other.
Accidentals suitably placed indicate their nature & direction.
For a few notes right & left of the middle C I show in a similar manner the scale
in the bass clef.
When the front & back strips are adjusted in the foregoing manner, three
notations, the instrument & the text are seen in unison; the particular note to be
sounded is repeated, i.e. represented a second time low down & close to the key to be
struck. Its equivalent in other notations is seen at a glance; & tonic relations are
expressed by the juxtaposition of the numerals with the staff notes.
To transpose music at sight move the strips when set for the old key so that
No. 1 shall come opposite the new key-note.
To transpose music in writing from one key or notation to another, place all three

page_text: strips flat on the text so that the old key-note; No. 1 & the new key-note are
brought into line with each other.
To transpose at sight in numeral notation place No. 1 opposite to the desired key-
note on the keyboard & play according to numerals only. Similarly with a
do, re, mi notation.
For the practice of major scales the adjusted strips will be sufficient without any
music-book.
For the practice of minor scales the strip for the relative major scale should be
used, beginning & ending at 6, departing from the latter scale according to the form
of minor selected.
In lieu of strips I can use a sliding & revolving cylinder, exposing only the required
notes; the cylinder case being fitted with arms or pointers marked with the
numerals & do, re mi &c.; or any other suitable arrangement.
I wish it to be understood that any other method of performing my invention or
any part thereof may be adopted by varying the details, so long as the nature or
distinctive character of my invention or any part thereof be retained; also that the
printing or representation on paper or other material of these combined notations
may be effected by the processes ordinarily employed such as lithographing, type-
printing, manuscript writing, or in any convenient manner; & that I believe music so
printed or represented may be read written, learnt & transposed with greater facility
than if printed or represented in the ordinary manner.
Further I wish it to be understood that I apply this invention to ordinary musical
notation in combination with other notations.
Dated this 2nd day of November 1891
JOSEPH GRAVE.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Appliance to be Fitted to Key-board. Instruments to Facilitate the
Reading, Writing, Learning, and Transposition of Music, and
for use with other Musical Instruments with like objects.
I, JOSEPH GRAVE, of York Cottage, Epsom, Company Manager do hereby
declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement :-
My invention has reference partly to my method of staff-notation described: in
Specification No. 13235 & dated 5th August 1891; partly to the numeral notation
also described therein; & partly to the monosyllabic names of notes do, re, mi, fa,
sol, la, si, whether applied to a Moveable Do notation with the staff or, as in the
Tonic Sol-Fa method, without the staff; partly to the ordinary notation; & partly
to key-board instruments.
Two strips of cardboard or other material of sufficient length to embrace several
octaves on a key-board instrument are placed one behind the other on
edge at the
back end of the keys. The front strip, of which the central part is shown in Fig. 1
Sheet 1 of the accompanying drawings, is ruled off into 12 sections of uniform width
per octave, in order that a section may come precisely opposite each of the 12 keys
of the octave.
The seven sections corresponding to the diatonic scale are marked with the
numerals 1 to 7 & with do, re, mi, fa, sol, la, & si in regular sequence; they are also
perforated sufficiently to expose to view the seven corresponding notes on the staff
printed on the back strip. The other five sections of each octave on the front strip
are left blank & serve to relegate, as it were, into the background the five less
important keys opposite them which are not to be struck until an accidental appears
in the text.
On the back strip, of which the central portion is shown in Fig. 2; Sheet 1, is
་

page_text: represented in the ordinary manner. I wish it to be further understood that I apply
this invention to ordinary musical notation in combination with other notations than
those herein stated.
Having now particularly described & ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion & in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is ;-
An appliance to be fitted to key-board instruments to facilitate the reading,
writing, learning & transposition of music, & for use with other musical instruments
with like objects, substantially as set forth in the accompanying description &
illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
J. GRAVE.