Improved Means for Teaching the Violin and like Instruments.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 17th June. 1896
Complete Specification Left, 1st Aug., 1896-Accepted, 12th Sept., 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Means for Teaching the Violin and like Instruments.
WILLIAM BAIRD 33 Oakshaw-head Paisley, Scotland, Teacher of the Violin,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
An invention of a simple, inexpensive nature to quickly, & accurately, assist the
efforts of countless thousands who learn the violin without the aid of a teacher, and
also, to lessen the labors of teachers as well.
It consists, simply, of a thin, easily, detachable finger board plate, with finger
holes in it for the training of the fingers to play the different scales; each finger
plate representing "one scale," of two, or three octaves, and after the pupil has
mastered the positions of the fingers on say scale G, the plate has served its
purpose, & can be discarded for another plate representing another scale, and so
on ad lib.; the plates being merely temporary; the plate itself will be a fac-similie
of the upper surface of the violin finger board about 8 in. long, of thin, white,
soundless material, and to slip between the strings, & finger board, the narrow end
of plate, (being as thin as silk paper on one side at narrow end)-running right
against the "nut" over which the strings go, the upper end, having on each side,
two, small flat, hook like projections for elastic bands to fix on to so as to go
underneath the violin finger board to clamp down the "finger-plate," the latter to
be white material probably "zylonite" so that the black finger boards of violins
will show through, conspicuously, the cut out holes of the white material I propose
using.
I have made (myself) a lot of experimental plates principally of metal, and were
it not for the sound created by most metals, possibly nickel silver, or aluminium
would suit very well, but a chemical composition would give no sound (that being
one of the points).
The exact nature has yet to be determined of the composition used, but
possibly zylonite, or some close alloy to it would suit, and will be used, but I
wish to be protected from infringement in any kind of metal or their compounds,
or chemical compounds, paper, glass india-rubber, wire, gauze, or any other
material likely to be omitted in this provisional protection.
The "principle" has to be applied to all stringed instruments of the violin kind,
including violin, viola violoncello, contra bass, guitars, banjos mandolines, etc.
15th day of June 1896.
WILLIAM BAIRD.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Means for Teaching the Violin and like Instruments.
I, WILLIAM BAIRD of 33 Oakshawhead, Paisley Scotland, Teacher of the
Violin, 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:-
This invention relates to improved means for teaching the violin and like
instruments and has for its object to quickly and accurately assist the efforts of

page_text: those learning without the aid of a teacher and also to lessen the labors of teachers
as well.
For this purpose I provide a thin detachable finger plate which is placed upon
the finger board and below the strings, the said plate being provided with finger
holes, or marks for training the fingers to form the correct notes. Each of these
plates represents one scale of two or three octaves, so that when the pupil has
mastered the positions of the fingers on one scale, the plate is discarded and another
substituted for another scale and so on.
But in order that ny said invention may be more readily understood and easily
carried into effect 1 will proceed to describe the same with reference to the
accompanying drawings in which
Figure 1 shews a violin having my seale plate attache:l.
Figure 2 the scale plate removed. And
Figure 3 a section of the finger board showing method of attaching the scale
plate.
In carrying out my invention I employ a thin sheet of metal, xylonite or other
material such as cardboard stiffened by chemical means A, shaped to fit the upper
surface of the violin finger board B and about say 8 inches long, the narrow or
bottom end of the plate being made as thin as possible so as not to interfere with
the strings in any manner.
The said plate A is provided with a series of depressions, slightly raised or flat
coloured marks a in the form of a scale, the said marks indicating the exact position
the fingers should be in to form the correct notes of that scale.
In practise I prefer to use a plate which is black in colour having the marks or
indications for the notes in white; the notes of the incomplete part of the scale
being in a different colour as shown in shaded lines in the drawings, as thereby
the plate is less conspicuous than if it were of a different colour to the finger
board.
Or I may use a finger plate of a white material having the marks or indications
cut right out whereby the colour of the finger board can be seen through the said
openings.
In operation the finger plate A is placed upon the finger board B below the
strings, with the narrow end butting against the nut b and held in position by
means of a small elastic hand C having loops c at each end which engage with
small book like projections e' formed upon the finger plate; the said band passing
below the finger board as shown more particularly in Figure 3.
In cases where the notes of a scale extend to nearly the bottom of the finger
plate on the right hand side and when the projections e might be apt to catch the
fingers I secure the band at that side in such a manner that it is flush with the plate,
either during the process of manufacture or afterwards, and secure it to the pro-
jections ou the other side by a loop as in the first instance, or by passing an endless
elastic band from one side to the other, thereby doing away with necessity for
catches at all. The said elastic band being embedded in the plate during
manufacture, or it may be by clasps, hooks or springs as desired.
I also provide the plate at its end with small holes a' at its bottom or narrow
end with small holes a' so that if the plate does not fit exactly, as might be the
case with a badly made violin it can be further secured by passing a cord through
the holes and tying it at the back.
Any material, metal or composition which will give no sound may be employed
in making the finger plates.
My invention is also applicable to all stringed instruments of the violin kind such
as the viola, violoncello, contra bass, guitar, banjo and the like.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. A detachable finger board plate having a scale thereon for use in assisting or

page_text: teaching pupils to learn the violin and like instruments, substantially as hereinbefore
described and shown in the accompanying drawings.
2. In means for teaching the violin and like instruments, providing the finger
board B with a detachable plate A having notes or indications a either cut out or
marked thereon in the form of a scale, and held in position on the finger board B
by means of an elastic band C having loops c engaging with projections c¹ formed
on the plate or attached in any other convenient manner substantially as and for
the purpose herein before described and shown in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 27th day of July 1896.
JOHNSONS,
115 St. Vincent Street, Glasgow, Applicant's Agents.