Improved Means for Use in Teaching Music by Demonstration.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 14th Mar., 1893
Complete Specification Left. 14th Dec.. 1893-Accepted, 10th Mar., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Means for Use in Teaching Music by Demonstration.
I, WILLIAM DOBSON, of 45, Gladstone Road, Birmingham, Warwickshire,
Superintendent of Singing to the Birmingham School Board, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:
-
This invention consists of the herein described improved means for use in teaching
music by demonstration without the use of a black board and this invention
comprises firstly a sol-fa key to the staff by means of which in any key the true
position of any notes in either scale can be seen at a glance; and this invention
comprises secondly a combination of a time line with movable cards or the like on
which are printed the time signature and groups of notes and rests.
In carrying out the first part of my invention which is illustrated by the
accompanying drawing, I provide two discs marked respectively and one
of which namely the smaller disc i is free to be revolved about its centre j which is
also the centre of the larger disc h. Each of these discs is divided into twelve
equal parts seven of those in the larger disc being respectively marked as shewn
with the characters C. D. EF. G. A. B shewing the absolute or fixed pitch of
sounds and corresponding with the staff, and seven of the divisions in the other disc
с
d
are respectively marked as shewn with the characters d. r. m f. s. 1. t to correspond
with the sol-fa or movable scale. The key note division d in the movable scale is
so marked. By turning the disc i until the key note d thereon comes opposite to
the note in the outer disc which is to be the key note in the staff the true
position of the other notes in either scale is seen at a glance and can be found on
the staff.
Figure 1 shews the movable scale set to the key of C in the staff and
Figure 2 shews the same set to the key of E in the staff.
By means of detachable notes (which I provide) both sharps and flats any sol-fa
note that requires altering on either disc can be so altered instantly and the
corresponding places shown on the staff. These detachable notes are printed or
otherwise marked on small pieces of cardboard or metal or other substance
which can be fixed to the blank divisions where required by hooks pins or by other
means.
Instead of the sol-fa characters being on the movable disc and the fixed or staff
characters on the fixed disc this arrangement may be reversed, that is to say, I may
have the fixed or staff characters on the movable disc and the sol-fa characters on
the fixed disc.
In carrying out the second part of my invention I provide a strip of metal or
other suitable substance which is the time line and which is fixed to a small sheet
of stiff cardboard or other suitable substance so as to leave a space between the
metal bar and the cardboard. Printed or otherwise marked on this cardboard at
one end of the strip there are the five lines of the staff, of which the said time line
is the centre line. There may be one two or more vertical bars so as to divide the time
line into two or more bars. I provide movable cards on which are printed the time
signature and groups of notes and rests and one or more of these cards can be held
in place by being placed behind the time bar that is between the time bar and the
card or board. A projecting ledge or other means on the card or board ensures the

page_text: movable cards resting in their right positions. The cards can be instantly moved
about from one bar to another so as to shew fresh combinations.
Dated this 13th day of March 1893.
CHARLES BOSWORTH KETLEY,
Agent for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Means for Use in Teaching Music by Demonstration.
I, WILLIAM DOBSON, of 45 Gladstone Road, Birmingham, Warwickshire,
Superintendent of Singing to the Birmingham School Board, 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 consists of the herein described improved means for use in teaching
music by demonstration without the use of a black board and this invention
comprises firstly a sol-fa key to the staff by means of which in any key the true
position of any notes in either scale can be seen at a glance; and this invention
comprises secondly a combination of a time line with movable cards or the like on
which are printed the time signature and groups of notes and rests.
I will describe my invention by referring to the accompanying drawing on which
my invention is illustrated by Fig. 1 ;
Fig. 2 shews the first part of my invention separately illustrating how this part of
my invention is used ;
Fig. 3 is a vertical cross section on line X X of Fig. 1;
Fig. 4 shews how the second part of my invention is used and
Figs. 5 and 6 shew some of the movable cards which I employ with the time line
in accordance with the second part of my invention.
In carrying out the first part of my invention I provide two discs marked
respectively and i one of which namely the smaller disc i (which for distinctness
is shown black) is free to be revolved about its centre ; which is also the centre of
the larger disc h. Each of these discs is divided into twelve equal parts seven
of those in the larger disc h being respectively marked as shewn with the
C
characters C. D. E F. G. A. B shewing the absolute or fixed pitch of soundo and
corresponding with the staff, and seven of the divisions in the other disc are
d
respectively marked as shewn with the characters d. r. m f. s. 1. t to correspond with
the sol-fa or movable scale. The key note division d in the movable scale is so
marked. By turning the disc i until the key note d thereon comes opposite to the
note of the outer disc h which is to be the key note in the staff the true position of
the other notes in either scale is seen at a glance and can be found on the staff
which latter for convenience I have printed upon the same card as the disc h
as shewn in Fig. 1 but it is to be understood that the sol-fa key to the staff
(consisting of the discs and i as shewn) can be made separate from the staff
(which latter forms no part of my invention) and separate from the second part of
my invention hereinafter described.
Fig. 1 shews the movable scale set to the key of C in the staff by which it will
be seen that

page_text: By means of detachable notes both sharps and flats (which I provide) any sol-fa
note that requires altering on either disc can be so altered instantly and the
corresponding places shewn on the staff. These detachable notes (one of which is
shewn by Fig. 2*) are printed or otherwise marked on small pieces of cardboard or
metal or other substance which can be fixed to the blank divisions where required
as by drawing pins or by hooks or other means.
Instead of the sol-fa characters being on the movable disc i and the fixed or staff
characters on the fixed disc has shewn in Figs. 1 and 2 this arrangement may be
reversed, that is to say, I may have the fixed or staff characters on the movable
disc i and the sol-fa characters on the fixed disc h.
In carrying out the second part of my invention I provide a strip of metal
or other suitable substance (two of which strips are shewn in Figs. 1, 3 and 4 and
marked k) which is the time line and which is fixed as by rivets m to the sheet of
stiff cardboard or other suitable substance / so as to leave a space between the
metal bark and the cardboard as shewn in Fig. 3. There may be one two
or more vertical bars such as n¹ n² n³ n' so as to divide the time line into two or
more bars. I provide movable cards on which are printed the time signature and
groups of notes and rests such for instance as shewn by Figs. 5 and 6 of which the
card o shewn by Fig. 5 is the time signature and Fig. 6 shews cards
which are
various examples of time. One or more of these cards can as shewn by Fig. 4 be
held in place by being placed behind the time bark that is between the time bar k
and the card or board l. A projecting ledge q by preference formed of a strip of
metal of the section shewn by Figs. 1, 3 and 4 fixed on the card or board as by the
rivets r ensures the movable cards p resting in their right positions. I provide a
large number of these cards each being a different example of the same or of
different time thus forming a large number of time exercises. It will be seen that
the cards can be instantly moved about from one bar to another so as to shew fresh
combinations and that any cards can be used according to the particular time which
is required to be shewn.
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. As a means for teaching music by demonstration the herein described new or
improved sol-fa key to the staff consisting essentially of two discs such as h and i
mounted together concentrically each of the said discs being divided into twelve
equal parts one disc being marked to correspond with the absolute or fixed pitch of
sounds and the other disc being marked to correspond with the sol-fa or movable
scale so that by turning one of the discs and adjusting it to the other disc as set
forth the true position of any notes in either scale and in any key can be seen.
2. The herein described improved means for teaching time in music by demon-
stration consisting of the combination with a board or the like of a metal or other
horizontal strip such as forming a time line and removable cards adapted to fit
and be held behind the time line said cards bearing the time signatures and groups
of notes and rests so as to show various time exercises substantially as hereinbefore
described and illustrated by the accompanying drawing.

page_text: 3. The herein described improved means for teaching time in music by demon-
stration consisting of the combination with a board or the like of a metal or other
horizontal strip such as k forming a time line a ledge such as q below the time line
and removable cards adapted to fit and be held behind the time line and upon the
ledge said cards bearing the time signatures and groups of notes and rests so as to
show various time exercises substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated
by the accompanying drawing.
Dated this 13th day of December 1893.
CHARLES BOSWORTH KETLEY,
Agent for the Applicant.