IMPROVEMENTS IN MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS HAVING KEY BOARDS
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Colin Brown, of Glasgow, in the County of
Lanark, North Britain, Euing Lecturer on Music, for the Invention
of “IMPROVEMENTS IN MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS HAVING KEY BOARDS."
Sealed the 21st January 1876, and dated the 27th October 1875.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Colin Brown at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
27th October 1875.
I, COLIN BROWN, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North
Britain, Euing Lecturer on Music, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS HAVING
KEY BOARDS," to be as follows, that is to say :-
This Invention has for its object the playing of the musical scale in
any and every key in perfect intonation on instruments requiring key
or finger boards.
This object is effected by reconciling the mathematical and musical
proportions and relations of the scale or scales in all keys by means

page_text: of the new or improved key or finger board constituting this Invention,
as follows:-
In this new or improved key or finger board seven digitals only are
used to play each major key or scale, and these soven digitals are in one
line, every successive major key introducing two new digitals on a i
higher or a lower level than the preceding or succeeding key, so that
throughout the series of related keys there are various irregular but
symmetrical levels by which the different keys are distinguished..
It is a further peculiarity of this Invention that the digitals of the
series of related major scales or keys are so arranged and placed that no :
additional digitals, such as the ordinary black notes of a key board, are
required to play the chromatic tones or notes of these various scales,
with the following exception, viz., what is a further distinguishing
feature of the new or improved key board, that while the major scales
or keys are all played upon the seven digitals in each line of manuals,
the modern or ordinary minor scale is perfected by the introduction
of an upright or longitudinal digital placed between the fifth and sixth
digitals of each major key, by which the sharpened seventh and
sharpened sixth tones or notes of the minor scale are provided for and
played in perfect intonation.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Colin Brown in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 26th April 1876.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, COLIN
BROWN, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain, Euing
Lecturer on Music, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-seventh day of October, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five,
in the 39th year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said Colin Brown, Her special
license that I, the said Colin Brown, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said Colin Brown, my executors,

page_text: In the subsequent parts of this Specification the words "key" and
"keys" are employed as indicating pitch, and not as referring to the
finger pieces which are acted upon by the player in producing tones or
sounds from the instrument. The finger board is the system of finger
pieces, otherwise called digitals, by which performers play on instru-
ments having key boards or manuals, such as organs, pianos, and
harmoniums.
The digitals on the new or improved finger board constituting my
said Invention are arranged on the principle that any musical sound
at any fixed or absolute pitch (say on the key of C at the assumed pitch
of 256 vibrations in a second) forms an integral part of the musical
scale in four separate but immediately related keys. For example, in
the key of C this sound of 256 vibrations is the first sound of the scale
or the tonic. In the key of F, the same sound of 256 vibrations is the
fifth sound or the dominant. In the key of G the same sound of 256
vibrations is the fourth sound or the sub-dominant; and in the key
of B flat this same sound is the second sound or the supertonic. Thus
any one sound at the pitch of any given tonic or key note in the same
manner forms an integral part of the scale in four keys immediately
related to each other, namely, the first, second, fourth, and fifth sounds
in such scales respectively.
Further, a second sound at the absolute pitch of a major third above
any given tonic, say of the previous example of 256 vibrations, and in
that case vibrating 320 times in a second, or in the ratio to each other of
five to four, represents or forms an integral part of the scale in three
separate and immediately related keys. Thus, this second sound
becomes the third sound in the key of C or the mediant, the sixth
sound in the key of G or the submediant, and the seventh in the key
of For the leading note. The two digitals of the finger board, by which
the two sounds herein-before referred to by way of example are
produced, thus represent between them the seven sounds of the diatonic
scale 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, in different keys.
The digitals of the new or improved finger board constituting my said
Invention may be made of any convenient length. In the said Sheet of
Drawings an inch is allowed for the scale, in cach key of which the
digital is a portion. Thus, the digital representing one sound in four
keys is four inches long, and the digital representing one sound in three

page_text: keys is three inches long, and these two digitals everywhere taken
together in a line of seven inches produce the seven sounds of the scale
in the several related keys in the following order :—
Naal of front
different keys are or may be distinguished from each other by any colour
or colours or by any distinguishing mark or marks.
In the further description of my said Invention it is assumed that the
digitals of one set are coloured white, those of the other set being black
as indicated on Figure 1 of the Drawings.
Having provided a sufficient number of digitals of both colours, they
are laid side by side in the manner shewn at Figure 1, and in the order
of the musical scale 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and so on, each number coming
in its natural order, thus forming a finger board on which the musical
scales in various keys are found in due order, reading along the finger
board from left to right as in the Drawing, or vice versa if so read, and
the various keys are arranged side by side in parallel lines looking across
the key board from front to back or vice versa, such keys rising above
each other in their natural order or succession by intervals of one-5th or
falling below each other by intervals of one-4th of the musical scale.
The finger board when so constructed (and when the instrument has
been tuned throughout by intervals of perfect fifths in the ratio of 2 to
3 vibrations, and the different sets of digitals connected by perfect major
thirds in the ratio of 4 to 5 vibrations, say the coloured set connected to

page_text: the white set, and the separate digitals herein-after described, as
providing the leading note or major seventh in the minor scale con-
nected to the coloured set) presents the following results:-Looking
along the finger board in every key, the intervals of the major scale are
as follow, from the 1st to the 2nd, from the 4th to the 5th, and from the
6th to the 7th sounds, the intervals are large tones or steps in the ratio
of 8 to 9 vibrations. From the 2nd to the 3rd, and from the 5th to the
6th, the intervals are lesser tones or steps of 9 to 10 vibrations. From
the 3rd to the 4th, and from the 7th to the Sth, the intervals are small
tones (semi-tones) vibrating as 15 to 16 with each other, the series
being 8 to 9, 9 to 10, 15 to 16, 8 to 9, 9 to 10, 8 to 9, 15 to 16, the
relations of the scale in every key being the same, looking from left to
right along the finger board, from white to white digital, or from
coloured to coloured digital, as in the said Drawing Figure 1, the
interval is always 8 to 9, from white digital to coloured digital always
9 to 10, and from coloured digital to white digital always 15 to 16, the
scale in each key being read in direct line.
Looking from front to back across the finger board from the end of
every white digital, as in the Drawing, to the end of every coloured
digital next above in line, the interval is that of a chromatic semi-
tone or chroma, one vibrating with the other, as 128 to 135 times; and
from the end of every coloured digital to the end of every white digital
immediately above it in line the relation or difference is that of a
comma of 80 to 81 vibrations. Thus, looking across the finger board at
the digitals endwise from white to coloured the interval is always that
of a chroma, and from coloured to white always that of a comma,
chroma and comma, or comma and chroma alternately. It may further
be noted that on my finger board, the schisma of the scale being as 32,
805, to 32, 768 vibrations, or a difference of 37 will always be found
between every two scales at a distance of eight keys or removes
inclusive; thus, between E flat and D sharp in the key of E this interval
appears, and the same will be found in all other similar positions.
As a result of the arrangement above described the progression of the
fingering of the scale in all keys is the same, the 1st, 2nd, 4th, and 5th,
sounds of every scale being produced by the white digitals, and the 3rd,
6th and 7th sounds by the coloured digitals, as shewn in the appended
Drawing.

page_text: The instrument may be so constructed that either side of the new or
improved finger board can be turned towards the performer, so that the
different keys of the scale may proceed in a progression of musical 4ths
or 5ths from the front to the back of the key board. The digitals may
also all be placed on the same plane or level, or in an inclined or sloping
position, or as shewn under one arrangement at Figures 2 and 3 of the
Drawings; they may as a matter of convenience, and for the more easy
distinction of the keys, gradually rise above each other, thus giving
different levels to the finger board, at every comma and at every
chroma there being a rise of level (more or less) throughout as the keys
go backwards from the player.
It is a peculiarity of my said Invention that no separate digitals
similar to the five black digitals of the ordinary key or finger board are
required to produce the chromatic tones or sounds of the major scales.
The 7th tone or sound of the scale in each key is the acute or sharp
tone or sound in its own scale; and the 4th tone or sound of the scale
in each key is the grave or its flat tone or sound, and these are utilized
for the chromatic tones or sounds in the other scales or keys. For this
and other reasons the finger board, constructed as herein-before set forth,
is called the "natural finger board."
In every case it will be found that passing upwards (in the arrange-
ment of finger board herein-before described) from the white to the
coloured digital immediately above it, the interval is the chromatic sharp
tone or sound in every key, and vice versa, passing from the coloured to
the white digital immediately below it, the chromatic flat tone or sound
is found in the various keys.
While the chromatic tones or sounds of the major scales are thus
provided for a separate digital, either round or of any other form, is
introduced between the 5th and 6th digitals of each major scale, as
seen at x, Figure 1 of the Drawings hereunto appended, this separate
digital is tuned in the ratio of 15 to 16 vibrations to the 6th of the
major scale, or tone, or sound immediately above it, and in the ratio of
25 to 24 vibrations to the 5th of the major scale, or the tone or sound
immediately below it. The digital x so tuned gives the true leading
tone or sound or the major 7th to the tonic of the relative minor scale
of each key, and the similar digital belonging to the key or scale two
keys or removes off and lower (say, as from key C to key B flat), being

page_text: in the relation of 8 to 9 to the 7th above described, gives the true
sharpened 6th to the same relative minor scale; these two digitals thus
introduced completing and perfecting the modern or ordinary form of
the minor scale, say, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, sharp, 7 sharp, 8.
"
The finger board formed as herein-before described may be extended.
through any desired number of keys on an instrument tuned in the
manner described, and if coloured presents a marked symmetry through-
out; further, if not all on one level it presents a series of levels
regular in order, but irregular in the edges formed by the longer and
shorter digitals.
In the Drawing hereunto annexed the white and coloured digitals are
respectively 4 and 3 inches long, thus giving an inch for each key
represented by the digital, but in order to reduce as much as possible
the difference in the lengths of the digitals, and thereby produce the
greatest average breadth on each level, so that the keys may be brought
as much as possible within the compass of the hand of the player, the
longer digitals may be reduced in length, or the shorter ones increased,
and that in whole or part, as may be found convenient; or any digitals
may be lengthened in part of their breadth, so as to overlap those next
above or below; they may also be increased or diminished in breadth if
found necessary or wished, and colouring may be applied and varied in
any way to distinguish the different notes of the scale, or to distinguish
the different keys from each other.
The finger board constituting my said Invention may be extended to
any desired number of keys and to any number of octaves in such keys,
and be adapted to any instrument wherein one or more finger boards are
required.
For the purpose of producing musical sounds by the operation thereon
of the player, a reed, string, pipe, or other sounding medium, or several
of each if desired is or are provided in conjunction with cach digital of
the new or improved finger board, and the mechanism connecting the
digitals with the sounding medium may be similar to that in common
use, or modified to suit the requirements of each instrument.
Should in any circumstances the scales and keys of the instrument as
before described be read in reverse order to that represented on the said
Sheet of Drawings and Specification, say, the scales from right to left,

page_text: or the order of the keys from back to front, necessarily the reading of
the various relationships of some or all of the notes and keys to each
other used in this Specification will also require to be inverted.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my
said Invention, and the system, mode, or manner in or under which the
same is or may be used or practically carried into effect, I would observe
in conclusion that I do not limit the practical carrying out of my
Invention to the precise details which I have had occasion to describe
and refer to, as the same may be modified without departing from the
main or essential features thereof, but what I do consider to be novel
and original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by
the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is, the arrangement and
construction of finger board herein-before described and shewn on the
appended Sheet of Drawings (or any mere modification thereof), by
means of which the mathematical and musical proportions or relations
of the sounds of the harmonic series, and of the musical scale in all
keys, are adjusted, and by means of which arrangement or construction
the performer is enabled to play the musical scale in any and every key
with just or perfect intonation on organs, pianos, harmoniums, and all
other instruments requiring finger boards, substantially as hercin-before
set forth; or in other words, I claim the key or finger board which
provides for the production of the tones or sounds of the musical scale
in perfect intonation (looking along the keyboard) without requiring
the ordinary digitals for chromatic tones or sounds, and which produces
the series of musical keys in parallel lines (looking across the keyboard),
and separated from each other by differences of comma and chroma, or
chroma and comma in passing from key to key.
In witness whereof. I. the said Colin Brown, have hereunto set