Improvements in Musical Notation.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 4th Jan., 1897-Accepted, 12th June, 1897
Improvements in Musical Notation.
I, STEFAN VON HEINRICH, Engineer, of 1 Marxergasse Vienna, in the
Empire of Austria, 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 :-
The diatonic scale of our-music-system consists only of the tones c, d, e, f, g, a, b,
-and-the sharps or flats of these tones, which again give 5 tones, for instance the
sharp tone of c is identical with the flat tone of d, d sharp is identical with e flat,
f sharp is identical with g flat, g sharp is identical with a flat, and a sharp is
identical with b flat.
The musical octave possesses only the above mentioned 7 tones of the diatonic
scale since the eighth tone has the same name as the first, and is derived from the
same, and the 5 above mentioned sharps or flats, which thus make 12 tones all
together, 7 tones of the diatonic scale with their sharps or flats in their different
octaves are all the expressions used in the present writing of music.
Note writing to represent the tones, uses besides other means especially note
head-signs of round or oval form, the full or annular form of which indicate only
the duration of the tone; such as quaver, minim or semi-breve.
The tone itself is indicated by the position of the note head and the definition
requires for the musician combination and transposition, for not only the position
of the note-head on or between the lines or leger lines, determines the same, but
also the prescribed clefs such as the violin, bass, tenor, alto, or soprano clefs, and
the prescribed signs, sharps, flats, or naturals.
The piano player has to play with the right hand in the violin or G clef and
with the left hand in the bass or F clef, it is evident, that this transposition offers
extraordinary difficulties to the beginner, since for 7 tones equally named in all
octaves and their sharps and flats there result many thousands of signs, which can
only be understood by combination and transposition.
If the note heads are represented for each tone of the diatonic-saale in different
forms, the same form will be used for any tone of the same name in all its octaves
and we will have 7 different note-head-forms. Each tone sign for c in any octave
may have the form shown in Fig. 4.
Each note for d in any octave may have the form as in Fig. 5. Each note for e
in any octave may have the form as in Fig. 6, for f in any octave as in Fig. 7;
for g in any octave as in Fig. 8; for a in any octave as in Fig. 9, and for b in any
octave Fig. 10.
We see here 7 differently formed note-heads, which represent quavers, minims,
and semibreves and each note figure indicates already for itself alone a determined
tone of the diatonic scale, we need not know with these signs, whether this note is
standing in the line or leger line system or which clef is prescribed.
These note figures can be represented in black colour or when the note heads
are to be represented also polychromatically, each note-head form receives its own
colour, in this case each tone of the diatonic scale is represented to the beginner
in the clearest manner not only by its different form but also by its different
colour.
As in hitherto used note writing nothing is changed except the introduction of
7 different note head forms instead of the hitherto used similar note head form,

page_text: and other ingenious and clear signs and the whole line system remain in their
hitherto used form, it is evident, that perfection is obtained with regard to the
clearness of the definition of the sounds, which leaves nothing to be desired.
It is easily obtainable that these 7 different note head signs can also indicate, if
the tone is to be played sharp or flat, if we make for the sharps a line border, on
the top of the note head, and for the flats a line border on the under part of the
note head.
Therefore e sharp will be as in Fig. 11; d sharp will be as in Fig. 12; f sharp
is as in Fig. 13; g sharp is as in Fig. 14; a sharp is as in Fig. 15 and
It is easily obtainable that these
different note head signs can also indicate, if
the tone is to be played sharp or flat, if we make for the sharps a line border, on
the top of the note head, and for the flats a line border on the under part of the
note head.
Therefore e sharp will be as in Fig. 11; d sharp will be as in Fig. 12; f sharp
is as in Fig. 13; g sharp is as in Fig. 14; a sharp is as in Fig. 15 and
à nat is shown in Fig. 10.
e flat
g flat
a flat
h Aat
17.
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18.
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19.
20
The following examples may serve for explaining its application, usefulness, and
simplicity.
Fig. 1. Identical tones, which are in the purest consonance for instance d. in
four octaves as represented in different note. figures; with the old note head forms
on the left and the new on the right all these tones are clearly explained: with an
uniform note head sign only used for the sound d.
Fig. 2. The same tone is represented in hitherto used note writing with
different figures as shown by the note figure for o in the violin, alto, and bass
clefs with the new.note head form. we receive for the tone.c at once a uniform
figure, which remains the same for any clef.
:
Fig. 3 shows the old and the new representation of note figures, which are in
the different clefs, and in the new representation the advantage of the equal form
of note heads for equally named tones is clearly shown.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inveb-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is;
i
An improved note writing, in which the differently named tones are represented
by correspondingly differently formed note heads, whereby the sharps are provided
with a border-line provided on the top of the note head and the flats with a border
line provided at the under part of the note-head.
of Danamber 1806
The following examples may serve for explaining its application, usefulness, and
simplicity.
=
Fig. 1. Identical tones, which are in the purest consonance for instance d. in
four octaves as represented in different note. figures; with the old note head forms
on the left and the new on the right all these tones, are clearly explained: with an
uniform note head sign only used for the sound d.
Fig. 2. The same tone is represented in hitherto used note writing with
different figures as shown by the note figure for o in the violin, alto, and bass
clefs with the new.note head form. we receive for the tone.c at once a uniform
figure, which remains the same for any clef.
:
;
Fig. 3 shows the old and the new representation of note figures, which are in
the different clefs, and in the new representation the advantage of the equal form
of note heads for equally named tones is clearly shown.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inveb-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is ;
i
An improved note writing, in which the differently named tones are represented
by correspondingly differently formed note heads, whereby the sharps are provided
with a border-line provided on the top of the note head and the flats with a border
line provided at the under part of the note-head.
ind thinlik dor of December 1906
HERBERT HADDAN & Co.,
18 Buckingham Street, Strand, London, W.C., Agents to Applicant.
IIN