A New or Improved Musical Notation.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 26th Feb., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 24th Dec., 1891-Accepted, 13th Feb., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
A New or Improved Musical Notation.
I THOMAS HENRY HICKLEY of 161 Broadhurst Gardens, West Hampstead in
the County of Middlesex, Dealer in Dental Goods do hereby declare the nature
of this invention to be as follows:-
A new or improved musical notation consisting in a series of letter or type-
notes either printed, engraved, lithographed, stamped, embossed, written or
photographed, in any form of type & colour. In upright positions for naturals,
double-sharps, and double-flats, tilted or leaning right & left for sharps & flats,
with & without stems & dashes from the centres or sides of the notes to indicate
duration, & situated upon the usually adopted staves of lines & spaces, (Figure 1),
and upon extra or added lines & spaces termed in this system, Ex. or Ad. lines
& spaces" (abbreviated from extra or added lines & spaces) usually termed leger
lines &c. (Figure 2).
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Also new forms of clefs, to denote readily & clearly, the name of each particular
clef, & the line of the stave on which it is situated, & differing from each other
to save doubt, time & confusion (Figure 3).
Also new forms & positions of rests, approximating as nearly as possible to the
notes as to width, and to the form of the stems, & dashes or side strokes &c., for
easy remembrance, & with dots &c. when necessary (Figure 4). Also new names
as follow-Co or Ço, De or Day, Ec, Fa, Gol or Go, Ah, Be, Co or Co, in order
to associate them with the letters or type-notes, C, D, E, F, G, A, B, C, for easy
remembrance when learning or singing scales &c., instead of using the old names
of Do, Re, Mi, Fa, Sol, La, Si, Do (Fig. 5).
Also new signatures in type-notes to indicate the keys or modes, & corre-
sponding with the notes of the music to be performed, although not necessarily to
be remembered or thought of in distinction from other notes in a scale, composition,
&c., during the performance, as every type-note in this system shows, without
extra signs or marks, what is to be played or sung in the course of performance,
also names of the keys, & the chords placed, or situated, in the margin at
commencement of each piece of music, for facilitating the performance & assisting
the ear & memory, (Figure 6, specimen of new system).
I include in my invention the fore-named system of type-notes &c., used in
combination with any old or new marks or signs for signatures & accidentals, &
with old notation clefs & marks of expression &c.
Dated this 26th day of February 1891.
THOMAS HENRY HICKLEY.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
A New or Improved Musical Notation.
I THOMAS HENRY HICKLEY of No. 161 Broadhurst Gardens, West
Hampstead, in the County of Middlesex, Dealer in Dental Goods 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 :-
Reference is made to the drawings filed with the Provisional Specification.
My invention is a new or improved musical notation consisting in a series of
letter or type-notes, either printed, lithographed, stamped, embossed, written, or
photographed, in any form of type and colour, and in upright, or horizontal

page_text: positions for naturals and double-sharps, and double-flats, and tilted or slanting
right & left for sharps and flats, with and without stems and dashes from the
centres or sides of the notes to indicate duration, and situated upon the
usually adopted staves of lines & spaces (Figure 1.), and upon extra or added
lines & spaces termed in this system or notation, Ex. or Ad. lines and spaces
(abbreviated from extra or added lines & spaces) usually termed leger lines and
spaces, (Figure 2). Also new forms of clefs to denote readily, and clearly, the
name of each particular clef, and the line of the stave on which it is situated, and
differing from each other to save doubt, time, and confusion (Figure 3). Also
new forms and positions of rests, approximating as nearly as possible to the notes
as to width, and to the forms of the stems & dashes or side strokes, for easy
remembrance, and used with dots &c. when necessary (Figure 4).
Also new
names of notes as follow Co or Co, De or Day, Ee, Fa, Gol or Go, Ah, Be or Bé,
Co or Ço, in order to associate them with the letter or type-notes C, D, E, F, G,
A, B, C, for easy remembrance &c., when learning or singing scales &c., instead of
using the usually adopted names of Do, Re, Mi, Fa, Sol, La, Si, Do, (Figure 5).
Also new signatures in type-notes to indicate the keys or modes, and corresponding
with the notes of the music to be performed although not really necessary, nor to
be thought of in distinction from other notes in a scale, composition, &c. during the
performance, as every type-note in this system or notation shows, without extra
signs what is to be played or sung in the course of performance. Also the keys &
chords placed in the margin at commencement of each piece of music when
necessary, for preparing the ear & memory ready for the music to be performed
(Figure 6, specimen of new or improved notation music) I include in my invention
the forenamed system of type-notes &c. used also in combination with any old or
new marks or signs for notes, signatures, accidentals, clefs, & marks of
expression, &c. &c.
Having now particularly described & ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, 1 declare that what I
claim is :-
First. The use of a musical notation comprising notes formed of wide &
narrow letters with and without stems & dashes or side strokes, in upright, or
horizontal, or slanting positions, indicating naturals, sharps, flats, double-sharps,
and double-flats, and situated on and above and below the usually adopted staff-
notation staves of lines and spaces.
Second. The use of rests formed so as to correspond with the stems &c. of the
notes above described and in positions hanging from or resting upon the lines of
the staves.
Third. The use of new clefs formed of letters and signs turned right or left so
as to indicate the letter-notes and the names of the staff lines on which they are
situated.
Fourth. The use of new names as follow Co or Ço, De or Day, Ee, Fa, Gol or
Go, Ah, Be or Bé Co or Ço for singing exercises and corresponding with the
letter-notes.
Fifth. The use of the forenamed notes &c. in combination with staff-notation or
other notation notes, rests, clefs, &c., are included in my claim and invention.
Dated this 24th day of December 1891.
THOMAS HENRY HICKLEY.