Apparatus for the Visual Representation of Music in Colors.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 17.h Dec., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 12th Sept., 1895-Accepted, 2nd Nov., 1855
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Apparatus for the Visual Representation of Music in Colors.
I, JOSEPH GRAVE, of 102 Broomwood Road, London, S. W. do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows:--
Apparatus for the visual representation of music in colors either in combination
with a magic lantern or other appliance for use in a darkened space or by means of
natural light, gas or other artificial light.
The apparatus comprises a keyboard generally of the shape & arrangement of a
piano-forte keyboard and with a compass of one or more octaves. For use with
the magic lantern or kindred appliance for projecting a light on to a given space
or screen, I employ in front of the lantern slide an opaque plate of suitable material
perforated as may be required, but preferably in such a manner as to display the
grouping of keys usual on a keyboard instrument of music. Each perforation is
provided with an opaque self-closing shutter or other suitable appliance for
covering it & thereby concealing the light. Each shutter is connected by wire
(electrical or otherwise) or by other convenient means with its corresponding key
on the board. On the lantern slide I display colors as symbols of musical sounds,
a different color being given to each of the 12 notes comprised within an octave.
By & during the depression of one or more of the keys by the operator who may
be any piano-player with ordinary printed music-the corresponding shutters will
be opened, revealing the proper colored symbols for their prescribed duration, &
will close automatically on the removal of the pressure of his hand upon the keys.
I provide further a convenient attachment for the purpose of varying the intensity
of the lantern light as may be required to present an equivalent to the musical signs
of expresion, such as "pp.," "ff.," "dim.," "cres.," &c. "Rest" or silence between
sounds will be expressed by the absence of color and light.
In the apparatus for daylight &c. I use a frame placed at any convenient angle
& containing a screen for each note colored as to that part which represents sound
& black as to the remainder. The screens are connected with the keyboard which
will actuate any convenient means for causing the colors to appear & disappear.
This invention may be used either with its own key-board or as an attachment
to that of an instrument of music, or with any other suitable instrument.
The connections between the keyboard & the opaque plate or screens are made
partly detachable, & the plate or screens may be operated without the aid of a
keyboard in any convenient manner.
By multiplying the apparatus the successive notes of the various "
choral music can be displayed on their respective portions of the choir.
parts " of
I also employ this apparatus to exhibit various musical notations, and, by
modifications of form in color, harmonic relations. By varying the dimensions of
the colored portions I can likewise show the proportionate vibration-values &
sound-wave ratios.
For the purposes of instruction, practice & recreation I print the various scales
& other music in colors; also the various notes colored on separate blocks, plates,
sheets, flags or other convenient device, for subsequent arrangement in any desired
order. Such colored music will enable an operator to use the invention without
knowledge of musical notation. The "beat-values of durations are preferably
indicated in proportionate "lengths" of color (left to right), unless that notation be
employed which is covered by Patent No. 13235/1891.
"

page_text: Generally I consider that this invention will effect the visual representation of
music in an immense variety of combinations & durations of colors, not merely as a
source of recreation, but as an illustration of the successive phases of melody,
harmony, tonality & expression. The movement of color will clearly mark the
progression of the music, affording an educational facility, especially to music
classes, & assisting an audience to understand musical compositions.
The apparatus may be used as a silent member of an orchestra or as an extra
accompaniment.
I wish it to be understood that any other method of performing my invention
or any part thereof may be adopted by varying the details, so long as the nature or
distinctive character of my invention or any part thereof be retained; also that the
printing or representation of colors on paper or other material as symbols of
musical sounds may be effected by the processes ordinarily employed, such as
chromo-lithography, type or block printing, painting or in any convenient manner,
and that the said symbols may be used with or without musical notation.
Dated this Seventeenth day of December 1894.
JOSEPH GRAVE.
Apparatus for the Visual Representation of Music in Colors.
JOSEPH GRAVE, of 102 Broomwood Road, London, S.W. 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:-
According to this invention-which is chiefly intended for use
as a silent
accompaniment of vocal & instrumental music & as a means of optical demon-
stration to music students, classes & audiences-the musical properties or effects
of pitch, sound-interval, time, rhythm, rest, tonality, melody, harmony & expression
are converted or translated into color and form for the visual representation of
music.
Colored light is projected by means of one or more magic lanterns or other
suitable appliance on to a sereen or other suitable body or surface in such a manner
as to give (1) a pictorial representation of the relative pitch of the notes of the
chromatic scale by definitely associating a distinct & different color with each note
or key, & (2) a similar representation of sound-interval & note-interval by allotting
to each color its own definite location on the screen, the colors being either equi-
distant (like semitones) or preferably grouped in two rows in the usual keyboard
manner, & (3) as a consequence of this method, when desired, a pictorial repre-
sentation of an ordinary keyboard in multichrome, except that the back portions
of the "white keys are not shown. Mobility is given to the aforesaid colored
light-in order to obtain the music-effects of time & rhythm-by means of a
shutter-plate in front of the color medium or lantern-slide, the shutters opening to
disclose & closing to conceal their respective colors for the required musical
duration. 61
Rest," i.e. silence between sounds, is expressed by the absence of light
& color, tonality by the fixed relation of one color to that of others at proper
interval or distance, harmonic relations by the juxtaposition of the colors repre-
senting the notes of a chord, & musical expression by variations in the intensity of
lantern-light. 1 give the term "visible music
27 to music-effects thus obtained &
"
applied to color & form by means of my apparatus.
Melody, a succession of single sounds of different pitch, is expressed by a
succession of single & corresponding colors. Harmony is represented by the
simultaneous but separate display of the several colors required by the notes of a
chord, the "progression" of the "parts" as chord follows chord being rendered
visible. Such simultaneous but separate appearances 1 regard as absolutely
essential to the visual representation of a chord, in order to conform with the laws

page_text: of musical art & to assist a student or listener to distinguish the particular notes
simultaneously produced in harmony; whereas, if the colors of chord-notes were
blended or combined (super-imposed) a new color or tint would result, & the idea
conveyed would be that of sound-unity, the constituent of melody, already repre-
sented by monochrome.
The apparatus comprises a keyboard, a shutter-plate, the connections between
them, a color-medium or lantern slide, & one or more magic lanterns or other
kindred appliance for projecting light on to a screen.
The keyboard is generally of the shape & arrangement of a piano-forte keyboard
with any desired compass of one, two or more octaves. In the space known as the
lantern-stage, & instead of the usual slide & carrier placed therein, I provide a
shutter-plate having a color medium (usually of glass) secured to the back thereof.
The shutter-plate is of any suitable opaque material, such as brass, perforated as
may be required, but preferably so as to display the whole or a portion of the
group of 12 color-notes comprised within an octave. Each perforation is provided
with an opaque self-closing shutter or other suitable device for covering it &
arresting the colored light from the lantern. Each shutter is connected by wire,
silk, gut or other convenient means with its corresponding key on the keyboard.
On the color-medium I display colors in any desired form (preferably oblong) as
symbols of musical sounds; a different color being given to each of the 12 notes of
the chromatic scale, the 13th color for the octave note (which in the case herein-
after described would come upon the next lantern) being a duplication of the 1st,
the 14th of the 2nd, & so on. By & during the depression of one or more keys by
the operator who may be any piano-player with ordinary printed music-the
corresponding shutters will be opened, revealing the allotted colored symbols for
their prescribed musical duration, & will close automatically when the hand-pressure
is removed. The number of shutters on a shutter-plate may vary from two upwards
according to the size of the desired- image, the number of lanterns employed & the
desired compass of keyboard.
The lanterns should be so adjusted as to project their cones of light side by side
in order that contiguous octaves may combine to form the image of a keyboard
when all keys are depressed.
With four lanterns the successive notes of the "parts" in choral music can be
displayed on their respective portions of the choir.
By varying the dimensions of the displayed colors I can proportion color-area
to vibration-numbers & sound-wave lengths.
I particularly employ this apparatus to display modifications of lincar form (with
or without color) such as a circle for the common chord & a square for the first
inversion of said chord, in order to represent visually in special symbolic shapes
the parent ebord-types to which thousands of chords employed in music are reduced
by Varge's theory of harmony published in " Harmony Unravelled"; to which
symbols give the term "typical chord notation," the perforations of the shutter-
plate being grouped & shaped in any convenient manner. I also employ this
apparatus to exhibit the various known notations.
The construction of a keyboard & of a magic lantern being well known, I proceed
to describe how these are adapted & combined in my apparatus & one method of
constructing the shutter-plate & the connections between keyboard & shutters.
The bedplate of the keyboard should be about 26 inches from front to back.
The keys should move in the usual manner on a rail fitted with pins. Resting on
the back-end of each key, I provide a back-ride of rectangular wood extending
nearly to the back-edge of the bedplate. Under the back-rides I place a rail to
carry the bearings of a shaft equal in length to the compass of the keyboard, on
which the duly perforated backrides are partially rotated. Back-rides & keys can
he balanced & adjusted by any of the usual means. The object of the back-ride is
to reverse the movement of the key so that, upon the latter being depressed (as in
playing music), a downward motion is imparted to the far-end of the back-ride.
On the upper surface of this part of the back-ride I provide an adjusting device

page_text: consisting of a piece of bent plate perforated to carry a small reel or bobbin, the
reel being held in position by a spring-plate or set screw. Upon this reel is wound
the connecting medium which may be of silk, wire, gut or other suitable material;
means being thus afforded for regulating the tension at any desired distance from
the lantern. Or other suitable means of adjustment may be used.
66
The keyboard may be provided with a wooden cover to open in front like a
pianoforte & at the back for convenience of reel-adjustment & disconnection of
keyboard from lantern. The Nat top of this cover may serve as a stand for a
triple lantern" or for single lanterns placed side by side. Or other convenient
position may be chosen for the lantern. In the back-edge of this top 1 fix any
pins, wire loops, snatch-blocks or other device that may be desirable for changing
the direction of the connectors.
In the lantern-stage I provide a shutter-plate of any suitable opaque material,
one end of which projects beyond the stage for a convenient length, being enlarged
on the same plane, to carry bell-cranks. This plate is perforated as may be desired
as to number & shape of perforations within a space of about 3 inches by 3 inches,
which is the usual available size of a lantern-slide: this space being larger or
smaller according to the capacity of the lantern. When the convenient arrangement
of 12 notes to a lantern is adopted, having regard to the reversal effected by the
lantern, there will be 7 oblong perforations in the upper row for the 7 "white
keys," & 5 in the lower row for the 5 "black keys." In front of the shutter-plate
are 12 cranked shutters, the cranks being at such proper angle with the shutters
as will allow the latter to be at right angles with the plate when fully opened.
The cranks are also graduated in height in order that their connecting-rods shall
clear each other. The shutters are hinged on to the plate in any suitable manner
& are slightly larger than the perforations. The shadows thrown by those parts
of the plate which remain between the perforations give a distinct outline to the
displayed colors.
The color-medium-which is generally made of the usual glass for slides-is
duly secured to the back of the shutter-plate. It bears the 12 selected colors in
oblong form, one color being at the back of each perforation. Hence the lantern
light passing through any perforation will be only that of the distinct color
permanently allotted to the particular key which operates the shutter in front of
said perforation.
The connectors brought from the 7 "white keys" are attached to their
respective bell-cranks which are centred on a pin in front of the shutter-plate & are
returned to their positions by springs or other elastic substances fastened to a
convenient stud in said plate. The bell-cranks actuate the cranked shutters by
connecting-rods which are (as above stated) raised by the varied height of the
shutter-cranks sufficiently to clear each other.
The connectors for the "black keys" actuate their respective shutters on the
lower row by a duplication of the foregoing arrangement, except that the shutter-
cranks & connecting-rods are brought below (instead of above) the perforations.
All connectors are secured to bell-cranks by books or in other easily detachable
method, in order that the keyboard may be disconnected from the lantern & the
connectors be re-wound on their reels.
tr
66
For varying the intensity of the lantern-light as an equivalent of musical signs of
expression, pp.," "ff.," "dim.," "cres." etc. any of the known means for regulating
the same may be connected with a pedal, stop or "swell" arrangement.
Should a greater compass of keyboard be desired than is provided by the
lanterns, the notes of an extra octave in the bass or treble may be coupled to the
bell-cranks of the corresponding notes of the adjoining octave.
Under an alternative method of construction the back-ride & reel may be
combined; the back-ride being then made circular & forming the shaft of the reel.
In this case it is passed through a block also bored at right angles for the shaft &
on a different plane.
When the keyboard of an upright piano-forte is to be connected with the lantern

page_text: I remove the wood work of the front above the keys, & 1 vary the shape of the
back-riles as may be required by the available space. Across the open front
I provide two rails secured to the sides of the instrument, one to carry the bearings
of the back-ride shaft, the other the pins, snatch-blocks or wire loops for changing
the direction of the connectors. In some cases it may be more convenient to curve
the back-rides & suspend them from the shaft with the reels in front.
For the purposes of instruction, practice & recreation I print the various scales
& other music in colors applied to the staff or other notation; also the notes &
special symbols on separate blocks or sheets for subsequent arrangement in any
desired order.
To enable a person who cannot read music to use my apparatus as an accom-
paniment, I provide colored symbols; their "beat-value" or musical duration
being indicated by modifications of form, unless that method be employed which is
described in the Specification of Patent No. 13235/1891.
Generally I consider that this invention will effect the visual representation of
music in an immense variety of combinations & durations of colors, not merely as
a source of recreation, but as an illustration of the various phases of melody,
harmony, tonality & expression. The movement of color will "keep time" with
the music it accompanies & indicate its progression; the color-scale will illustrate
the tonality of any given key; & the simultaneous production of the several chord-
note colors at their proper distance or "interval" will enable the constituent
members of a chord to be recognised. An educational facility is afforded to
students & music-classes, & the eyes of an audience are enabled to re-inforce its
ears in the comprehension of musical compositions.
I wish it to be understood that any other method of performing my invention or
any part thereof may be adopted by varying the details, so long as the distinctive
character of my invention or any part thereof be retained.
With special reference to A. W. Rimington's Complete Specification No. 24814
1893 which was neither accepted nor published until after my Provisional
Specification was lodged, I make the following disclaimer ;-
I do not claim the projection of different successive colors wholly or partly on to
one & the same portion of a screen. Nor do I claim the color effect produced by
converging, combining, blending or super-imposing the several colored lights
relating to a chord wholly or partly on to one & the same portion of the screen.
Having now particularly described & ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion & in what manner the same is to be performed declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The visual representation of music by the production of music effects in color
& form through the use in conjunction with a suitable source of light of an
appropriate color medium & controlling means adapted to enable rays of light to
be at will arrested or projected from such source of light through the colored
medium on to a screen or other object in such a manner that both a different
portion of the screen & a different color are permanently allotted to each note, &
the several colors relating to a chord are simultaneously displayed at their proper
"intervals" or distance.
2. My apparatus for the visual representation of music by the combination of
keyboard, lantern, colored medium, shutter-plate, connections, & the projection of
colored light on to different portions of a screen, constructed arranged & operating
substantially as described.
Dated this 19th day of Surtainhor 1805