Improved Method' and Means for Teaching or Studying Music.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 7th Jan., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 19th Feb., 1895-Accepted, 23rd Mar., 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Method' and Means for Teaching or Studying Music.
We, JOSEPH GORDON SAUNDERS, of 304, Greencroft Gardens, Hampstead, N.W:
Professor of Music, and PERCY LUSH AUSTEN, of 18, Grand Parade, Finchley
Road, N.W. Clerk, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention relates to an improved method of, and means for, acquiring a
knowledge of harmony and counterpoint, either as a class exercise or by way of
recreation as a sort of game or contest of skill.
66
"
The invention is embodied in the form of a game of dominoes, each "card or
piece" bearing upon its face two musical staves inscribed with signs used in
musical notation, representing different notes and chords or combinations of notes.
These notes and chords form the elements of different musical phrases, one or
other of which it is the object of the students or players to construct by the
juxtaposition of the cards or pieces, the different arrangements or combinations
producible by playing different cards being subject to established rules of harmony,
by which the contest or game is governed.
Dated this 7th day of January 1895.
A. M. & WM. CLARK,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.
We, JOSEPH GORDON SAUNDERS, of 30^ Greencroft Gardens, Hampstead, N.W.
Professor of Music, and PERCY LUSH AUSTEN, of 18, Grand Parade, Finchley
Road, N.W. Clerk, 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 relates to an improved method of, and means for, acquiring a
knowledge of harmony and counterpoint, either as a class exercise or by way of
recreation as a sort of game or contest of skill.
.
The invention is embodied in a form somewhat similar to that of "dominoes,"
each tablet, card, or block, bearing upon one or more of its faces one or more
musical staves inscribed with signs used in musical notation, representing different
musical notes and chords or combinations of notes. These notes and chords form
the elements of different musical phrases, one or other of which it is the object of
the student or user to construct by the juxtaposition of the tablets, cards, or
blocks, the construction of the different phrases so produced being subject to the
established rules of harmony.
The invention is illustrated by reference to the accompanying drawings, forming
part of this Specification, wherein
Figure 1 represents a single tablet, card, block, or “ musical domino," Figure 2
a series of such blocks placed in juxtaposition by the learner or players.

page_text: Figure 3 shews a single block constructed according to one, and Figure 4 a block
constructed according to another, modification of the system.
The tablets, cards, blocks, or "musical dominoes," as illustrated in Figures 1
and 2, are shaped similarly to those with which the well-known game of dominoes
is played and are preferably composed of wood or other suitable material, the face
of each bearing a representation of a short length of, say, two musical staves, the
one representing, say, the treble and the other the bass clef, or any other clefs as
required, musical characters being placed upon the staves and expressing a musical
chord or an elementary part of a phrase or melody, all the notes on the two staves
being properly harmonized. Some of the blocks may be inscribed with other
musical characters than notes, such, for example, as clefs, signatures, indications of
time, or measure, bar divisions, and other signs used in musical notation, so as to
enable the user to build up the representation of a complete musical phrase.
It will be obvious that the backs, as well as the faces, of the blocks may bear
these representations of staves and notes, so as to afford greater scope for
permutation with a given number of tablets or blocks.
The modified form of block shewn in Figure 3 differs from that in Figure 1 only
in being of square section transversely, which gives the block four equal faces for
the reception of staves and characters and thus renders it capable of offering a
proportionately greater variety of musical elements to the learner or player.
The modification shewn in Figure 4 consists in making each block cubical and
inscribing each of its six faces with a single musical staff and characters.
Obviously the square form of face thus given to the blocks is better adapted for
the inscription upon each face of only one stave, instead of two as in the previously
described forms, and it will be further perceived that the use of a single stave upon
each face of a block will enable exercises or problems in musical harmonization or
composition of much greater complexity or suited to the capacity of more advanced
learners, to be dealt with.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
:-
An improved method and means for teaching musical harmony and composition,
consisting of tablets, cards, or blocks, bearing upon their faces representations of
musical staves with notes and other characters, such tablets or blocks being juxta-
posed by the user so as to express a continuous and properly harmonized musical
phrase or composition, substantially as specified.
Dated this 19th day of February 1895.
A. M. & WM. CLARK,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.