UK Patent Application

Greetings, From me, Kevin M. Thomson – The Dynamic (ENTP) Dysmusic Dyslexic Dysruptor

This message marks a significant milestone in my journey, which began with the following UK Patent Application - that was rejected in 2017 (not meeting the criteria)

Despite the setback, we launched as the Emoji-Go brand at the BETT Show in 2018 with the Emoji-Go Suite.

Seven years later, I am proud to present a comprehensive update that integrates the insights and experiences gained since then. This updated document aligns with three pivotal areas:

1. Wellenomics & Wellsician Wellness Toolkit Proposal: Emphasizing the economic and wellness potential of music making.

2. New Definition of Dysmusia: Supported by the 2018 updated YouGov Music Making Connect Survey.

3. EmojiPhonics and the MoMMi Millennium of Music Making Innovation 2026 Celebration Events: Leveraging AI Content and Copilot designs.

All of this will be showcased at the TES SEND Show 2024. The original patent application served as a rigorous exploration of 'prior art,' revealing a surprising gap: among over 500 global patent attempts to make music 'easier' or 'less complex,' only one mentioned dyslexia, with none offering any wider SEND based solutions.

All concentrated on the ‘inherent complexities’ of music learning, reading, notation etc. e.g. 12 Keys, Sharps & Flats, Time Signatures, Modes etc. This realization of the ‘externally based focus versus the ‘internal’ focus strengthened my resolve I was on the right track; alongside the growing understanding of music making's profound impact on cognitive and social development, underpins our mission.

Cont..

Back then I said Given the following, I had to do something:

- The inherent difficulties and inconsistencies of the Traditional Notation System (TNS).

- TNS was originally devised for choristers.

- There is now multimedia technology available, adaptable for all to use and/or change (e.g., colored lines or notes).

- The lack of prior art aimed at those with difficulties or disabilities.

- The absence of any universally accepted new system since the 1,000-year-old Guido D’Arrezzo system.

- The drastic decline in music education uptake and the lack of instruments in nearly all households.

- The lack of prior art utilizing Emojis a universal language with instant visual and emotional appeal.

- My own struggles with reading, learning, understanding complexities, or truly playing music due to Dyslexia, Meares/Irlens Syndrome (Visual Stress), and short-term memory retention issues.

THEN…

Emoji-Go Music Patent Application – Personal Motivation and Mission Message

I discovered my learning and visual difficulties later in life.

My primary mission and goal is to assist everyone with learning or other difficulties and disabilities in learning, reading, playing, and enjoying the incredible benefits of music.

I spent seven painstaking years trying to learn the piano from the age of 5, only to give up at 12 because I couldn't follow the notes as they jiggled over the page.

This was due to Meares/Irlens Syndrome (Visual Stress) and Dyslexia, now also recognized as Dysmusia.

For 50 more years, I struggled to play more than a few chords by ear due to short-term memory retention problems and difficulties understanding musical concepts like the Circle of 5ths.

This frustration led to a mission over the last few years: developing this Patent Application.

The journey involved extensive trial and error testing with friends and family who have learning and other difficulties. The final result is the Emoji Notation System, added to Guido D’Arrezzo’s Traditional Notation System, creating T+ENS.

Promoting understanding and recognition that music learning can be difficult for anyone, especially for those with learning or other difficulties, is crucial.

My hope is that this system, developed with care, time, and dedication, using a simple, fun, colorful, Emoji character-driven approach, will ensure that everyone has the opportunity to enjoy the significant and lasting benefits of learning music a whole-brain, pleasure-giving activity.

NOW…

We’re making a ‘stand’ at the tes SEND Show! The 2024 Triad of Wellsician Teaching Transformation

Our stand posters at the TES SEND Show 2024 will pose three critical questions under the banner of "The Triad of Wellsician Teaching Transformation":

1. Do You Teach Future Wellsicians? Featuring the book and toolkit.

2. Do You Know & Teach About Dysmusia? Highlighting the YouGov UK Benchmark.

3. Can You Teach the 110% Of 'SENSsicians'? Addressing the 20% SEND + 90% Non-SEND who never tried or gave up, with the EmojiPhonics Suite.

Join us in this transformative journey to redefine music education and wellness, making music accessible and beneficial for all.

Warm regards,

Kevin M. Thomson

Boy, Am I glad I kept going. The designs have changed a lot! The concept and desperate need hasn’t! SEND or not. Young or old. Wellsician or not.

Kevin’s UK 'Emoji-Go' Music Patent Application Nov. 2017

Sample page See P 16

Try writing a Patent Application –all 25,000 Words and no CHATgpt or Copilot for designs!

Abstract

Emoji-Go Music Notation, Playing, Reading, Teaching and Learning/Disability Friendly System

You try putting into Patent type words what ONE Emoji Picture tells for 1,000 of them!

Like Happy Do is Visual, Auditory Solfeggio Face Recognition, Modal Ionian, Kinaesthetic hand signs for Major Minor Chord Progression… In ONE Emoji!!! For Keyboards + Fretboards too.

Emoji Character Based (E=Picture Moji=Character) Universal Music System, Process, Tools and Designs; Utilising The Global Phenomenon (6 Billion sent per day in all languages) of Emoji Symbols and ‘Smileys’, Colour Coded With ‘Muscle Memory’ Building, ‘Finger Pattern’ Memorisation, Lyric and Melody Making.

A Music Notation System For Learning, Playing, Writing, Transposing, Teaching For All Ages and Abilities.

Specifically Designed For Learning and Difficulty/Disability/Visual/Age/Blind Accessibility and User- Friendly Short and Long-term Memorability and Motivation for All Ages and Abilities.

A system to complement, enhance (versus replace), explain, colourize, characterize, help learn, help play and teach the monochrome, inherently difficult and ‘6 inconsistencies’ (as cited herein) 1,000-year-old traditional music notation system (TNS) devised by Guido D’Arezzo for choristers.

Incorporating Emojis, the universally recognisable Symbols and ‘Smileys’, to create an inclusive motivational system that is multi-modal, multi-sensory, multi-channel, technologically accessible, teachable, recognisable and usable tools and images for all ages and abilities. 1 Here we go…

Synopsis – Emoji-Go Music Notation, Playing, Reading, Teaching and Learning/Disability Friendly System:

A Music Notation System For Learning, Playing, Writing, Transposing, Teaching For All Ages and Abilities. Specifically Designed For Learning and Difficulty/Disability/Visual/Age/Blind Accessibility and UserFriendly Short and Long-term Memorability and Motivation for All Ages and Abilities.

Incorporating Emoji, the universally recognisable Symbols and ‘Smileys’, to create an inclusive motivational system that is multi-modal, multi-sensory, multi-channel, technologically accessible, teachable, recognisable and usable tools and images for all ages and abilities.

With an Emoji based sheet Music Notation System (ENS) Grand Staff + Tabulature (TABS) process and designs for educational, motivational, memorable, fun, colour-coded, alpha-numeric spectrum based learning, teaching, singing, writing, composing, transposing and playing

With 5 key components in its Emoji-coded structure, tools and process developing a new universal and motivational language; referenced herein where appropriate as ‘Emoji-Go’ to distinguish the whole system, structure and language from just ‘Emojis’ as Symbols and Smileys (Japanese – Go = 5 + Go = language).

Emoji-Go 5 – The System, Design, Process, Structure, Language;

1/ T+ENS – Traditional Notation System + Emoji Notation system (T+ENS)

Emoji (designs courtesy Emojione) sheet music notation (ENS) added to the 1,000 year old traditional notation system (TNS) = T+ENS; with instant chord finding system (references as ABCDna) for both Bass, Treble Clef and Guitar TABS, staring on A= Red Emoji Apple; B = Orange Emoji Boy; C = Yellow Emoji Hands Clapping; D = Emoji Dog on Green Grass; E = Blue Eyes; F = Pink (Indigo in the spectrum) Flowers; G = Girl wearing Violet: With related guitar tabulature fret notes and Tabulature (TABS) pattern system for paper and multi-media, apps and on-line production e.g. Musescore (see Fig AA Happy Birthday)

2/ Hi-5 – ‘Muscle Memory’, Melody and Mode Mover

Emoji-go musical ‘muscle memory’, melody and mode mover for playing in any/all keys via keyboard movable printed A3 sheet and associated guitar pattern code.

3/ Keys – Keyboard and Fretboard Musical Note Adhesive ‘Finger Finder’ and Chord System

Emoji-go spectrum notes ABCDEFG on keys as rainbow coded alternate high/low line and space keys with adhesive sticker template for keyboards and guitar fret recognition.

4/ Coins – (Velcro) Hook and Loop i.e. Rough and Smooth Adhesive and Key Signature Added ‘Coins’

A set of opposing textured multi-sensory adhesive circular ‘coins’ for all ages and abilities plus visual difficulty/disability/blind accessible learning and playing aids utilising (Velcro) hook and loop i.e. rough and smooth ‘coins’ for a/ key finding b/ key signature finding with the ‘double’ coins c/ sharps # and flats b recognition through halved coins in opposing black colour that point up/right for Sharps # and up/left for Flats b; to assist in learning, playing, memorising, teaching.

Hook and loop (Velcro) coins alternately placed (high/low) and surfaced (rough/smooth) line and space ‘coins’ for additional multi-sensory and specific learning difficulty (SpLD’s) and learning, teaching and visual difficulty/ disability/ blind playing for keys and key signature learning and playing.

5/ Songs -multi-modal song sheets for melody, harmony and ‘Play-On-Words’ colour-coded lyrics

Emoji-Go based key, chord, melody and (Play-On-Words) colour-coded lyrics as song sheets utilising the Colour-Coded words/syllables in the note of the tune/key e.g. the ‘Happy Birthday’ song; Happy = Violet Birth=Red day=Violet = GAG in the Key of C (see AE Figure 2 designs) for singing, keyboards, guitar and other music making activity, learning, teaching, writing and playing of instruments to ameliorate and obviate the numerous ‘inherent difficulties’ that are cited herein of the Guido D’Arezzo monochrome and visually (e.g. Visual Stress), mentally (all SpLD’s), physically, alphabetically (dyslexia), numerically (dyscalculia) and emotionally (for everyone) challenging Traditional Notation System TNS.

Phew! Writing this. But a labour of love!

What is claimed is:

1. The Traditional + Emoji-Go Notation System (T+ENS) uses Spectrum Based i.e. ROYGBIV Emoji characters (courtesy Emojione) and Music Alphabet Coding (ABCDEFG) i.e. Emoji Red Apple, Emoji Orange (Haired) Boy, Emoji Yellow Hand Clapping. Emoji Dog (on green grass), Emoji Blue Eye, Emoji Indigo (pink) Flower, Emoji Girl wearing Violet, with additional background Spectrum colour coding plus, lines and space graphic coding representation, to create a multi-modal and multi-sensory system, process and designs for an all ages and ability and specifically difficulty/disability friendly musical notation system both for paper/electronic based musical learning, playing, teaching and musical notation and finger adhesive ‘stickers’ for composition, writing, songs/tunes, as well as for physical placement on fingers and thumbs plus (currently) piano/keyboard and guitar frets.

2. The Musical Notation Emoji-Go Code uses Emoji characters (courtesy Emojione) of 7 different ‘Smileys’ with added user-friendly names e.g. Iconic = Ionian Root, Alia = Aeolian Relative Minor and musical genre styles to depict and create, via the ‘Muscle Memory Melody and Mode Mover’, a graphic, visually memorable picture and ‘language’ based musical notation system for fast recognition and both short and long-term memorisation of the main Key/Root and Relative Minor and five different Modes i.e. Ionian = Major Root as ‘Happy’, Dorian as 2nd Minor Mode as ‘Irish’, Phrygian as 3rd Minor Mode as ‘Spanish, Mixolydian as 4th Major Mode as ‘Jazz’, Lydian as 5th Major Mode as ‘Rock’, Aeolian the 6th Minor Relative Key as Sad/Love Songs and Locrian as 7th Diminished Mode as ‘Mad’.

3. The physical ‘sticker’ system comprises two differing sheets of autogenously adhesive plastic printed (or self-applied A4 cut-outs) for a/ learning music without the TNS system i.e. through colour-coded lyrics and emoji graphics i.e. not staff and notes B/ with T+ENS graphic notation; with Emoji-Go Colour and design coded notes, staves, scales, sharps and flats, chords, used for noting recognition and music learning for either piano/keyboard or (currently but not limited to) guitar fretboard.

4. The (Velcro) hook and loop i.e. rough and smooth ‘coins’ are a set of opposing textured multisensory adhesive circular ‘coins’ that adhere to the keyboard for all ages and abilities and specifically for visual difficulty/disability/blind accessible learning and playing as learning aids a/ finding keys on the keyboard b/ key signature finding with ‘double’ back-to-back opposing textured coins that adhere to the keyboard coins c/ sharps # and flat b recognition through halved coins in opposing black colour that adhere to the keyboard coins and point up/right for Sharps # and up/left for Flats b to assist in all abilities learning, playing, memorising, teaching.

5. The ‘Emoji-Go Muscle Memory, Melody and Mode Mover’ system is an A3 printed, or electronically produced (web- page/app/ Learning management system LMS/ ppt.) for placing behind the keyboard as a learning and visual aid to depict the core concepts of notes, scales, modes, pentatonics etc. allied to a Chord Pattern system for Guitar for playing in any/all keys by moving the A3 sheet with the Root Major and Minor behind the specified keys to allow instant transposition and/or Emoji-Go coded keys behind each and all of the 7 keys in the key signature.

6. The ‘Emoji-Go Finger Pattern Muscle Memory Recognition’ is a system of using a sheet of autogenously adhesive plastic printed or paper based self-applied finger nail stickers with Emoji-Go thumb/finger nail numbering to allow the visual and visceral senses to find, learn and remember automatically notes, scales, chords, additions and extensions through the use of the finger pattern recognitions system providing a dynamic finger placement guide and ‘muscle memory’ guide for both short and long-term memorisation, learning, teaching and playing especially for those with SpLD’s e.g. Dyslexia with left/right hand difficulties and Dyspraxia with finger numbering difficulties.

7. The guitar TAB i.e. Tabulature (tablature US) system is extended through the use of The Musical Notation Emoji-Go T+ENS Code by colour coding the TAB numbers of the frets 1 – 20 across all 6 strings (or 4 for Bass Guitar) and adding these alongside the Emoji-Go Code A to G glyphs to the sticker system for the fretboard to allow visual and visceral recognition through playing and hearing the coded notes, sharps and flats along the fretboard.

8. The guitar TAB i.e. Tabulature (tablature US) system is also extended through the use of The Musical Notation Emoji-Go Code by colour coding the TAB numbers in the TAB sheet music learning system.

9. The Emoji-Go Song sheets provide a multi-faceted, multi-modal and multi-sensory way of learning both the song (words) tune(melody) and chords (harmony) with special reference to (Play-On-Words) song sheets utilising Colour-Coded words/syllables in the note of the tune e.g. Happy = Violet Birth=Red day=Violet = GAG in the Key of C (see designs) for recognition of the tune without having to know or use the T+ENS system for singing, and playing on keyboards, guitar and other music making activity, learning, teaching, writing and playing.

What is claimed? No what is

I tried Music Teachers to help develop it all. “An idea ahead of its time”

Figure A - Overview diagram –

1. Keyboard 2.Keyboard Adhesive Stickers 3. Hook & Loop Coins

Figure A 1 2 3

Does a 3-year-old at the BETT Show stand need to read this?? Or just follow the colours or emoji faces No.

Figure A Overview shows the following

A1 The 7 Octave Keyboard displaying the following;

A2 88 Emoji Character A to G Rainbow Spectrum Key Code based printed Alphabetic Rainbow instructional adhesive stickers.

A.3 Hook and Loop (Velcro ‘coins’) for the individual keys aligned in order (higher Lines lower Spaces) of alternate Grand Staff Lines and Space for A/ multi-sensory learning for all level or ability and learning B/ for those with visual difficulties or disabilities.

Each octave provides 7 sets of music making information 1/ on each key 2/ throughout each octave (see A.1) to facilitate music knowledge (critically) whilst playing and thus visual and visceral learning combined with voiced (sung, said and played) is learned ‘at and with your fingertips’ as follows:

1. Figure A.2 Letters ABCDEFG; Aligned Spectrum Colours ABCDEFG = ROYGBIV; Emoji Character A to G Rainbow Spectrum Key Code Characters e.g. Red Apple = A; Lines and Spaces identified with ‘flaps’ on the letter to represent Notes on the line, or with no ‘flaps’ to represent spaces, The Lines are lined up ‘higher’ and the Spaces are ‘lower’ – thus allowing the teaching of Chords to be Lines, Spaces or Octave based flips/opposites.

2. Chords e.g. CEG, DFA, EGB, FAC etc.

3. Octaves e.g. C to C , 7ths Extensions e.g. CEGB, DFAC, EGBD, FACE etc.

4. Inversions e.g. 1st Inversion EGC, 2nd Inversion GCE, FAD, GBE, ACF etc.

5. Modes i.e. Ionian, Dorian, Phrygian, Mixolydian, Lydian, Aeolian, Locrian

6. And for learners with visual difficulty e g Meares/Irlens - visual stress, visually impaired/blind, SpLD’s, the Hook and Loop (Velcro) single/double-sided coins provide either additional aids for direct learning and teaching, where the Hook and Loop system is the only means of learning.

The combination of information that is 1/visual (see it) 2/ visceral (touch and feel it) 3/ voiced (speak the information- sing the notes – hear it played) created during playing allows for a multisensory (sight, sound, touch, feel) and multi-modal (letters, colours, characters, lines, spaces, hook and loop) style of learning for multi-level ability and/or disability learners.

This set of adhesive stickers is intended for the education of music making without the need for sight reading with the Traditional Music Notation System TNS. The alternative and/or later stage learning set (see Fig. G) has additional TNS Bass and Treble learning information on the Treble and Bass Clefs whilst aligned to the ‘Without Music’ on Figure A to allow a progression from the ‘without’ music learning to the ‘with’ music learning should that be desired.

The system is not intended (as with other systems/Patents) to replace the Traditional Notation System or guitar Tabulature System TABS but to enhance the learning experience, create motivation and desire to want to play and benefit from making music and go on to use TNS through life.

Each and every aspect of the present innovation can be used in part or as a whole or if not required as a teaching aid at least to serve as a way to understand and attend to the numerous problems those with or without difficulties and disabilities face not covered in any of the alternative proposed new systems or music patents –see Prior Art.

Design Claim Fig A.1 .1-7

Emoji Symbol/Glyph/Character Used For ‘Muscle Memory’ Recognition, Finger Finding Pattern Making Over Learning and Locked in Exercise Short and Long Term Memory making

Frisky The Goa For Recognising and Remembering to play (jump up!) to Sharps # and Flats b In differing Keys

Flipper The Dolphin For Recognising Opposite Lines or Spaces Notes with Octaves and here 2nd Inversion

Octavia The Octopus For Scales Major Minor

Stretchy The Spider For Extended Chords 7th and Octaves

Or try the Kinaesthetic approach = PHYSICAL. Make a hand like Claud The Crab. Now Play every chord in C.

Claude The Crab For Major Minor Chords + 2nd and 4th Chords

Flipper The Dolphin For Recognising Opposite Lines or Spaces Notes with Octaves and here 1st Inversion

O.L.L.I.E – For short term ‘Over Learning’ and ‘Locked In Exercises’ Memory Retention Instructor

The visual imagery of utilising the Emoji animal characters and the ‘Smiley’ of OLLIE the teacher creates an entirely different approach to music learning and teaching using Emojis as visual aids and associative concepts viz;

1. The imagery of the Emoji Goat creates a visual analogy where it has to ‘Jump Up’ or ‘Fall Down’ to reach the Black Keys and represent the visual imagery needed to explain the need to either sharpen or flatten notes in all keys except C and/or with accidentals.

2. The Dolphin analogy allows for simple/visual explanation of the Inversion of Notes in each higher or lower Octave going from line to or from space; also the ‘flip’ of note in chords as an inversion moves to 1st Inversion with 3rd Note as base and the ‘gap’ of 5ths ‘flips to the top’ of the chord, or 2nd Inversion where the gap of the 5th ‘flips to the bottom’ of the chord.

3. Octavia The Octopus has 8 legs – there are 8 notes in an Octave making the concept of ‘octave’ less frightening and more ‘user-friendly’ especially to children but just as applicable to adult learners with learning difficulties.

4. Spiders have 8 legs and use the web to stretch across spaces – often a daunting task of people (children or small/ unused hands) to try to reach the 7th and Octave. Stretchy The Spider task is making the experience more fun and assisting in the building of ‘Muscle Memory’ through the shaping of the hand.

5. A Crab has 8 legs and ‘grabs’ things with its claws thus allowing for the image of the fingers grabbing the notes. The Thumb and Pinkie are the ‘front legs’; the claws are the 2 and 4 fingers allowing the explanation of ‘added note chords’ of 2nd and 4th ; and the ‘head’ can move ‘side to side to play Major or Minor 3rd Notes with the 3rd finger. Claude The Crab’s task is also making the experience more fun and assisting in the building of ‘Muscle Memory’ through the shaping of the hand.

6. The Dolphin analogy appears as the 1st Inversion

7. Since the Guido D’Arezzo TNS Traditional Music System is 1,000 years old and whilst it may have helped choristers learn music a millennia ago, the understanding of how and why we learn has changed radically including the use of multi-sensory, multi-modal, multi-coloured learning and as critically, the use of what is now seen as ‘over-learning’ and ‘repeated learning’ – see Background notes. O.L.L.I.E. is the Emoji ‘clever’ character able to give learning messages in a fun, simple way not over-facing learners and assisting teachers.

Fig A.1 An Expanded View of Figure A – The Keyboard and Adhesive Note Stickers over 7 Octaves In order for the learner and teacher to be able to see and learn by looking at the keyboard without having to study or turn pages on a music theory/practice book i.e. visual learning; and hear, say or sing what is written on the keys whilst playing i.e. vocalised learning. Each of the key elements of music as below in Fig A.1 1-7 are displayed on the keyboard stickers. The added learning benefit of the ENS of multi-sensory learning is that whilst at the same time as seeing, saying, reading, singing and playing the learner is able to touch and feel the Hook and Loop ‘coins’ and gain additional multi-modal and multi-sensory experience i.e. visceral learning see Fig F.

1. Frisky The Goat Shows the Key Signatures with the way to ‘Jump Up’ to Colour Coded Sharps # and ‘Fall Back’ to Flats b

2. Flipper The Dolphin Shows Treble Clef2nd Inversions with 5th as Base e.g. GCE

3. Claude The Crab Shows Treble Top C Maj/Min + Stretchy The Spider Shows Ledger Line Notes as 7ths

4. . Claude The Crab Shows Treble Maj/Min + Stretchy The Spider Shows Octaves

5. Claude The Crab Shows Bass 5 Maj/Min + Stretchy The Spider Shows Octaves

6. Flipper The Dolphin Shows Bass Clef 1st Inversions with 3rd as Base e.g. EGC

Figure A.1

7 Emojis representing the 7 Modes with user-friendly names + Greek names e.g. Iconic The Ionian plus Instructions from O.L.L.I.E OverLearning + Locked In Exercises

Figure B 1 -7 Expanded View - Emoji Character, Language, Naming Greek + Modern,

Emojis – Used For Defining Major, Minor Scales and Modes: Emojis (Japanese E=Picture Moji = Character) as ‘Smileys’ are a universal language of expression also understood by all for their symbolism, ability to express one emotion or a range of feelings with their expression i.e. ‘look (one gives) says a thousand words’.

The use of Emojis to represent the 7 Modes of Music makes the memorisation a visual and oral mnemonic in order of naming with the music modal nomenclature of the Ancient Greek regions. By also giving the Smileys their own personal identity allied to the style/genre of the music modes this brings the following attributes to the confusing, alienating, easily forgettable, difficult to pronounce Greek naming system. The 7 Emoji Music Modes thus;

1. Bring the 7 Modes to life, making them fun and more ‘human’ – not Greek regions.

2. Make it simpler and easier to grasp what they each do i.e. create a different ‘style’ of music using each as the Root

3. Show how they can be moved up and down the keyboard to change key whilst retaining their own order and character

4. Have their own character names that reflect the ‘style’ of music and give them a personality

5. Be able to show a collection of ‘stacked’ Smiley Emojis as a chord viz. Happy + Spanish + Rock = CEG and thus the I Major Cord of the Ionian Root Key. Staring with the Relative Minor (which in C would be A) to make it easer to understand the 7 Modes with the Relative Minor 3 Notes below the Root, these are;

6th Note = Relative Minor iv Chord is ‘Alia The Love Songs Aeolian’;

7th Note = Diminished vii Chord is ‘Loci The Mad Locrian’;

1st Note = Root I Chord is ‘Iconic The Happy Ionian’;

2nd Note = Minor ii Chord is ‘D. O’Rian The Irish Dorian;

3rd Note = Minor iii Chord is ‘Phrygy The Spanish Phrygian

4th Note = Major IV Chord is ‘Mixy The Jazzy Mixolydian’;

5th Note = Major V Chord is ‘Lydzy The Rock ‘n Roll Lydian’.

Music Theory made FUN! And Understandable

Figure B Overview – entitled ‘Muscle Memory, Melody and Mode Mover’ : Moveable A3 width Printed Instructional Diagram Page For Playing Scales, Chords and Modes Aligning (physically placed behind the black keys) against all Major Keys, Minor Keys; providing additional Key Modes, Mode Names and Styles/Moods e.g. Dorian = Irish, Phrygian = Spanish Aeolian = Sad/Love, Major and Minor Scales, Modal Basic Chords e.g. In C playing the following (numeral entitled) chords of I IV V iv = C Maj, F Maj, G Maj, A Min; also showing 7th Chords – with an additional Emoji Character as the 7th ; with the A to G Rainbow Spectrum Key Code instruction on Muscle Memory hand and finger shapes with Claude The Crab for 135 Major and Minor Chords and Stretchy The Spider for 7th Chords e.g. 1 3 5 7, 2 4 6 1.

The ‘Muscle Memory, Melody and Mode Mover’ is a tool that allows users to learn as they play by being able to observe the printed information on the A3 sheet whilst playing, by moving the sheet into position in any/all keys Once aligned behind the chosen note e.g. The Major Key is the root = The Ionian the 7 Modes are aligned behind their respective key in any key The Ionian is the ‘Happy Emoji’ given a user friendly name to aid learning of the Greek nomenclature i.e. Iconic The Ionian. When placed behind and aligned with a note e g C, the Modes and Scale will line up with all the ‘white’ notes . With the Ionian Happy Emoji aligned with the G the 7th note/ Mode of the Locrian will be behind an F# Sharp.

The ‘Muscle Memory, Melody and Mode Mover’ also uses the Emoji boy ‘twins’ ( given the userfriendly name of ‘The Hoppits’) to visually explain whole and half step intervals with the nomenclature of ‘Hops’ to identify how to hop over a half note in the scales e.g. C needs a hop over C# to D; and to identify how to make a half note ‘Step’ e.g. E to F and B to C in C Major. Additional instructional supporting instruction on chord fingering as given via Letter numbers and Chord Numerals e.g. I Chord= 1 3 5 V Chord = 5 7 2, with corresponding hand positions, fingering and the ‘muscle memory’ mnemonic naming of ‘finger patterns’ of ‘Claude The Crab’ for Major/minor finger positions, and ‘Stretchy The Spider’ for 7th and Octaves e.g. Iconic the Ionian 7th = 1 3 5 7 Lydzy The Lydian = 3 5 7 2.

Figure B - Instructional Boxes for Aligning behind Keyboard Keys; B 8-9 Upper Box with Scale Instructions – The Hoppits providing visual and written Whole and Half Steps instructions with nomenclature of Hops and Steps and Emojis walking = steps; hopping = hops.

B 1-7 Middle Box User Friendly Names with Greek Name, Chord Emojis, Note Numbers, Memory Muscle Mnemonics. 1= Aeolian 2= Locrian 3 = Ionian 4 = Dorian 5 = Phrygian 6 = Lydian 7 = Mixolydian

B 9- 10 Lower Box = Emoji Muscle Memory Mnemonics; Claude The Crab = Major/Minor Fingers and Hand Shaping 1 3 5; Stretch The Spider Fingers and Hand Shaping 1 2 3 4 for 7th Chords.

The Concept of Lines & Spaces made SEPARATE VISUALLY It’s ACE!

Figure C - Emoji Symbol/Glyph/Character + Music Alphabet Letter + Lines/Higher and Spaces/Lower + Spectrum (Rainbow) Colour Coding

Fig C - ABCDEFG Key Coding Emojis (Japanese E=Picture Moji = Character) are a universal language understood by all for their symbolism, ability to express a thought and/item or concept with a ‘picture says a thousand words’.

The use of Emojis to represent the 7 Letters of the Alphabet makes the memorisation a mnemonic in order of the music alphabet and no need to use the (confusing and unrelated – especially for Dyslexics) memory aids of;

a/ for the Treble Clef of EGBDF Every Good Boy Deserves Fun and the word (not a mnemonic) FACE

b/ for the totally different (and even more confusing) Good Boys Deserve Fun Always and All Cows Eat Grass.

Compare also the monochrome use of colours on notation systems and simply letter based ABCDEFG classification of the letters – both leading to serious difficulties for either dyslexia or visual difficulties e.g. visual stress / Meares Irlens – often present with Dyslexia (as with the author)

The Emoji glyphs used below are intended to invoke strong association with the Letters – especially when allied to the Spectrum based colour coding allied to a related Emoji character viz.

A = Red Apple

B = Orange (Hair) Boy.

C = Yellow (Emoji) Hands Clapping.

D = Green (Grass with) Dog.

E= Blue Eyes.

F = Indigo (pink is used) Flowers.

G = Girl wearing Violet

The Alphabetic colour-coding is further enhanced as a memory aid with the addition external lines on the circular glyph i.e. ‘Flaps’ to illustrate visually where the key note is on the Grand Staff e.g. Middle C is a ‘Flap’ on a Line with the C E G Chord thus all on Lines at Middle C.

2.2 Emoji Character, Language, Letter + Colour Coding

Figures D.1 D.2 E Emoji Character A to G Rainbow Spectrum, Key Code, Muscle Memory + Finger Pattern Finger Coding

Figure D1 Left Hand D2 Right Hand – Self Adhesive stickers for finger and thumb nails’

Figure E – Emoji motivational imagery and language to represent the visual aspect of using ‘finger finding’ for (in Fig E major and Minor Chord shapes)

1. Scales

2. Basic Chord Thumb T 1 3 5 Shapes for Right Hand – Claude The Crab

3. Extended hand shapes 7th and octaves – Stretchy The Spider T123 4/5

Emojis here are used as a motivational, educational and memory tool for all especially inclusive of those with Specific Learning Difficulties and as a visceral memory aid for those without.

Those with Dyscalculia and/or Dyspraxia as well as Dyslexia (problems with knowing left and right hand ) find it difficult to follow instructions like “ Use your Left Hand Fingers 1 3 5 on the C E G Notes on the Bass C”.

There is also confusion as to when and what to use for basic Major and Minor chords (and with additions of 2nd and 4th notes versus Extensions of 7th and Octaves which require the hand to be stretched out to reach.

The Use of Emoji ‘sticky’s’ using visual icons of finger numbering of extended fingers helps to aid the following

1. Remembering finger numbering – left and right hand

2. Utilising different shapes for different chord positions i.e. The Crab and Spider

3. Diferentiating the Left and Right with the Left Pinkie as No. 1 and Thumb as No.5 and the opposite with the Right hand with the Thumb as No. 1 and Pinkie as No. 5. Thus an instruction that says “Use Claude The Crab with Thumb1 3 Pinkie 5 Right Hand” gives greater detail and a visual aid with the Emoji stickers on the fingers.

4. Once established as the basic Chord of T13P5 i.e. 1st 3rd 5th Notes e.g. CEG then further use of the imagery of a Crab allows the following to take place;

5. Using the concept of the 3rd Finger being the Crab’s ‘head’ then movement to the ‘left’ will be a Minor 135 and to the right will be a Major 135 (depending on where the central keynote is will be a move to a sharp/flat)

6. Also once established as the basic Chord of T13P5 i.e. 1st 3rd 5th Notes then removal of the 3 Finger i.e. the ‘Crab’s head’ allows for the request for the 2nd finger to be used with the 2nd note in the scales (or mode) creating an ‘Added 2nd’ Chord.

7. As in 2.4.6 the use of the 4th finger on the 4th note creates an ‘Added 4th Chord

8. Claude The Crab thus has enable Muscle Memory for 4 types of chord.

9. With Stretchy The Spider the T1 2 3 fingers are used on the basic 135 notes of each mode and the 4th or 5th fingers used to play the 7th of a chord or Octave

10. The added bonus of the 7th note of a chord being picked is that these are readily identified as using 4 of each of either the ‘Lines/Ruffy-Velcro Hooks or the Spaces/Fluffy Velcro Loops

11. The teaching of Muscle Memory for keyboards obviates where desired the necessity of reading sheet music when joined with the Emoji Mode symbols then songs/tunes can be played using the Key Mode Chord Numerals. Given that there are thousands of songs with the I IV V vii configuration all that is needed is to teach Claude The Crab to encourage people to learn to paly via songs they know and without the need for sheet music.

Emoji Muscle Memory + Finger Pattern Character Coding - Additional

Figure N

I drew every one in PowerPoint. Rubbish eh!

Emojis (Japanese E=Picture Moji = Character) are offered in a range of different categories allowing users to include objects and artefacts into their communication as well as ideas, concepts and feelings. The teaching of music requires the knowledge and understanding of a large and confusing category of ways to learn, read and play.

The inherent understanding and acceptance of ‘picking’ emojis from each range or category makes the task of explaining and motivating the learners so much easier when then allied to fun, fast and engaging Emoji characters and objects.

Music is (generally) taught through reading sheet music or tabulature, or by (especially guitar) following patterns e.g. displayed on the fretboard diagrams, learning ‘by ear’ and/or taught by copying others (especially in the age of YouTube).

The ability to use the universal language of Emojis to convey meaning as well as physical action has been used in this ENS system in the case of teaching ‘Muscle Memory’. Muscle Memory is referred to in music as the way to remember automatically how to play a sequence of notes, keys, modes and/or chord patterns.

The use of Emojis to represent the way to create Muscle Memory through hand shapes and ‘finger finders’ allows for a fun, fast and simple way of teaching music without the need for music.

When allied to the visual system described herein using verbal instructions e.g. of ‘Play any three Line or Spaces – on (Velcro coins) Hooks (Ruffys) and Loops (Fluffys) for Major or minor chords using Claude the Crab Emoji’ brings ‘muscle memory’ into play.

Additionally the other Emoji animal as in A.1.1-7 characters represent other moves and shapes that need to be made to create both Muscle Memory as well as short and long term visual and visceral memory.

The animal Emoji characters e.g. Claude The Crab each have unique properties which create;

1. Short and long term understanding of what is required e.g. Claude The Crab is a hand position in the style of crab claws using the Thumb Middle and Pinkie i.e. 1 3 5 Fingers to create chords, then to change finger 2nd and 4th to create 2nd and 4th Chord ‘Additions’.

2. A recognition of the need to move the hand and fingers into that ‘position’ e.g. closed together with Claude The Crab and stretched apart with Stretchy The Spider creating 7th Chords/ Octaves.

3. Fun based and motivational learning creating short-term memory and long-term memory and motivation through empathy with the characters, their personality and names e.g. Octavia The Octopus – She has 8 legs that stand for the 4 fingers and Thumb used in teaching the Scale System of 123/4 – 567/8

Figure E

Figure K

Figure N

The use of Velcro is awesome!

Figure F - Showing Root C Only (no Sharps # or Flats b) with Double/Reverse White Hook and Loop (Velcro) Coins

Figure L - Showing Root G with 1 Sharp i.e. F # and no Flats b) with Double/Reverse Hook and Loop (Velcro) Coins for Root and upward right pointing half moon Black White Hook and Loop (Velcro) Coins

Visual users with little/no difficulties or disabilities will benefit from the multi-sensory input of the Hook and Loop Coins adding to the visual input of seeing the ENS with the Upper Lines and Lower Spaces also aligned and corresponding to the Hook and Loop Coins in the Upper and Lower configuration.

The Hook side of the double/reverse coins i.e. two opposite Velcro coins stuck together represents the notes on Lines (with an Emoji Music nomenclature of Ruffys) and the reverse of the Loops represents the notes in Spaces (with an Emoji Music nomenclature of Fluffys).

Thus the visceral (touch and feel) impact of the Hook and Loop system is as follows for those with no difficulties;

1. A multi-sensory input of visual (see) vocal (say, sing, hear) and visceral (touch and feel) learning

2. Fully rounded ‘coins’ placed on key/root note create a double height sensory input

3. Root notes are fully rounded and white

4. Sharps and Flats are half moon and black – the ‘black’ coins say to the learner in a visual way ‘Do NOT play this – you MUST go to the # or b’.

5. # Sharps are positioned pointing up and right

6. b Flats are positioned pointing back and left

The visceral impact for those with any form of visual difficulty or disability is that this method of recognising the following is the core method of learning, playing and teaching;

1. The raised Roots with the Double/Reverse feel of Hook or Loop and Double Height creates an instant way of feeling where the root is.

2. Once the learner recognises also that Sharps # point Up and Right and Flatsb point Back and Left then it is only a question of ‘feeling’ how many Sharps or Flats there are to determine the key i.e. One Sharp # must be the Key of G (after that is taught) and One Flat must be the Key of F.

3. The feel of either half moon coins means a note must NOT be played and the Sharp or Flat played instead.

4. Thus ‘Muscle Memory’ is and accentuated through the feel of the Coins when playing and feeling the keys with either Sharps or Flats.

Changing key is easy! It’s Colour Coded.

Figure G - Overview shows the following; Keyboard and adhesive key stickers now demonstrating the overall interaction of the Keyboard with Figure H, the ‘Muscle Memory Melody and Mode Mover’ now moved from the Key of C position in Fig A to place the Root Ionian Emoji (Iconic The Ionian = ‘Happy’ Emoji) to be over the key of G. The keyboard stickers now shown with added colour coded Bass and Treble Clef Lines and Spaces printed on the adhesive key stickers see Figure G.1. The addition of the Treble and Bass informational stickers showing Notes, Chords, Extension of 7th , 1st and 2nd Inversions and Key Signatures creates an on-going learning situation as the information is ‘at your fingertips’ and thus ‘look, listen, touch and feel and learn as you play’.

The multi-sensory and multi-modal learning creates an ‘over-learning’ in the initial phase as the learning is encouraged to repeat (7 times) by instruction (from O.L.L.I.E. The Emoji) or through simple enjoyment of the learning process. On-going repetition, again through teaching, following instruction or through simple enjoyment of the learning process on a daily, weekly, monthly basis provides the ‘locked-in’ learning as recommended by Tony Buzan and as cited in the Ebbinghaus ‘Forgetting Curve’ method. This method again encouraged through O.L.L.I.E. The Emoji in the learning process instructions – O.L.L.I.E. standing for Over-Learning and Locked-In Exercises.

The 7 Octave Keyboard now displaying the following; 88 Emoji based printed Alphabetic Rainbow instructional adhesive stickers with added Treble and Bass Staff designs and 7 sets of instruction for each Octave see Fig. G.1. Also as in Fig A showing placing of Hook and Loop (Velcro ‘coins’) for the individual keys aligned in order (higher Lines lower Spaces) of alternate Grand Staff Lines and Space for A/ multi-sensory learning for all level or ability and learning B/ for those with visual difficulties or disabilities.

Figure G.1 – Expanded View of the added Treble and Bass Clef Colour Coded Traditional Notation System TNS for both visual reference and SpLD’s e.g. Visual Stress or Meares/Irlens Syndrome

As demonstrated in the G Key Signature sticker in G1 1-5 this shows the learner – on the keyboard and alongside the Cycle of 5th from G to A and F and Bb – the core elements of a Key Signature viz 1 Major Key = G, 2 Relative Minor = E, Which Note is Sharpened = F# = Pink, 4 How many #’s = 1.

G1.5 Shows the position of G on The Bass Clef and in relation to where the Bass Clef sits with the Treble Clef demonstrated by G1.1 with 1/ the Yellow dotted Ledger Line of Middle C 2/ The Upper Red Line of A on the Bass Clef also shown throughout on the Treble Clef as a guide to understanding the join between the two clefs.

Figure G1.1 demonstrates the use of the colour coded Treble (and as followed in the Bass Clef) based on A = Red to G = Violet ie. ROYGBIV of the spectrum with 1/ Lines as dark spectrum colours EGBDF= VOGI (Pink) 2/ Spaces as shaded colours FACE = I (Pink) RYB. 3/ F# represented in colour to differentiate from the (confusing and monochrome TNS # and b System). Figure G1.5 Shows the corresponding colour coding of the Bass Clef is GBDFA = VOGIR, ACEG = RYBV.

Figure G1.1

Figure G1

Fig G. An Expanded View of Figure G.1 – The Keyboard and Adhesive Note Stickers over 7 Octaves now with the Bass and Treble Clef showing Notes, Chords, 7th , 1st and 2nd Inversions, Main # and b Key Signatures; in order that the learner and teacher to be able to see and learn by looking at the keyboard without having to study or turn pages on a music theory/practice book i.e. visual learning; and hear, say or sing what is written on the keys whilst playing i.e. vocalised learning, each of the key elements of music as below in Fig G.1 1-7 are displayed on the keyboard stickers and follow the same sequence as Fig. A as a progression for the learner to move on from notes without music, or to go straight to notes with music. The added learning benefit of the ENS of multi-sensory learningagain, is that whilst at the same time as seeing, saying, reading, singing and playing using Stave information, the learner is able to touch and feel the Hook and Loop ‘coins’ and gain additional multi-modal and multi-sensory experience i.e. visceral learning see Fig F.

Want to play a Rainbow|? Or more than one.

1. Treble Stave + Frisky The Goat Shows the Key Signatures with the way to ‘Jump Up’ to Colour Coded Sharps # and ‘Fall Back’ to Flats b

2. Treble Stave + Flipper The Dolphin Shows Treble Clef 2nd Inversions with 5th Base e.g. GCE

3. Treble Stave + Claude The Crab Shows Treble Top C Maj/Min + Stretchy The Spider Shows Ledger Line Notes as 7th + B Diminished

4. Treble Stave + Claude The Crab Shows Treble Maj/Min + Stretchy The Spider Shows Octaves

5. Bass Stave + Flipper The 5 Dolphin Shows Bass Clef 2nd Inversions with 5th as Base e.g. GCE

6. Bass Stave + Flipper The Dolphin Shows Bass Clef 1st Inversions with 3rd as Base e.g. EGC

7. Emojis representing the 7 Modes with user-friendly names + Greek names e.g. Iconic The Ionian Instructions from O.L.L.I.E Over-Learning + Locked In Exercises

Figures M to T – Overview of ‘Stairway of 5th Of Sh2a2rpKeys following C & G (Figs A G) using the ‘Mode and Mood Mover’ Figure P Figure M positioned above the keyboard in order to position each Key with the Ionian Emoji (Iconic The Ionian) Root above the selected Key; with Keys D A E Going ‘Up’ the Stairway of Fifths see M1 Q1 R1 (provided as a colour coordinated learning aid); and Keys F Bb Going ‘Down’ the Stairway of Fifths see S1 T1.

The Colour Coding of the Keys in Spectrum Order allows for the visual mnemonic of a ‘Stairway of Fifths’ as opposed to the traditional way of depicted the progression of keys as the ‘Circle of Fifths’).

The Circle of Fifths is a monochrome device of various levels of explanation including e.g. Major Keys and # or b symbols with Minor Keys, 5th Keys, 4th Keys. The alternative of the Stairway of Fifths provides a mnemonic of ‘up or down’ levels of travel versus down right for # and down left for b; and allows the learner to build the knowledge of keys in diagrammatic form as each key adds to the previous one.

Figure M2,3,4 to Figures T2,3,4 show the Key Signatures (as previously described with Fig A and Fig G in the respective keys of C and G) adding to the Stairway of Fifths with Keys D A E Major and Ionian Emoji Mode and their respective Minor Keys of B F# C# and their respective Aeolian Emoji Mode.

The Circle of Fifths is a critical tool in music theory learning and training and yet is part of the deep ‘inconsistencies’ and inherent difficulties of learning this complex theory – for anyone let alone those with SpLD’s where confusion as in Dyslexia, Dyscalculia and Dysmusia may occur with conceiving the differences between e.g. Every 5th Up = # Keys and Every 5th Down = b keys. Additionally ‘Finger Finding and Muscle Memory Making’ using the Velcro coins allows for the (simple) explanation of the following while building the Stairway of Fifths i.e. Each step for Sharp Keys going ‘Up’ add a # to the 7th Note. For each step for Flat Keys going ‘Down’ add a b to the 4th Note.

The learning of the Stairway of Fifths is further enhanced with1/ the Key Signatures – see M2 to T2 depicting M2 The Root e.g. Key of D 2/ the Sharps in Emoji Icons e.g. F# C# 3/ the Sharps on the Stave depicted in their Spectrum Colour Code e.g. Pink F# and Yellow C#.

Here’s the Mode & Mood Mover

Figures N Depicts an Emoji Mode (Alia The Aeolian) showing via the ‘Finger Finder fingernail adhesive stickers how play Scales and Modes. This visual representation of the finger ‘patterns’ is used to generate Muscle Memory and simplify the connection between the Scale Notes and the Scale/Mode Numbers. This is done using ‘Octavia The Octopus’ symbo with 8 legs representing 4 fingers for the first 4 Notes eg. DEF#G then ABC#D. A further mnemonic for each scale is given by calling out the Note Numbers in Intervals depicted as 1,2, 3 /4 i.e. saying three quarters and 5, 6, 7/8. The mathematics of the 4th Note being ¾ the way up a string were established by the Greeks and in the Key of C the b is 7/8th of the way ‘up’.

Learn Keyboards you learn Fretboards Same System!

Figure U and V Overview – How the EMS Emoji Notation Systems Fits ‘Over’ The Traditional Music Notation System and Numeric Guitar Tabulature Notation GTN to provide an integrated ‘Super Staff and Tabs System’ SSTS.

Introduction – Many of the 500 cited attempts to overcome the TNS (including the one universally accepted Tabulature system for guitar) attempt to overcome the TNS problem with new and innovative solutions to learning that are not based on the TNS. Given the universal availability of TNS notation for all levels of music making from Pop songs to Symphonies the ENS system looks to add to the TNS system with features (colour, hook and loop etc.) and benefits (fun, simple, easy) to give teachers and learners the start to learning music and as importantly to wanting to learn music – hence the use of Emojis. The same approach to the physical stickers had thus been adopted for the Grand Staff and Tabs Notation systems with the significant difference of combining the two systems in a way that learning BOTH at the same time leads to an even greater multi-modal and multi-sensory way and variety of learning. In traditional parlance much more than a ‘double whammy’.

Figure V 1- Traditional Treble and Bass Clef Monochrome ‘Grand Staff’ with blank area in between both to add Ledger Lines as required. For those with for example Dyslexia and associated Meares/Irlens i.e. Visual Stress the ability to be able to read the high contrast black versus white natation is nigh on impossible (as with the author who had to give up trying after 7 years learning at the age of 12 due to the notes ‘jiggling’ on the page).

The British Dyslexia and British Ophthalmological Society recommend either tinted paper or reading glasses just to be able to read. This does not include the ENS system of further visual identification with coloured spectrum based staves. The darker Lines and lighter Spaces ensure the whole document complies with guidelines recommending the high black/white contrast is reduced as well.

The connection is also made between the physical notes on keyboard or guitar not just with a Alphanumeric system but with the 5 other multi-modal inputs and multi-sensory approach with the addition of the touch and feel, higher and lower Velcro Coins.

Traditionally too music notation via the Grand Staff is taught separately to the Tabulature numeric notation as there is little/no correlation with 88 keys and 6 strings. The ENS allows not only a direct correlation with the Super Staff layout between Grand Staff and Tabs and consequently with both instruments enjoying the same applied sticker notation system with 1/ Letters 2/ Spectrum 3/ Emoji Characters 4/ Upper Lines and Lower Spaces 5/ Hooks and Loops ( a physical manifestation of this for each level of frets on the guitar can be made on a ‘board’ i.e. without strings to create ‘muscle memory’ prior to/while learning).

Dyscalculic? TAB Is IMPOSSIBLE. Not now!

Figure U Emoji Sheet Music Notation System Grand Staff + Tabulature to create a ‘Super Staff’ of both together with ABCDNA Chord Finder, Keyboard Visual Note Identifier for all music notation on the TNS.

U1 – Treble and Bass Clef – The only reference to what Line of Space is identified is by the Note G based Treble Clef symbol ‘wrapped’ around the G line of EGBDF; of which come the first memory aid taught of Every Good Boy Deserves Fun. This acronym is one of the four totally unrelated memory aids making little sense to e.g. Dyslexics with long winded sentences and/or the FACE acronym for spaces in the treble Clef. Confusingly also there is 1/ NO inclusion in the acronyms of Middle C 2/ No link between the Bass Clef and Treble Clef including BCD thus separating out any learning and adding confusion to the learning process.

2. The ABCDNA Chord Finder;

1. There is no overall indicator of which Line or Space is which on the Grand Staff which ABCDNA Chord Finder provides (at least during the leaning process.

2. Given that Major and/or Minor Chords are made up of Thirds then either Three Lines and/or Spaces will make a Chord e.g. CE. GBD. The ABCDNA Chord Finder allows a visual representation of the Lines and Spaces ‘strands’ in the ABCDNA Chord Finder with the analogy of DNA ‘strands’ as a visual mnemonic.

3. Additionallyany Four Lines and/or Spaces will help the Teacher and Learner to add up what is a 7th Chord e.g. CEGB, GBDF etc

4. The ABCDNA Chord Finder starts and ends on the C Ledger Lines which are not included in any of the four TNS typical mnemonics as in EGDBF FACE = Treble Clef and GBDFA ACEG = Bass. Trying to add the Ledger lines above, or below oi in the middle with Middle C is a daunting task for anyone of any ability.

5. All of the above are also defined by the Emoji based representation of the Musical alphabet in multi-modal and multi-sensory format of a/ Letters b/ colours c/ characters d/ lines and spaces on each icon e/ hook and loop touch and feel

3. As a further visual aid the iconography of the Keyboard’s 4 Scales of keys is added to the side of the Grand Staff for an instant reference point to what Line or Space is which; and also identifies the 2 + 3 pattern shape of the ‘Black Keys’.

4. By aligning the TAB staff to the Grand Staff the visual representation of keys and notes on the Bass and Treble Clef can be seen to link directly on to the TAB strings and be further aligned with TAB Fret numbering system

5. The Emoji based Note icons are represented here in Spaces E = 3rd space bass Clef = Blue light shading.

6. The Emoji based Note icons are represented here on Lines A = 5th Line up on the bass Clef = Dark Red line colouring.

7. The (critical) link of Middle C on the Grand Staff is permanently represented as a Dotted i.e. Ledger Line.

8. The addition of all of the above makes the ENS suitable not just for Grand Staff but for other instrumentation staves e.g. Alto Clef

Figure V Demonstrates the positioning of the ‘white’ key Emoji-Go printed as ‘stickers’ (under!) the strings on the guitar fretboard i.e. no ‘black keys = Sharps or Flats for beginner learners.

V 1-6 Show the relationship between the TABS Colour-Coded strings EADGBE = BRGVOB and the actual guitar fretboard with Emoji-Go ‘stickers’ for visual fretboard recognition.

V7 Demonstrates the actual string colour in the learning material i.e. E = Blue A = Red etc.

V 8, 9 Demonstrates the Fret numbering system i.e. 0 = Nut 12 = Octave and adjacent Fret

Lettering using A to G Emoji-Go colour coded stickers. N.B. In TABS system only the numbering of nates in a tune are displayed making this a mono-modal method of learning with monochrome numbers on monochrome strings. Compare this to multi-modal learning of letters and numbers thus assisting all abilities and especially assisting those with Dyscalculia and/or short term memory issues trying to find, then play a sequence of numbers.

V 10 , 11 Demonstrates the Chord Patern Recognition System with the allied Finger numbering where further information can be added to assist the learner i.e. 3u = 3rd finger under (the 2nd finger) and 2o = 2nd finger over the third.

Figure W Demonstrates the same Fretboard system with added 1/ Sharps 2/ Flats. These are a ‘strip’ of adhesive ‘sticker’ in the relative colour and the lettring of the sharp/flats e.g. G#/Ab = Violet /Red.

Figure x Demonstrates the chord shapes applied to the 12 frets to the octave showing Am in the 1/ Open 2/ 5th 3/ 8th 4/ 12th positions.

Figure Y

Continuing the process and practice of making music notation user-friendly the complexities of the TNS system with the notation system of the following makes the learning and memorising difficult and daunting on top of/part of the ‘six inconsistencies’;

1/ Note Values – Breve = 8 Beats, Semibreve= 4 Beats, Minim = 2 Beats, Crotchet =1 Beat, Quaver = ½ Beat

2/ Rests - As above for Rest Values

3/ Time Signatures – 4/4 3/4 Upper = Beats per bar Lower = Value of Beat i.e. 4 = Crotchet

4/ Key Signature – Showing Circle of Fifths – Up 5 = Sharps e.g. C to G add F#. Down 5 = Flats e.g. C to F add Bb.

5/ Rhythm – Showing ‘Tika-Tika’ but think Salsa – Waltz – Jive etc.

6/ Melody – The tune!

7/ Music Notation – And there is a LOT more.

These concetps alone are difficult enough to learn, teach, explain and memorise as well as the voluminous detail and segemtation beneath each one.

In order to make the 1-7 concepts fun and memorable and take the fear out of these as word based language ie. Notes, Rests, Time Signatures etc. the Emoji classification system has been applies to bring the final ‘jig-saw pieces’ on music into the same Emoji-Go language i.e. Go = Language.

Apps & LMS

EmojiPhonics Systems?

HERE WE COME!

Representation only of the ENS applied to Happy Birthday on open source music notation software Musescore n.b. the following three song examples are to demonstrate the coloured notation part of the ENS system including Emoji Music and Melody Making Muscle Memory, Mood and Mode Mover (M8)and keyboard stickers; thus allowing any song to be transposed instantly to any key on the keyboard and thus viewable in that key on the keyboard with the Major, Minor and 5 Modes. The use of the three song fragments is allowable by copyright law as they are a demonstration only and not the full pieces. Also Happy Birthday has just (after 80 years) come out of copyright.

Overview of the need for a SpLD and other Disability coloured notation system.

For over 1,000 years the Guido D’arrezo Traditional Music System (TNS) has prevailed with the vast majority of music publishing being done by publishers and the associated printing trade especially since the advent of copyright for those able to collect copyright as well as design, distribute and sell music. Technology has ‘changed the game’ with either bought or open source software able to be used by millions such a s Sibelius (bought) and Musescore (open source). Yet the (‘same old, same old’) TNS system prevails despite or because of its universal acceptance if not appeal and ‘inherent flaws’ as cited herein.

However there is a recognition for the need for (not just) those with SpLD’s like dyslexia but everyone to have coloured notation system (not claimed as part of this Patent but a core part of the Emoji Aplhanumeric Spectrum system i.e. ENS). See the Musescore Forum thread below from 2013 and follow up in 2015 With anyone able to ‘make music’ (Musescore is the world’s largest open source software) the follow up to learning the Emoji Notation System would at the least be the ability to write and publish music based on the system; free for all, as a rainbow based lines and spaces is not part of the Patent. At present however please note that the system Musescore Staffline Colorizer is a ‘workaround’ not part of the Musescore System (as understood by the author – searching for dyslexia friendly coloured notation). The ENS system would have some/ all the incorporated technical features e.g. Super Staff, Emoji based chord such as Claude The Crab as show in Figure Y etc. in this Patent application

“Estimeed Music Score, 2013 from Forum - https://musescore.org/en/node/23419

I'm Carmelo Farinella, an Italian music teacher. I'm an expert in Specific Learning Disabilities and I published a book about Music and SLD (Musica a scuola e disturbi specifici dell'apprendimentohttp://www.artestampaweb.it/scheda&id=297).

In a part of book I analyze the potential of musical software my as far as SLD is concerned. I'd suggest to you the opportunity to create a new essential software or to increase Music Score features, able to allow some devices for dyslexic students or musicians (as coloured notes, etc...) when they write music, able to avoid the crowding effect. It would be useful for everybody. I could suggest you the features that a new software would have. I thank you for attention.

2013 Church Organist Thank you for suggesting this Carmelo. The MuseScore development team is very committed to making MuseScore suitable for special needs, as the recent initiative to include Braille shows, but we really need more information. Would you be able to provide us with a summary of your work in English which addresses the main points required for an application to be SLD friendly?

2015 From Forum https://musescore.org/en/node/86811#comment-383381

Hi :) Does anyone know if I can add colours to piano lessons I'm designing for a dyslexic child? I'm thinking in particular of composingon a ledger with each line a different colour of the rainbow to start with. Thanks!

See Musescore Staffline Colorizer – a workaround’ with an odt file as cited in Forum.

Arrangeme Sheet Music with Noteflight or Flat.io Classroom Colors?

SOON!

Fig AB – Emoji Notation System- ENS System Applied To Song Sheet Music Via Colour Enabling Software and or grahic designed printed material for learning, playing, teaching. Representation only of the ENS applied to Happy Birthday on open source music notation software.

AB 1 The Super Staff as cited above with Treble and Base Clef featuring Keyboard graphic horizontally placed for instant recognition of where each note – white or black – is found in realtion to the Treble and Bass staves.

2 The time signature Colour Coded to reflect the key i.e. C = Yellow to allow the learner to instantly know which key they are playing as a visual aid to add to the (often confusing) array of sharps and flats which do not indicate the actual letter that the key is in. Thus A Major has 4 # Shaprs FCGD but the learner has to work out the key from that rather than seeing a Red Time Signature. The Colour Coded Key Time Signature also refers to the Colour Coded Line of the Key i.e. A = Red as well as the Emoji based Notation on the ‘Muscle Memory, Melody and Mode Mover’ and Keyboard and/or Guitar Fretboard.

3 Colour Coded Chord Name e.g. C = Yellow; providing recognition of the Chord to play in colour as well as letter; thus a multi-modal approach. Advantageous for Dyslexics who will confuse letters and which note they represent –especially when numerous Chord Changes are indicated. Just from reading the colour code and applying to the instrument keys via the Emoji Chord Notation the chord can be played. See next.

4 Mode Chord Emoji Character Visual Aid e.g. I Chord = I iii V Emojis = Happy + Spanish + Rock Emojis. The persoanlisation via names and styles creates visual and visceral stimulation of sight and feeling as the universally recognised ‘character’ of each Emoji adds to the Chord name, composition and character. Thus a I Chord is now multi-modal and multi-sensory versus a (confusing for those with Dyscalculia) I iii V Numeric or (confusing and dull for everyone) Greek naming system of an Ionian.

5 Additional visual aid of the Muscle Memory aid using the graphic device of Claude The Crab to indicate a hand and finger position of T1 3 5. Providing further emotional stumulus in learning, practicing and long term as well as short term memory.

6. Coloured Notes – as detailed previously to futher assist in the complex task of playing notes and/or chords and reading words. The Note Colour Coding is also doubled up in terms of learning and memorisation as well as playing and singing with the Coloured Words. See next.

7. Coloured Lines - as detailed previously It can now be seen that the combination of Coloured Notes, Lines and (see next) words provides a triple indication of what and where to find and play/sing a tune.

8 Words – for those with Dyslexia and/or other SpLD’s as well as those without, the reading and playing and singing is a multi-tasking exercise. The ability to sing the correct notes via the coloured words is added to by the use of colour in the words to reduce Visual Stress as advocated by the British Dyslexia Association. Continued…..

Disney Songs + Rock + Pop +Folk + Spiritual + Classical + Every Genre Sheet Music SOON!

Fig AB Continued – Emoji Notation System- ENS System Applied To Song Sheet Music Via Colour Enabling Software and/or graphic designed printed material for learning, playing, teaching. Representation only of the ENS applied to Happy Birthday on open source music notation software.

AB9 Colour Coded Accidentals i.e. Sharps # and/or Flats b. The Colour Coding of Accidentals gives instant recognition of which (black) note to play on the Sheet Music and as associated on the ENS keyboard and fretboard colour coded stickers. Playing accidentals in any key adds a level of confusion and complexity to everyone of every ability. The use of Colour Coding of these extraneous symbols and making them ‘user friendly’ aids the learning and playing experience versus the monochrome experience of seeing an ( additional often crowded) extra piece of notation information.

10. 11, 12 – The Emoji Notation System using the (known affectionately as the) ‘Three Chord Trick’. Anyone learning music – with or without notation can be encouraged by the numerous music books and on-line (YouTube etc.) offerings of the ‘Hundreds’ of popular songs able to be played with the three chords of the I iii V; with the additional bonus of the Four Chord multitude of other songs with the added vi Chord. The visual representation of these chords uses the Roman Numeral lettering to depict these are Chords versus Numbering of Notes i.e. 1 = 1st Note 2 = 2nd note etc. Whereas a I Chord = 1st + 3rd + 5th Notes IV Chord = 4th 6th 8th i.e. 1st . The use of three or four Emojis stacked up provides a visual and mental recognition system of short and long-term memory aids.

13 Allied to the ‘Muscle Memory, Melody and Mode Mover’ with the printed Emoji I iii V Chords and ENS Key/Fret stickers the I iii V Three Chord Trick can be learned, played and taught; Further to this the ability to transpose the I iii V to any key is now made visually possible through moving the Emoji ‘Muscle Memory, Melody and Mode Mover’

14, 15, 16 The combined learning, teaching and playing of the multi-modal and multisensory system using the Emoji Notation of Fig 14- Roman Numeral Chord Notation i.e.. I iii V + Chord Naming i.e.. Major Minor: Plus Fig 15 of the ‘Muscle Memory, Melody and Mode Mover’ allowing Note finding and transposition; Plus Fig 16 positioning exactly over the correct keys on any keyboard provides the visual and visceral learning experience and stimulation need to overcome the TNS ‘inherent difficulties’ and create a faster, colour coded, simpler, disability and difficulty friendly way of learning, playing and teaching.

Nearly There!

Fig AC – Emoji Notation System- ENS System Applied To Song Sheet Music utilising the Emoji ‘Muscle Memory, Melody and Mode Mover’ with the Ionian (Iconic The Ionian Emoji) on the Key of C thus creating the key of C Major, A minor and the full 7 Greek names Scales /Modes.

Figure AC I Demonstrates how the integrated usage of a/ The Emoji ‘Muscle Memory, Melody and Mode Mover’ relates to b/ the printed key stickers on the keyboard and these in turn relates to c/ the printed fret stickers on the guitar fretboard.

Figure I also compares the vertical, monochrome (sometimes) two-tone Guitar Chord Notation System (GCNS) based on the formation of fret ‘patterns’ and the numbering of the frets 1 to 12 on the E String = E to Octave E; also depicted by ‘dots’ encapsulated on the guitar at intervals 5, 7, 9, 12 – sometimes also depicted on the visual GCNS to assist learning.

Figure AC 2 demonstrates the use of Numeric ( Fingers 1 2 3 4 ) and Colour Coded ‘Finger Finder’ ABCDEFG = ROYGBIV providing a/ the numbering b/ colour coding as a visual aid both in positioning and as part of the chord pattern see Fig 5 and c/ direct reference on the guitar via the ENS which Note, Letter, Colour, Line, Space, Whole Note or Sharp and Flat.

Figure AC 3 demonstrates the comparison of a Colour Coded Numeric Finger Finder with the monochrome dot on the GCNS with none of the above cited in AC2.

Figure 4 demonstrates the use of additional Fretboard information in the form of a/ which core guitar shape is used e.g. the C Shape is used on each fret of the fretboard and is notated as such in Yellow = C allowing the learner to know exactly which ‘shape’ to apply (see also Claude the Crab and Stretchy The Spider for keyboards) thus creating an image for ‘Muscle Memory’; the E Shape is used on each fret of the fretboard and is notated as such in Blue = E: The 7 Chord of the E Shape uses the altered 7th Note Shape with the colour of the appropriate7th , The Chord components are then annotated as well in the Spectrum Coded ROYGBIZ = ABCDEFG to further enhance the multi-modal learning and aid short and long term memory for both those with and without difficulties or disabilities.

Figure AC 2.1. 2.1 and 4.1 4.2 demonstrate the same process on the IV and V Chords asteh I Chord in Figure 2; thus allowing the use of the ‘Three Chord Trick’ to allow users to play ‘hundreds’ of popular songs just using the chord shapes, finger numbers, colour coding, chord shape and allied fretboard stickers.

Fig AD – Emoji Notation System- ENS System with ‘Play-On-Words’ Lyric Colour-Coding, Applied To Song Sheet Music in the Key of G; the first key ‘up’ on the Stairway of 5th The ‘Muscle Memory, Melody and Mode Mover’ thus move up form the Ionian root at the Note C to the new root of G; therefore in the key of G requiring one # i.e. F Sharp = the ‘7 Up’ sharp added in each extra key going ‘up’ the Stairway of Sharp # 5th notes i.e. C = the 1st note in the Key of C D=2nd , E=3rd F=4th , G=5th . creating the key of G Major with the Relative Minor of D Minor.

Fig AD 1 shows the ENS system versus the TNS system Clef notation of monochrome, single reference Treble Clef versus full spectrum Colour Coded Lines as well as shaded Spaces plus a graphic representation of the keyboard itself aligned to each note.

Figure 2 demonstrates the monochrome (confusing, unrelated to the actual name of the key) sharp of F# versus the Spectrum related # of (Indigo/Pink) Letter F thus creating instant visual reference plus aligned reference to a/ the F Pink (top) Line as well as the Keyboard and Fretboard F Pink on a Line sticker.

Figure 3 provides the learner with a visual colour coded time signature in the colour of the Key that the music piece is written in i e Violet 4/4 = Key of G Major

Figure 4 (also see 6) provides colour coded reference versus monochrome notation of the Chord to be played i.e. G = Violet

Figure 5 ‘Play-On-Words’ provides the learner with an additional – or can simply be used separately for all learners (for playing without music notation) and specifically for those with learning or other difficulties - visual colour coded lyrics e.g. the first words (are not actually Cecile as most people think!) of Cel = Orange = B; ia= Violet = G.

Figure 6 provides the learner with an additional memory aid of the Emoji Chord Notation of Emoji ‘Smileys’ i.e. in this case the I Chord Emoji in G of the Ionian 1st , Phrygian 3rd and Mixolydina 5th .

Figure 7 demonstrates the EGBDF Colour Coded Lines with BVOGI(Pink); colouring for a/ line/note on the line identification b/ reducing high contrast glare of black on white e.g. for Dyslexia/ Visual Stress.

Figure 8 provides the learner with an additional support for knowing the Chord being played with ‘Beamed Notes’. i.e. C Major = Yellow

Fig AE – Emoji Notation System- ENS System Applied to Song Sheet Music as graphic designed printed/on-line material for learning, playing, teaching with the addition of Fig 2. The ‘Play-On-Words’ Colour Coded Lyrics 3/ the ‘Muscle Memory, Melody and Mode Mover’ apllied to the Emoji Character A to G Rainbow Spectrum Key Code; also depicting 4/ the associated I IV V Chords on the Guitar Fretboard as cited above in the Key of G i.e. G C D.

From now on it’s all those other attempts –but none about SEND!

Fig AF– Emoji Notation System- ENS System compared to Monochrome TNS Music Notation in the Key of F with Bb; Applied to Fig 2 Song Sheet Music as graphic designed printed/online material for learning, playing, teaching with the addition of the ‘Music and Melody Making Muscle Memory, Mood and Mode Mover’ (M8) allied to the Emoji Character A to G Rainbow Spectrum Key Code; also depicting the associated I IV V Chords on the Guitar Fretboard Fig 3 as cited above in the Key of F i.e. F Bb C..

Figure AF thus demonstrates the integrated way the ENS system work for Keyboards and guitar with other music instrument notation to follow e.g. violin and other strings.

Background

Despite over 500 recorded attempts (as cited) including Patents (see prior art herein) at overcoming, or at least obviating in part the complex, confusing, monochrome and visually overpowering 1,000 year old Guido D’Arezzo Traditional Music Notation System (TNS) with its inherent difficulties and inconsistencies i.e. As cited in USA Invention No. EP 1829013A2 ‘Problems with prior art music notation and teaching systems are as follows. a) Complex & Cumbersome b) Not Intuitive c) Expensive d) Lack user friendliness for teacher and student e) Tedious to teach and learn f) Not conducive to self-teaching g) Do not help create master musicians let alone pushing the envelope Another problem with prior art music notation systems is that it can take seven to eight years for children to familiarise themselves with traditional notation’ there are few references (only one Patent found once mentions dyslexia) looking to provide any form of musical notation, reading, teaching, writing, multi-sensory, difficulty and disability friendly playing system catering for the estimated 20%+ of the world’s population with Specific Learning Difficulties SpLD’s.

Nor are there solutions apart from Braille Music (and as referenced under Musescore open-source technology music notation) covering age related and other visual, mental, emotional or physical difficulties and disabilities; who would all benefit from music learning and playing as this ‘whole brain’, ‘muscle memory’ building activity creates an emotionally stimulating experience and aids memory and other physical development.

Nor as, or more importantly in number alone, is there (as cited) as yet a recognised and universally adopted system for the 80% of the population who simply find music notation and instrument playing too difficult, demanding and daunting, although the considerable (but segmented into disability, or generic learning categories) research shows the substantial educational, learning, physical, emotional and relational advantages of learning, playing and sharing of music; and the musical learning and playing experiences they create – see cited references and obviating the ‘inconsistencies’ as cited in USA P 1759382 A1 as ‘traditional notation's six inconsistencies in clefs, octaves, intervals, keys, instruments, and octave-divisions'

The research herein cites a staggering 95% of students i.e. nearly all, who then went on with further education to US College for those who studied music versus 50% i.e. only half, for those who didn’t –with USA totals of those studying music now down from 45% to 33% i.e. nearly half to only one third, since the 1980’s and critically 95% of US households who don’t have a musical instrument and (even) “The Beatles, The Stones, Jimi Hendrix, and the vast majority of popular musicians don't (won’t/can’t) read or write musical notation” making this a global need for the significant immediate and lifelong benefits music making provides everyone, every age, every educational level, every ability.

The Emoji-Go Notation System (ENS) added to the Traditional Notation System T+ENS relates to both specific learning and other difficulties and disabilities as well as the generic issue for everyone with the inherent difficulty of learning, teaching and reading music to create;

1/ a modern system using Emoji Symbols and ‘Smileys’ (courtesy Emojione) where translated from Japanese Emoji-Go E = Picture Moji = Character i.e. a combination of art, image and design to convey meaning in simple, fun, colourful, emotion giving format; to generate information, speed communication, drive learning and engage enthusiasm (via all communication/technology devices)

2/ that’s visually appealing, memorable, and has easily readable notes, numerals, numbers, modes, staves, tabs -for all ages and abilities

3/ a visceral processes for multi-sensory learning as well as visual disability/blind learning and playing, with touch and feel based hook and loop (Velcro) ‘coins’

4/ a multi-modal musical language for learning and teaching that’s fun, simple, graphic e.g. colour-coded Lyrics (Play-On-Words)

5/ a colourful, user-friendly, simple system with practical playing tools; either with music notation reading – or without the need to read music - versus Traditional Notation System TNS with its monochrome, complex, confusing Staves; or guitar Tabulature (Tabs) also with confusing numeric notation; an anathema to those with dyscalculia and e.g. short term memory retention and visual (small numbers – the ‘cramming efect’) reading difficulty with dyslexia etc. The Emoji-Go Notation System (ENS) is based on the global phenomenon of Emoji icons (6 Billion Emojis sent each day) and its universally understood concept/language; for its inherent contextual and emotional language and meaning, with the iconography and engaging design recognised by all as Emojis.

The Emoji-Go based system is further allied to an alpha-numeric spectrum (rainbow) coded notes, keys and frets with a physical (sticker) application and ‘finger-tip’ based reading/sticker system, plus allied spectrum coded (ABCDEFG = ROYGBIV) Grand-staff, and Tabulature (guitar Tabs – EADGBE = BRGVOB) for reading music.

The technology for achieving (in part) the colouring of the Staff lines, notes and Tabs does now exist e.g. thanks to the disability addition at Musescore (open source notation) with ‘Musescore Staff Line ColorSizer’ inspired by a forum discussion about dyslexia.

The entire Emoji-Go Notation System (ENS) will create a visually based system for 1/ staff and tab notation

2/ the corresponding ‘keys, mood and mode mover’ i.e. an A3 width movable teaching and playing sheet placed behind the keys according to which key or mode in that key is chosen

3/ an adhesive sticker system for keyboards and guitar notes and frets with a/alphabetic based characters e.g. A is for Red Apple on Lines or Spaces b/ Modes with Emoji-Go ‘Smileys’ referencing with visual icon and mood related proper name for the (complex and daunting) Ancient Greek nomenclature e.g. Ionian, Dorian, Phrygian etc. and

4/ fingernail Emoji-Go Thumb and Finger adhesive numbering system for obviating ‘left/right’ confusion, finger numbering difficulties and chord pattern hand shaping in developing ‘muscle memory’

5/ viscerally based touch and feel adhesive application for keys (with Velcro based hook and loop) for generic learning and specifically for visual difficulties and disabilities up to and including ageing and blind.

Critically, given the inherent learning curve and difficulties with TNS the Emoji-Go based system creates the desperately needed emotional desire to want/love to learn and play music - for all ages and abilities; and specifically for both the 20% of the population with SpLD’s – Specific Learning Difficulties of Dyslexia, Dyscalculia and (recently discovered) Dysmusia; plus those 10% (who clam cited in US statistics) to need toned glasses or contact lenses who have visual impairment or blind; or those who are best served with tactile i.e. kinaesthetic sensory learning as opposed to visual learning as music is a ‘whole brain’ activity, as cited c.f.

“In the brain, reading music is a widespread, multi-modal activity, meaning that many different areas of the brain are involved at the same time. It includes motor, visual, auditory, audio-visual, somatosensory, parietal and frontal areas in both hemispheres and the cerebellum – making music reading truly a whole brain activity” The Conversation.

Application

The present invention of a ‘Musical Notation System’ and ‘Emoji-Go Keys and Key Signature ABCDna Code’ with ‘Emoji-Go Memory Mapping’ and ‘Emoji-Go Finger Pattern Muscle Memory Recognition’ is a design system for learning, reading, playing, writing and teaching music by updating, extending (not radically altering), modernising, making colourful, fun, user-friendly, physical, visual, verbal, tactile and thus critically accessible to all ages and learning abilities the 1000 year old ‘traditional notation system’ (TNS) by Guido of Arezzo based music notation system of mono-chrome 5 Lines and Spaces with black notes and other notation on white background.

The TNS system with its cited in over 500 patents and attempts to improve or radically change the system – but only one mention for the specific learning difficulties of millions of people with SpLD’s of Dyslexia, Dyscalculia, Dysmusia having so many numerous inherent difficulties of learning, reading, playing and memorisation – for anyone, never mind the millions of people with learning difficulties or disabilities.

As cited in USA P 1759382 A1 as ‘traditional notation's six inconsistencies in clefs, octaves, intervals, keys, instruments, and octave-divisions': To which would/should and MUST be added a seventh, that of SpLD’s and other and all visual difficulties.

The enormous additional and deeply significant advantage of music learning (as cited herein) is that learning music assists everyone by building academic capability in all areas of learning by increasing the use of left brain and right brain integration thus leading to 90% of students in a music learning environment going on to College versus 50%.

The ‘Musical Emoji-Go Code’ overall system is designed for everyone and anyone, for both its own use of having the pleasure and joy of making and playing as well as the significant generic advantage of improving all areas of learning as well as life and is for every age and learning ability as well as for those with visual impairment, but especially specific learning difficulties (SpLD’s) including dyslexia, dyscalculia, (plus the recently discovered) dysmusia as well as for the general population of all ages who find music learning difficult, tedious, boring and extremely complicated (with an estimated 7 years learning to proficiency and concept understanding); by bringing 21st Century learning methods together with the visual, universally recognised and colour based communication devices and iconography of Emojis (with over 6 billion sent every day in every language and culture) into the 1000 year old monochrome dots on lines or spaces music notation system - by creating;

1/ a visually based universal music code, language and alpha-numeric notation system using Emojis (E=picture, moji= character) to represent the notes as well as the Lines and Spaces positioning (via graphics) of ‘Flaps’ for Lines or ‘Gaps’ for Spaces (bearing in mind that these change to the opposite each octave above or below thus making music notation even more confusing and difficult to learn) plus associated numerous additional learning and design features for those with or without learning difficulties of

2/ a colour spectrum as a key element of the ‘Musical Notation Emoji-Go Code’ and pictographic coded Emoji-Go iconography depicting the 7 notes of the scale in rainbow colours i.e. ROYGBIV to represent the keys, critically starting from A (not C) to G + Emoji-Go’s i.e. A = Red Emoji-Go Apple, B = Emoji-Go Boy Orange Hair, C = Emoji-Go Clapping Yellow Hands, D= Emoji-Go Dog on green grass/background, E = Emoji-Go Blue Eyes, F = Emoji-Go Pink/Indigo Flowers, G = Emoji-Go Girl Purple/Violet clothes thus facilitating both visual memory and a way to verbally express which formerly black dot is taught i.e. a new language

3/ explaining the complicated concept of Modes as a fundamental part of the Musical Notation EmojiGo Code and Emoji-Go Memory Mapping e.g. Dorian, Phrygian, Mixolydian etc. by using the highly visual and emotionally expressive Emoji-Go Characters of the globally used language of different ‘Smiley’ faces to each represent a different Mode and giving each Mode both a personalised name related to its Greek name to make it fun, memorable and a ‘talking point, as well as a ‘style that is recognised as prevalent in that Mode e.g. D. O’Rian the Dorian who is Irish or Phrygia the Phrygian who is Spanish

4/ colour coding and making visually acceptable to those with difficulties like Meares/Irlens or Scotopic Sensitivity Syndrome i.e. ‘visual stress’ with a combined Treble and Base Clef and Tabulature ‘grand staff’ of spectrum colours thus reducing the black/white contrast making sight reading impossible for some (the author included)

5/ an Emoji-Go based ‘ABCDna chain graphic’ related to the glyphs having either a place on a Line or Space throughout the staves as part of the Grand Staff to create a ‘super staff’ as the written (sheet music) part of the Musical Notation Emoji-Go Code, to represent the Lines and Spaces in visual form to assist in note and chord recognition whilst at the same time further reducing the colour contrast of black notes/stave on white background as recommended by dyslexia specialists

6/ the use of Emoji-Go characters as ‘teachers’ in the on-line and paper based teaching system being used as visual graphics in a Moveable Alpha-numeric Pattern and Sound System (referred to later as MAPSS) as an A3 printout placed behind the keys, for keyboard comprehension of keys e.g. G has F#, F has Bb etc, as well as chords and modes, to explain musical concepts e.g. an Emoji-Go boy walking and jumping to represent whole steps, half steps; also an Emoji-Go with glasses to act as a ‘fun’ i.e. nonthreatening teacher/mentor and information point for additional learning

7/ associated spectrum colour coded (Velcro) ‘hook and loop coins’ for Finger Pattern Muscle Memory

Recognition use as physical reference for a/ people with learning and/or visual difficulties b/ creating multi-sensory experience for all abilities as part of the learning process – this process able to be used for piano/keyboards and guitar fretboard tool creating what is referred to in music as ‘muscle memory’.

8/ For younger children and those with SpLD’s requiring physical movement co-ordination the Emoji-Go sticky concept is also as a core early learning method of Emoji-Go Finger Pattern Muscle Memory

Recognition used to provide Emoji-Go ‘finger symbol stickers’ for keyboards Thumb – 1 plus Fingers 2345 and guitar where the 1st Finger is 1 for fretboard fingering. This use of finger stickers allows finger/muscle memory and teaching on piano/keyboards e.g. F135 on keys 135/CEG is a chord.

Allied with the keyboard sticker and hook and loop tactile and colour coded ‘coins’ instant/faster scales and chord playing memory is created. The same finger/muscle memory and teaching process with Emoji-Go ‘finger symbol stickers’ for guitar with F1234 for fretboard playing of scales, notes and chords provides the teaching with visual and tactile learning in watching the finger patterns needed and finger

number positioning on the fretboard – adding to the traditional learning method of using ‘dotted’ fret board patterns which (unfortunately) are so numerous and difficult to remember and learn with myriad shapes and patterns across the fretboard and no numeric and physically visible system i.e. finger positioning reference point giving a visual and tactile muscle memory aid.

The Emoji-Go based music language and alpha-numeric system with self-adhesive stickers for keyboard and guitar fretboard applies to;

1/the verbally coded (ABCDEFG) key notation using the colour and design coded system to symbolise and make instantly recognisable the notes, staff lines and spaces

2/ the numeral based (1,2,3,4,5,6,7) musical notation of keys and frets in all key signature

3/ the numeral based chord notation system ( I ii iii IV V vi vii) used for teaching chord progressions, songs and modal playing. The system creates a sight and additional touch (for the visually impaired) based reading and playing system - with

a/ finger placing adhesive images and colour coded ‘touch pads’ of different textures for lines and spaces on keys/fretboard via applied markings

b/ the spectrum coded glyphs as the music notation using Emoji-Go based letters, numbers and numeral recognition characters

c/ scale and mode pattern recognition using dedicated graphics applied to either notes on lines or in spaces allowing a ‘movable’ universal key, scale and mode finder for keyboards

d/ key signature and music notation recognition via an Emoji-Go-coded Grand Staff with additional Tabulature (for guitar) clef recognition design and colour coding with a ABCDna shaped Clef icon.

The universal understood and globally used language of Emojis, which are used to express emotions, actions, information in a pictographic i.e. no-verbal way by conveying instant understanding and communication is turned into a music notation system and is directed at benefiting both the 80% of the population of all ages (as cited herein) with no specific learning difficulty or disability (SpLD’s) and more specifically at the estimated 20% of the world’s population (as cited) with specific learning difficulty or disability (SpLD’s) especially those that impact heavily on the ability to learn, read and play music, as well as additionally those with visual impairment, through use of the sensory different (hook and loop) touch pads:

These SpLD’s include dyslexia, dyscalculia, dysmusia, recently recognised as a separate and distinct difficulty associated with right brain issues versus dyslexia with left brain difficulties; and visual stress, causing music notation to ‘jiggle’ around and therefore difficult to follow, also known as Meares-Irlens Syndrome or Scotopic Sensitivity Syndrome.

The Emoji-Go/Colour Spectrum/Flaps & Gaps (for Lines and Spaces) based musical notation and key/fretboard marking system, plus ‘Moveable Music Alpha-numeric Pattern System (i.e. visual maps of keys, modes etc) creates a fundamentally different approach to giving people of all abilities a way of learning, playing, writing and teaching music that utilises both current academic research e.g. overlearning and long term memory retention (c.f. Ebbinghaus) plus disability research, learning styles, personality profiles as well as ancient wisdom going back to Greek philosophers i.e. mnemonics.

The system is based on current internet global practices of electronic usage for personal communication of the non-verbal Emoji ‘universal language’; building on the popular culture that is inherent in the ubiquitous use of Emoji c.f. Emotional marketing platform ‘Emogi’ has released its 2015 Emoji Report, detailing the widespread use of Emoji. The report found Emojis are used by 92 percent of the online population http://www.adweek.com/digital/report-92-of-online-consumers-use-Emoji-Go-infographic/. Also Oxford Dictionaries named ‘Face With Tears of Joy’ its 2015 Word of the year Oxford Dictionaries noted that 2015 has seen a sizable increase in the use of the word "Emoji" and recognised its impact on popular culture. Swyft Media estimate 6 billion emoticons or stickers are sent every day via mobile messaging apps worldwide

Additionally, via the visual and spectrum colour coded usage of a/ Emoji-Go picture graphics and glyphs as note and chord reference points as well as b/ scales and mode recognition through ‘smiley’ face recognition, the methodology combats the many and varied difficulty issues inherent in a 11- 13th Century system of musical notation (cited herein)which is now also recognised as an anathema to those

with learning difficulties including dyslexia and dysmusia as well as those without SpLD’s i.e. black and white dots on a black and white background and the physical layout of the piano keyboard or guitar fretboard that many of the 500+ (as cited) attempts at providing alternative systems have attempted to overcome.

The Emoji-Go based learning, playing, writing and teaching approaches the methodology of learning, memory, playing and teaching in a structured approach that pertains to the following separation of the complex issues involved in learning and playing of music. These are;

1. Motivation – is at the core of the music learning and playing system owing to its complexity (as cited in all prior art herein) as well as its ability to be read, learned and retained by those with learning disability and difficulty. With the USA as an example (in a cultured country with high educational standards) see citation later: “In 1982, 47 percent of U.S. adults had taken a music class at some stage during their lifetime. However, by 2008 this share had dwindled to 35.6 percent of U.S. adults” and “The total number of people in the USA playing a musical instrument is 18m = 5%.” This leaves us with 95% of the population who could benefit from easily accessible music for all, whether they would like/love or wanted to learn and play music for personal or educational development reasons. The additional benefits of learning a ‘right brain’ activity which adds to all educational development make this a critical educational as well as cultural issue. Motivation is the critical element to learning. The methodology must therefore be motivational. By using an ‘emotion’ based process of enjoying not only the learning but creating the desire to want to both learn and to ‘overlearn’ as well, and creating the continued desire to practising and playing based on the current phenomenon of Emoji-Go’s which provide the following;

a. Emoji-Go character reference points e.g. A is a red Apple for the physical positioning of keys; versus a keyboard with no reference points for each note apart from the layout of black notes giving a visual clue to the key e.g. C is below the D and E sharp keys; or the ‘dots’ on a guitar placed at various levels after fret 3 and 5.

b. smiley face emotional reference for the scale and modes versus black musical notation or number based Tabulature notation

c. Emoji-Go based ‘mentors’ as part of the reading and learning material to make the learning ‘fun’ and explain the learning process i.e. the Emoji-Go character smiley with glasses as a character called ‘OLLIE’ which stand for Over Learning and Locked In Exercises

2. Memorisation - using overlearning for short term memory building and mnemonics for long term memory retention and repetition of learning to ensure high levels of retention c.f. Ebbinghaus – The Forgetting Graph https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forgetting_curve

3. Manual Keys/Frets Application for a combined alpha-numeric and Emoji-Go glyph character system i.e. A to G and Line/Space recognition of keys, chords, extensions, additions through of an adhesive sticker system for keyboards (piano) and fretboard (guitar) of the Emoji-Go characters. Emojis (e=picture moji = character) as cited are a global phenomenon with billions sent and read daily, allowing emotional and non-verbal language to convey thoughts, feelings and actions by images and colour without the need for the written word - which may be inadequate, unable to be expressed, or where too many words are needed to deliver a message requiring instant meaning transfer. Compared to traditional music notation and language (besides being complex, without colour and visually dull and difficult to comprehend) Emoji-Go’s are memorable, simple, universally used, loved and understood and accepted as part of C21st language c.f. “Oxford Dictionaries Word of the Year 2015 is… That's right – for the first time ever, the Oxford Dictionaries Word of the Year is a pictograph: officially called the 'Face with Tears of Joy' Emoji-Go”. This universal and global language of visually expressed emotion and graphic characterisation can also be applied to instigate and create enduring desire and love to play and read music at each of three levels through a/ simplifying the learning process itself b/ making it enjoyable, memorable and easy to relate to, and therefore creating an emotional and intellectual loop that self sustains the (previously arduous and lengthy) traditional notation learning and memory system, c/ through the use of colour, graphics, design and character recognition to make the usage user-friendly to both those with or without specific learning difficulties.

4. Moveable Alpha-numeric Pattern recognition system using Emoji-Go Smiley’s to identify the keys and patterns to be used in scales i.e. modes by creating instant face recognition for identifying and utilising scales patterns into modes i.e. Major and Relative Minor and associated modes patterns i.e. Dorian, Phrygian, Lydian, Mixolydian, Aeolian (relative minor) and Locrian.

5. Music Notation recognition system using the Emoji-Go characters which are spectrum coded where A is red to G is Violet and/or coloured notes in musical notation and/or coloured lines

(where traditional notation needs to be made) and as now available to be used in on-line music notation and song/score creation programmes c.f. MuseScore.

The present invention for this Emoji-Go based music notation learning system addresses each of these five learning and playing issues and additional difficulty and disability needs by creating and developing a short and long term ability to want to, and be ready, willing and easily and rapidly able to learn, and critically want to (i.e. emotionally engaged to) also sustain the learning; to play and create music, both for its own sake, and the pleasure and enjoyment of others, and for the sake of building (as cited) significantly greater overall academic learning ability through generating music ability i.e. by integrating right brain and left brain thinking skills (as cited).

The methodology for learning/teaching is done by utilising three levels of musical self-learning, or assisted teaching, and/or apps, and/or on-line learning - for the following types of learner

1. complete non-musicians who wish to only play for pleasure without music reading ability;

2. student learning of music theory and practice prior to full music learning and teaching with the traditional notation system

3. sight-reading level of the traditional notation system (TNS) with added ‘reasonable adjustments’ of a/ associated note and/or line spectrum coding to facilitate ease of use for above mentioned difficulties and disabilities as well as general use for automatic note and stave recognition for all users (see MuseScore open-source platform dyslexia adjustments later) and b/ reading material background colour coding (choice of colours) to ease visual stress.

The present invention is based on a new form of integrating the concept, principles and practice behind Emojis (e=picture moji = character) into standard (sheet) music notation and instrument (keyboard and fretboard) note and finger pattern learning via self-adhesive and additionally with the sensory (hook and loop) self-adhesive, different textured and multi-coloured pads –both for extra tactile/multi-sensory learning and for people with visual impairment.

The musical Emoji-Go system with spectrum based notation learning graphics and colour coding, creates a glyph (musical note or number) based graphic re-interpretation of the traditional notation system (TNS) and colour/spectrum coded notation and keys.

The system incorporates other learning mechanisms and processes including;

A/ heuristics (rules of thumb)

B/ mnemonics

C/reasonable adjustments (as described in UK law) for people of all abilities and especially those with specific learning difficulties and disabilities (SpLD’s).

The musical Emoji-Go Notation and key/fretboard sticker system can be used to create a variety of learning tools, building together to create an enhanced and multi-media learning system of;

A/ simple and instantly memorable heuristics (rules of thumb) that appeal to ‘fast thinking’ versus the ‘slow thinking’ psychological processes c.f. Daniel Kahneman (Nobel Prize Winner). ‘Slow thinking’ is a ‘system 2’ process as defined by Kahneman (Thinking Fast and Slow – Penguin UK 2011) which is required mental process with the traditional (complex) music notation systems; this creates stress both psychological and physical

B/ ‘musical mnemonics’ i.e. visual and verbal memory devices that help short-term memory and can develop long term memory especially when used with (recently researched long term benefits of) ‘overlearning’ techniques; with over-learning made fun and desirable replacing (or enhancing) the separate (and confusing to those with SpLD’s like dyslexia use of EGBDF FACE & GBDFA ACEG system of mnemonics like ‘Every Good Boy Deserves Favour’ which creates separate learnings for the lines and spaces as well each stave)

C/ making ‘reasonable adjustments’ i.e. not onerous on the creator of tools/product or services for learning difficulty or disabilities; notably with integrated letter/ numeral/ number/ note / staff/ background colour-coding system assisting those with dyslexia, dyscalculia, dysmusia and visual stress

i.e. Meares/Irlens syndrome. Each of these levels integrates with traditional notation system rather than trying to replace it.

The three levels depicted are;

Level 1/ through (simple) heuristics i.e. rules of thumb (literally and figuratively- as the thumb is used!in the case of music) requiring or needing no knowledge of music notation or playing ability, for those who would like to play – within a very short time frame i.e. minutes/hours/days not weeks/months/years - without the need for music notation, teaching or learning courses; as cited being complex, flawed, difficult, time consuming.

An example of musical heuristics comes in the rhyme Lines and Spaces Make Musical Aces. EVERY 3, 4 or More of the Lines or Spaces creates a chord or extension e.g. 1 3 5 + 7th 9, 11, 13th with the additional tactile usage of hook and loop stickers being either Hook (‘Ruffy’ for children) or Loop (Fluffy) giving powerful visceral reaction and finger muscle memory.

The musical Emoji-Go system allows for an instant ‘visual pattern recognition’ (VPR) for creating harmony via chords, extensions, inversions and an instant ‘finger pattern recognition’ (FPR) for creating melody through the use of note playing and recognition of tetrachords, scales and modes.

Level 2/ through music memory-making mnemonics and (newly researched power of) over-learning making the music learning process considerably shorter, longer-lasting imagery and symbol understanding, simpler, easy and most importantly fun and therefore making students (of all ages and abilities) likely to ‘stick the course’ as well as made easier and accessible for those with learning difficulties and disabilities; thus reducing the (cited in prior art) 7 to 8 years of learning and (cited in prior art) inherent lessening number learning, from 45% USA to only 35% learning music; or dropping out of learning and playing music at all i.e. with only 5% of US population owning/playing an instrument, thus 95% USA not owning an instrument.

Level 3/ accessible music making by making (UK law language of) ‘reasonable adjustment’ for writing, reading and sharing music notation; applicable for all – the 80% of people with no specific learning difficulty but who find music either difficult or too long to become proficient (7 to 8 years as cited) and specifically for the 20% with specific learning difficulties, SpLD’s of dyslexia, dyscalculia and dysmusia, but who have the additional learning burdens on top of musical complexity and/or time to learn either inherent in the traditional notation system (TNS) and/or not covered (at all!) in any of the patents for alternative music notation systems cited herein (part of the 500+ alternative methods as cited by the Association of Music Notation) all trying to alleviate the former issues of notation complexity but not addressing learning difficulties or disabilities.

Level 3 is created by linking the musical Emoji-Go key colour code and picture/glyph based system to newly available and accessible coloured notation technology; this may be of either colour notes and/or staff lines c.f. MuseScore – open source free technology used by millions to create and share music and now with a new development based on assisting those with dyslexia and ‘visual stress’ or Meares/Irlens Syndrome with coloured notes and/or staff lines.

N.B. Many of the ‘alternative’ music notation systems look to radically alter or remove the traditional notation system owing to its complexity etc. and/or have no link with their altered system with Traditional Notation System - TNS.

Given the world (is ‘stuck’) with centuries of TNS and it is a universally used system, despite its flaws and failures the author believes it critical to have a direct interface and usage of the TNS (not a new system) at each and every stage of the present invention.

This approach also applies to the (more recently created) ‘Tabulature’ system for guitar music notation requiring number based notation on guitar fretboard strings; this now being able to be supplemented with the present invention of use of Emoji-Go’s and finger pattern recognition.

With further reference to the language, graphics, glyphs and use of Emoji-Go’s (e=picture moji = character) it is best described as being non-verbal and highly visual utilising colour, graphics, expressions (smileys), actions (dancing), interests (cars), nationality (flags), success indicators (ticks and crosses) etc. It is used to create a visceral reaction internally (I feel good) and externally (I smile or laugh).

The expressions and graphics create thoughts and feelings in the user and sender which can thus be utilised to obviate and/or overcome the many and various inherent flaws of the written word; visual expression coming ‘original man’ via cave drawings signs and symbols (see Von Petzinger First Signs) to create ‘glyphs’ i.e. pictures having meanings then turned into hieroglyphs i.e. the first Egyptian word based language.

We therefore come full circle to the non-verbal, visual and visceral language of Emoji-Go’s. The present invention uses the basis of this universal language which can thus be utilised to also obviate and/or help overcome the numerous, over-facing, demotivating flaws of traditional notation system (TNS) through integrating colour, names, numerals, staff positions etc.

The triple benefit of making music learning available and accessible for all is that it makes music learning ‘desirable’ and ‘fun’ for

1/ those without learning difficulties as well as

2/ for those with learning difficulties and as importantly

3/ for assisting everyone with building academic capability in all areas of learning by increasing the use of left brain and right brain integration thus (as cited) leading to 90% of students in a music learning environment going on to College versus 50%.

The process of using Musical Emoji-Go’s works through both the application of visual and visceral learning applied to people of all abilities as well as specific difficulties through colour coded alphanumerics linked to key names, scale numbers, chord names.

This process using heuristics and mnemonics aids music learning and develops the brain for all learning.

A search in any music shop or on-line search for ‘music teaching for specific learning difficulties SpLD’s’ –or specifically for Dyslexia, Dyscalculia or (newly discovered) Dysmusia (all of which can have allied symptoms of Attention Deficit Disorder and poor short and/or long-term memory) in toto reveals that little or no real solutions for pedagogic support exist for those with SpLD’s.

These difficulties/disabilities added together may account in total for up to 15-20% (or more) of the population with disabilities. USA figures alone for dyslexia put the estimate nearly 50 million people c.f. ‘The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services estimates that 15% of the population has dyslexia’.

A further search or personal awareness among family and friends of those with any level of intellectual difficulty and low aptitude over complicated issues/learning increases the need for ‘user-friendly, simple, fast, easy, memorable music teaching’. Add in everyone else who has no problems academically or otherwise but who just ‘gave up’ trying as it music is “too difficult”, “too time consuming”, “not worth the effort” or just “dull and boring” while learning, and the number of people not benefitting from a musical education is staggering.

Thus, as quoted in a research study; “Despite the number of people playing rising steadily in the past, the share of adults taking a music lesson or class during their lifetime seems to be diminishing. In 1982, 47 percent of U.S. adults had taken a music class at some stage during their lifetime. However, by 2008 this share had dwindled to 35.6 percent of U.S. adults” and “The total number of people in the USA playing a musical instrument is 18m = 5%. This leaves us with 95% of the population who could benefit from ‘accessible music – for all, if they would like/love or wanted to learn and play music for personal or educational development reasons.

The benefits of learning music also go way beyond music itself as research shows musical learning increases all aspects of educational ability as it integrates both left brain (words) and right brain (creative/pictures) thinking.

However, a search for information regarding the specific disabilities of dyslexia, dyscalculia, dysmusia and other physical or mentally related difficulties like ‘visual stress’ reveal considerable interest and often heavily researched content – both from academics, teachers and organisations e.g. the British Dyslexia Association BDA.

The gap between the ‘need’ for a new and radical approach to music learning and the actuality of one existing could not be wider.

There is a voluminous number of music books, apps and on-line teachers, YouTube offerings, as well as home based teachers for piano and guitar (specifically covered in this application) as well as guides and apps for scales and chord charts or for learning TABS i.e. Tabulature.

Each and these attempts to deliver music theory but too often through traditional pedagogical methods including the use of mnemonics like Every Good Boy Deserves Fun and All Cows Eat Grass which as stated then separate out the musical alphabet into two distinct areas for each staff i.e. 4 mnemonics to remember whilst trying to figure out what note/s to play.

As well as a number of purchasable solutions to assist learning like self-adhesive stickers there are many ways people overcome the poor provision of a simple learning system by DIY methods – like colour stickers or names on the piano keys or guitar frets themselves. (My daughter’s violin teacher used

coloured spots but she later gave up learning altogether as there was no corresponding written notation)

Whilst the self-produced and/or shop bought items do exist they do not cater for people with learning difficulties. Authorities like the BDA will advise that learning aids for dyslexics can benefit everyone with faster learning and deeper retention c.f. repetition beyond simply being able to do a task for long term strategies is good for dyslexics and research now demonstrates ‘over-learning’ benefits everyone. This application specifically is about learning tools and a system for those with but also without SpLD’s i.e. everyone; specifically at this stage it relates to keyboard instruments including pianos, organs and electronic keyboards as well as guitars and covers the learning of music

a/ without the need for sight reading off a page through simple pattern recognition of an EmojiGo based musical glyph applied to the instrument

b/ the use of simple sight reading without staves for guitar via the system applied to Tabulature (TABS) and to a full Emoji-Go and/or only colour coded musical notation system.

The present invention is multi-faceted in its use as all learners of whatever ability or otherwise have different/stronger or weaker ways of learning e.g. colour based, word based, picture based. The system is for teaching, learning and playing for all ages and abilities. It doubles in its use of multi-coloured print and shapes (Emoji-Go’s) on self-adhesive clear acetate/vinyl or other printable material capable of creating either embossed or tactile surfaces i.e. hook and loop (Velcro) of different textured finishes as well as for the notation system. Current music technological solutions are beginning to make a small appearance for those with dyslexia viz. the use of colour notes and/or staves e.g. with MuseScore. The advantage of this it being able to take students on from being solely reliant on the Emoji-Go system to having learned how and what to play via the complete system to then go on to the intervention of colour coding the notes or staves but according to the present invention specification rather than random colour coding or the spectrum starting on other notes like C – which is confusing compared to tying in the Spectrum with the Alphabet i.e. ABCDEFG = ROYGBIV.

The Emoji-Go based (i.e. an alpha-numeric, Colour coded pictographic glyphs) ‘Muscle Memory, Melody and Mode Mover is a moveable alpha-numeric pattern system that has several distinguishing and complementary learning aids to assist both specific learning difficulties and disabilities as well as general music learning and memory.

The learning devices include the Alpha-Numeric ABCDEFG Sound Spectrum for Colour, shape and name recognition and the Graphic Notation and Note System using Emoji-Go’s for recognition of musical glyphs with the ‘Flaps and Gaps’.

The Emoji symbols are also used to generate emotional engagement and increase desire to learn music, as a ‘fun’ element to also encourage (recently uncovered research on) ‘over-learning’ for longer lasting memory retention as well as (recently researched) ‘dysmusia’ to overcome sight and learning issues.

The Emoji based characters and notation is used to create a Multi-Modal Learning System for three types of Specific Learning Difficulties (SpLD’s) and/or assist those with certain levels of visual difficulty (eyesight and ‘visual stress’) and/or for all learners of any academic level.

The system provides visual reference points, emotional as well as physical sensory input and a variety and/or total combination of differing learning aid inputs that are;

1. Visual – for sight issues

2. Vocal – for mnemonic repetition and ‘over-learning’ by singing the names of the shapes, letters, numbers, characters; verbal for written and spoken repetition as well as singing;

3. Visceral input via combining finger placement in patterns that are Colour coordinated e.g. C Major is Yellow Blue Violet as well as Clap Eyes Girl with the Lines with ‘Flaps’ or Spaces with ‘Gaps’ depending on the position on the keyboard and alternating in Octaves thus making sight reading more understandable.

Emoji-Go’s as Graphic Learning Devices (e=picture moji= character) create a mnemonic in a multi-modal and multi-coloured grapheme (a picture is worth a thousand words) and thus building on the popularity of Emojis for people to overcome the emotions (see below) e.g. fear of learning the difficult, confusing and visually challenging nature of music notation – especially to those who also are either aware (or not) of any SpLD’s.

The system has been designed by and for those especially with SpLD’s as well as all learners to encourage anyone to learn music as the (research shows) learning of this right and left-brain activity increases the overall learning capability. The system features the following;

a. Dyslexia – confusion of letters i e note names ABDDEFG but especially (as for everyone) reversing the musical alphabet i.e. GFEDCBA; also, recognition of letter intervals e.g. “Go from A Major to E minor”

b. Dyscalculia- confusion of mixing up or remembering numbers or sequences i.e. Note numbers used in scales and modes 12345671 and the reverse 1(8) 7654321, and Roman Numerals used in chords i.e. I ii iii IV or the reversing or mixing of Chord numerals vii. V. ii, iii, V I etc. e.g. “Go from A Major7 to E minor 9/11” or “Go in Dorian from the ii (written) two (spoken) to the vi (written) 6 (spoken).

c. Dyscalculia – confusion of the written (representational) number of numeral and knowing that it means a physical number or numeral e.g. V = 5. To alleviate musical Dyscalculia, Emoji-Go ‘Smileys’ are used in the naming and description of Modes and thus the Chord and Numeral/Number of any key. These provide an alternative music numbering and Roman numeral system as the visual representation of that number or numeral e.g. 5 or V = The 5 Smiley = Mixy the Mixolydian = The ‘Rock’ mode. Any person with the SpLD of dyscalculia may also have difficulty recognizing a set of numbers e.g. 3 5 7 or numerals iii, V, vii. Dysmusia - confusion of symbols and especially ‘visual stress’ i.e. black notation on a white background leads to inability to distinguish the notation. The Moveable Alpha-numeric Pattern and Sound System obviates/mitigates this

d. Generic Difficulty with all levels of academic ability as music is a different, difficult new language and complex visual as well as verbal use of notation, names, numbers, Roman numerals, Greek names of modes e.g. Ionian, Dorian, Phrygian, Lydian, Mixolydian etc. e. Visual Difficulty – i.e. eyesight either visual impairment or ‘visual stress’. The use of the Emoji-Go’s (and see notation system) in a/ Colour and b/ with sensory different key application e.g. embossed or tactile materials allow the visual and visceral modes of learning to be altered to suit the needs of the specific learning or generic difficulty.

Emojis are used as emotional learning devices to add to their visual, visceral and verbal employment as described above as the language of musical Emoji-Go’s. The use of Emojis as emotional devices to assist learning creates a recognisable and international language (a ‘smiley was the ‘Word of the Year’ in the Oxford Dictionary) and assists the learning of the language of music in several ways

a. ‘Smileys’ are used to express emotion of the writer – thus creating and emotional connection with the author of the work as well as to create an emotional reaction in the student as well as teacher of the system e.g. “This is fun! He makes you smile too!”.

b. Emoji-Go character as musical glyphs e.g. Red Apples = A, Green Dog E, give a glow of recognition and familiarity.

c. Emoji-Go character faces as musical glyphs create ‘human’ interactive emotions e.g. Boy B and Girl G allow the user to relate to a perceived real character learning and playing as they are.

d. Emoji-Go characters as musical mentors makes self-learning as well as teaching easier to create and emotion and use as a discussion point e.g. Clapping hands C = ‘praise’ when playing that note singly, in a melody or harmony in a chord

Emoji-Go Based Mnemonics – Musical mnemonics using the Emoji-Go and sound spectrum system create a multi-modal learning process using each of the different elements of the system e.g. an EmojiGo red apple in combination with the letter A in the overall musical grapheme creates A is for (red) Apple. N.B. ‘A is for Apple’ is not a mnemonic until is placed in context of a drawing (Emoji-Go –picture/character) i.e. with the Colour red, pus the letter A.

Other mnemonics are the use of Colour as in the spectrum to link the name and the note together i.e. ROY. G. BIV = ABCDEFG. See also the use of ‘Flaps’ and ‘Gaps’ to create mnemonics for melodic and harmonic construction e.g. “Flaps or Gaps for the same above or opposite to the root below.” Memory devices for people with SpLD’s as well as anyone on the academic spectrum are critical devices for building long term memory.

Colour to Sound Musical Note Spectrum – Colour is the useful tool employed here for visual recognition of a specific note and name. However, rather than random assignation of Colour, or basing the spectrum on the starting note of C = Red, D = Orange etc. (as C is perceived as the ‘most’ important base note to start learning on keyboards) the spectrum based system starts on A.

The mnemonic device of allying A as the start of the alphabet and Red as the start of the Spectrum is used with both having 7 components as this creates a mnemonic device that is universally understood against both the alphabet and the spectrum/rainbow. Additionally, the use of Colour on the stave – both for a/ lines (strong Colour) and spaces (lighter tone b/ notes allow for the user with ‘visual stress’ to be able to differentiate the otherwise black and white notes, symbols and lines against a white (high visual contrast) page/background that can create difficulty in deciphering what is where.

Visual stress with high contrast sight reading material can further lead to perceived ‘movement’ e.g. jiggling’ of the notes. This apparent ‘movement’ can make it impossible for sight reading when the music is too difficult to ‘see’ (as experienced by the author who had to give up learning the piano at the age of 12 after 7 years hard study from the age of 5, as the notes became too numerous and ‘moved’ on the page.)

Lines as Spaces as Visual Learning Devices as ‘Flaps’ and ‘Gaps’. These ‘Flaps’ and ‘Gaps’ are graphic (Emoji-Go based) representation of the notes on lines or ledger line giving them ‘Flaps’ on each side of the note as a grapheme and b/ graphic representation of the notes in ‘spaces’ giving them the visual representation of being in the middle of two ‘Gaps’ on a ladder. Where they are ‘Gaps’ the graphic (Emoji-Go) appears with the notes above and below represented (in Colour where applicable) as the lines i.e. ‘Gaps’ to go up or down to reach the next note above or below the ‘Flaps and Gaps’ are used in the following ways.

Visual recognition of the placing of the single notes on the instrument i.e. Middle C has a ‘wing’ graphic as it is on the ledger line between the Treble and Base Clef. E above C has a ‘wing’ graphic as it is the first note on a line of the lines of EGBDF. The self-adhesive notes on the instrument may also have additional physical attributes with the ‘Flaps’ being embossed, or additional tactile multi-coloured (Velcro) coins.

Visual recognition of the placing of the combination of notes on the instrument for a/ intervallic recognition e.g. wing to rung = 2nd and wing to next wing up = 3rd intervals.

Visual recognition of the placing of the any combination of ‘Flaps or Gaps’ notes on the instrument allowing the ‘same’ type of imagery to create a visual placing of the fingers to create harmony with basic chords i.e. any 3 sets of ‘Flaps’ or a ‘Gaps’ with a root note to depict all types of chord structures from that root note i.e. Major, Minor, Diminished

1. Visual recognition of the placing of the any combination of ‘Flaps or Gaps’ notes on the instrument allowing the ‘same’ type of imagery to create a visual placing of the fingers to create harmony with chords extensions from 7th up i.e. any 4 sets of ‘Flaps’ or a ‘Gaps’ with a root note to depict all types of chord structures from that root note Major 7, Minor 7, 7th Chords.

2. Visual recognition of the placing of the any combination of ‘Flaps or Gaps’ notes on the instrument allowing the ‘same’ type of imagery to create a visual placing of the fingers to create harmony with chords extensions from 7th up to 9th , 11th , 13th i.e. a 5 based (not necessarily together or in order) sets of ‘Flaps’ or a ‘Gaps’ with a root note to depict all types of chord extensions from that root note

3. Visual recognition of the placing of the any combination of ‘Flaps or Gaps’ notes on the instrument allowing the ‘opposite’’ type of imagery i.e. any 3/4/5 sets of ‘Flaps/Gaps’ with the’ opposite’ of ‘Gaps/Flaps’ down from a root note to depict all types of 1 3 5 + 8 chord structures from that root note as described above.

4. Verbal signaling by the student or teacher to use to demonstrate or question a student as to whether the notes or intervals or chords are on the ‘same’ or ‘opposite’ of the ‘Flaps’ or ‘Gaps’ of the root or other note combinations e.g. extensions where a 7th, 9, 11, 13 will always be on the same ‘wing’ or ‘rung’ as the root going ‘up’ the scale or the ‘opposite’ going down the scale.

The ability via the Emoji-Go Finger Muscle Memory stickers on the fingers to use two core ‘shapes’ with names to teach basic chord shapes i.e. 1 3 5 1st Major. By replacing the 3 with a 2 or a 4 Note and Finger = 2nd and 4th Chords. This hand position is described as the ‘Crab’ where the ‘Claws’ of fingers 2 and 4 are used to create ‘added’ 2nd or 4ths . For chord ‘extensions’ the name of the Fingering Muscle Memory shape is the ‘Spider’ with the 1 2 3 used on the major or minor 1 3 5 and the 7th or further extensions or inversions used with the 4th and 5th finger (or the Octave).

e. Visceral recognition for all students of notes as a ‘wing’ or ‘rung’ with the use of ‘embossed’ and/or otherwise different textured material on the physical representation of the note e.g. a self-adhesive label with raised embossed outlines of each ‘wing’ or ‘rung’ or the hook and loop will assist all students with the ‘touch’

of a Line or Space being different and opposite to each other, thus creating a multimodal learning system.

f. Visceral recognition for people with those with visual impairment or visual stress also able to relate to the note and the placing of the note and where to put the fingers with a different ‘touch’ and ‘feel’ and different texture e.g. CEG in Middle C position = Line Line Line and/or ‘Ruffy, Ruffy, Ruffy’. DFA = Space Space Space and/or ‘Fluffy Fluffy Fluffy’.

3. ‘Flaps’ and ‘Gaps’ as Lines and Spaces are used for a key notation system for a/ self-adhesive use on keyboards and guitar or other stringed instruments with or without frets e.g. guitar or violin and b/ for music notation on paper or electronic devices. The terminology as well as the visual appearance of ‘Flaps’ and ‘Gaps’ is important in utilising these images as a way of identifying a/ the note itself both in written form and placed manually on the instrument or made electronically visual as part of the teaching or playing b/ to identify the playing of intervals as in a melodic progression i.e. a wing/line to the next rung/space is a 1st interval, a wing/line to the next wing/line is a 3rd interval etc. c/ to identify chord structures both above a root note i.e. two Flaps and/or ‘Gaps’ which are played ‘above’ a root note will create the following chords Major, Minor, Diminished e.g. in C Major starting from Middle C. CEG have ‘Flaps’ and create C major. DFA have ‘Gaps’ and create D minor, FAC have ‘Flaps’ and create C major, BDA has ‘Gaps’ and creates B Diminished.

• The ‘Flaps’ and ‘Gaps’ are part of the visual identification system of notes allowing instant recognition of where the note is placed a/ on the instrument in a self-adhesive material and b/ for sheet music. The sheet music can be utilised for a/ notation on staves, tablature, guitar chord frameworks; b/ used in a linear way for sight reading without music notation.

• Flaps description – Two extensions ‘Flaps’ in circular images containing (also see full Emoji-Go based note description) a/ the note letter b/ an ‘Emoji-Go’ that depicts the letter in a visual and colourful way e.g. Red Apple for A; Green Grass Dog for D; Violet Girl. The extension ‘Flaps’ can be used either in black and white notation as a visual sign of the placing on the stave or where Colour in used to further differentiate the notes (see Colour coding) the coloured lines are the same as the spectrum Colour e.g. A has ‘red Flaps’; C has ‘yellow Flaps’. The following are the music notes with the ‘Flaps’ on a line, or a ledger line i.e. Treble - Middle C on a ledger line, and EGBDF on the treble stave and ledger lines above (or stave above) ACE etc.: Base lines notes are as follows; ACE etc. or on staves below Base Clef GBDFA with C (again) on the Middle C ledger line.

• Gaps description – The ‘Gaps’ are lines drawn both above and below a note (as described above containing letter, Emoji-Go symbol and where used spectrum related Colour) which is in a ‘space’ on the music notation system i.e. a treble clef, or may be used to depict other notation systems e.g. TAB system for guitars where the notation line represents a guitar string i.e. EADGBE. (N.B. Guitar notation uses the Grand Staff notation system where Middle C is represented one octave below on the A String and thus the ‘Flaps’ and ‘Gaps’ are placed in the lower octave register) For music notes in a space on the stave or in a space between ledger lines the following letter notes are as follows; Treble Clef – the D below Line E on the treble stave, FACE and spaces above this stave and between ledger lines or on higher staves i.e. GBD etc. For the Base Clef, the ‘Gaps’ used are DF between lower ledger lines and ACEG in the spaces on the Base Clef with B above the A line and below Middle C.

4. Colour Coded Musical Notation The current system, for anyone with Dyslexia, of learning the position of notes on a stave based on a (meaningless) set of acronyms leads to inherent difficulty anyway as they are letter based and likely to be mixed up, forgotten or have no use in long term memory while trying to play a piece of music with a focus on notes and/or key signatures, while also trying to navigate high contrast white paper and black ink So EGBDF and FACE as cited leads to father difficulties viz;

• The acronyms are not integrated so in going from a line to a space two sets of acronyms need to be applied

• The acronyms may work for music learning going up the scale but are not taught or useful when coming down the scale i.e. from F to D to whatever is next; or from F to G in a space to whatever is next

• The acronyms do not work when trying to read chords with alternate lines and spaces

• The acronyms only apply to each stave with the Treble and Base being different and thus introducing four different memory devices

• Neither is there an acronym or basis for utilising ledger lines above or below the staves or between the two with Middle C.

The usage of the Musical Sound Spectrum on the notation system while learning and affixing the order and placing of notes on each stave and the ledger lines ensure the following;

1. The spectrum is used as a continuum across all staves so joins al the notes in one system –without the need for four (confusing and disability unfriendly) acronyms – however wellmeaning they are taught as part of life’s musical heritage – but little else to prove their worth while playing music.

2. The spectrum of Colour applies to both the lines and the spaces and thus integrates them into one flow of lines and spaces rather than black line and white spaces being two distinct systems of reading the stave.

3. The spectrum of lines and spaces in Colour alleviates the syndrome of ‘visual stress’ - as identified in the author by Dr. Bruce Evans – Research Director of the Institute of Ophthalmology, as well as the BDA who advocates the use of coloured glasses or coloured (acetate) overlays for paper based systems or backgrounds for electronic background changes.

5. Colour Coded Musical Symbols. Learning the key structure of Sharps and Flats of 12 keys either separately as the learning goes from C to G# D# etc. or Fb to Bb etc. or as an entire system on the ‘Circle of Fifths’ is complicated and visually challenging to anyone let alone with SpLD’s. The Sharps and Flats symbols on the stave are as challenging with visual stress, attention deficit and poor working memory. The use of Colour-coded musical symbols of sharps and flats on both the physical keyboard or fretboard with self-adhesive stickers and/or as part of the visual learning system builds symbol recognition as well as understanding of the key structure with a build-up of Colour graphics on each of the next levels of the Circle of Fifths. Thus, each sharp or flat i.e. # or b has a central Colour of the Key that it belongs to. Each additional addition to a new key adds an extra Colour to the symbol. Combining this use of coloured musical glyph it the use of two additional sharp and flat symbols on the physical keyboard with the use of the self-adhesive stickers as in the following

• Each black key has its own two-tone symbol with the sharp at the bottom and the flat at the top.

• Each key during the learning process gets and added self-adhesive sticker to be placed on the key to be sharpened or flattened. This symbol then has the corresponding number of previous sharps or flats embedded within the design.

• The overlearning process using the Emoji-Go based system builds pattern recognition of the keys, the scales and the need for sharps or flats using the Circle of 5ths as EmojiGo steps which demonstrates to need for the semi-tone on the last note of that keys Tetrachord i.e. 7th note, or the flat needed on the last key of the bottom Tetrachord in that key i.e. 4th . The Colour-coded sharps and flats indicate which ones are needed in that key.

5. Finger Positioning Based on Using All or Specific Parts of the System notably the ‘Flaps and Gaps’ System

The system further encourages simple finger patterns using the device of the printed A3 sheets to learn remotely without the instrument to create finger muscle memory, not only the patterns for the scales and modes via the numbering and Emoji-Go (smiley) based numerical system but also the fingering pattern allied to remembering Colour chord combinations, as well as Tetrachord fingering patterns based on the colours and numbers. Each of the fingers are given an Emoji-Go based character for the student and/or teacher to know which one to place where.

Prior Art.

The following extracts from some of the numerous inventions and backgrounds to the inventions depict the areas that these inventions are trying to address as described in EP 1759382 A1 as ‘traditional notation's six inconsistencies in clefs, octaves, intervals, keys, instruments, and octavedivisions'. This invention also raises the following general observation about all inventions and attempts to overcome the ‘inconsistencies’ of traditional notation, viz. ‘Over 500 alternative music notation schemes are described in Music Notation Modernization Association's "Directory of Music Notation Proposals"… None of these proposals has provided a sufficientlycompelling benefit to become broadly popular.’

The following extract in Invention No. EP 1829013A2 also highlights the overall problem faced by anyone (let alone those with SpLD’s) in trying to learn music viz. ‘The Morpheus notation system …….makes it possible for children, adults, elderly and the blind to learn a musical instrument. The method also leaves the students with the option that they never have to learn any traditional musical theory of any level.

Problems with prior art music notation and teaching systems are as follows. a) Complex & Cumbersome b) Not Intuitive c) Expensive d) Lack user friendliness for teacher and student e) Tedious to teach and learn f) Not conducive to self-teaching g) Do not help create master musicians let alone pushing the envelope Another problem with prior art music notation systems is that it can take seven to eight years for children to familiarise themselves with traditional notation.’

The critical point being that traditional notation is so confusing and difficult to learn that there is and remains (as ‘None of these proposals has provided a sufficiently-compelling benefit to become broadly popular.’) a distinct and critically obvious need to ‘try something different’ to render the traditional system better with each of these 500 alternative schemes; and go so far as many authors do to attempt to patent these ideas.

The same inconsistency of ability to convey meaning and emotion is as obvious in written language, made worse as we live in a global world, multi-cultural, multi-language society where difficulty in translation and getting across emotional as well as intellectual meaning has resulted in the ‘new’ language of Emoji-Go’s: Where e=picture moji=character which are able to convey meaning in a simple, universally understood, colourful, fast, emotionally expressive, non-verbal way that leads to short and long term memory and visual recognition. The opposite of these being what could be called the 6 inconsistencies of written language i.e. compare a ‘smiley’ to trying to express that as a human emotion requires different languages (not universally understood), each with words in black on white (lacking colour and therefore monochrome conveying no emotional connection for example to the ‘happy’ yellow of a smiley face like the yellow of the sun), fast ( no single word would be good enough to convey the numerous impressions of a smiley face – especially given the additional elements of colour and facial expression), even the eyes being open or closed express the level of emotion (which could be calibrated by most people on an emotional score), and critically to all of this is done in a non-verbal way that is clear and usable in instant sight-reading as well as able to be retained in long term memory. All of this is further amplified by the specific requirements of people with specific learning difficulties where colour, background, symbols and a learning system meet the specific needs e.g. alphabetic simplicity for dyslexia; numeric and numeral simplicity for dyscalculia; visual simplicity for dysmusia..

Thus by the same token traditional notation is a non-verbal way of expressing the language of music in a universal way but not only retains the ‘6 inconsistencies’ that make it so difficult that over 500 attempts have been made to create an alternative but also the traditional system fails to do what Emoji-Go’s do to written language i.e. create a language that is both simple, universally understood, colourful, fast, emotionally expressive, non-verbal way and also retains the core language of the written word while overcoming the inconsistencies of a language in black and white with no inherent i.e. visual emotional content.

By highlighting the reasoning behind these inventions and not attempting to compare or denigrate these (as others may do in trying to substantiate their inventions) is a way of bringing to light the core reasons for these inventions i.e. a system which fails all but the select and either gifted and/or extremely diligent in time spent

Yet none of the numerous inventions seems to attempt to cover the needs of people with specific learning difficulties even though in some cases e.g. use of colour that these needs may have been met. An invention such as this one aimed at SpLD’s (as the author faces theses) would allow students and teachers to attempt to address these issues. Bearing in mind that there is no one solution to difficulties as everyone learns and reacts differently to each type of difficulty or disability.

US 20080141848 A1 This invention below aims to alleviate the whole traditional notation system by, as cited ‘eliminating the common symbols for notes and pitches and replacing them with an easily learnable system’. The abstract for this invention covers the key areas that each and/or all of the subsequent inventions cited state as the reasons for the need for a/ alteration of the existing system with the written traditional notation system b/ alteration of the existing system with a new physical learning or keyboard/fretboard system e.g. paper strips or adhesive notation c/ completely new system for paper or electronic notation e.g. Isomorphic system – see later.

The reason for citing each and all of these is to highlight the many and varied views of the current system’s failures and shortcomings and allow a comparison of these failures and shortcomings to be made with the proposed invention based on a new Emoji-Go-based language. Additionally, it should be noted again that none of the systems while referring to music learning (general) difficulty make reference to the 15%-20%+ of people with specific learning difficulties (estimated at 40m USA alone with dyslexia)

Music notation system and method

US 20080141848 A1

ABSTRACT

Various embodiments of this invention relate to improved systems for music notation. The systems for music notation improve upon conventional systems by eliminating the common symbols for notes and pitches and replacing them with an easily learnable system. By use of this system, a pedagogical system for music is also disclosed that further improves upon the conventional systems known in the art.

FIELD OF INVENTION

[0001]

Various embodiments of this invention relate, generally, to systems and methods for music notation; more particularly, to systems and methods for music notation that improve upon the conventional system for music notation and, thereby, aid in music pedagogy.

BACKGROUND

[0002]

Music notation, in varying forms, has existed for several millennia. There is evidence of a type of music notation used by the Egyptians from the Third Millennium BCE. Also, India's long history of sophisticated musical notation is demonstrated by musical treatises that have appeared throughout Indian history, going back to the Vedas composed from around 1500 BCE through around 500 BCE.

[0003]

The current common system for music notation is attributed to Guido D’Arezzo, an Italian Benedictine monk who lived from 995-1050 CE. His revolutionary method, combining a 4-line stave with the first form of notes, paved the way to the five-line stave, which was introduced in the 14th century. Guido D’Arezzo achievements paved the way for the modern form of written music, music books and the modern concept of a composer.

[0004]

Today's western standard system for music notation uses one or more staves and written symbols in order to designate the playing notes on the instrument. Pitch is represented vertically on the staff, with higher pitches placed higher on the staff on or in between staff lines. Time, meanwhile, is represented horizontally on the musical staff, with left-to-right representing the passage of time.

[0005]

A staff typically features a clef that indicates the particular range of pitches encompassed by the staff. Time signatures are placed at the beginning of staves in order to designate measures, which are sections of the piece of equal duration (with measure lines). A time signature of 4/4, for example, specifies that each measure will have four quarter notes worth of time per measure, the top numeral functioning as a cardinal number and the bottom numeral functioning as a code for quarter note. Key signatures are also placed at the beginning of a staff and serve to designate the key of the piece by specifying certain notes to be held flat or sharp throughout the piece, unless otherwise indicated.

[0006]

Then, throughout the musical staff, appear the notes that are played by the instrumentalist. The notes' location on the staff (relative to a given line or lines) indicates the notes' pitch. The shape of the note and its flag indicate the length of the note and duration between two notes. Chords, or multiple notes played at the same time, are designated by notes placed vertically over one another. Also, special symbols are provided for rests of various lengths.

[0007]

In this manner, the Western System of musical notation has been generally successful in allowing music composers and publishers to distribute musical works. Teachers of music, however, have struggled with the difficulty of teaching the Western System to music students. They have developed several cumbersome mnemonic devices, in order to assist students to learn the pitches on the staff. Unfortunately, these methods are oftentimes difficult to learn, and often are simply ineffective. Also,

the difficulty of deciphering musical notation is often an added frustration to the already difficult task of learning to play music on a musical instrument. To the novice music student, the complex system of clefs, key signatures, and notes can appear as daunting as learning hieroglyphics, and that often detracts from the student's enthusiasm for taking up an instrument in the first place. Such complexity also detracts from the simple joy of playing music that is pleasing to the ear.

[0008]

For these, and other reasons, numerous alternative systems for musical notation have been developed. U.S. Pat. No. 1,383 to Harrison, for example, discloses a system for musical notation comprising the placement of the first seven numerals over and under a simplified staff in order to designate the playing of musical notes. U.S. Pat. No. 6,528 to Heeringen, like several other U.S. Patents, discloses a system for musical notation wherein notes of different shapes (unlike the oval used in conventional notation) are used to designate different information. In Heeringen's patent, for example, the different shapes eliminate the use of the words “sharp” and “flat” entirely. Similarly, U.S. Pat. Nos. 482,442; 1,200,367; 1,480,380; and 6,124,540 to Robberson, Kinney, Reeve, and Lotito, respectively, teach systems for musical notation wherein varying shapes of note-heads are used to convey differing musical signals.

[0009]

The system of musical notation disclosed by U.S. Pat. No. 391,887 to Fallon uses letters to notate melodies. Consonants are used to designate pitch, while vowels are used to designate duration. In this manner, the placement of consonants and vowels together can be used to notate a melody. Another novel system is disclosed by U.S. Pat. No. 1,473,495 to Miller, which discloses a musical notation system featuring the illustration of a piano keyboard such that the location of a note on the musical staff corresponds with a location on the illustrated keyboard.

[0010]

A graphical system for musical notation is disclosed by U.S. Pat. No. 3,698,277 to Barra. Barra discloses a musical notation system wherein the notes are represented by rectangles, whose length indicates the length for which the notes are held when played. U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,127,616; 6,831,219; and 6,987,220; to Yu, Bonham, and Varme, respectively, and U.S. patent application Nos. 2004/0,007,118 and 2004/0,139,843 to Holcombe and Forster, respectively, all disclose systems for using colors in musical notation in order to designate various musical commands. U.S. Pat. No. 6,288,316 to Fajardo discloses a system for using new letters, “H, I, J, K, and L,” in order to replace the use of “sharp” and “flat” in musical notation.

[0011]

While all of these patents represent variations on the conventional musical notation system that are directed towards improving and simplifying musical notation, none has successfully disclosed a functioning music notation system that has substantially improved upon the current conventional system, while simultaneously greatly simplifying music pedagogy. In order to address this and other issues, there remains a long felt need in the art for a simplified music notation system that greatly simplifies music pedagogy such that novice students may quickly and easily begin reading music

EP 1759382 A1

This invention below aims to alleviate the whole traditional notation system by replacing it with an ‘isomorphic’ system. The invention is thus able to highlight the inherent issues found by learners but makes no reference to learning difficulties or disabilities.

Isomorphic solfa music notation and keyboard

EP 1759382 A1

Object of the Invention

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an improved system of musical staff notation, chord naming, keyboard note layouts, and harmonic lattices, which substantially overcomes traditional notation's six inconsistencies in clefs, octaves, intervals, keys, instruments, and octave-divisions.

A musical notation system is provided wherein equal sized pitch intervals are represented by equal sized vertical displacements on a musical staff irrespective of the key or transportation of a musical sequence. A clef symbol and diatonic scale indicators are used to indicate the positions of diatonic pitches on the staff.

These five inconsistencies - between clefs, octaves, interval spacing, keys, and instruments - are wellknown. New notation proposals have flourished ever since Guido D’Arezzo invented the first four-line staff (denoting the pitches of the diatonic scale in the key of C (although Guido would not have described it that way) in roughly 1026 AD. Over 500 alternative music notation schemes are described in Music Notation Modernization Association's "Directory of Music Notation Proposals" (written by Thomas S Reed, president of the MNMA, and published by Notation Research Press of Kirksville, Mo, in 1997). None of these proposals has provided a sufficiently-compelling benefit to become broadly popular

The Chromatic Staff

According to Gardner Read's "A Source Book of Proposed Music Notation Reforms", ISBN 0-313-25446X, 1987), a chromatic staff of seven horizontal, parallel lines was first proposed by Roualle de Boisgelou in 1764. A variation, the Nota Graph system devised in the 1930's, uses a staff of seven lines, of which the middle line is dashed. These seven lines define six spaces in between them, providing thirteen unique vertical locations altogether. This is precisely enough to denote each of the twelve notes of the chromatic scale, plus the octave of the first note. Thus, the Nota Graph staff overcomes three of the five inconsistencies of traditional notation thus far discussed - inconsistency of clefs, octaves, and interval spacing - leaving inconsistency between keys and instruments unresolved.

US 2329551 A

This invention below aims to assist the early study of music and overcome issues of complex music notation while highlighting the issue of even ‘elementary forms and values of music notations’. This specific invention while focussed on early learners raises the issue that unless you ‘catch them young’ then there exists a lower likelihood of learning music later. The reduced number of people learning music as highlighted in the USA study also suggests a diminishing cycle, each invention inherently suggesting the cause is the complexity of the language and notation of music. Especially for young learners requiring up to 7 to 8 years of basic study as cited i.e. ‘seven to eight years for children to familiarise themselves with traditional notation’.

Music notation ruler

US 2329551 A

Persons beginning the study of music, especially children of grammar school age, frequently experience difficulty in acquiring sufficient knowledge of the elementary forms and values of music notations to enable them to readily identify and translate the time values of such notations.

A principal object of this invention is to provide a simple and inexpensive device whereby the desired knowledge regarding the timing of various music notations, and other music symbols, may be conveyed to the mind of a beginner student of music in association with corresponding values of distance with which he is already familiar or may acquire in his elementary school work,

The main object of the invention, more specifically stated, includes the provision of a ruler having music notations so arranged thereon with relation to the measures of distance on the ruler that a beginner student of music, by the use of such ruler, will unconsciously acquire knowledge of certain fundamentals of music by his association of the forms and time values of the music notations on the ruler with corresponding values of distance measured on the ruler.

This invention below aims to leave students with the option of ‘never have to learn any traditional musical theory of any level.’ Thus, dispensing with the traditional notation system given the numerous reasons why the system fails on many levels.

Morpheus music notation system

EP 1829013 A2

This invention relates generally to the art of music. More particularly it relates to the art of teaching and learning of music through a simplified music notation system. Even more particularly it relates to a

Morpheus music notation system adapted for key, string, wind and percussion instruments for ease of teaching and learning music intuitively. Unlike prior art bottom up notation systems, Morpheus system is top down, which is intuitive and even conventional in the western languages.

The Morpheus notation system of this invention is adaptable to every single musical instrument (including all key, string, wind and percussion instruments) within the audio spectrum and makes it possible for children, adults, elderly and the blind to learn a musical instrument. The method also leaves the students with the option that they never have to learn any traditional musical theory of any level.

WO 2014028788 A2

This invention below aims to alleviate the problems of traditional notation in an ‘effort to provide musical notation systems that are ‘easy to learn, easy to use, and amenable to representing music of all types and for all instruments’; thus highlighting, once again the complexity of traditional music notation, which does point to the challenges faced by all without comment or reference to either academically challenged or specific learning difficulties and disabilities which exacerbate the problems highlighted.

Musical notation systems and methods

WO 2014028788 A2

A musical notation system employing a dozenal, or base-12 approach to representing musical notes and compositions in a dynamic, clock-face format is described. A static, lined notation system derived from the base-12 radial notation system is also described.

The present invention relates to methods and systems for musical notation. Background

The commonly used music notation system uses a five-line staff, most commonly both a treble and a bass staff. The lines are spaced equi-distant from one another and note pitch is shown by placement of notes with respect to each line of the staff, with notes being located both on and between the lines. Notes representing a pitch outside the five line staff are represented using ledger lines, and some notes are indicated using flat and sharp indications.

A staff of written music generally begins with a clef. The treble or G clef identifies the second line up on the five line staff as the note G above middle C. The bass or F clef shows the position of the note F below middle C. Following the clef, the key signature on a staff indicates the key of the piece by specifying that certain notes are flat or sharp throughout the piece, unless otherwise indicated. Note duration is indicated by different note values and additional symbols such as dots and ties. The musical notation is read from left to right, and measures (bars) divide the composition into groups of beats. The time signature specifies those groupings. Directions to the player regarding tempo, dynamics and expression appear above or below the staff(s).

Learning this conventional musical notation system is difficult and time consuming. Many years of training and substantial knowledge of music theory are required to play complex musical compositions. Many attempts to develop simplified musical notation systems that are more accessible to students, and particularly young students, have been made. Some recent examples of alternative musical notation systems are shown and described in U.S. Patents 8,039,722, 7,439,438, 6,288,316, 6, 124,540, 7,253,349 and U.S. Patent Publication 2008/0072738. Alternative musical notation systems have also been developed for creating and performing a musical score using electronic and computerimplemented techniques and tools.

Despite many and varied efforts to simplify the traditional musical notation system, there is, to applicant's knowledge, no simplified musical notation system in wide usage. Applicant has therefore developed the new musical notation systems described and shown herein in an effort to provide musical notation systems that are easy to learn, easy to use, and amenable to representing music of all types and for all instruments.

US 6831220 B2

This invention below aims to alleviate the problems of the traditional notation system with as cited ‘black and white musical scores’. The problem as stated is that of complexity and time taken to learn. Both of these will ensure either a refusal to try or a drop out rate that may otherwise be substantially

lower as hoped for with all the other inventions for alleviating or reducing these problems. As cited 1Much time and effort is therefore required to learn a note's location on a keyboard, or other musical instrument, and the corresponding note's location on a printed page1

System for playing music having multi-colored musical notation and instruments US 6831220 B2

ABSTRACT

Disclosed is a system for colorizing music for converting black and white musical scores into colorized musical scores through the use of a method that can be implemented by a computer wherein each whole tone and half tone is assigned a unique color and pattern, respectively, using a septuary system of colors. The unique colors and patterns are applied to piano keyboards, keyboard guides and to other musical instruments. Colorized musical scores in standard format or, alternatively, in a linear format on one or more computer screens or special display devices are displayed for viewing by the musician. The musical instruments are colored according to the musical score notes to facilitate playing of music.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The large number of musical scores composed in the past contain notes written in a standard musical notation format, and, are generally printed in black ink on white paper. These scores range from the simple to the extremely complex. Conventionally, the process of learning to read and play conventional music scores requires both students and teachers to devote considerable time and effort to learn both an archaic printed musical notation system having only black and white, and the location of the corresponding notes on a musical instrument. Music is also read like an English book, in a line from left to right, and top to bottom. Also, conventional keyboard instruments are almost always manufactured with only black and white keys.

Notes in the conventional music notation system are arranged into octaves, with each octave having seven whole tones or steps, and five half tones or half steps. Thus, in a musical composition, there are many tones or steps corresponding to printed notes. They range from low tones in the lower octaves of the bass clef, to high tones in the upper octaves of the treble clef. Conventional keys on a keyboard musical instruments are typically colored in black and white. White represents the whole tones A-G, and black represents the tones which are a half-tone, or half-step, up or down from the whole tones. Black and white keys only minimally distinguish between the different whole tones and half-tones of a musical composition. Much time and effort is therefore required to learn a note's location on a keyboard, or other musical instrument, and the corresponding note's location on a printed page.

Heretofore, no musical notation system has incorporated a colored musical notation system into a corresponding colored musical score and keyboard instrument. What is, therefore, needed is a new system to facilitate and enhance the process of learning to read musical notation and to associate the notes on a printed page with the location of notes on a musical instrument.

US 6452081 B1

This invention below aims to alleviate the problems of where to place fingers with a ‘dot’ system on the fingerboard. This invention highlights the issue of relating the traditional notation system to the physical placing of the fingers on the actual instrument. Specifically related to stringed instruments (also see next invention highlighting the same issue with a different solution) the invention raises the issue of understanding the relationship between the page notation and the instrument playing note memorisation through electronic device i.e. LED learning.

Stringed instrument finger positioning guide and method for teaching students to read music US 6452081 B1

The present invention is directed to a device for teaching students of stringed instruments note locations and proper finger placement on the fingerboard of the instrument. The device may be adapted for use with either a fretted or non-fretted instrument. The device comprises a sheet of autogenously adhesive plastic, such as cling vinyl, within which is a set of dynamically operated markers such as LED lamps or other electro-luminescent devices for indicating fingering locations for scales or chords to dynamically drive a set of illuminated “dots” removably attached to the finger board of a stringed instrument, thereby showing the novice player or other exactly where to place his fingers to produce the proper notes

CA 2802201 A1

This invention below aims to alleviate the problems of the traditional notation system with 12 notes but only 7 letters i.e. ABCDEFG with the 5 ‘black keys’ represented by the further complication of having either a/ sharps or b/ flats as cited; ‘the asymmetric lettering system, there are twelve notes in the western musical system, all of which are represented with only seven letters from A to G. This creates asymmetric distance patterns between the letters, making these relationships necessary to memorize on a case by case basis.’. The ‘case by case basis’ thus making stringed instruments, especially the guitar which requires chord recognition critical and even more complicated as well as single notes c.f. violin etc. The invention thus proposes removal of the need for the letter system altogether i.e. ‘allow the student to bypass the letter naming system all together, and instead use numbers.’

Musical notation systems for guitar fretboard, visual displays thereof, and uses thereof CA 2802201 A1

There are provided visual displays for graphically showing on a visual representation of a guitar fretboard a location relationship between a given chord and its chord tones as well as for graphically showing on a visual representation of a guitar fretboard a location relationship between a given position and its scale tones.

Learning a musical instrument such like guitar can be quite a challenge. Such a challenge can be considered as even more important when it relates to learning the theoretical various aspects of music such as the mathematical relations of the notes, and the asymmetric alphabetical and solfege systems of music.

[0003] There are several difficulties that can be encountered with the conventional notation system and the tablature for the guitar. Firstly, there are multiple locations for a given note. For each note on the musical staff there can be up to five locations for it on the guitar (see Figure (1)). Each note location is visually unique. On the piano there are only 12 unique notes, each visually obvious due to its location in relationship to the repeating pattern of black and white keys (see Figure 2). On a guitar fretboard there are up to 144 unique notes that must be memorized, with almost no visual patterns to help. These two problems compound each other and make note location by letter name extremely difficult for beginners.

[0004] There are also further difficulties that can be encountered by guitar players concerning the classical notation system. For example, in the asymmetric lettering system, there are twelve notes in the western musical system, all of which are represented with only seven letters, from A to G. This creates asymmetric distance patterns between the letters, making these relationships necessary to memorize on a case by case basis.

[0014] It was found that by using the visual displays, the methods and the musical notation systems of the present disclosure, several drawbacks and difficulties of the prior art were overcome. The uniform nature of the guitar fretboard (no pattern of white and black keys) makes all relationships uniform, meaning that for example, there is no structural difference between any major chord or between any major scale. These relationships can be visually seen as visual symbols (such as colored shapes) on the fretboard, all of which are perfectly transposable (movable from key to key without changing shape). These shapes preserve all the theoretical information needed and allow the student to bypass the letter naming system all together, and instead use numbers.

US 8686268 B1 This invention below aims to alleviate the problems of the traditional notation system with coloured strip for keyboard use. Once again, the issue centres on complexity and making playing, sight reading and the art of learning simpler, faster and more intuitive viz. as cited ‘learning which musical note is associated with which key (or vice versa) is measurable (sic) more complex….. Others require many years of dedication to a training regimen.

System of associating sheet music notation with keyboard keys and sight reading

US 8686268 B1

ABSTRACT

A system of associating sheet music notation with keyboard keys of a keyboard instrument and sight reading comprises a rectilinear colored strip adapted to be disposed upon the keyboard instrument. The colored strip includes first and second sets of markings corresponding to first and second octaves of the

keyboard. Each of the sets includes wide markings corresponding to white keys of the keyboard and narrow markings corresponding to black keys thereof. Each of the wide markings of the first set is colorcoded with a first color and each of the wide markings of the second set is color-coded with a second color different from the second color. The system further comprises a musical notation including musical notes color-coded with the same colors the first and second sets of markings on the colored rectilinear strip

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Musical notations, for example, may be in the form of music book pages, sheet music, musical score strips in paper or digital format, or visually projected against a screen or backdrop. A student player is tasked with viewing each note to be played, interpreting how the depicted image is to be associated with the keyboard, then responsively depress fingers in numbers and directions to depress one or more corresponding keys

The act of pressing a key to induce a responsive sound can be carried out by a mere toddler with zero training. Beyond that, learning which musical note is associated with which key (or vice versa) is measurable more complex. Add to that the training required to associate manual manipulation of piano keys responsive to visual interpretation of musical encryption, in a continuous progression, and involving multiple fingers and keys, is the cumulative magic of talented musicians. This challenge is not new to would-be musicians.

Since the invention of the piano keyboard by Bartolomeo Cristofori in 1700 and Ludovico Giustini's introduction of published piano music barely three decades later, people around the world have struggled with varying success to conquer the inherent challenge of converting the written code to melodious sounds. Some students, perhaps with natural talent or instinct, pick up quickly in mastering the musical keyboard. Others require many years of dedication to a training regimen.

The prospects for success of those in the latter group are considerably enhanced through the able assistance of those who simply love to teach and are good at it. Still others owe their success to the thoughtful works of inventors who followed Cristofori and Giustini across the centuries, constantly applying their critical thinking to life's daily challenges, not the least of which are training tools for keyboard mastery.

Thus, conventional methods for learning to play musical keyboard instruments are susceptible to improvements. With this in mind, a need exists to develop a system and/or method of learning to play musical keyboard instruments that advances the art.

US 3698277 A

This invention below aims to alleviate the problems of the traditional notation system as a ‘language’ in its own right; with its complexity and (despites – or is it because of the complexity) its inexactitude and therefore the difficulty of both learning and interpreting i.e. as cited ‘The language of musical symbols can be understood only by those who have carefully acquired the skill to do so. Paradoxically, this language is both complex and inexact, for a simple musical phrase might contain as many as fifty different symbols without however precisely communicating the composer’s intention….. The existing system of musical notation, which is essentially symbolic in nature, suffers from this very drawback, and while useful for trained musicians, it constitutes a barrier to musical knowledge in the path of the nonmusician.’

The critical issue raised here is that the language of music is ‘symbolic’ i.e. it uses symbols. These symbols are in and of themselves and as cited by all these inventions a barrier to learning and playing. The desired intention to change or replace these symbols is to alleviate or indeed eliminate the problems they create. Once this happens however the body of work over the centuries using traditional notation and the graphic representation via the staves, keys etc. whilst they constitute the ‘inconsistencies’ they are the backbone of music learning as a language across the globe.

Analog system of music notation

US 3698277 A

This invention relates generally to musical notation and more particularly to an analogue or graphical system The existing system of musical notation, which is essentially symbolic in nature, suffers from this very drawback, and while useful for trained musicians, it constitutes a barrier to musical knowledge in

the path of the non-musician of notation in which a sound pattern is essentially recorded by analog visual values which represent the various characteristics of organized sound.

Music is a pattern of sounds of varying frequency organized in time. In order to record and communicate musical compositions, various systems of notation have been devised in which the sounds constituting the pattern are represented in code form or by symbols. These symbols serve to designate the four principal characteristics of musical tones: namely; duration, pitch, intensity and quality. The existing symbolic system of notation is essentially a code or language wherein for example a tone of one duration is identified by a given symbol and a tone of longer duration by a distinctly different symbol. 7

Attempts have been made to improve the traditional system of notation, but these have in all instances also involved the use of symbols. Thus, in US. Pat. Nos. 1,551,819, 1,483,380 and 1,539,308 conventional symbols have been replaced or simplified by other symbols to facilitate sight reading or for other purposes.

The language of musical symbols can be understood only by those who have carefully acquired the skill to do so. Paradoxically, this language is both complex and inexact, for a simple musical phrase might contain as many as fifty different symbols without however precisely communicating the composer’s intention. Tonality, modulation and harmony are difficult even for a highly skilled musician to analyze from an orchestra] score. A non-musician, lacking training in musical notation, however responsive he may be to musical sounds, is altogether incapable of reading a score in traditional symbolic notation or of comprehending the shape and character of the composition.

One reason for this difficulty is that a notation system based on symbols involves a translation process for which the reader must be thoroughly trained. The facility to read complex musical scores takes years to acquire…….The existing system of musical notation, which is essentially symbolic in nature, suffers from this very drawback, and while useful for trained musicians, it constitutes a barrier to musical knowledge in the path of the non-musician.

Accordingly, it is the main object of this invention to provide a novel system of musical notation, which is based on analog representations for the characteristics of sound.

More specifically it is an object of the invention to provide an analog system in which the elements of a musical pattern such as form, harmony, tonality and modulation, are represented graphically, whereby the reader is readily able to read and analyze compositions.

A significant advantage of the invention is that it not only provides composers and musicians with a more exact form of notation and thereby expresses the composers quantitative and qualitative intentions in more definite terms, but it also affords non-musicians as well as musicians with a vivid sound picture or structural diagram of the composition rather than with abstract symbols whose analysis entails a high order of skill.

US 8188356 B2 This invention below aims to alleviate the problems of the traditional notation system especially for young children with note ’tiles’ that can be used as a teaching aid. This this invention recognises the need for a system that will appeal to people starting out to learn a system that is complex and confusing by segmenting it into its component parts. Also creating a visually stimulating way of teaching young children on other surfaces than paper based instruction. The need here is to be able to ‘grab attention’ and to simplify. The author also recognises the (considerable) number of attempts to invent alternative systems while submitting the ‘tile’ system is unique i.e. as cited ‘It is respectfully stipulated, however, that the foregoing patent and other information do not teach or render obvious, singly or when considered in combination, the inventor's inventioned invention.’ Once again the need for something new, different, unique and likely to change (radically) the teaching of music is seen as vital as recognised by Patents as far back as 1895.

System to teach music notation and composition

US 8188356 B2

ABSTRACT

Musical note tiles, a system for teaching music notation and composition, and associated methods are disclosed. The system includes manipulative musical note tiles. The note tiles are transparent and adapted for use on measure plaques, or like surfaces. The note tiles can adhere to a surface with static cling in one embodiment. Alternatively, the note tiles can adhere to a surface with magnetism.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Young children are now required, according to national and state standards, to read, notate, compose and arrange music using Italian terminology and conventional symbols. Deficiencies and limitations exist in known instruction methods to teach a music student music composition and notation.

Related patents known in the background art include the following: U.S. Pat. No. 548,312, issued to Hays on Oct. 22, 1895, discloses a musical game device. U.S. Pat. No. 621,323, issued to Chamberlin on Mar. 21, 1899, discloses game cards for teaching music. U.S. Pat. No. 1,114,139, issued to Hoffmann on Oct. 20, 1914, discloses an educational game. U.S. Pat. No. 1,172,848, issued to Valentine on Feb. 22, 1916, discloses an instructive game. U.S. Pat. No. 1,431,529, issued to Parelle on Oct. 10, 1922, discloses musical instruction blocks. U.S. Pat. No. 1,433,850, issued to Schnitker on Oct. 31, 1922, discloses an educational apparatus. U.S. Pat. No. 3,750,524, issued to Lee et al. on Aug. 7, 1973, discloses a musical game puzzle. U.S. Pat. No. 4,819,539, issued to Searing on Apr. 11, 1989, discloses a music teaching system and apparatus. U.S. Pat. No. 6,967,274, issued to Hanington on Nov. 22, 2005, discloses a system and method for teaching music. U.S. Pat. No. 7,030,307, issued to Wedel on Apr. 18, 2006, discloses a music teaching device and method.

The foregoing patent information reflects the state of the art of which the inventor is aware and is tendered with a view toward discharging the inventor's acknowledged duty of candour in disclosing information that may be pertinent to the patentability of the technology described herein. It is respectfully stipulated, however, that the foregoing patent and other information do not teach or render obvious, singly or when considered in combination, the inventor's inventioned invention.

Conclusion- By Kevin Thomson

Given the following, I had to do something!

1. The inherent difficulties and ‘inconsistencies’ of the Traditional Notation System (TNS)

2. That TNS was only devised for choristers

3. There is now multi-media technologically available, adaptable for all to use and/or change e.g. coloured lines or notes

4. The lack of prior art aimed at those with difficulties or disabilities

5. The lack of any other universally accepted new system since the 1,000-year-old Guido D’Arrezzo system

6. The drastic fall off in take up of music education and the lack of instruments in nearly all households

7. The lack of prior art utilising Emojis – a universal language with instant visual and emotional appeal

8. My own inability to read, learn, understand the complexities or truly play music (apart from three chords very loudly with lots of fuzz on my electric guitar) for most of my life, because I have Dyslexia, Meares/Irlens Syndrome i e Visual Stress and short term memory retention

Emoji-Go Music Patent Application – Personal Motivation and Mission

Message From Kevin Thomson

I only discovered my own learning and visual difficulties later in life. My primary mission and goal is to assist everyone with learning or other difficulties and disabilities to be able to learn, read, play and enjoy the incredible benefits of music.

I spent seven painstaking years trying to learn the piano from the age of 5, and had to give up aged 12. This was because of my inability to follow the notes as they jiggled over the page. I now know that this is because I have Mearles/Irlens Syndrome, commonly known as Visual Stress, and my Dyslexia (the two often go together). I also have what is now labelled as Dysmusia. For a further 50 years I have been unable to play more than a few chords ‘by ear’. I have a Dyslexia driven short term memory retention problem, and struggle to understand musical concepts like the Circle of 5ths I can’t read monochrome sheet music, or remember what sharps or flats to play in any key.

This all led to a lifetime of frustration and a mission, over the last few years, of developing this Patent. There has been, however, great joy in the constantly evolving trial and error testing with friends and family who have learning, and other difficulties and disabilities.

The final result is the Emoji Notation System, added to Guido D’Arrezzo’s Traditional Notation System, to create T+ENS.

For me, it will be worth it just to promote an understanding and a recognition that music learning can be difficult for anyone, but especially for those with learning or life’s other difficulties and disabilities.

My hope is that this system, developed with care, time, and dedication, using a simple, fun, colourful, Emoji character driven approach, will provide a means to ensure that everyone has the opportunity to enjoy the huge and lasting benefits of learning music - a ‘whole brain’ and pleasure giving activity.”

If you got this far – well done! A labour of love. Hope you got as much out of it as I have putting into it.

Kevin