What are Alternative Notations and why are they needed?

The challenges of reading traditional notation

So just what are the challenges confronting the beginning student?   In summary, they include:

1. 1. 1. Inconsistent staff lines

      2. The use of key signatures

      3. Unintuitive rhythm notation

Every octave on Traditional sheet music staves looks different in terms of lines and spaces.  A given pitch class could be displayed on either a line or a space depending the octave in which it appears.   As a result, the treble and bass staves that look identical have different degree definitions for lines and spaces.  In addition, there are no easy reference points among the expanding arrays of leger lines above and below the staves.  Thus, without consistency or reference points, to know all the notes in the entire 88 note range, one must just memorize them as a result of repeated use over long periods of time.

Because staves were never expanded from the seven-degree diatonic scale to the twelve-degree chromatic scale, there are key signatures.  These require the musician to remember when to implicitly adjust playing from a natural to a sharp or flat throughout a score. There are fifteen possible key signatures to be learned.  And in addition there are adjustment rules for notes that follow accidentals in the same measure.

Note duration is a complicated symbolic system based on powers of two that have to be memorized because there is nothing intuitive about them.  Ditto the parallel and equally complicated system for rests.  And then there are dots, ties, articulations, and tuplets to deal with.  And to know where the beats are in a measure, one must carefully parse the combination of note and rest symbols and process with respect to the time signature (and this gets really interesting with syncopation when note onsets are not on the beat).

The solutions

Alternative Notations (ANs) attempt to solve these challenges by use of (1) consistent octaves and staves, (2) explicit chromatic degree presentation (usually via chromatic staves), and (3, though less often) graphic rhythm definition. Typically, there is a consistent line and space configuration for each octave and staff.  The need for key signatures is resolved by explicit definition of note types (naturals, sharps, and flats).  This can be achieved with chromatic staves wherein all twelve degrees have their own position on the octave.  Or, it can also be achieved with diatonic staves by encoding the note type definition explicitly into the note symbols themselves.  Rhythm definition can be improved by using visually intuitive graphic display techniques instead of using symbols that must be mentally translated.

Here are some examples of chromatic designs that address challenges 1 (inconsistent staves) and 2 (key signatures).  The notation Klavarskribo is chromatic and addresses all 3 challenges including rhythm; it will be discussed more later.  While most alternative Notations are chromatic designs, there are a few that are diatonic that address challenges 1 and 2.  And there is one diatonic design that addresses all three.

What would be the benefits of having easy-to-read notations from which to choose? 

• The ability to focus more on playing technique and less on struggling to read the notation

• A more enjoyable learning experience and an acceleration in playing the music they enjoy

• With more joy and less stress, a lowered dropout rate from music instruction

• Greater likelihood to spread their learning and playing experiences by word of mouth and on social media

• More lifelong players of music at all skill levels

• More public and private music instruction as well as more students and faculty at the university level.