Music – Accessories – Teaching devices
Reexamination Certificate
1999-04-22
2002-06-18
Fletcher, Marlon T. (Department: 2837)
Music
Accessories
Teaching devices
C084S47000P, C084S483200
Reexamination Certificate
active
06407323
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF INVENTION
This invention relates generally to the field of communications and, more specifically, to a system for symbolizing data that is descriptive of composed music.
BACKGROUND
I. SUBJECT MATTER CLASSIFICATIONS OF CLASSICAL MUSIC COMPOSITIONS
The following specification includes many terms that have specific meanings in the field of musical composition, as well as a few terms that have specific meanings for purposes of this invention. In order to prevent confusion as to the meaning of these terms, a glossary is included at the end of the specification, just prior to the claims.
A music composition comprises a body of organized tonalities. The particular tonalities of a composition and the sequence in which they occur reveal its “subject matter.” This subject matter may comprise one or more musical “subjects,” each subject formally referred to by the descriptor “theme.” It is helpful to think of a theme as a single musical statement whose tonalities comprise one or more melodic increments. An example of a single melody—and perhaps the one most commonly recognized throughout the United States—is embodied in the song “Happy Birthday to You.” The tonalities comprising the entirety of this musical composition express a single musical subject (or theme) within a single melodic increment.
The subject matter of most classical compositions, however, is expressive of a plurality of themes. But irrespective of the number of themes embodied in a musical composition, each melody whose tonalities relate to a given theme is referred to as a “melodic increment.”
It is often desirable to identify individual melodic increments within a piece of music and to describe whether each increment is part of certain theme or a transition. This identification and description can be used in the study and enjoyment of music. A formal description of each melodic increment indicates whether the increment is a “part” of a “theme” or a “transition.”
In a formal description, a melodic increment whose sole purpose is intended by the composer to express melodic content related to a specific theme is referred to as a “part” of a theme. Following the descriptor “part” is a cardinal numeral, such as “one” or “1”; “two” or “2”. It should be noted that the convention is that when the subject matter of a composition reveals only one theme, each melodic increment whose tonalities reveal or reiterate that theme in some variation is called “part one” even though there is no other part. The same is true when a given theme of a plurality of themes presented in a composition comprises only a single melody.
A full formal description of a melodic increment whose sole purpose is to express or help to express a given theme is described by four descriptors. Using the formal description “theme one, part one” as an example, the descriptors are as follows:
the first is “theme”;
the second is a cardinal numeral which is used to label the number of the theme, as in “one” of “theme one”;
the third is “part”; and is used to designate subject matter pertaining to a particular melodic unit;
the fourth, like the second, is also a cardinal numeral; and is used to designate the number of the part, as in “one” of “part one.”
In addition to those melodic increments whose sole purpose is to express or help to express a given theme, a composition often has one or more melodic increments whose purpose is to link or bridge the subject matter of one melodic increment to another. Such an increment is referred to by the descriptor “transition.”
Summarily, the tonal substance of a given melodic increment either:
helps to express the subject matter of a given theme; or
expresses the entire subject matter of a given theme; or
serves as a transition to link previously expressed subject matter to subject matter that is to follow.
II. ARCHITECTURE OF CLASSICAL MUSIC COMPOSITIONS
As is true of every architectural achievement, music composition may be described according to its structural features. The organization of musical sound as composition is set forth in print in a work called a “score.” A score includes both music notation as well as certain verbal indicators which relate to expression and style of performance. By analogy, a score is to music performance as a set of blueprints is to the erection of a building. From an architectural point of view:
the score of a classical composition indicates its structural and aesthetic components by the use of musical notation and verbal description;
music notation documents tonal pitch, the duration of individual tones, and how each tone is to be articulated;
the notes comprising the whole of a composition are organized into a plurality of musical notations called “measures”;
a particular plurality of sequential measures comprises a fundamental musical unit referred to as a “melodic increment,” and each melodic increment is considered to be a fundamental architectural component of the structure of a composition;
melodic increments of a composition form component architectonic units, each comprising one or more melodic increments;
one or more architectonic units form a major section of a composition;
the totality of the major sections in a given score represents the entirety of that musical composition.
A. Major Sections and Musical Subject Matter
The melody or plurality of melodies embodied in a given musical composition is generally referred to as its “subject matter.” The subject matter of a composition may comprise one or more subjects, each of which is referred to as a “theme.” Regardless of the number of themes, this subject matter is generally presented, developed, and resolved within the broad architectural confines of one of the traditional musical “forms.” By analogy, a musical form is like a generic blueprint that indicates the general framework of a given style of home, such as a ranch, hacienda, or Tudor.
B. Major Sections
The melodic subject matter of a classical composition is presented in one or more major sections. Taken as a whole, classical compositions commonly have either one, two, or three major sections. For example, most first and fourth movements in symphonic music have three major sections. Because of the broad spectrum of architectural forms which composers of classical compositions have used, it is necessary to confine our remarks in this disclosure to one of the most important, as well as popular, forms, the “sonata allegro,” which has three major sections: “exposition,” “development,” and “recapitulation.”
Each major section of the sonata allegro form comprises one or more architectonic units, each unit comprising one or more melodic increments. The totality of the music included in these increments constitutes the musical subject matter of the composition.
The subject matter of the first major section, the exposition, comprises one or more themes. An exposition also typically includes a special section called a “closing section” whose purpose is to conclude or close the music contained in the exposition.
The second major section of the sonata allegro form is the development section. In this section the composer typically selects subject matter first introduced in the exposition and further develops that subject matter.
The third major section is the recapitulation section. This section includes certain material first presented in the exposition. The recapitulation also typically includes a closing section. Following this closing section is a section called the “coda,” or “finale,” which is also categorized as a special section. The music in the finale brings the musical composition to its conclusion.
III. PRIOR APPROACHES TO NOTATING MUSIC FOR INSTRUCTION
Knowledge of music architecture and subject matter contributes significantly to increased appreciation of classical music. For hundreds of years instructors have attempted to explain to music enthusiasts the fundamental features of music subject matter and architecture. Because of the aural nature of music, modern instructors have regularly presented the information in two phases.
In phase one the instructor introduces
Fletcher Marlon T.
Gifford, Krass, Groh Sprinkle, Anderson & Citkowski, P.C.
Karapetian Karl
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