Method and system of studying music theory

• US 6,841,724 B2
• Filed: 05/23/2002
• Issued: 01/11/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Michael P. George
• Original Assignee: Michael P. George
• Inventors: George, Michael P.
• Primary Examiner(s): LOCKETT, KIMBERLY R
• Application Number:
  US10/155,420
• Publication Number:
  US 20020178896A1
• Time in Patent Office: 964 Days
• Field of Search: 844/77.R, 844/70.R, 844/73, 844/74, 844/78, 844/79.R, 844/10, 84470-471
• US Class Current: 84/477.00R
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 15/026 Non-electrically operated

Abstract

A method and system of teaching and/or studying music theory and for aiding the practice of musical instruments according to the integration of the color spectrum with notes of the circle of fifths and rearrangement of those notes into the musical chromatic scale. This rearrangement is accomplished by rotating either set of notes (spaced at whole-tone intervals) in the circle of fifths by 180 degrees. The musical chromatic scale arrangement of colors is then applied to various instruments. Diagrams representing the various note/color patterns as they appear on the various color-coded instruments are also provided. Scale and/or chord charts or diagrams for various instruments are also provided. The inventive color code is also applied to tablature, as well as to inventive forms of music notation.

Claims

1. A method for aiding in understanding music theory, comprising the steps of:

a) integrating a color spectrum and a musical chromatic scale by assigning successive colors of a color wheel to successive musical notes in a circle of fifths to create note-color assignments;

b) rearranging the musical notes in the circle of fifths into the musical chromatic scale while maintaining the note-color assignments; and

c) studying musical theory through the disclosed relationships of the note-color assignments for colored musical notes.

2. A method as in claim 1, wherein the colored musical notes are represented using distinct shapes selected from the group of distinct shapes consisting of squares, circles, rectangles, ovals, letters, keyboard keys, numbers, music notation, cubes, and spheres.

3. A method as in claim 1, wherein the note-color assignments that represent musical notes are arranged in the circle of fifths in one position, with successive colors of the color wheel, with a disk being rotatable 180-degrees wherein the sequence of all the musical notes assumes the sequence of the musical chromatic scale.

4. A method as in claim 1, further comprising the step of applying the note-color assignments for the colored musical notes to a musical instrument.

5. An apparatus for displaying relationships between musical notes by rearranging them from the order of the circle of fifths to the chromatic scale, and vice-versa, comprising:

a) a background;

b) a rotatable disk having an axle, and located parallel, concentric to the background, and rotatably attached to the background by the axle;

c) a set of primary markers located at substantially evenly-spaced intervals in relation to the rotatable disk, the primary markers being attachable to the rotatable disk and representing musical notes having alternating primary and secondary colors; and

d) a set of tertiary markers representing musical notes having tertiary colors attachable to the background and located at points in relation to the rotatable disk so as to respectively appear between each pair of primary markers;

e) a plurality of faceplates that are positionable on the rotatable disk that bear notations illuminating relationships of primary and tertiary markers representing musical notes.

6. An apparatus as in claim 5, wherein the plurality of faceplates are removable.

7. An apparatus as in claim 5, wherein all of the primary and tertiary markers represent musical notes arranged in the circle of fifths in one position, and the primary and tertiary markers are of successive colors of the color wheel, and the rotatable disk is rotatable 180-degrees so that the sequence of all the note-representing primary and tertiary markers assumes the sequence of the musical chromatic scale.

8. An apparatus as in claim 5, wherein the colors representing musical notes may be rearranged to display a color wheel as applied to the circle-of-fifths arrangement of notes with faceplates bearing markings illuminating relationships of the colors representing musical notes.

9. An apparatus for displaying relationships of musical notes, comprising:

a) a rotatable outer disk;

b) a rotatable inner disk having an axle and located parallel, concentric, and rotatably attached to the outer disk by the axle;

c) a set of removable colored shapes representing musical notes that are attachable to the surface of the inner disk;

d) a removable overlay with a transparent center portion that can be positioned on the inner disk and that bears markings illuminating relationships of the colors representing musical notes;

e) a faceplate with a transparent center portion that can be positioned on the outer disk, and over the inner disk and having markings illuminating relationships of the colors representing musical notes.

10. An apparatus as in claim 9, wherein the faceplate is removable.

11. An apparatus as in claim 9, wherein the rotatable disks and their respective faceplates may be aligned at various points so that the symbols each displays are aligned to illuminate relationships of the colors representing musical notes.

12. A visual aid that illustrates colorized notes and/or finger positioning for scales, chords, chord positions, chord inversions, note groupings, and note relations on a musical instrument, comprising:

a) a surface displaying at least a portion of an array of colored shapes representing musical notes in a chromatic scale order, or in an arrangement as defined by the tuning of a particular instrument;

b) at least one marking, located adjacent the surface displaying the colored shapes, illustrating a musical arrangement for colored shape groupings.

13. A visual aid as in claim 12, wherein the array of colored shapes representing musical notes are represented using distinct shapes selected from the group of distinct shapes consisting of squares, circles, rectangles, ovals, letters, keyboard keys, numbers, music notation, cubes, and spheres.

14. A visual aid as in claim 12, wherein the at least one marking is a set of markings.

15. A visual aid as in claim 12, wherein the at least one marking is displayed on the surface displaying the array of the colored notes.

16. A visual aid as in claim 12, wherein the at least one marking is displayed on an overlay that may be positioned in relation to the surface.

17. A visual aid as in claim 12, wherein the at least one marking is illustrating the colors/notes included in, and/or the finger positioning for selected chords and/or note groupings.

18. A visual aid as in claim 12, wherein the markings illustrating the colors representing musical tones included in note groupings are depicted as positioned over the surface displaying the array of the colors representing musical tones.

19. A visual aid as in claim 12, wherein the visual aid can be a diagram, chart, table, plan, graph or visual representations.

20. A visual aid that illustrates colorized notes which indicate finger positioning for scales, chords, chord positions, chord inversions, note groupings, and note relations on a musical instrument, comprising:

a) a table displaying note groupings from an array of colored shapes representing musical notes in a chromatic scale order;

b) a note grouping name designation located adjacent the table for each note grouping of the colored shapes, illustrating a musical arrangement for colored shape groupings;

c) a colorized chromatic scale index to relate the note groupings to the chromatic scale of the musical instrument.

21. A visual aid as in claim 20, wherein the note grouping name designation is a chord name, scale name, or note relation.