Patent Application
20060145419
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
The present invention relates to the field of music. Specifically, this invention relates to musical games that allow players to play competitively to understand rhythms in music and enhance note reading.
This invention was made after 15 years of teaching students in a studio, with ages ranging from 3 to 18 years. Many students had difficulty understanding basic rhythms, and did not have a clear grasp of how lines and spaces worked. Most students could not remember types of notes or values and had difficulty relating notes to rhythms. When placed in theory classes, students found this boring and could not successfully relate music theory to actual playing.
I decided that with a game, the fundamentals of music would be more visual and fun thus enhancing learning. In the floor version of the game, notes would be large and colorful helping students to better relate to them. Rhythms would be interchangeable so students would be able to try simple rhythms and build those into more complex versions as their levels of understanding developed.
Tokens would be given at the end of each round, to help students or players compute note values thus enhancing the basis of rhythms. Notes and tokens would be color coded to help students remember note values easily.
Notes would be placed at different intervals on the board for each rhythm given to help students associate note names with pitch i.e. if a player jumps to C above middle C on the score and then to G below, this would help them to relate high movement with a high pitch and downward movement with a lower pitch, making it easier for students to equate the movement in the game with finger movement on an instrument like the piano or violin. Even a wind player like a trumpeter, could relate this game to playing on his instrument, since the amount of energy exerted to reach high pitches, could be equated with the amount of energy needed to jump to high notes on the board.
It is my expectation that this game will excite children, friends and family members to play and keep the art alive.
This is a musical rhythms game designed to help players develop a better understanding of rhythms, music notation, intervals and note reading. It will also improve concentration and build coordination.
Figure I depicts an empty game board. The starting point for players is indicated at the START symbol beneath the staff.
Figure II shows samples of notes placed on the staff which are used in the “CLAP AND RAP” round of the game.
Figure III illustrates the introduction of the time signature on a score.
Figure IV presents a sample of a score in 4/4 time.
Figure V shows a sample of a Level 1 configuration for ‘Jump for Music.’
Figure VI represents the introduction of the standard notes in the treble clef.
Figure VII introduces the standard notes in the bass clef.
Figure VIII shows a sample of notes to be named on the staff.
Figure IX is a sample of a Level 2 score for ‘Jump for Music.’
Musical scores, staffs, notes and numbers have been around for hundreds of years, but movement of feet, or game pieces on a staff is a new concept. Other features that are new to this game are:—
Manufacturing materials should be Ozone friendly. For the floor version of the game, most parts will be made from rubber whereas on the table version some parts will be made from cardboard and hard plastic.
Game Pieces
This game will include the following parts:—
1. Music Staff
The music staff will comprise 5 black horizontal lines with 4 white spaces between these lines. The size of the floor version will be 4 ft. in height by 12 ft. wide. This will be made from rubber, due to its flexibility and non-skid properties and be folded to fit in a 1 ft.×4 ft. package.
The table version will be 3 ft. wide by 1 ft. tall.
2. Composers
These game pieces will allow movement to notes of different intervals on the staff of the table version only (note that in the floor version, the player actually moves rather than a composer). The composers will be modeled after the bust of past composers of musical periods. Heights of these pieces will range from 1 inch to 2 inches and widths from ½ inch to ¾ inch. These composers will be the models of Bach, Handel, Beethoven, Mozart, Chopin and Liszt. The composers will be made from hard transparent plastic in the shades of blue, pink, green, yellow, orange, red. They will make sounds upon contact with musical notation.
3. Musical Notation
Musical notation will be made from hard plastic to produce sound on contact for the table version only. The floor version will be made from rubber to prevent skid. The symbols for music notation will include the following:—
Treble and Bass Clefs will be used.
5. Time Signatures
Time signatures will be in 2/4, ¾ and 4/4 times.
6. Letter Names
There will be 2 sets of letter names from the musical alphabet A to G. These will be oval in shape with the letter names imprinted on one side and the phrase ‘Jump for Music’ on the other.
7. Bar Lines
There will be 4 sets of bar lines and 1 set of double bar lines. Bar lines will be made from rubber and the color in black in the floor version and cardboard in the table version.
8. Tokens
All tokens will be oval in shape and note name imprinted on the front e.g. “Whole note token,” with time values on the back e.g. “4 beats.”
9. Hourglass
Hourglass will be designed to compute fifteen seconds during play.
Colors
Music notation will be in the following colors:—
Numbers for Time signature will be as follows:—
The age range will be 4 and up for floor version and 6 and up for the table version.
Number of Players
There shall be a minimum of 2 players.
How to Play the Game
This game will include a play-along CD and DVD (table version optional) with accompanying rhythms. An instruction booklet and music information cards will be included. Players will select a dealer who gives direction in the game, tabulates scores and controls play.
Position of Players
Only 1 player goes on the music score at a time. All other players stand or sit around the score and tap the rhythm of the music if necessary.
A player loses a chance when he or she cannot move to the rhythm of the music placed on the music score or makes a wrong move.
Movement
A player starts on the left side of the music score at START (see
There are 2 modes of movement. These are as follows:—
There will be two levels of play. In level one, rhythms will be simple in two to three bar lengths. In level two, rhythms will be more complex and up to four bars in length. Note reading is also introduced at this level.
Rounds
The game starts with a STAFF JUMP round. Rounds increase in difficulty up to Level 2. When all players have taken turns on each round, the music score changes to the next round. Rhythms at each level will vary according to age range and musical exposure. Rounds of play are as follows:—
1. Staff Jump
See
2. Notes 'N Spot
Players will be introduced by the dealer, to different kinds of notes and values and asked to clap, counting the values for each note indicated. These notes will include whole notes, half notes, quarter notes and eighth notes. Note types will be introduced according to age levels and understanding.
3. Clap 'N Rap
See
Players will be asked to clap the rhythms given and take turn on the staff jumping on the head of each note and staying on them according to the values, i.e. if a note gets 2 counts, each player will jump on the note head at the count of 1 and stay until the count of 2 and so on. Different intervals will be used to make jumping fun!
4. Time Line
Simple time signatures will be introduced (see
Each player will take turn on the board jumping while the remaining players clap to the rhythm.
5. Jump for Music Level 1!
With the introduction of note values and time signatures, players will be ready to play Jump for music Level 1. See
6. Jump for Music Level 2!
After playing Jump for music level 1 competently, players can play at level 2. This level will include the introduction of note reading—NAME 'EM NOTES, with more complex rhythms of up to 4 bars in lengths placed at various intervals.
Name 'em Notes
Notes of the Treble and Bass clefs will be introduced alternately (see
Players will be asked to jump to more complex rhythms than those in Level 1 of the game and upon completion, place letter names on the head of each note.
How to Score
The goal is for players to get as many whole note tokens as possible. Each player will be given a whole note token at the beginning of play. When a player completes each round of the music in perfect time he or she gains a quarter note token. These tokens can be traded for notation tokens of higher values. If a player gets a rhythm incorrectly then an eight note token is given.
The player who gets the most whole note tokens becomes the winner. The value of tokens is as follows:—
