Patent Grant
7554025
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an instructional method for playing a keyboard musical instrument and in particular to a simplified method for learning chords based on common basic relative finger positions for three (triads) and four finger chords on the keyboard by learning a small number of basic visual shapes based on linear connections between adjacent fingers on the keyboard including eight basic shapes for the thirty six triads in each octave and sixteen basic shapes for four finger chords covering all possible chords on the keyboard, and chord changes within families of chords by a simple finger change to make a transition from one chord to another changing from one basic shape to another.
2. Description of the Prior Art
To become a competent musician, it is necessary to learn and remember all musical note relationships and chords, whose interactions together form the rudiments of musical theory. Such note relationships and chords are conventionally taught in an audible manner, with scant visual information to aid understanding. For those students who are naturally musically orientated, such learning may be relatively easy. However, for those students who are not so fortunate, it can prove to be extremely difficult to remember individual note relationships and a large number of chords and understand how they are interconnected. Furthermore, while all the note relationships and chords are being learned, it is necessary to learn how these are applied in the playing of a particular musical instrument.
With prior art systems, if you have to play a chord sequence, such as C, F and G, you learn the fingering for all three chords.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,335,630, issued Aug. 15, 1967 to Schmoyer, is for a teaching device for a keyboard instrument, which provides visual indication of the appropriate keys to be depressed in playing a chord in response to depression of a clavial key appropriate to the desired chord. Additional indications designate the note in the chord triad by which chord is identified and the particular finger to be used in playing that note.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,041,828, issued Aug. 16, 1977 to Leonard, indicates a chord fingering coordinator, which is a teaching and practicing aid for music students which graphically displays the relationship of the dominant, tonic, and subdominant scales in a particular key signature and as they relate to the diatonic scale in that key signature. The device structurally comprises a backing sheet that optionally has the scale tones of a diatonic scale named in a row along the bottom, and three preferably reversible panels disposed in staggered horizontal slits cut in the backing sheet. These panels have portions visible above the slit with indicia thereon indicating by fingering number or scale tone name musical notes representing chords or scales. The notes are spaced proportionally to the key spacing of a piano keyboard. There is an optional insert card having two selectively displayable portions, which represent the left and right hand, respectively, with the fingers thereof numbered in accordance with conventional elementary teaching techniques.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,480,521, issued Nov. 6, 1984 to Schmoyer, claims a system and method for instruction in the operation of a keyboard musical instrument, namely, an organ or piano. The system and method teaches the proper fingering for chord triads in the root, first, and second positions so as to play chord triads in the space of a single octave. The system may be operated manually by the student or, in some embodiments thereof, the system may be operated automatically by means of an external storage media device such as a video disc player.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,415,071, issued May 16, 1995 to Davies, shows a method of and means for producing musical note relationships providing an array of staggered lines or rows (1) of symbols, in which each symbol represents a musical note. Each line (1) comprises a repeated series of twelve symbols forming a musical series of semitones known as a chromatic scale, and each line is staggered with respect to adjacent lines such that groups of the symbols which represent the same musical note relationship, such as intervals, scales, chords, etc, form the same visual configuration, for example diagonal configurations (6 to 9) or vertical configuration (14 to 19), at respective locations in the array. In one embodiment, a device including means bearing such an array may be used as a learning aid comprising two overlapping members slidably movable relative to each other. Alternatively the contact positions of a keyboard of a keyboard musical instrument or a fingerboard of a stringed musical instrument may be arranged in accordance with the array.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,370,539, issued Dec. 6, 1994 to Dillard, provides a chord or scale indicating device includes at least one fixed member and at least one movable member. On one of the fixed or movable members a scale is provided of at least one octave including both the white and black notes of the octave. In this octave, the white notes A, G and D, are greater in transverse or radial extent than the white notes E, F, B, and C by a factor of about 1.5. The other of the fixed and movable members includes a series of indicating positions which indicate at least one scale or chord position for a given input key. Relative movement between the fixed and the movable member will enable the scale and or chord positions to be determined for each of the notes in the octave by such relative movement. Some of the embodiments disclosed in the specification are linear where the relative movement between the fixed and the movable member is either lateral or vertical and some of the embodiments disclosed are radial embodiments wherein rotational movement between the fixed and the movable member occurs. The embodiments disclosed include the major scale positions and both minor scale positions. The embodiments further include all of the chords for the given input key and related chords for the input key including the subdominant chord and dominant seventh related chord. For the given input key the major and minor tonic chords, the augmented chords, the sixth chords, the major and minor seventh chords, the diminished chords, the dominant and diminished ninth chords are included. The device is particularly useful in teaching students the relationship of the scales and chords illustrate. In a preferred embodiment the keyboard positions for both the treble clef and bass clef are included for all of the chords of all input keys.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,685,724, issued Nov. 11, 1997 to Bubar, provides a method of teaching music and provides the charts to do so. The method includes the steps of teaching the student that “every other finger plays every other key” and showing the student the hand placement on the keyboard that will correspond to a given set of indicia. The method provides a series of charts using indicia that progressively allows the student to play chords with either hand, a melody with the right hand while playing a chord with the left hand, or a multi-key melody with the right hand while playing a chord with the left hand. The method also instructs the student how the sheet music corresponds to the indicia in the charts so that the student can play sheet music.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,203,345, issued May 20, 1980 to Collin, describes an automatic visual music teaching device for displaying the structure of coded chords. The device comprises a plurality of actuable switches for selecting a desired coded chord. Signals associated with the actuated switches are temporarily stored and are indicative of the desired coded chord to be visually displayed. A further switch is activated to transfer the stored signals indicative of the desired coded chord to a decoding circuit. The decoded circuit feeds a memory system to select in a matrix the composite parts of the desired coded chord in accordance with a coded data signal sent to it by the decoder whereby the composite parts of the desired coded chord are visually indicated on a visual display element. The method of visually teaching the component part structure of musical coded chords comprises simply the step of selecting switches having coded marking thereon representative of musical notes in major and minor tones and corresponding to a desired coded chord for transferring a corresponding signal to a temporary storage circuit. A transfer switch is then depressed to obtain the visual indication of the composite parts of the desired coded chord for learning purposes.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,822,630, issued Jul. 9, 1974 to Leonard, concerns a music teaching aid based on the hands and scales degrees. The device teaches elementary musical relationships and notation particularly in regard to scale tones and chords uniquely associated with pre-known names and order of the user's fingers on both hands. The same numbering of the fingers, from left to right in each also teaches, by association, the first five degrees by the numerical name. The two hands are on a panel that also supports one of a set of strip inserts carrying, for example, treble and bass clef notation for a particular key signature and the first five, or lower five, notes or tones of that diationic scale. The student will have no difficulty in extrapolating the “mini-scale” of five tones to the full octave and then to octave above or below that are learned by use of the device. For teaching chords a pair of hands are provided with only three fingers on each hand that are denominated as Root, 3rd and 5th degree and also correlated as before with the fingers named in that same order.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,208,327, issued Sep. 28, 1965 to Allen, illustrates an instant piano picture chord course, which equips the student with chord charts and fingerless gloves, to which lettered tabs may be removably attached. The letters on the tabs correspond to the notes of the various chords on the charts.
What is needed is a simplified method for learning to play various triads and four finger chords on a keyboard and learning to make transitions between chords.
An object of the present invention is to provide a simplified method for learning chords on a keyboard instrument based on common basic relative finger positions for three (triads) and four finger chords on the keyboard by learning a small number of basic visual shapes based on linear connections between adjacent fingers on the keyboard including eight basic shapes for the thirty six triads in each octave and sixteen basic shapes for four finger chords covering all possible chords on the keyboard, chord trees by forming a family of chords from a single triad, and chord changes within families of chords by a simple finger change to make a transition from one chord to another changing from one basic shape to another.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a universally applied system for making chord transitions that will reduce the time necessary to learn to play the keyboard.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a simplified method for learning finger positioning for chords on a keyboard and for finger movements to new positions to make that provides all the requirements for learning and changing chords contained in the method of the present invention.
An additional object of the present invention is to allow a keyboard player to use the chord symbols normally used by guitar players to play, without the need to learn to read music.
A further object of the present invention is to use a unique formula to build chords and to change chords thereby greatly simplifying the learning process for playing a keyboard.
One more object of the present invention is to provide a visual representation of the shapes of chords that will also assist the student in forming chords in root and inverted forms.
In brief, the method of the present invention is a “rock style” keyboard learning method that will simplify the process of learning to play the keyboard. It will reduce greatly the time needed to learn to play. The keyboard player will use the chord symbols normally used by guitar players to play.
All the requirements for learning and changing chords is contained in the method of the present invention. Music theory may be added to enhance the process and create a greater understanding of the keyboard but is not needed as a prerequisite for playing.
The present invention provides a limited set of visual symbols which describe the fingering positions for all three finger chords (triads) within an octave and all four finger chords on a keyboard musical instrument, a “Chord Tree System” illustrating a family of chords generated from one triad, and a “Relative Chord System” for making a transition from one chord to the next chord in a song. It is only necessary to learn the fingering for the first chord in a song. After that the formula takes over and every subsequent chord is relative to the prior or preceding chord.
The present invention is based on the following principle:
There are seven (7) different notes in each key (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7).
It takes three (3) non-adjacent notes to form a chord, e.g. (1, 3, 5).
Therefore after the first chord is formed, any other chord must use an adjacent note to each finger, moving one or more fingers each one note to the right or left or repeating one or more of the current notes by leaving one or two fingers in place on the notes.
The keyboard learning method of the present invention is designed for people who want to learn to play the keyboard but do not have the time to learn the conventional way. It could also be useful to non-keyboard musicians who want to learn basic harmony, lyricists who want to try their hand at composing, or people who already know how to play but do not understand the chord structure used in any non-classical keyboard style, including a rock style. They will be able to play diatonic progressions immediately and then move to more complex progressions.
The method of the present invention teaches how to build any chord relative to the chord currently being fingered. Changing from one chord to any other chord is based on the musical interval between the two chords.
There are twelve different notes in each octave (seven white key notes and five black key notes) and therefore it is possible to form twelve major triads, twelve minor triads and twelve diminished triads in each octave, one beginning on each note. This is a total of thirty-six triads. But there are only eight different relative fingering positions on the keys needed to form all thirty-six triads. These fingering positions in the method of the present invention are simply illustrated as linear interconnections between adjacent finger positions forming eight different linear shapes, herein called “Triad Shapes”, which may also be illustrated by a series of black and white circles representing the black and white keys being fingered. By learning these eight “Triad Shapes” and then learning which triads share the same shape it is very easy to memorize chords.
The triad shapes are based on the actual linear relationship of adjacent fingers on different keys on the keyboard forming the triads while looking down on the keyboard so that the white keys form a lower linear array and the black keys form a higher linear array. A connection line between two adjacent fingers on two white keys is shown as a lower straight horizontal line and a connection line between two adjacent fingers on two black keys are shown as a higher straight horizontal line above the white key line. A connection line between two adjacent fingers with one on a white note and the other on a black note to the right of the white note is shown as a line angled upwardly to the right. A connection line between two adjacent fingers with one on a black note and the other on a white note to the right of the black note is shown as a line angled downwardly to the right. These linear connection lines showing the relative positions of the fingers in different triad positions on the keyboard form linear shapes illustrating the relative positions of the fingers forming the triads on the keyboard and are therefore called “Triad Shapes”.
The dots represent the piano keys (black and white). Chords that have similar black and white key combinations are grouped. If three or more chords share the combination, it is called a regular chord and if less than three chords share the combination it is called irregular. By showing these similarities the number of chords that the student will have to learn is reduced.
The lines are a visual representation of a chord,
On the line ______ is a white key
Above the line / is a black key.
So a “V” shape would represent black, white, black as in Ab C Eb. These shapes will be written above the chord symbols on the music sheet to help in memorizing chords.
Regular and Irregular Triads
A triad will be termed regular if three or more major, minor, or diminished triads share the same “Triad Shape”, and irregular if fewer than three triads share the same “Triad Shape”.
Inversions
Chords are formed by stacking major (M), minor (m), diminished (d), and augmented (A) thirds, but they do not always have to be in root form.
The Triad Relationship
The diatonic chord relationship is well known and well documented, but the method of the present invention will introduce a new chord relationship called the “Triad Relationship.”
In the “Triad Relationship” every chord is derived from one of the three basic triads: major, minor, and diminished. By raising or lowering notes a half step or one step several chords are formed.
The Chord Tree
To illustrate the “Triad Relationship” the method of the present invention uses a “Chord Tree,” a family of chords that are generated from one triad. The present invention uses in part the system of the applicant's co-pending patent application Ser. No. 10/626,190, filed Jul. 23, 2003.
The method of the present invention introduces two new terms, the “merge” and the “split.”
Merge: When a keyboard player makes a transition from a 4-note chord to a 3-note chord, two notes will usually resolve into one note, herein called a “merge.”
Split: When a note is resolved by raising it and lowering it at the same time, as in making a transition from C major to Am6 or D9, the resolving is herein called a “split.” In this instance the 5th of the C major triad, “G”, is resolved down to F# and also up to A (C E G to C E F# A).
The Formula
By raising, lowering, merging and splitting notes in the triads any known chord may be formed from each triad and new harmonies developed.
An advantage of the present invention is that it will allow one to play the keyboard without the years of practice normally needed and without the need to sight-read music.
Another advantage of the present invention is that it will help people to learn to play any non-classical keyboard style, including a rock style, keyboard in a short time and without a lot of the music theory that is normally required.
An additional advantage of the present invention is that it will simplify the way that one learns to play the keyboard.
A further advantage of the present invention is that it provides all the requirements for learning and changing chords contained in the method of the present invention.
One more advantage of the present invention is that it will also reduce the time necessary to learn to play many of the popular songs that one hears.
Yet another advantage of the present invention is that it allows a person to learn to play the keyboard, prior to the frustration and subsequent abandonment of music lessons.
These and other details of my invention will be described in connection with the accompanying drawings, which are furnished only by way of illustration and not in limitation of the invention, and in which drawings:
A simplified method for learning chords on a keyboard instrument based on common basic relative finger positions for three finger chords (triads) and four finger chords on the keyboard by learning a small number of basic visual shapes based on linear connections between adjacent fingers on the keyboard including eight basic shapes for the thirty six triads in each octave and sixteen basic shapes for four finger chords covering all possible chords on the keyboard, chord trees by forming a family of chords from a single triad, and chord changes within families of chords by a simple finger change to make a transition from one chord to another.
The method of learning chords and chord transitions on a keyboard using the simple shape configuration of joined straight horizontal and angled lines representing relative linear connections between the positions of adjacent fingers on a keyboard covers the shapes of the three main triads (Major, Minor and Diminished).
Triad Shapes
There are twelve different notes in each octave (seven white key notes and five black key notes) and therefore it is possible to form twelve major triads, twelve minor triads and twelve diminished triads in each octave, one beginning on each note. This is a total of thirty-six triads. But there are only eight different relative fingering positions on the keys needed to form all thirty-six triads. These fingering positions in the method of the present invention are simply illustrated as linear interconnections between adjacent finger positions forming eight different linear shapes herein called “Triad Shapes”. By learning these eight “Triad Shapes” and then learning which triads share the same shape it is very easy to memorize chords.
The triad shapes are based on the actual linear relationship of adjacent fingers on different keys on the keyboard forming the triads while looking down on the keyboard so that the white keys form a lower linear array and the black keys form a higher linear array. In the triad shape diagrams of
In practice, as seen in the two partial keyboard illustrations at the bottom of
Regular and Irregular Triads
A triad will be termed regular if three or more major, minor, or diminished triads share the same “Triad Shape”, and irregular if fewer than three triads share the same “Triad Shape”.
Inversions
Chords are formed by stacking major (M), minor (m), diminished (d), and augmented (A) thirds, but they do not always have to be in root form.
The Triad Relationship
The diatonic chord relationship is well known and well documented, but the method of the present invention will introduce a new chord relationship called the “Triad Relationship.”
In the “Triad Relationship” every chord is derived from one of the three basic triads: major, minor, and diminished. By raising or lowering notes a half step or one step several chords are formed.
The Chord Tree
To illustrate the “Triad Relationship” the method of the present invention uses a “Chord Tree,” a family of chords that are generated from one triad as shown in
The method of the present invention introduces two new terms, the “merge” and the “split.”
Merge: When a keyboard player makes a transition from a 4-note chord to a 3-note chord, two notes will usually resolve into one note, herein called a “merge.”
Split: When a note is resolved by raising it and lowering it at the same time, as in making a transition from C major to Am6 or D9, the resolving is herein called a “split.” In this instance the 5th of the C major triad, “G”, is resolved down to F# and also up to A (C E G to CE F# A).
The Formula
By raising, lowering, merging and splitting notes in the triads any known chord may be formed and new harmonies developed.
The C Major Tree
Simple (3-note) Chords
Multi-Function Major Triad
A triad can also represent several chords by changing the bass note. The C major triad is Am7 with “A” bass, D11 with “D” bass, and Fmaj9 with “F” bass.
Full Chords
The A Minor Tree
Simple (3-Note) Chords
Full Chords
Multi-Function Minor Triad
The A minor triad can also function as B11I9, C6, D9 or Dm9, Fmaj7, or F#m7-5.
Advanced Chord Shapes
There are hundreds of chords on the keyboard and to learn the all seem a daunting task. The present invention simplifies the process.
Chords are made up of four white keys, or four black keys, or a combination of four black and white keys. These keys form visual patterns (shapes) and these shapes will be used to make it easier to learn and memorize chords.
Chords can be divided into six groups based on the combination of black and white keys that make up the chord as follows:
Group 1 chords will be chords that are made up of one white key and three black keys (wbbb).
Group 2 chords will chords that are made up of two black keys and two white keys (bbww).
Group 3 chords will be chords that are made up of three black keys and one white key (bbbw)
Group 4 chords will be chords that are made up of one black key, one white key, one black key, one white key (bwbw).
Group 5 chords will be chords that that are made up of four white keys (wwww).
Group 6 chords will be chords that are made up of four black keys (bbbb).
At the bottom of
In
Each chord shape will represent more than one chord name, so that by learning and understanding these sixteen shapes a keyboard player will be able to play hundreds of chords.
It is understood that the preceding description is given merely by way of illustration and not in limitation of the invention and that various modifications may be made thereto without departing from the spirit of the invention as claimed.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/468,793, filed on May 9, 2003.
| Number | Name | Date | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5415071 | Davies | May 1995 | A |
| 6388182 | Bermudez | May 2002 | B1 |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20040224295 A1 | Nov 2004 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 60468793 | May 2003 | US |
