In the last century, the rise of commercial popular music forms saw the ascendency of guitar as a popular instrument. However, with the exception of classic guitarists whose approach is based on a foundation of music literacy, guitarists have within their ranks one of the largest percentages of illiterate musicians of all instruments in the western tonal music system.

The inclusion of chords as a normal part of a beginner's program of work undermines the development of musical literacy. The sheer density of symbols on the page of an accompaniment written in standard music notation presents an impossible interpretative barrier to a beginner.

In the 1960s or thereabouts, music publishers began producing scores using modern guitar tablature. While this system identifies the position of notes on the guitar fingerboard, it has not proved to be an effective notation system.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a system of notation, for the purpose of writing guitar accompaniments, which overcomes both the notational complexity of accompaniments written in standard music notation and the inadequacies of modern guitar tablature.

With the harmonic material of a guitar accompaniment in popular music being indicated by chord symbols, this invention provides a method of notating the patterns that form the basis of the delivery of that material. The presentation of the score is simplified by a unique method of notating the repeated aspects of an accompaniment. Note heads have been devised, allowing the complete system of durations used in conventional music notation to be applied to this new system which is written on a special staff arrangement. The components and method of use are hereafter described.

Staff arrangement

This invention uses a staff arrangement which employs both a tablature staff and a two-line staff as described below. The use of one or the other depends on the accompaniment that is to be notated. An accompaniment can be notated exclusively on a two-line staff or the staff arrangement can change between a two-line staff and a tablature staff at any moment within a piece.

The lines of the two-line staff are spaced as if they were the top and bottom lines of a conventional staff. They do not indicate pitch and do not represent strings of an instrument. At points of junction between the two-line staff and the tablature staff, the lines of the two-line staff form continuous horizontal lines with the outer lines of the tablature staff, [see fig.1 ]

The staff is divided by bar lines according to a time signature and standard bar line conventions apply. A clef is shown at the start in the form of an 'A' which indicates 'accompaniment', [see fig.2 and fig.3]

Individual notes

The invention uses the note values and the stem and tail conventions of standard notation with the following changes. To represent individual note durations consistent with black note head durations in conventional notation, a group of note head symbols replaces the black note head used in conventional notation. These note head symbols variously convey information to the performer about

• the particular chordal components to be played

• the finger that plucks the string

• the string to be played

• the fret to be played

To represent a bass note, a note head in the form of a cross is used. The lines of the cross are at 45 degrees to the horizontal. The stem joins the cross at its centre, [see fig.4] To represent a finger that plucks a string, note heads in the form of the capital letters T, I, M and R are used to represent respectively the THUMB, INDEX, MIDDLE and RING fingers, [see fig.5]

To represent a string to be played, note heads in the form of a circle containing a number that corresponds to the string number to be played are used, [see fig.6]

To represent a fret to be played, note heads in the form of a number corresponding to the number of the fret on the fingerboard to be played are used, [see fig.7] To represent durations consistent with white note head durations in conventional notation, the same symbols that represent black note head durations in this invention are used but are enclosed within the left hand and right hand arcs of an oval type shape which is 'broken' at the top and bottom, [see fig.8] The upper and lower breaks in the oval type shape are a critical part of the design as they allow for the inclusion, within the right and left hand arcs, of a larger and therefore more visually clear symbol. The upper and lower ends of the arcs coincide when these shapes are arranged in a vertical fashion, [see fig.9 and fig.10]

Strummed chords

To represent a strummed chord, the invention uses slash type note heads. The general orientation of the symbols is that of the forward slash character in type, sloping from bottom left tot top right.

To . represent durations consistent with black note head durations in conventional notation, a filled-in or 'black' symbol is used in the shape of a narrow trapezium. The left hand end of the trapezium forms right angles with the longer sloping sides and the right hand end is vertical, aligning it for stem attachment, [see fig.11 and fig.12]

To represent durations consistent with white note head durations in conventional notation, an outline or 'white' symbol is used in the shape of a narrow parallelogram. The general orientation of the longer sides of the symbol is from bottom left to top right. The right and left hand sides are vertical which aligns them for stem attachment, [see fig.13 and 14] On the two-line staff the 'black' and 'white' note heads indicating a strummed chord are used singly to show a strummed chord of a chosen number of strings.

Placement of notes

On the two-line staff, the notation is written on or adjoining the lower of the two staff lines, [see fig.15]

On the tablature staff, the notation is written on the line that represents the particular string to be sounded, [see fig.16] Indicating repeats of an accompaniment pattern

Repeated patterns are a feature of accompaniment. In this invention, the repeat of an accompaniment pattern following its statement in a bar is indicated by an immediately following bar which consists of an upper and a lower staff line, bounded to the left and right by bar lines and devoid of other notation. An accompaniment pattern continues to be repeated throughout as many of these 'blank' repeated bars as there are, until a change is notated. [see fig.17 and fig.18]

Patterns of delivery of an accompaniment

This invention notates the patterns used to deliver the pitch material indicated by chords symbols, according to one of the following modes of presentation:

The two-line staff. The lines of the two-line staff neither represent pitch nor strings of the instrument. They provide a graphic framework upon which note values can be written to indicate the rhythmic pattern of an accompaniment. As well, particular note heads are used to provide information about the articulation of chordal components, particular strings to be played and the fingers that pluck the strings.

The tablature staff. The lines of the tablature staff represent the strings of the instrument. This mode of presentation is employed to clearly indicate patterns to do with the sequence of playing the strings. The required note values are shown and particular note heads are used to provide information about the articulation of chordal components and the fingers that pluck the strings. If a note or notes are required to be played beyond what is indicated by the chord symbol, the fret position of the note or notes can be shown as a note head in this mode of presentation.

The repeated bar. Because accompaniment patterns tend to be repeated, this form of presentation becomes the default mode of presentation following a statement of the accompaniment material in either the two-line or tablature form. The stated pattern of an accompaniment continues throughout as many repeated bars as there are until a change is indicated.

The mode of presentation (namely the two-line staff, the tablature staff and the repeated bar) can change from one form to another as required and at any moment.