Re: simplifying chromatic scale notation

[Chris Yate]

On 26 January 2016 at 16:02, Paul Morris <address@hidden> wrote:

On Jan 26, 2016, at 7:35 AM, Chris Yate <address@hidden> wrote:

As it is, when I mark up confusing music I sometimes use an upside-down "V" to indicate semitones, "=" to indicate 'same note' and a square bracket (like upside down "|__|") between notes to indicate a tone. This is occasionally useful to me as an aide-memoire, in stuff where we have lots of double-sharps and flats, but it's certainly not "standard".

I can’t help but point out, just FWIW, and intending this in a tone of respect, and as one consideration among a host of others that might outweigh it...

...that this kind of annotation wouldn’t be needed in a system where the differences between intervals (semitone, tone, others...) were clearly and consistently represented.  

Cheers,

-Paul

Yes, you're probably right. 

Though whatever you choose would have to be:

1) equally easy to read in all keys (which is demonstrably NOT the case for traditional notation)

2) easy to manage when key changes

3) make it easy to identify octaves, and possibly the tonic, and harmonic relationship between notes etc.

4) suitable for all tessitura, which of course we currently manage with clefs

5) compact

6) easy to notate by hand

7) avoid confusion with traditional notation (here Clairnote fails very badly indeed for me)

This discussion has gone way off-topic!