The Dodeka Music Notation is an alternative
music notation
Musical notation is any system used to visually represent music. Systems of notation generally represent the elements of a piece of music that are considered important for its performance in the context of a given musical tradition. The proces ...
or musical notation system invented and designed in 1980s by inventor and musician
Jacques-Daniel Rochat in an attempt to improve upon traditional music notation.
Staff and pitch
Unlike conventional
musical notation
Musical notation is any system used to visually represent music. Systems of notation generally represent the elements of a piece of music that are considered important for its performance in the context of a given musical tradition. The proce ...
, the Dodeka music notation system uses a
chromatic scale
The chromatic scale (or twelve-tone scale) is a set of twelve pitches (more completely, pitch classes) used in tonal music, with notes separated by the interval of a semitone. Chromatic instruments, such as the piano, are made to produce the ...
of 12 pitches and follows an equal pitch intervals configuration, with 4 lines per octave.
In this configuration, the 12 notes of an octave appear in four positions vis-à-vis the
staff lines, that is, either on, between, above and below the lines.
Each pitch has its own unique place on the staff. And while conventional music notation may alter notes using accidental signs or
key signature
In Western musical notation, a key signature is a set of sharp (), flat (), or rarely, natural () symbols placed on the staff at the beginning of a section of music. The initial key signature in a piece is placed immediately after the cl ...
s, notes in the Dodeka notation appear as they are. There are no more key signatures or accidental signs in this musical system.
Note duration
The Dodeka notation system represents note duration in a visual manner. Note lengths are represented through the notes graphical shapes, similar to what can be found in
sequencer programmes. The reference time unit or time value being the
quarter note
A quarter note ( AmE) or crotchet ( BrE) () is a musical note played for one quarter of the duration of a whole note (or semibreve). Quarter notes are notated with a filled-in oval note head and a straight, flagless stem. The stem usually ...
(or crotchet), all durations are expressed as visual ratios from this reference point.
For example, a
whole note
A whole note (American) or semibreve (British) in musical notation is a single note equivalent to or lasting as long as two half notes or four quarter notes. Description
The whole note or semibreve has a note head in the shape of a hollow ov ...
is the representation of four quarter note lengths. At the opposite, an
eighth note
180px, Figure 1. An eighth note with stem extending up, an eighth note with stem extending down, and an eighth rest.
180px, Figure 2. Four eighth notes beamed together.
An eighth note ( American) or a quaver ( British) is a musical note pla ...
(or quaver) is twice as short as a quarter note.
Octaves and clefs
While traditional music notation represents the whole musical spectrum with different
clef
A clef (from French: 'key') is a musical symbol used to indicate which notes are represented by the lines and spaces on a musical staff. Placing a clef on a staff assigns a particular pitch to one of the five lines or four spaces, whic ...
s, such as the treble or bass clefs, in the Dodeka notation the staff configuration is consistent throughout the octaves. This means that each pitch has its own unique position on the staff regardless of the octaves.
For example, a C always keeps its position in every octave.
Relationship with keyboard layout
The Dodeka music notation was developed together with the
Dodeka keyboard: an alternative keyboard layout that reflects the notation system. With this keyboard, the relationship between the notes on the sheet music and the keys on the keyboard are direct and consistent thanks to colour references.
[{{Cite news, url=https://musically.com/2017/08/15/dodeka-rethinks-keyboard-music-notation/, title=Dodeka rethinks the keyboard… and music notation, last=Dredge, first=Stuart, date=August 15, 2017, work=Music:ally]
References
External links
Dodeka Music Dodeka Music Notation website
Musical notation