The numbers are the regular degrees of a major diatonic scale.
Any altered notes can be shown using a b or a #
We use a few symbols to indicate the direction of the melody movement:
up / down \ or no movement -
Examples of symbol usage:
1/1 up one octave from the 1st degree.
5\5 down one octave from the 5th degree.
1\5/5 down to the 5th then up one octave to the 5th above the tonic
1-1/5-5 the first 4 notes of 'Twinkle Twinkle Little Star'
1//2 up a 9th, it is not often a melody moves by an interval greater than
than an octave but this can be accommodated by doubling the slash.
1/#4 up to a sharp 4 (first 2 notes of 'Maria' from West Side Story).
Examples from real music:
'Over The Rainbow' 1/1\7\5/6/7/1
'Moon River' 5/2\1\7\6\5\4/5
'Big Spender' 5-5/6/7/1/b3\2/b3 (The minute you walked in the joint..)
Advantages:
1/ The method is quick, simple and compact.
2/ No graphics or 'attached files' are required.
3/ The method encourages a better understanding of melodic movement related
to the notes of the scale.
4/ copyright would not be infringed because the the system does not give the
the full information required to reproduce a melody (I am not sure if I am
right about this one). Often people on this list want to remind someone
how a melody goes but are reluctant to send a score because of the
copyright problem.
5/ The system is useful for analyzing and comparing melody lines.
Disadvantage:
1/ You need to have some kind of musical instrument to hand OR have a well
developed 'inner ear' and a good sense of melody/scale relationship
(I think using this system would develop this).
-------- John
----- John P. Brown J.P.Brown@bradford.ac.uk ----
\ 'Enjoy yourself, it's later than you think' /
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