EasyKey - quantum leap in music notation - check it out for free

[brother_ali]

Greetings,

Before you read this, I ask you to use your imagination, and assume that I am honest and genuine in what I have to say to you, and that it is not a hoax, con, or sham.

Let me say next that I LOVE music, and it is my desire the share the ability to create and re-create music with as many people as possible.

Finally, the purpose of this message is not to sell or even advertise anything that is currently for sale, but to make you aware of a quantum advance in music, that will SOON be sold, but is currently being given away, in an effort to strengthen and improve the product.

 I also honor, admire and revere the notation system that has allowed music to survive and evolve with the civilizations that have created music using it, and passed on traditions and ceremonies with it.

Having said all that, the year is 2011, and more people than ever are alienated from the process of playing, creating, thus fully enjoying the possibilities of music, due to the effort and difficultly in learning the language of music.

In our main languages, we hear, then reproduce vocally sounds and words, and only then once we have mastered that aspect, are we encourage to learn to read and write words. But in music, we must learn the written language before we can attempt any lessons, or reproduction of documented pieces.

This has changed with the revolutionary new, patent and copyright protected, “Visual Music Notation System”, which is currently marketed under the trade name, “EasyKey”.

https://www.easykeymusic.com.au
On Thursday, the 2nd of June 2011 , EasyKey had its unofficial launch, where the base products were unveiled to the public for the first time. At this event, parents and teachers brought three distinct groups to try the EasyKey notation system. Participants were either gifted, normal, or had some degree of social issue, i.e. ADHD. None had any measurable training or experience playing the piano, or reading music notation of any kind.  They sat through 15 minutes of explanations about who and what EasyKey was, another 5 minutes explaining how to read the notation, and then were given sheet music for the song, “Old MacDonald” and asked to perform it in front of the other participants.

Please stop for a moment, and please imagine doing that with your standard sheet music, on a school night, after work, before dinner.

Here is the video of the result.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MAnNF042LMU

At this point, I am simply asking you to stop by the website

https://www.easykeymusic.com.au
download the freebies and have a look, print them out, use them.
Then, please contact me and let me know your results, and come back and post to this forum your thoughts.

Please don’t reply to this telling me what EasyKey can’t, or must be, until you have downloaded and tried the samples….

Then tell me honestly,

Can a novice musician read the EasyKey notation and tell you the correct name for all notes represented in a song?
Can they tell you how long a note is to be held?
Most of all, does it work, simply, and effectively?

To be continued….

Shareef Ali Rashada
Inventor of the “Visual Music Notation System”
Director of EasyKey Pty Ltd
www.easykeymusic.com.au
email: easykeymusic@gmail.com

[gep]

Sorry to put an unpleasant fly in the copious ointment of your selfpromotion, but a quick look at your site reveals your "quantum leap" in musical notation to be no more than one of those "easy notations" for those too lazy to learn proper musical notation, and too sloppy to care.

You might also do good in trying to understand the meaning of the word "quantum".

all best,
gep

[ahinton]

I also honor, admire and revere the notation system that has allowed music to survive and evolve with the civilizations that have created music using it, and passed on traditions and ceremonies with it.

Having said all that, the year is 2011, and more people than ever are alienated from the process of playing, creating, thus fully enjoying the possibilities of music, due to the effort and difficultly in learning the language of music.

I think that most if not all of us here know already what year it is, but on what basis do you conclude the above? Why and on what basis would anyone seek to associate that year with alleged evidence of such increasing alienation? (and what is "difficultly"?)...

In our main languages, we hear, then reproduce vocally sounds and words, and only then once we have mastered that aspect, are we encourage to learn to read and write words. But in music, we must learn the written language before we can attempt any lessons, or reproduction of documented pieces.

That's simply untrue; do you really believe that no young children ever try to make vocal musical sounds or try to make sounds on an instrument before being coerced into learning to read musical notation? Furthermore, some children are encouraged - to no ill effect - to learn to read and write words long before school entrace age; indeed, I was myself encouraged to do both of these things to a reasonable degree of proficiency on the understnading that I'd require a certain level of proficiency in those skills by the time I first went to school.

This has changed with the revolutionary new, patent and copyright protected, “Visual Music Notation System”, which is currently marketed under the trade name, “EasyKey”.

I wonder why anyone felt a need to protect its copyright, frankly...

https://www.easykeymusic.com.au
On Thursday, the 2nd of June 2011 , EasyKey had its unofficial launch, where the base products were unveiled to the public for the first time. At this event, parents and teachers brought three distinct groups to try the EasyKey notation system. Participants were either gifted, normal, or had some degree of social issue, i.e. ADHD. None had any measurable training or experience playing the piano, or reading music notation of any kind.  They sat through 15 minutes of explanations about who and what EasyKey was, another 5 minutes explaining how to read the notation, and then were given sheet music for the song, “Old MacDonald” and asked to perform it in front of the other participants.

Well, that's better than giving them a McDonalds of any vintage, I suppose - but what strikes me most strongly here is the sheer arrogance of the assumption that the average person capable of learning to read and write in his/her own language would find the learning of conventional standard music notation so much more problematic.

Can a novice musician read the EasyKey notation and tell you the correct name for all notes represented in a song?

It's always "a song", isn't it?!...

does it work, simply, and effectively?

Does it matter? The alienation of which you write seems to be wholly at odds with the vast numbers of pre-school-age children in many parts of the world who seem to find little problem in working at learning conventional musical notation as part of the process of learning to sing or play an instrument; there are indeed some people who want to learn that notation simply in order to enhance their experience of music by being able to follow a score and without necessarily having a particular ambition to sing or play an instrument...

I don't wish to pour cold water on what may well have been a well-meaning exercise for the sake of so doing, but the logic and rationale behind such principles as it may have is, I fear, profoundly flawed.

Best,

Alistair

[djealnla]

"Musical notation, we have found, is not very logical, and only partially practical. It is perfectly possible to invent a better one, and dozens of people have essayed that. Some of their systems, which I need not detail, are clear improvements on at least several elements in our staff notation : but they have about as much chance of being adopted as I have of becoming Prime Minister. Not only the force of the evolution of the ages is against them : the adoption of any new system would mean the scrapping of millions of pounds' worth of musical plates and copies." - W. R. Anderson, 1934

[thalbergmad]

You might also do good in trying to understand the meaning of the word "quantum".

Perhaps you have an advantage over most of us when it comes to matters microscopic

Thal

[ahinton]

Perhaps you have an advantage over most of us when it comes to matters microscopic

No doubt he does, but I don't quite understand what that fact has to do with either the subject of this thread or the thread initiator's evident misuse of the term "quantum" to which he understandably drew attention - do you?

Best,

Alistair

[lostinidlewonder]

After viewing EasyKey's sheet music I have come to the conclusion that the creator of EasyKey's sheet music might be a fan of the video game Guitar Hero or something.

[gep]

Perhaps you have an advantage over most of us when it comes to matters microscopic

Thal

'Microscopic matters' is rather a huge area, so I would not want to claim any "advantage". My field of work is microbiology, which is not all microscopic (in fact, my lab doesn't have a microscope!). Mind you, I'd advice never to mess with microbiologists; you may have heard of the Hamburgian EHEC; we could, off the shelf, order any amount of EHEC's, EPEC's, EAEC's, EIEC's, not to mention beauties like the typhoid bacterium (S. typhi) or the black plague bacterium (Y. pestis). In about one working day one can grow enough bacteria to - when ideally spread - infect, say, the whole population of China. And then have some left for some specific, err, goals. So if you ever would be silly enough to mess with a microbiologist, he/she could mess with you in most intestiningly ways. Just as well then that I at least am such an extermely nice guy, right??

[ahinton]

'Microscopic matters' is rather a huge area, so I would not want to claim any "advantage". My field of work is microbiology, which is not all microscopic (in fact, my lab doesn't have a microscope!). Mind you, I'd advice never to mess with microbiologists; you may have heard of the Hamburgian EHEC; we could, off the shelf, order any amount of EHEC's, EPEC's, EAEC's, EIEC's, not to mention beauties like the typhoid bacterium (S. typhi) or the black plague bacterium (Y. pestis). In about one working day one can grow enough bacteria to - when ideally spread - infect, say, the whole population of China. And then have some left for some specific, err, goals. So if you ever would be silly enough to mess with a microbiologist, he/she could mess with you in most intestiningly ways. Just as well then that I at least am such an extermely nice guy, right??

In the long run, any words about microbiologists are less important than what the microbiologists are capable of doing. Anyone who thinks otherwise may soon not be possible to talk to (Shostakovich, transcr. anon.)

(!!)

Best,

Alistair

[brother_ali]

Greetings,

Thank you and all others who have taken the time out to reply to my post.

As I have worked on this notation, I have noticed that the only people who are against it, are those who are already accomplished at using the standard music notation. More that that, they usually have the attitude, I was able to use it, therefor anyone who can't must be lazy or stupid.

If you don't mind I am compiling a list of responses to EasyKey, and think yours is very useful at demonstrating the arrongant, elitist attitude we need to combat.

Sorry to put an unpleasant fly in the copious ointment of your selfpromotion, but a quick look at your site reveals your "quantum leap" in musical notation to be no more than one of those "easy notations" for those too lazy to learn proper musical notation, and too sloppy to care.

You might also do good in trying to understand the meaning of the word "quantum".

all best,
gep

In my understanding, presently less than 3% of the world's population can read standard music notation well enough to read or  play a song on demand. A product that could increase that number to at least 80% (I've never had a failure, but admit that it is possible) is in my opinion, a quantum leap.

Ali Rashada
www.easykeymusic.com.au
www.mp3.com.au/Alirashada/music

[brother_ali]

I think that most if not all of us here know already what year it is, but on what basis do you conclude the above? Why and on what basis would anyone seek to associate that year with alleged evidence of such increasing alienation? (and what is "difficultly"?)...

My mention of the year was an allusion to how long the present standard music notation has been used. It was a way of saying, this is a new day, in a new year, and the opportunities are boundless.

That's simply untrue; do you really believe that no young children ever try to make vocal musical sounds or try to make sounds on an instrument before being coerced into learning to read musical notation?

Perhaps I wasn't clear. My point was, we learn to speak, before we learn to read.
In music that is not so. We must learn to read the language in order to understand the lessons,
at least before EasyKey.

Well, that's better than giving them a McDonalds of any vintage, I suppose - but what strikes me most strongly here is the sheer arrogance of the assumption that the average person capable of learning to read and write in his/her own language would find the learning of conventional standard music notation so much more problematic.
It's always "a song", isn't it?!...

Not sure what you are saying, and probably if you are really into reading music, and playing the piano, then the people you associate with are the same, and you may have lost sight of how many people are actually unable to do so...

We at EasyKey have not lost sight of the 97% of the worlds population who cannot read standard music notation, or tried and found it too hard.

I don't wish to pour cold water on what may well have been a well-meaning exercise for the sake of so doing, but the logic and rationale behind such principles as it may have is, I fear, profoundly flawed.

I guess it is lucky for me that I am not selling my rational, but will be selling a product that works, and try as you might, you simply cannot argue with success.

Ali Rashada
www.easykeymusic.com.au
www.mp3.com.au/AliRashada/music

[brother_ali]

Greetings,

After viewing EasyKey's sheet music I have come to the conclusion that the creator of EasyKey's sheet music might be a fan of the video game Guitar Hero or something.

I must admit that I noticed the similarities. I started developing this notation over 10 years ago, before Guitar hero, but was encourage to go ahead and release the notation when I saw how people are taking to non traditional ways of representing music.

that told me that time was right to go ahead.

[ahinton]

My mention of the year was an allusion to how long the present standard music notation has been used. It was a way of saying, this is a new day, in a new year, and the opportunities are boundless.

And my reference to it was for the purpose of pointing out that, despite what you write above, there is not a shred of evidence to suggest that it's any more of a problem for people to learn standard notation now than it has ever been previously - that's all.
 

Perhaps I wasn't clear. My point was, we learn to speak, before we learn to read.
In music that is not so. We must learn to read the language in order to understand the lessons,
at least before EasyKey.

My point was that this is not always true; quite a few people try to sing or play an instrument before they learn notation and some of them might develop quite a facility for playing and/or singing by ear before they ever face dots on a page; your remarks reveal your efforts to persuade people of a difference between the relationships between speech/reading and singing/playing/reading music that is grossly misleading and fails to stand up to scrutiny in practice.

Not sure what you are saying, and probably if you are really into reading music, and playing the piano, then the people you associate with are the same, and you may have lost sight of how many people are actually unable to do so...

I am a composer, not a pianist; my initial motivation as a musician was to compose, not to perform. In what I wrote in my previous post I was not referring to those whom I know but to the fact that a system of musical notation that has been around for as long as standard musical notation has would likely have bitten the dust long ago had too many people found it too hard to learn.

We at EasyKey have not lost sight of the 97% of the worlds population who cannot read standard music notation, or tried and found it too hard.

And what percentage of the world's population do you think would read yours? I submit that the figure would be little different, but what is surely far more important is the practical uses to which such notation can be put; can you really imagine some of the more complexly notated scores in Western music being intelligibly reproduceable by means of your system?

I guess it is lucky for me that I am not selling my rational, but will be selling a product that works, and try as you might, you simply cannot argue with success.

First achieve demonstrable success (whatever that may be in this context) and provide incontrovertible proof thereof before arguing that the product "works"! Perhaps we could see some EasyKey notated pages from the full score of Salome or Finnissy's English Country-Tunes as examples?...

I rather doubt that it will have escaped the notice of members here who have taken the trouble to watch the video to which you provide a link that (a) no allowance is made for the possibility that any of the participants might be able to play by ear to some degree and (b) at no time does one get to see the notation concerned; added to the frequently shaky hand of whoever is in charge of the video camera, this is less than helpful or instructive and does the system and its advocates no favours.

The notion of "unlocking" the world of music is the prime fallacy here, based as it is upon a convenient (for you) but untenable assumption that this world is indeed somehow "locked" by default and is likely to remain so until such time as the magic of EasyKey turns that key and "unlocks" it; it is surely in this that the credibility of the system most noticeably falls apart.

How far along the road of reading musical scores might you anticipate this system to "work"? The video uses as it basis a very simple tune but tells us nothing about the extent to which EasyKey might be put in terms of helping people to read more complex musical material s they develop their musical skills.

Again, I'm sorry to sound discouraging, but I would be doing you and other members here a disservice were I to be other than honest in offering my views on it, for what they may or may not be worth. Yours is not, of course, the first extravagant claim in the world of music, nor do I expect it to be the last, but until and unless a raft of substantial evidence is provided in support of EasyKey as a more effective and helpful system whereby those who have never previously read music can suddenly do so, the jury remains out.

Best,

Alistair

[richard black]

So it's sort of like a crude lute tablature for piano? And it doesn't look as if it's going to be very easy to read when the music gets at all complicated.

[gerryjay]

I must admit...sometimes I think I must not waste my time. Anyway, I spend the last couple of hours using EasyKey. Some thoughts:

1. First and absolutely foremost, there is one single reason to music notation exist: communication. It is a easy way to write down what you need and a much easier way to read what you need. It is a collective work that is under development since the Middle Ages, and it provides you access to the literature of music as well provide a significant tool to composing, teaching, etc.

2. The video of EasyKey is the...well...the key feature to understand what is all about. None (I will write again: NONE) of these happy smiling people is actually playing the keyboard. They are just pressing keys that, coincidently, produce a sound. The approach is not different from using a remote control, and any kid of four uses with great competence a remote control.

3. I don't think that Mr. Hinton was arrogant at all. I think that the arrogant attitude was taken by someone who comes with a dated way of teach notation (because EasyKey isn't even new: I saw a bunch of this kind of so called "revolutionary" methods since the early days of internet, and none is widespread now). Furthermore, unhappy with selling a fallacy, he will advocate that people must "combat elitist opinions". Well, that is to laugh about...

4. Why none of this revolutionary tools is widespread? Why everybody keeps using old-fashioned notation? Why people bother to learn it? Simple: because it is easy and it works. There is nothing wrong about notation. Sometimes, there is something wrong about the way people learn it, and here is the point I was most distasteful about: the video shows the worst possible approach to music. What is even worse: to play Old Macdonald you simply don't need a score!!!

5. Let's go back to square one: why to use scores? It is useful when you don't know the music or - basically - when you have something that is too long and/or too complex to handle. Old Macdonald is a much known tune, that is absolutely simple and is very short. You don't need notation to play it, so - for starters - you don't need any so-called "revolutionary" approach to teach it.

6. 80% of world population is quite a bunch of people. It's a shame that only 31 (me included two times) have seen the video on youtube...

Tired regards,
Jay.

[brother_ali]

Greetings,

thanks for the continuing dialog.

Let me make this concession to you and others who make their living using the present standard notation. EasyKey is not for you. It is not meant to replace what exists, only to make music more accesible to the 97% who are not currently engaged in creating or playing written music.

And my reference to it was for the purpose of pointing out that, despite what you write above, there is not a shred of evidence to suggest that it's any more of a problem for people to learn standard notation now than it has ever been previously - that's all.

Well, I do surveys when I do demonstrations, and the results don't support your beliefs, neither do the 97% of people who can't read standard notation.

I have never had anyone tell me they couldn't read a song in EasyKey, and by read I mean be able to name the each note within a song, and tell its approximate length, and then find these keys on a piano.

I understand that something as simple as this act may be easy to you, but I submit you are in a small minority, and your association with others like you, has clouded your vision to the reality of music illiteracy


 .

And what percentage of the world's population do you think would read yours? I submit that the figure would be little different, but what is surely far more important is the practical uses to which such notation can be put

I have documented evidence that 100% of the people who have tried EasyKey have been able to read the music put in front of them.
You can argue all you want, but experience trumps an argument every time.
You saw the video, and as much as you or anyone else tries to belittle it, you cannot deny that it shows people reading a notation, and playing the music.
Whether you or anyone else believes that these participants could read music, or play by ear before they came doesn’t change the joy and success they feel.

Here is an actual email I received yesterday  from one of the adult participants
========================
Thanks for having me to your unofficial launch.
 
I am having a great time learning the songs that you handed out, but haven't made a start on the scales and chord sheets.  As yet, I haven't been able to get the hang of two handed playing but have the melody of "Fur Elise" down pat.
 
EasyKey is awesome and I will soon be lonot oking for more music to add to my playlist.
 
Thanks again
Jx
======================

can you really imagine some of the more complexly notated scores in Western music being intelligibly reproduceable by means of your system?

Nope as I’ve already admitted, EasyKey is not meant to be used professionally, it is a teaching tool, and alternative.

As to the concept of “works”, EasyKey is advertised as allowing virtually anyone in the world the ability to read written music with less than 5 minutes of instructions.
EasyKey has demonstrated that ability time and time again. Therefore, it works.

The notion of "unlocking" the world of music is the prime fallacy here, based as it is upon a convenient (for you) but untenable assumption that this world is indeed somehow "locked" by default and is likely to remain so until such time as the magic of EasyKey turns that key and "unlocks" it; it is surely in this that the credibility of the system most noticeably falls apart.

Interesting, virtually EVERYONE who uses EasyKey assures me that I have hit upon the perfect tag line, and it does exactly what it is supposed to.
Who do you think I’m going to believe? The users, or the haters?

Again, I'm sorry to sound discouraging, but I would be doing you and other members here a disservice were I to be other than honest in offering my views on it, for what they may or may not be worth. Yours is not, of course, the first extravagant claim in the world of music, nor do I expect it to be the last, but until and unless a raft of substantial evidence is provided in support of EasyKey as a more effective and helpful system whereby those who have never previously read music can suddenly do so, the jury remains out.

No worries, you haven’t come close to discouraging me. I’ve encountered you attitude before, but you are in such a small minority, it doesn’t really matter. But I do appreciate you sharing your opinions with us

In closing, my purpose in posting was to gauge the response from the establishment, and it was what I have encountered before, so no big surprise.
But no amount of cold water you or anyone here attempts to throw, is more powerful than  the smiles, emails, and thanks I get from people who thought they would never be able to read or play music.


Ali Rashada
www.easykeymusic.com.au
www.mp3.com.au/AliRashada/music

[Derek]

I definitely felt alienated by traditional notation when I started out. I tried when I was 7, 11, and then again at 15. It never made sense to me at all. So, I learned to speak first (improvise). Then, I entered college and learned to read. It wasn't actually all that difficult, and for pieces that are a lot more complex than Old MacDonald, I cannot imagine a more efficient way to represent them than the old system. Especially for common practice era music since almost all of it was based on diatonic scales and highly restricted rhythm---which the old system was evolved to support.

brother_ali have you experimented with notating complex pieces for advanced pianists? Try to find an advanced pianist who is open minded enough to try it out despite already knowing how to read traditional music? I'd give it a shot. I'm an amateur so I'm not quite as inflexible as these other guys    Nor as qualified to comment. But I can read traditional music AND I'm open minded.

There are a number of classical pieces I'd like to learn some day but have never attempted to read. If I could make a "request" for one of these to be notated, I'd try it out for a while, and compare it with the normal sheet music, and see if I felt like it could potentially be easier to use easykey.

[brother_ali]

Greetings,

I must admit...sometimes I think I must not waste my time. Anyway, I spend the last couple of hours using EasyKey. Some thoughts:

2. The video of EasyKey is the...well...the key feature to understand what is all about. None (I will write again: NONE) of these happy smiling people is actually playing the keyboard. They are just pressing keys that, coincidently, produce a sound. The approach is not different from using a remote control, and any kid of four uses with great competence a remote control.

Please forgive me, but I don't understand your point. Do you think that when I put music for "Old McDonald" in front a participant, and they read the notation, and the song that they play is what we intended, you see that as a coincidence?

More than that, it seems as if you are saying, "it works too well, all they have to do is press the keys you tell them, and a song comes out"

Well Duh... isn't that the point? Why shouldn't it be EASY?

4. Why none of this revolutionary tools is widespread? Why everybody keeps using old-fashioned notation? Why people bother to learn it? Simple: because it is easy and it works. There is nothing wrong about notation. Sometimes, there is something wrong about the way people learn it, and here is the point I was most distasteful about: the video shows the worst possible approach to music. What is even worse: to play Old Macdonald you simply don't need a score!!!

This tool is not widespread because I have been developing it off and on for the last 10 years. It is only now, this year, last week, that i released it to the public. It has not been seen by anyone not directly involved with production or testing until last week.

5. Let's go back to square one: why to use scores? It is useful when you don't know the music or - basically - when you have something that is too long and/or too complex to handle. Old Macdonald is a much known tune, that is absolutely simple and is very short. You don't need notation to play it, so - for starters - you don't need any so-called "revolutionary" approach to teach it.

I wasn't teaching the song. It was a demonstration to show that someone who has no musical training, and does not know how to read music, would be up to pick up EasyKey sheet music and be able to read it. Now, I made the distinction at the launch that there is a vast difference between reading and playing. I picked an easy song, because the participants would be able to PLAY what they could read. I could have used a much more complex song that they could READ, but would not be able to play at all, so there would have been no success, thus no fun, and no reason for them to continue.

6. 80% of world population is quite a bunch of people. It's a shame that only 31 (me included two times) have seen the video on youtube...

I agree whole heartedly, lets  hope more get the message

Ali Rashada
www.easykeymusic.com.au
www.mp3.com.au/Alirashada/music

[pianisten1989]

I haven't really read all of this (for, at least to me, obvious reasons) so someone might have asked this already.

What if they want to learn how to read actual music? Then they have learned the "easy key"-notation and are able to read Twinkle Twinkle and Old McDonald had a farm. What if they want to play some real music?

And, as someone else pointed out, this isn't very new. In fact, it looks quite a lot like the really old notation from the Renaissance, so you're basically 600 years behind...

[ahinton]

Let me make this concession to you

How partonisingly generous of you!...

and others who make their living using the present standard notation.

Of the many millions of people in many parts of the world who use the standard notation, only a relatively small proportion actually make a living using it; there are plenty of people who can read music but who are not professional performers or composers. Mastery of conventional musical notation is by no means all about being a professional musician.

EasyKey is not for you. It is not meant to replace what exists, only to make music more accesible to the 97% who are not currently engaged in creating or playing written music.

I think that we all accepted much of that in the first place, so there's no argument there other than the claim that EasyKey can "make music more accessible..."

Well, I do surveys when I do demonstrations, and the results don't support your beliefs, neither do the 97% of people who can't read standard notation.

"Can't" or "haven't tried to"? I accept that there may be some who find learning standard notation intractably difficult, but these are very much in the minority; your actual majority is those who've never tried, or even thought to try, to become conversant with standard musical notation, unlike the many millions of professional and amateur players, singers and composers who have done so successfully over the centuries yet whose achievements in this regard you apparently seek by implication to dismiss as of little if any importance.

I have never had anyone tell me they couldn't read a song in EasyKey, and by read I mean be able to name the each note within a song, and tell its approximate length, and then find these keys on a piano.

That may well be the case - I don't think that anyone here is denying it - but what next? How far will familiarity with EasyKey take anyone who tries it?

I understand that something as simple as this act may be easy to you, but I submit you are in a small minority, and your association with others like you, has clouded your vision to the reality of music illiteracy.

Facts determine that I must take a differing view. Of course only a minority of people are musically literate (in standard notational terms), even though that minority comprises millions of people, but that's largely a matter of choice; not everyone is interested in being musically literate in the first place, just as only a minority of the world's population wants to listen to Bach, Mozart and Beethoven, let alone Schönberg, Xenakis and Ferneyhough. Neither my vision nor that of "those like me" is therefore "clouded" at all.

I have documented evidence that 100% of the people who have tried EasyKey have been able to read the music put in front of them. You can argue all you want, but experience trumps an argument every time. You saw the video, and as much as you or anyone else tries to belittle it, you cannot deny that it shows people reading a notation, and playing the music.

I am not suggesting otherwise - and you are now getting quite unnecessarily defensive (I cannot be bothered to question why). I am not trying to belittle it - merely to point out that it is not to be overestimated. Whilst I am not seeking specifically to "deny that it shows people reading a notation", it doesn't actually do so because, as I have noted in a previous post, one never gets to see the notation from which the participants are reading!

Whether you or anyone else believes that these participants could read music, or play by ear before they came doesn’t change the joy and success they feel.

I did not suggest that any participant was already musically literate before participating; what I did do was point out that no allowance has been made for the possibility that at least some might possess a facility for playing by ear, even if they've never previously used it or even necessarily been aware of it - after all, those who can play by ear all start somewhere and they're all unaware of possessing that facility until they try it for themselves.

Nope as I’ve already admitted, EasyKey is not meant to be used professionally, it is a teaching tool, and alternative.

But a "teaching tool" for what? - an "alternative" to what? Are you claiming that EasyKey is an "alternative" means to salvation in terms of musical literacy to the extent that it can be used as an "alternative" to conventional notation, or are you tacitly admitting that its use is severely limited and that those who want to go on to learn to play much more complex repertoire than the simple tune used in the demonstration will after all have to bite the bullet and knuckle down to learning conventional notation the (allegedly) "hard" way?

As to the concept of “works”, EasyKey is advertised as allowing virtually anyone in the world the ability to read written music with less than 5 minutes of instructions. EasyKey has demonstrated that ability time and time again. Therefore, it works.

Ah, yes - it "works" on it own specific terms, no doubt, but when put forward as an alleged practical "alternative" to conventional musical notation for all those who supposedly "cannot" master the latter, it doesn't work!

Interesting, virtually EVERYONE who uses EasyKey assures me that I have hit upon the perfect tag line, and it does exactly what it is supposed to. Who do you think I’m going to believe? The users, or the haters?

You believe wht you choose to believe; that is your prerogative. Bear in mind, however, that those who point out the serious shortcomings of EasyKey and question claims that are being made for it do not as a consequence "hate" it; what's to hate?

No worries, you haven’t come close to discouraging me. I’ve encountered you attitude before, but you are in such a small minority, it doesn’t really matter.

I am not seeking to discourage you; you must do what you want. What I will do at this point, however, is question this "small minority" to which you seem to believe that I belong, in that this "minority" comprises everyone in the world who is conversant with conventional notation and, whilst I cannot say with certain just how many millions of people that represents, I can declare with absolute certainty that it is a good deal more people than have tried EasyKey!

But I do appreciate you sharing your opinions with us

No problem.

In closing, my purpose in posting was to gauge the response from the establishment, and it was what I have encountered before, so no big surprise. But no amount of cold water you or anyone here attempts to throw, is more powerful than  the smiles, emails, and thanks I get from people who thought they would never be able to read or play music.

All that is all very well and if you derive pleasure from witnessing such things that's absolutely fine - I'm sure that none of us would, or would even want to, argue with that per se. However, when you can demonstrate that the study of EasyKey as an "alternative" to conventional notation has enabled at least a few people to be able to read and sing a Handel or Mozart aria, read and play the solo part in Szymanowski's two violin concertos, read and play some Rakhmaninov Études-Tableaux or read and conduct a Mahler symphony, we'll be in a position to take you and your EasyKey more seriously. In the meantime, you might care to consider how those smiles might ultimately get wiped off some of those people's faces when they find that the EasyKey system in which they have come to place undue faith starts to let them down.

Best,

Alistair

[ahinton]

I haven't really read all of this (for, at least to me, obvious reasons) so someone might have asked this already.

What if they want to learn how to read actual music? Then they have learned the "easy key"-notation and are able to read Twinkle Twinkle and Old McDonald had a farm. What if they want to play some real music?

And, as someone else pointed out, this isn't very new. In fact, it looks quite a lot like the really old notation from the Renaissance, so you're basically 600 years behind...

Indeed so; Guido d'Arezzo has died, or so I'm told...

Best,

Alistair

[perfect_pitch]

I'm trying to figure out if I need to step in here... Sounds like this guy is just yet another spammer spamming us with his crap.

Because apparently this is much easier to read...



 

[ahinton]

I'm trying to figure out if I need to step in here... Sounds like this guy is just yet another spammer spamming us with his crap.

Because apparently this is much easier to read...

I have to admit that what you suggest here sounds to be correct; what this is supposed to represent may be open to question, but if any member here would care to play this at sight and record and upload it we can perhaps form a more detailed conclusion.

I had not previously realised quite how grave an abuse of the term "quantum" we were being asked to confront here...

Best,

Alistair

[perfect_pitch]

Well if you know what it is ahinton - don't say it. I wanna see which piano member here can decipher it... primarily because I want to see their written 'what - That's supposed to be (insert piece name here) HOLY HELL... What is that s**t?!?'

 

As I said - with the word Quantum being used... I feel we're being insulted. I sense I may have to begin typing up a very large, spontaneous reply telling this guy a couple of cold hard truths, and a couple of the fallacies in his so-called radical new way of teaching.

[ahinton]

I sense I may have to begin typing up a very large, spontaneous reply telling this guy a couple of cold hard truths, and a couple of the fallacies in his so-called radical new way of teaching.

Well, don't be discouraged from doing so on my account but, on the strength of what he's written so far, I suspect that it would fall on deaf ears.

As you and others will already have noticed, we do not (a) get to see what this stuff looks like in the video, (b) know if any participants possessed any ear-playing skills and, perhaps most importantly, (c) get told to what extent it is anticipated that anyone starting out using this "system" can hope to progress musically by means of its use in terms of the development of literacy and performing skills - and no, I don't at all wonder why...

Best,

Alistair

[lostinidlewonder]

With a little effort you can see that the piece is Fur Elise.

The problem with this sheet music is that you have to see so wide, it is far greater bounds of vision than what you need for reading normal music. I think this type of sheet music is OK for early beginners who are playing very small number of notes, but maybe one lesson or two lessons with this briefly and not consisting of the entire lesson then off to normal music lessons.

[gerryjay]

Hi, Ali,

Please forgive me, but I don't understand your point. Do you think that when I put music for "Old McDonald" in front a participant, and they read the notation, and the song that they play is what we intended, you see that as a coincidence?

No, but I see no use for that. OK, it's a nice trick but it is basic pointless and - most important - you can do the same with traditional notation in...let's say...10 minutes. The advantage is that you point toward the whole repertory that is already there. Oh...I see the problem now: it takes 10 minutes instead of 5.

More than that, it seems as if you are saying, "it works too well, all they have to do is press the keys you tell them, and a song comes out"

Well Duh... isn't that the point? Why shouldn't it be EASY?

I never say it should not be easy for a simple reason: it is easy already! Score notation is an oversimplification of music that is intended to be easy to read and to write, and it does the trick. In my 20 years of experience I can count in my hand the number of people who could not read properly traditional notation in a couple of months, and these unfortunate ones had issues that impaired them to learn in a common fashion.

I made the distinction at the launch that there is a vast difference between reading and playing. I picked an easy song, because the participants would be able to PLAY what they could read. I could have used a much more complex song that they could READ, but would not be able to play at all, so there would have been no success, thus no fun, and no reason for them to continue.

Well, then I see no advantage at all. As I said, I can teach to a complete begginer Oldmacdonaldish tunes in 10 minutes or so (and I think that is nothing special about me, just a common teacher), but I don't see why selling this as a revolution. Probably because it is not.

Finally, and that's my most basic point, what you propose is nothing new (just google or youtube "learn piano easy" to see).

Best regards,
Jay.

[gerryjay]

Post script.

I give some think to my dejavu and I find a couple of examples:
- revolutionary scrolling notation: https://www.klavarmusic.org/
- an ultimate way to learn the piano: https://pianoencyclopedia.com/piano-courses/the-logic-behind-music/

(please, fill the above with a good dosis of sarcasm)

These are among the many I tested in the last years and, unfortunately, none provide any improvement. On the other hand, things slow down very much.

I can't find a third new method that is the most interesting one...it is about scrolling notation as well, and it really gives an early improvement. Nevertheless, it also fails dramatically after some lessons.

[brother_ali]

Greetings,

Thanks for your reply.

Hi, Ali,No, but I see no use for that. OK, it's a nice trick but it is basic pointless and - most important - you can do the same with traditional notation in...let's say...10 minutes. The advantage is that you point toward the whole repertory that is already there. Oh...I see the problem now: it takes 10 minutes instead of 5.

I see you didn't really watch or believe the video, or read the information I submitted. I gave a 5 minutes lesson on how to read Easykey notation. Then I brought the students up to read an unfamilar piece and attempt to play it. In the video, it specifically mentions that one student was able to read and play within 41 SECONDS, and another in 33 seconds. So now compare teaching some one to play a piece by rote - in your ten minutes, to being able to recognize and play in less than a minute.

If you and your students are happy with needing months to learn how to read music, more power to you.

You can also try and convince me that everyone who has tried to learn standard notation found it easy, and progressed on to harder song, and those who couldn't were mentally deficient, but I know  better. I talk to people every day who have given up on trying to learn music, and find it much to hard to learn to read.

As I said, I understand this is an established group, who have no need of EasyKey, but since all of you and your kind only comprise 3% or less of the worlds population, that's ok, everything isn't for everyone.


Ali Rashada
www.easykeymusic.com.au
www.mp3.com.au/AliRashada/music

[brother_ali]

Greetings,

...As you and others will already have noticed, we do not (a) get to see what this stuff looks like in the video, (b) know if any participants possessed any ear-playing skills and, perhaps most importantly, (c) get told to what extent it is anticipated that anyone starting out using this "system" can hope to progress musically by means of its use in terms of the development of literacy and performing skills - and no, I don't at all wonder why...

Best,

Alistair

Its funny, your continued insistence that this is some sort of scam, or that the participants must have had more training than I indicate, or that there is something else written on the page , all confirm the power of EasyKey. You simply cannot believe that it is as easy and powerful as it appears.

That's alright

Your doubt strengthens me!

Ali Rashada
www.easykeymusic.com.au

[gerryjay]

Hi, Ali,
I think we are already done here, but I can't let a couple of points of your last post unanswered.

I see you didn't really watch or believe the video, or read the information I submitted. I gave a 5 minutes lesson on how to read Easykey notation. Then I brought the students up to read an unfamilar piece and attempt to play it. In the video, it specifically mentions that one student was able to read and play within 41 SECONDS, and another in 33 seconds. So now compare teaching some one to play a piece by rote - in your ten minutes, to being able to recognize and play in less than a minute.

You are trying to dismiss me as a non serious interlocutor. And my point is not related to 41 seconds or 10 minutes.

If you and your students are happy with needing months to learn how to read music, more power to you.

That is the most important point: my students don't take months to read music. Actually, they take the first month to do that. The second month of classes - to most of them - is marked by starting Bach's Invention 1 and they can read it with some proficiency. Of course, some students are catchers, and move to Bach before the end of the first month. Furthermore, in this first month of classes they read tons of material (mostly very little pieces, but these do the trick).

Then, I am not the one who is claiming anything, let alone power.

You can also try and convince me that everyone who has tried to learn standard notation found it easy, and progressed on to harder song, and those who couldn't were mentally deficient, but I know  better. I talk to people every day who have given up on trying to learn music, and find it much to hard to learn to read.

Oh, boy. That was quite unpolite for two reasons:

1. I didn't say that these students were mentally deficient (which is harsh to say, btw). I wrote: "(...) these unfortunate ones had issues that impaired them to learn in a common fashion." Where did I make any reference to mental illness? As an example, just for clarification, I have had an adult student that was attending AA and piano classes as part of his recovering from alcohol addiction. He was in quite a bad time, that's all, and he was not able to learn much.

2. It's very easy to say "I know better", and yes, I know a lot of people who given up on trying to learn music. The ones that I know enough to say anything about what happened, have had bad teachers or - most commonly - haven't had the organization and/or time available to learn music. Your comment is an oversimplification, just that.

As I said, I understand this is an established group, who have no need of EasyKey, but since all of you and your kind only comprise 3% or less of the worlds population, that's ok, everything isn't for everyone.

Wow...keep on showing the ugly side, as your arguments go weaker and weaker. Let's see:
1. if our so-called "group" (I can't figure which group it is, but that's OK) don't need your product, why do you advert it here?

2. you claim that only 3% of the world's population read music. Where does this number come from? I'd be delighted to know which organization made this awesome research. Anyway, let's assume this number is correct (and not a promotional catch), 3% of world's population is about 200 million people. Well, if this much do read scores, I am much happier than yesterday. I am actually looking forward to know your bibliography.
 
3. What leads me towards the last point: would you not consider the other methods I did quote? Were you at least aware of them?

Funny regards,
Jay.

[brother_ali]

Greetings,

Thanks to all members who have choosen to engage in a dialog with me.

I would agree with the sentiment that there is not much more to accomplish here.
I appreciate all comments and viewpoints, and wish you all success in you musical endeavours.

If you are interested in seeing a particular piece represented in the Easykey format,
please email me with a pdf, or midi attachment of the song, and I will see what I can do.

easykeymusic@gmail.com

Sincerely

Ali Rashada
www.easykeymusic.com.au
www.mp3.com.au/AliRashada

[brother_ali]

Greetings,

Post script.

I give some think to my dejavu and I find a couple of examples:
- revolutionary scrolling notation: https://www.klavarmusic.org/
- an ultimate way to learn the piano: https://pianoencyclopedia.com/piano-courses/the-logic-behind-music/

(please, fill the above with a good dosis of sarcasm)

These are among the many I tested in the last years and, unfortunately, none provide any improvement. On the other hand, things slow down very much.

I can't find a third new method that is the most interesting one...it is about scrolling notation as well, and it really gives an early improvement. Nevertheless, it also fails dramatically after some lessons.

I investigated both of these options as it was a requirement of the patent process that nothing similar already existed.

thanks for mentioning them though

Ali Rashada
www.easykeymusic.com.au

[perfect_pitch]

I would agree with the sentiment that there is not much more to accomplish here.

Oh goody - does that mean you're going to stop trolling and bugger the hell off???

 

If so... please take that inflated ego with you as well.   

[starlady]

Forget the musical implications, it's the failure of the education system that worries me.

You all need to write on the board 500 times

"QUANTUM is something very SMALL, not very large."

Got it? --s.

[brother_ali]

Greetings

Forget the musical implications, it's the failure of the education system that worries me.

You all need to write on the board 500 times

"QUANTUM is something very SMALL, not very large."

Got it? --s.

Thanks for demonstrating your ignorance.
from dictionary.com,  Please see definition #6

quan·tum   /ˈkwɒntəm/  Show Spelled
[kwon-tuhm]  Show IPA
noun, plural -ta  /-tə/  Show Spelled
[-tuh]  Show IPA
, adjective
–noun
1. quantity or amount: the least quantum of evidence.
2. a particular amount.
3. a share or portion.
EXPAND4. a large quantity; bulk.
5. Physics .
a. the smallest quantity of radiant energy, equal to Planck's constant times the frequency of the associated radiation.
b. the fundamental unit of a quantized physical magnitude, as angular momentum.

6. sudden and significant: a quantum increase in productivity.

Ali Rashada
www.easykeymusic.com.au

[brother_ali]

Greetings,

It seems that some of the members here really need to look at a dictionary...

Oh goody - does that mean you're going to stop trolling and bugger the hell off???

 

If so... please take that inflated ego with you as well.    

Slang Dictionary

troll definition


an internet user who sends inflammatory or provocative messages designed to elicit negative responses or start a flame-war. (As a fisherman trolls for an unsuspecting fish.) : Don't answer those silly messages. Some troll is just looking for an argument.  

How does coming here and asking for opinions and then replying to those responses make me a troll?
Or, in your mind, is a troll anyone willing to defend their viewpoint in the face of a majority who doesn't agree with them?

I mean this is a site called piano street, and we are discussing music notation...

[lostinidlewonder]

brother_ali can you account for how you train people who read your scores to be able to deal with the width that they have to simultaneously observe to be able to sight read your music? It is also very hard to notice when you move to the next line especially when notes have larger distance apart, something that we can evidently observe with the Fur Elise example above. Why did you consider that increasing width but decreasing the spacing between consecutive notes (height) would improve someones reading of more advanced works?

I have to give you some credit that this type of notation might be ok for a real beginner learning a very simple piece. But students want to be able to play better than the most simple level, reading your sheet music will stagnate the student into playing only very basic tunes and limit their ability to grow. Growth is very important when it comes to learning anything, if we trap beginner students into an inefficient reading style which has little scope for growth then we may lose their interest in music altogether. If you could demonstrate how your notation could be used in more advanced notation this would be interesting, but how it is formatted with the Fur Elise above, it is simply inefficient and if someone can play the piece at tempo from sight using your score they could do it 10 time faster with normal notation since their eyes do not have to be as accurate observing excessive width and microscopic height changes.

[lostinidlewonder]

And with regard to the youtube demonstration. I could transfer the same piece over to the entire audience in less than 1 minute without them even requiring a piano. Hold the hand in C position or whatever key you want to play the piece in will require them to be at the piano but that transfer takes seconds to learn. While they are away from the piano all you have to do is use your ear to hear the tune of the piece and use numbers to help you. 3331221 55443. I could get the audience to practice this finger combination without the piano then those who think they have memorized the combination can then try on the piano all they have to then now learn is positioning their fingers on the required notes and off they go (and 12345 on C position take seconds, when your hand starts changing positions this is when beginners start getting challenged.).

If they understand hand position and finger numbers then it is very easy just telling them the number combination, they do not need to read anything but the numbers and react with the appropriate finger that waits at the correct note. You teach correct fingering, sense of finger numbers, hand position and note combination. With your sheet music there is no indication of fingering, the student could play with only their index if they pleased, this sets them up for playing the instrument in an inefficient manner with little scope for long term improvement.

[starlady]

Greetings

Thanks for demonstrating your ignorance.
from dictionary.com,  Please see definition #6

quan·tum   /ˈkwɒntəm/  Show Spelled
[kwon-tuhm]  Show IPA
noun, plural -ta  /-tə/  Show Spelled
[-tuh]  Show IPA
, adjective
–noun
1. quantity or amount: the least quantum of evidence.
2. a particular amount.
3. a share or portion.
EXPAND4. a large quantity; bulk.
5. Physics .
a. the smallest quantity of radiant energy, equal to Planck's constant times the frequency of the associated radiation.
b. the fundamental unit of a quantized physical magnitude, as angular momentum.

6. sudden and significant: a quantum increase in productivity.

Ali Rashada
www.easykeymusic.com.au

All this demonstrates is that the misuse of the word quantum is well established in popular speech. Still doesn't make it right! 

--s.  (real life job: physicist)

[ahinton]

I know  better.

Well, that says it all, doesn't it?!

Best,

Alistair

[ahinton]

Its funny, your continued insistence that this is some sort of scam, or that the participants must have had more training than I indicate, or that there is something else written on the page , all confirm the power of EasyKey.

The use of the word "scam" is yours, not mine; I've never mentioned it in this context and wouldn't dignify EasyKey with such a description, since its obvious emptiness is unlilely to fool more than a very few people for a very short time.

As to "training", I made no such suggestions; what I did was to observe that no allowance has been made for whether any participant might already have possessed ear-playing skills which, as surely you realise, are not things that most people are "trained" to develop. Lastly, I made no claims for what may or may not be written on the page; I merely pointed out the obvious, which is that at no point during the video does the viewer get to see what is on the page - it could be anything.

Incidentally, I would not argue that your are trolling as such; I would, however, counsel you that you are wasting a great deal of your time and that of members of this forum.

Best,

Alistair

[gerryjay]

Greetings,

Thanks to all members who have choosen to engage in a dialog with me.

I would agree with the sentiment that there is not much more to accomplish here.
I appreciate all comments and viewpoints, and wish you all success in you musical endeavours.

Ali,
you are welcome. I wish you the same.
Best regards,
Jay.

[perfect_pitch]

THAT'S IT... My TURN!!!

1.    trolling    
   
1)     Being a prick on the internet because you can.
        e.g. brother_ali

2)     Trolling is the act of purposefully antagonizing other people on the internet, generally on message boards. When done in a moderated internet community, this can result in banning.


This, you have shown on several occasions... because apparently

I know better.

Let's deconstrust your first facetious and insulting post.

Let me say next that I LOVE music, and it is my desire the share the ability to create and re-create music with as many people as possible.

Yet your hoping to replace the system with a retarded version of notation? I don't see how you could possibly love it. I personally think that it's insulting because you're trying to take the music notation we have... dumb it the *** down to

Having said all that, the year is 2011, and more people than ever are alienated from the process of playing, creating, thus fully enjoying the possibilities of music, due to the effort and difficultly in learning the language of music.

How the bloody hell are the alienated from learning music? I have 4 year olds who can read music notes clearly without any worries. I have adults who can cope with it incredibly easy and I'm sure the other serious piano teachers have no problem teaching it to their students. Hell - I've had Autistic children who can clearly differentiate between different letter names without a hassle. So I hate to say it - if you're having trouble teaching the language of music, then that's something you need to work on - not make up some retarded variation in the hope of making a cheap buck (and even then - I doubt you'd make that buck anyway)

But in music, we must learn the written language before we can attempt any lessons, or reproduction of documented pieces.

WRONG! We learn a single piece of musical language and then immediately put it into practice. You don't try to memorise the italian dictionary and then decide to take italian lessons... You learn a tiny bit, then immediately use that to play a song (however basic it may be). Considering that when I have a young student for the first time - there's maybe 5 minutes at the absolute most before I have the student playing - and the only reason for that is I talk them through posture, highs and lows (sounds of the piano) and a little bit about fingering... something that your notation system seems to neglect (Yes... I did look at your notation for Fur Elise... what the HELL were you smoking when you came up with that???)

This has changed with the revolutionary new, patent and copyright protected, “Visual Music Notation System”, which is currently marketed under the trade name, “EasyKey”.

Believe me - you can keep the copyright protection, because I personally wouldn't want it or touch it with a 10 foot pole.

They sat through 15 minutes of explanations about who and what EasyKey was, another 5 minutes explaining how to read the notation

That's pretty pathetic... I have my students for only 4-5 minutes before they're playing their first songs... not bloody 20 minutes. You chat to a kid for 20 minutes solidly about anything and they're sure to switch off.

Can a novice musician read the EasyKey notation and tell you the correct name for all notes represented in a song?

Yeah... but they can do it a hell of a lot faster using the standard notation... and you don't need as many pages.

Can they tell you how long a note is to be held?

Judging by the heavy use of geometric shapes plastered all over the place - I'd be surprised if ANYONE COULD! Although again, I find 4 year olds can tell me how long a note is worth using the standard notation.

Quick question - using your notation... what do you do if a note is only worth 2 1/2 beats???

Most of all, does it work, simply, and effectively?

Mmmm... lets see what the general public think (and by that I mean the music teachers you so blazingly asked when you typed up this idiotic thread-starter of yours...

...but a quick look at your site reveals your "quantum leap" in musical notation to be no more than one of those "easy notations" for those too lazy to learn proper musical notation, and too sloppy to care.

I don't wish to pour cold water on what may well have been a well-meaning exercise for the sake of so doing, but the logic and rationale behind such principles as it may have is, I fear, profoundly flawed.

After viewing EasyKey's sheet music I have come to the conclusion that the creator of EasyKey's sheet music might be a fan of the video game Guitar Hero or something.

- My favourite    

So it's sort of like a crude lute tablature for piano? And it doesn't look as if it's going to be very easy to read when the music gets at all complicated.

- You should see Fur Elise... it'll give you a freakin' aneuryism...

What if they want to learn how to read actual music? Then they have learned the "easy key"-notation and are able to read Twinkle Twinkle and Old McDonald had a farm. What if they want to play some real music?

Then basically - they'll be disappointed to find out that all that time spend learning the 'easy-key' system was pretty much for NOTHING!!! And will THEN have to learn the proper system.

The problem with this sheet music is that you have to see so wide, it is far greater bounds of vision than what you need for reading normal music.

But I digress... from our original question.

Most of all, does it work, simply, and effectively?

I think the question you SHOULD have asked was 'CAN it work, simply and effectively?'... and I'm pretty sure the answer is no.

In my understanding, presently less than 3% of the world's population can read standard music notation well enough to read or play a song on demand.

That's probably because only just under 3% of people actually take music lessons. You can't say the other 97% don't play because the music notation system is too hard, because that's just a bunch of bullshit!

Hey - not to mention that as of right now, there's between about 50 - 100 million people in China who either piano and they seemed to learn the notation system pretty well.



And this brings me to my final point.

If you don't mind I am compiling a list of responses to EasyKey, and think yours is very useful at demonstrating the arrongant, elitist attitude we need to combat.

That's the funny thing... we only seem elitist to you because we're good at what we do. We have spent years refining our teaching skills, and made it our job to allow students to not only enjoy the music, play the music but UNDERSTAND music and take pride in teaching the piano properly, instead of making up some half-arsed, retarded geometric piece of rot filled with diamonds, triangles and more squares onto what looks like a very badly done excel spreadsheet. All you've basically done is tried to take the musical stave, but instead of trying to read it horizontally... you're trying to make people read it vertically... which to me is confusing as all ***!!!

You may try to combat it all you want... but there's nothing to combat but common sense and a notation system that has lasted for hundreds of years and will continue to serve as the basis for most of our musical understanding from this point on.

Also... just wanted to put in one last insult... which looks more pleasing to the eye???

Exhibit A...



or Exhibit B...

[fleetfingers]

Regular music notation makes perfectly good sense. I am a fluent reader and can hear the music when I see it (up to a certain level, of course), so that's easy for me to say. Of course, it's just a jumble of dots to someone who cannot read music.

If you take the examples in the post above mine: to someone who reads music, the top one means nothing and the bottom one fills the mind with the music being displayed. To someone who has learned EasyKey, the top one makes sense and the bottom one means nothing to them.

My point is that there may be various possibilities in creating a system of music notation, just as there are different possibilities of communicating through the written word. Reading Chinese means nothing to me, but English makes sense. Why? Because that is the language I was taught. Whether or not it's easier, I don't know. But it doesn't matter. I learned it; therefore I know it.

Think about the way children learn to read. It is not a quick and easy process. If they are in a classroom setting, it takes a scholastic year or two for them to grasp the idea. After Kindergarten or 1st grade (depending on where you live), they can sound out simple words and are considered to know "how to read". But, there is soooo much more growing for them to do. They can't just pick up anything and read it, but are rather quite limited in the words they can sound out and comprehend.

Hence, children continue to go to school for years and study more phonograms, spelling rules, reading comprehension, etc. They enlarge their vocabulary by learning new words and reading progressively harder books as they get older. Teachers work with them and teach them 5 days a week for hours. Parents are encouraged and sometimes expected to read with their child at home every night. If the same kind of attention were given to teaching children to read music, would not everyone be musically literate? As several teachers on this thread have pointed out, it is not difficult to teach someone - even a child - "how to read" standard notation. Or any notation, for that matter. Don't we all know many, many people who took piano lessons at some point in their lives (before quitting) who know "how to read"? The problem is that most never get past the 1st grade, if you will. If you want to become as fluent in reading music as you are in reading words, there is a process that you cannot bypass. No matter the notation you choose to learn, reading and playing music is an involved process that takes years of dedication to reach a level of proficiency.

[pianisten1989]

Oh, and btw, how about dynamics and other notations? There are a few slurs here and there, and crescendos and so on, in basically every piece. How do you write that in EasyKey?

[pianowolfi]

Hahahahahha is that supposed to be "Für Elise"??

I know this piece in and out and by heart and by reading and everything ad nauseam, but I am completely lost here

What, please, is right and left hand, what is long and what is short? Do you read from left to right or vertically downwards? Are those little arrows supposed to sound less strong than the bigger arrows?? LOLZ 

[ahinton]

It would now seem that the forum has given its views; perhaps we can now dissociate ourselves from this "system", it having been accorded due consideration by a number of members here.

Best,

Alistair

[lelle]

If you are interested in seeing a particular piece represented in the Easykey format,
please email me with a pdf, or midi attachment of the song, and I will see what I can do.

I'm kinda interested in seeing Ravel - Une Barque sur l'Ocean (A Boat on the Ocean) represented in the EasyKey format. Mayeb I should send it?

[ahinton]

I'm kinda interested in seeing Ravel - Une Barque sur l'Ocean (A Boat on the Ocean) represented in the EasyKey format. Mayeb I should send it?

Hmmm -and what, pray, about the same composer's piano trio, or Gaspard de la Nuit - or even the full scores of the piano concerto for the left hand, or Daphnis et Chloé...

And if the promoter of this system has time on his hands, perhaps he might like to let us have (in due time, of course) a full score of Schönberg's Gurrelieder which, I would imagine, might be at least 10 metres tall...

Best,

Alistair