> I'm a singer, and have been using my own not-very-formal-or-complete > numeric system for quickly capturing melodies on paper while they're > fresh in mind. I don't think it ever occurred to me to look around for > some existing system that would work well for this. Is there one? I > suspect Tonic Sol-Fa may not be best for this, but I'm unsure.
It's been around for 150 years so a fair few people think it's good. > Where might I find a real explanation of the Tonic Sol-Fa system? John Curwen: "The Standard Course of Lessons and Exercises in the Tonic Sol-Fa Method", pub. J. Curwen & Sons, London & Philadelphia, 1858. I have the seventh edition, "Re-written, 1901". It's probably still in print, and turns up second-hand fairly often (though most copies were probably worn ragged and then thrown away by non-singer family members after the owner's death). But it covers much more than sol-fa notation. It's a complete course in music: voice training, conducting, reading staff notation, musical form... Curwen's publishing firm covered the lot: graded courses for children with standard tests, teachers' handbooks, texts on acoustics and orchestration, hymn tune books, a handbook for organists, newly commissioned songs, etc etc etc. Not surprising they made a lasting impact. (There are a few throwaway remarks in the book that suggest Curwen had first-hand knowledge of the Highlands, which might go some way towards explaining why his system did so well there). What they didn't try was brass band music. If they'd made a concerted push into the main genre of instrumental mass music-making in the 19th century, staff notation might be a historical curiosity like neumes. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jack Campin * 11 Third Street, Newtongrange, Midlothian EH22 4PU, Scotland tel 0131 660 4760 * fax 0870 055 4975 * http://www.purr.demon.co.uk/jack/ food intolerance data & recipes, freeware Mac logic fonts, and Scottish music Posted to Scots-L - The Traditional Scottish Music & Culture List - To subscribe/unsubscribe, point your browser to: http://www.tullochgorm.com/lists.html
