Harmony disc

Abstract

Rotating disc with the names of the 12-tone system arranged clockwise (Drawing 1). Color scheme: black and white, corresponding to the key colors on a piano.

Description

[0001] The Harmony Wheel is a simple tool for music lessons in schools, for teaching harmony, and for composition. The multitude of scales (e.g., minor, major, five other church modes), each of which can be based on 12 different root notes, is often confusing and intimidating for beginners. Our innovative combination of a rotating wheel in a casing with viewing windows, similar to a standard parking disc, allows for easy reading and intuitive understanding of the notes of scales and the diatonic chords of all keys (minor, major, church modes) based on all root notes, even for beginners. More advanced players can quickly find the notes and diatonic chords of less frequently used keys. Transposing notes, melodies, or chord progressions is also easy thanks to the rotating mechanism. Melodic notes can be harmonized simply and creatively.

[0002] Similar tools with linear note arrangements have been published, but the circular arrangement is more intuitive and makes step chords in particular more accessible. Details:

[0003] A round disc (Drawing 1), rotatably mounted in an outer casing with viewing windows, similar to a parking disc. The 12 notes of the 12-tone system are represented on the inner rotating disc like the sections of a cake. Using black and white for the sections, like the keys on a piano, is preferred but not mandatory.

[0004] The viewing windows on the cover (Drawing 2) are arranged so that the seven notes of each scale are visible. By rotating the inner disc, all root notes for all keys can be selected. The color scheme promotes the intuitive recognition of the modes of scales and diatonic chords.

[0005] For use outside of German-speaking regions, other inner discs with the corresponding tone designations can be used. In the preferred application, the tones are read clockwise, but counterclockwise reading is also possible.

[0006] The use of this principle is also possible in digital form as electronic media, programs, apps and is part of this registration.

[0007] The reverse side of the rotating disc can display the familiar circle of fifths (Drawing 3), including the accidentals of each key and its relative minor. The inner circle also contains the (half-)diminished chord of the respective key. Such representations are already known, but the combination with the harmony disc is new and part of this application.

Claims

[1] Rotating disc with the names of the 12-tone system arranged clockwise (Drawing 1). Color scheme black and white, analogous to the corresponding key colors on the piano. [2] Outer casing with viewing windows and various labels (Drawing 2). Intuitive color coding of the modes of the scale degrees and scales. [3] The inner, rotating disc, in combination with the casing and its inscription and viewing windows, allows the - Finding the notes of a scale - Finding the scale degrees of chords - Finding the notes and optional notes of the scale degrees chords - Finding the characteristic intervals of the church modes - Transposing notes and chords into other keys [4] Labels, explanations, sound designations in German, English, French, Italian and other languages [5] Instructions for using the Harmony Disc are printed on the cover [6] Use of other inner discs with tone names in other language areas [7] Arrangement of the tones counterclockwise by corresponding arrangement of the labels [8] Use in electronic media, programs, apps, etc.

Images