Manipulative system for teaching musical notation

Abstract

Progressive systems and methods for enabling music students to easily notate the pitch and/or rhythm of musical compositions using three-dimensional manipulative members representing musical notation symbols. The members are adapted to removably affix to a workspace, such as a magnetic white board surface to notate a musical composition.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A manipulative system for teaching musical notation, comprising:
 a generally planar workspace;   a plurality of three-dimensional members adapted to be removably affixable to the workspace, each of the three-dimensional members indicative of a musical notation symbol.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of three-dimensional members includes members indicative of a whole-note, a half-note, a quarter-note, an eighth-note, or a sixteenth-note. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of three-dimensional members includes a shorthand rhythm notation member. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 3 , wherein the shorthand rhythm notation member comprises an elongate, substantially straight member indicative of a quarter-note. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 3 , wherein the shorthand rhythm notation member comprises a pair of spaced-apart elongate substantially straight members coupled at one end of each of the pair of straight members with a third straight member disposed at substantially a right angle to each of the pair of straight members, the shorthand rhythm notation member indicative of a pair of eighth-notes. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of three-dimensional members includes a generally oval shaped note-head member. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 6 , wherein the plurality of three-dimensional members includes at least one elongate stem member, the stem member having one end conformingly shaped with the generally oval shaped note-head member so as to define a note symbol when the conformingly shaped end of the stem member is abutted with a perimeter of the generally oval shaped note-head member. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the workspace is a magnetic white-board. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein each of the plurality of three-dimensional members includes a magnet for removably affixing the member to the magnetic white-board. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the workspace includes musical staff indicia thereon. 
     
     
         11 . A method for teaching musical notation comprising:
 providing a generally planar workspace and a plurality of three-dimensional members adapted to be removably affixable to the workspace, each of the three-dimensional members indicative of a musical notation symbol;   dictating sounds of a musical composition; and   instructing a student to arrange the three-dimensional members on the workspace to properly musically notate the musical composition.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising determining whether the three-dimensional members are properly arranged to notate the musical composition and correcting the arrangement of the three-dimensional members if the notation is in error. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the musical composition is a rhythm. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the musical composition includes sounds of varying pitch. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising anchoring an initial pitch to a musical staff line depicted on the workspace. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the workspace is divided into a plurality of beat boxes, and further comprising instructing the student to arrange the plurality of three-dimensional members in the beat boxes according to a beat of the musical composition. 
     
     
         17 . A manipulative system for teaching musical notation, comprising:
 a generally planar workspace having indicia marked thereon; and   a plurality of three-dimensional musical notation symbol members selectively attachable to the workspace to notate a musical composition.   
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein the indicia includes beat boxes. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein the indicia includes a musical staff 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein the workspace further comprises a plurality of illuminable elements, and wherein the system further comprises apparatus for illuminating the illuminable elements in time with a beat of a musical composition.