Clairnote: An alternative music notation system • Hacker News Board

Re: Clairnote: An alternative music notation system

#71

Post by _moof » Wed, May 04, 2022, 4:58 PM UTC

chrismorgan wrote: post #32

InitialLastName wrote: post #7

At a glance, this is a neat concept, but doesn't seem to come at the problem from the perspective of the most common users of music notation (experienced musicians); rather, it appears to have been written by somebody who was frustrated by trying to learn to read music. For experienced musicians, the priorities are a) legibility for sight-reading and transcription (which this system, with indistinguishable sitting/ha…

I’ve gained that impression from every single alternative notation system that’s come up here (a new one comes up every year or two). They have a habit of solving problems that just aren’t problems for experienced readers, while causing problems for experienced readers. (They may also solve some real problems, but when they do, they always involve compromises. Inconsistent octave positioning on the staff is a problem…

> They have a habit of solving problems that just aren’t problems for experienced readers, while causing problems for experienced readers.

If I had a dollar for every "new way of doing XYZ" made by someone inexperienced who just doesn't want to learn the way we're all doing XYZ just fine...

Re: Clairnote: An alternative music notation system

#72

Post by gnulinux » Wed, May 04, 2022, 5:02 PM UTC

I don't like it because it's not backwards compatible with traditional Western notation. This will cause problems with anyone transcribing Clairnote work without being an expert. What looks like G, actually notates G#. Major problem imho.

Re: Clairnote: An alternative music notation system

#73

Post by skybrian » Wed, May 04, 2022, 5:04 PM UTC

I play both piano and chromatic button accordion (a little). One thing that seems a bit harder on button accordion is going up the scale playing thirds or sixths, because you need to be aware of which are major versus minor thirds (or sixths) in the diatonic scale you're using. With a piano, the keyboard mostly takes care of this, at least in easier keys.

It seems like this notation has similar issues in emphasizing the chromatic scale over diatonic scales maybe a little too much?

Re: Clairnote: An alternative music notation system

#74

Post by balabaster » Wed, May 04, 2022, 5:06 PM UTC

InitialLastName wrote: post #7

At a glance, this is a neat concept, but doesn't seem to come at the problem from the perspective of the most common users of music notation (experienced musicians); rather, it appears to have been written by somebody who was frustrated by trying to learn to read music. For experienced musicians, the priorities are a) legibility for sight-reading and transcription (which this system, with indistinguishable sitting/ha…

Well I can't speak for everyone else obviously, but I find traditional notation much easier to read than Clairnote's alternative. Even with the description, I find it harder to glance at the Clairnote notation and see what it means.

Re: Clairnote: An alternative music notation system

#75

Post by EamonnMR » Wed, May 04, 2022, 5:10 PM UTC

It's really hard to see the difference between sitting on top vs inside the line.

Re: Clairnote: An alternative music notation system

#76

Post by dr_j_ » Wed, May 04, 2022, 5:12 PM UTC

I’m a guitarist and I can’t understand either.

Re: Clairnote: An alternative music notation system

#77

Post by tomComb » Wed, May 04, 2022, 5:15 PM UTC

balabaster wrote: post #74

InitialLastName wrote: post #7

At a glance, this is a neat concept, but doesn't seem to come at the problem from the perspective of the most common users of music notation (experienced musicians); rather, it appears to have been written by somebody who was frustrated by trying to learn to read music. For experienced musicians, the priorities are a) legibility for sight-reading and transcription (which this system, with indistinguishable sitting/ha…

Well I can't speak for everyone else obviously, but I find traditional notation much easier to read than Clairnote's alternative. Even with the description, I find it harder to glance at the Clairnote notation and see what it means.

But isn’t that because the Clairenote alternative is new to you?

Seems like an unfair comparison.

Re: Clairnote: An alternative music notation system

#78

Post by kadenwolff » Wed, May 04, 2022, 5:22 PM UTC

This music would be extremely hard to sight-read. The only aspect of it that I like is that it is key-agnostic. It would be cool to see atonal music written in this notation system. But for professional musicians this isn't worth learning.

Re: Clairnote: An alternative music notation system

#79

Post by recursive » Wed, May 04, 2022, 5:54 PM UTC

moultano wrote: post #53

I've struggled with reading music despite years of piano lessons, years of church and school choirs, and being the main arranger for my college a cappella group. Watching the video of the Blue Danube Waltz on that page was amazing. I felt for the first time like the shapes of the things on the page actually corresponded well to the musical concepts in my head. I know it's an extremely uphill battle to actually get an…

I'm not an apologist for music notation as it exists today, but it doesn't seem obvious that this is a net improvement. I watched the Blue Danube video. Apparently, I still don't understand the notation. There are some notes in the bottom staff that are sitting on the middle ledger line in a group of three. I don't see a thing where it's explained what that means. I don't get it.

Re: Clairnote: An alternative music notation system

#80

Post by jonnycomputer » Wed, May 04, 2022, 5:58 PM UTC

_moof wrote: post #71

chrismorgan wrote: post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I’ve gained that impression from every single alternative notation system that’s come up here (a new one comes up every year or two). They have a habit of solving problems that just aren’t problems for experienced readers, while causing problems for experienced readers. (They may also solve some real problems, but when they do, they always involve compromises. Inconsistent octave positioning on the staff is a problem…

> They have a habit of solving problems that just aren’t problems for experienced readers, while causing problems for experienced readers. If I had a dollar for every "new way of doing XYZ" made by someone inexperienced who just doesn't want to learn the way we're all doing XYZ just fine...

Brew vs macports in a nutshell.