# braille music

Category: Jam Session

## Post 1 by louiano (I'm going for the prolific poster awards!) on Monday, 24-Mar-2008 18:09:18

Alright, so this uncomprehensibly long referenced alphabet-jumbling code cannot be any better solution or system for "sight reading" when it comes to the blind comunity. i have experimented a lot with different techniques and faithfully, midi is the one that works best. I am sure you have heard of this program though, in which you input braille music and then can get it exported to finale in print, braille music editor. I have tested it a number of times and it is not as squarily accurate as it claims to be. I am however in need of some info regarding braille music. According to some people and sources, you have a cleff or staff, and each note represents a drum. If anyone knows of this, what are the notes? C for a snare, d for a high hat... anything related? or how is braille music notated for drums? i have already trie dreferencing to the online braille international manuals, books and the like, but jaws will not comply or read the braille, mostly because i guess people make their own graphics to show the braille "printed" in the screen. Any help with this would be apreciated.

## Post 2 by motifated (I've now got the silver prolific poster award! wahoo!) on Monday, 24-Mar-2008 18:37:23

Check with the Music Section at the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped. They've written books on braille music notation. You might also check with the folks at Dancing Dots. There's a guy in southern California, I think, named Richard Tesch who has written books on braille music. Good luck, Lou

## Post 3 by louiano (I'm going for the prolific poster awards!) on Monday, 24-Mar-2008 18:44:05

lol I'd just call dancing dots or that guy directly. Either way i just need a quick reference chart or anything, not a whole book on it, thanks though

## Post 4 by motifated (I've now got the silver prolific poster award! wahoo!) on Monday, 24-Mar-2008 21:52:08

Hmmm. Well, I'm thinking that nls might be a good source. One of the problems is that the code has changed from country to country over the zears. I know just enough to be dangerous. I sometimes braille out melody lines for myself so I can play with one hand and read with the other.
Lou

## Post 5 by louiano (I'm going for the prolific poster awards!) on Friday, 28-Mar-2008 22:48:05

lol just enough to be dangerous? i know how to sight read and write mainly for piano (since thats my voice right there) but not drums. i have been trying to get with the nsl music service and am currently enrolled, although I am not sure if they can just send a quick reference rather than the whole book lol. I'll give it a try though and see with what they can help me.

## Post 6 by motifated (I've now got the silver prolific poster award! wahoo!) on Saturday, 29-Mar-2008 4:48:51

Well, I don't think there's such a thing as a "quick reference" beyond the braille music dictionary which is in two volumes. I hope I'm wrong though. If you find something like that, please post back here, because I'd like to have it.
Lou

## Post 7 by louiano (I'm going for the prolific poster awards!) on Saturday, 29-Mar-2008 16:15:30

well, the braille music editor program has a text file that is about 8 kb with I guess most of the music braille symbols for the code: Here is an example:
26 Short appoggiatura
235 Trill
2356 Measure or part-measure repeat
2356,3456,145 Repeat bar four times
As you can see, its nicely laid out for you, going through the different patterns, last number changes but the other ones stay the same. They separate each group into paragraphs so that you can go from two-dijit numbers starting with say, dot 1, to three, staring with 1 and 2, and so on. Alternatively sinec it is a plaintext file, you can just search things like "dynamic" or anything else, like a sign you might fail tounderstand and its just there. Its really helpful to have. Nothing on drums though as far as I have looked. It gets somewhat large but it is at least practical, unlike the hard-coppy brailled dictionary. It sounds huge though and most braille music books are not that structured either. I wonder though, if this dictionary you are talking about would have anything for drums, i think you're going to find that more likely in a textbook... but then we have got the famous "web braille", although I am not sure if you would be able to obtain information in this way. This is somewhat unfair and lol indeed sucky, but they can give you all the symbols (sr stands for right snare, blah blah blah) online, everywhere, even at freaking youtube.

## Post 8 by louiano (I'm going for the prolific poster awards!) on Saturday, 29-Mar-2008 16:19:50

lol a few clarifications though, the symbols online are the ones for print music notation of course. I really don't use braille music much mainly because I rely on my memory (at least you can survive that way as a pianist, right?) but I am interested in learning more.

## Post 9 by motifated (I've now got the silver prolific poster award! wahoo!) on Saturday, 29-Mar-2008 16:34:12

To a point, you're right. I don't know as much of the classical or jazz literature that has been notated as I would if I could see or read braille music better. As you're a dhummer, I'll be nice and skip the drummer jokes (lol). Having said that, I'm not sure about the dictionary. Where did yok get the files jith the codes?
Lou

## Post 10 by louiano (I'm going for the prolific poster awards!) on Saturday, 29-Mar-2008 22:08:33

erhm, i am a pianist, but I have a friend who is a drummer (lol thank god I'm not one) ... but anyway the file with many of the codes that are embedded in the international union's manual for braille music came with the braille music editor software. I can send upon request for sure. I can get through much of the classical and jazz repertoire (if chords were notated note by note or with the interval signs as opposed to "B 9 13th with a diminished 7 and a sharp-raised five") on a completely separate line in the music. Blarg, that is why I was in heaven when i could pull my quartal harmonies and such things out of songs and the like. Now I am able to make music much more beautiful and expressive.

## Post 11 by louiano (I'm going for the prolific poster awards!) on Wednesday, 02-Apr-2008 17:10:58

Ok, so apparently the library of congress would like to send the introduction to braille music and the dictionary. I'd not care really, as long as i can still find some information on the drums. I really love the web braille though and now I am studying Bach's wtc series (first volume)

## Post 12 by motifated (I've now got the silver prolific poster award! wahoo!) on Thursday, 03-Apr-2008 4:30:22

I had a music theory teacher in college who pointed out how some of the baroque music was similar to jazz and rock. Enjoy.
Lou