The Music Notation Project

Exploring Alternative Music Notation Systems

Main menu

Skip to primary content
Skip to secondary content
  • Home
    • About, FAQ, Contact Info
    • Blog
    • Community
    • Contribute
  • Notation Systems
    • Guided Tour
    • AudioVisualizer
    • Gallery
    • More Notation Systems
    • Criteria for Systems
    • Evaluative Research
  • Tutorials
    • 6-6 and 7-5 Pitch Patterns
    • Noteheads and Pitch
    • Intervals: Traditional System
    • Intervals: Reading and Playing
    • Intervals: 6-6 Systems
    • Chromatic Staves Example
    • Enharmonic Equivalents
    • Numerical Notation Systems
  • Software
    • Software Overview
    • LilyPond
    • Finale
    • MuseScore
    • Sibelius
    • Open Source Strategy
  • MNMA
    • MNMA Overview
    • Research Project
    • Publications
    • Conferences
  • Wiki
  • Forum

Post navigation

← Previous Next →

Black Triangle Twinline
by Doug Keislar, 2006

Chromatic scale from C to C. C C#/Db D D#/Eb E F F#/Gb G G#/Ab A A#/Ab B C

See more scales, intervals, and melodies with the AudioVisualizer.

This is Keislar’s suggested variant of Tom Reed’s Twinline (which is itself a version of de Vries’ Twinline). Here the triangle shaped noteheads are filled solid, much like de Vries’ Chromatic Twinline. This emphasizes the 6-6 pitch pattern via notehead color in addition to notehead shape, and makes it easier to distinguish the triangles from the ovals. In handwritten as opposed to printed music, the triangles can optionally be left hollow to make them easier to write quickly. In this case the notation is the same as Reed’s Twinline. An even faster option for handwritten music is to write the ovals as dots, the upward-pointing triangles as forward slashes (/), and the downward-pointing triangles as backward slashes (\).

When compared to Black-Oval Twinline, the differentiation between hollow ovals (those with lines through them, versus those without) is arguably an advantage, because it aids visual discrimination between the ovals.

Source: Doug Keislar, 2006

Miscellaneous examples:  Jazz Chords Comparison (called “Black and White Twinline” in this file)

Manuscript paper: Discontinuous Staves  Continuous Staves

→ Next Two Notation Systems →

Chromatic scale from C to C in Black-Oval Twinline by Paul Morris C C#/Db D D#/Eb E F F#/Gb G G#/Ab A A#/Ab B C

Black-Oval Twinline by Paul Morris

Chromatic scale from C to C in Bilinear Notation by José A. Sotorrío C C#/Db D D#/Eb E F F#/Gb G G#/Ab A A#/Ab B C

Bilinear Notation by José A. Sotorrío

← Previous Two Notation Systems ←

Chromatic scale from C to C in Diatonic Twinline by Leo de Vries C C#/Db D D#/Eb E F F#/Gb G G#/Ab A A#/Ab B C

Diatonic Twinline by Leo de Vries

Chromatic scale from C to C in Twinline Notation by Thomas Reed C C#/Db D D#/Eb E F F#/Gb G G#/Ab A A#/Ab B C

Twinline Notation by Thomas Reed

Notation System Groups

  • Lines a Whole Step Apart, 5 Lines per Octave
  • Lines a Whole Step Apart, 4 or 3 Lines per Octave
  • Lines a Whole Step Apart, 6 Lines per Octave
  • Lines a Whole Step and Major 3rd Apart, 4 per Octave
  • Lines a Minor 3rd Apart, 3 or 4 Lines per Octave
  • Lines a Major 3rd Apart, 3 Lines per Octave
  • Lines a Major 3rd Apart, 2 Lines per Octave
  • Lines a Major 3rd Apart, 2 per Octave, Compact Staff
  • Lines a Tritone Apart, 2 per Octave, or 1 Line per Octave
  • 7-5 Line Pattern, 3, 5, or 6 Lines per Octave
The Music Notation Project
A not-for-profit organization sustained by the contributions of volunteers and supporters. Except where otherwise noted, content on this site is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.
Creative Commons License
  • Home
  • Notation Systems
  • Tutorials
  • Software
  • MNMA
  • Wiki
  • Forum
Return to Top

Contact Us
Our Blog
Google Group (Forum)
Facebook
Twitter