Many children and young people with vision impairments enjoy both their timetabled music lessons, as well as extra-curricular music activities such as clubs and performing in school productions.
Inaccessible music scores, or no opportunity to learn musical notation, will be frustrational as well as restrictive for future study.
You need to be able to read and write music for A Level and beyond, as well as music theory studies, so access to notation is really important. Musicians need access that is comfortable and that enables accurate reading of notation.
Accessible formats for musical notation are:
- Talking Scores (Talking Scores for blind & partially sighted musicians | RNIB | RNIB)
- Modified Stave Notation (MSN)
- Braille Music code
Best practice tips:
- Avoid A3 scores as they are prone to falling off of music stands, which will frustrate the user and cause embarrassment – especially if performing in front of an audience.
- Avoid photocopied enlargements and scans of older scores that have been used before – they will often have stains and marks from prior use. Photocopies can also produce loss of clarity and ghosting. Unmodified scores may have fonts that are tricky for someone with VI to read. Some ‘bad examples’ of photocopies are below.
- Remember that modified staves will be required for extra curricular music clubs and performances, as well as timetabled lessons.
Examples of bad photocopies:
The reverse side of the page showing through. This may confuse a musician with VI.
The contrast too high, making the font unreadable. The staves, notation and words appear blended.
Highlighting from prior use, resulting in stripes across the page. Lyrics on the page increases visual complexity.
Modified State Notation (MSN)
- MSN can be made via the MuseScore programme, or the RNIB Transcription Service. When using Musescore, either a desktop computer or tablet can be used – meaning that learners themselves can also produce accessible music.
- MSN is useful for people with visual processing difficulties such as CVI, as the presentation of scores can be simplified.
- Other possible adaptations are creating large print on a specific paper size such as A4 and changing the background colour.
- You need to be careful not to adapt the scores too large, as this will naturally become unwieldy. If the size needed is too large for the user to use comfortably and quickly, Braille music may be a better alternative.
- Modified Stave Notation be used alongside the apps ForScore and PowerMusic AF.
Here is an example of MSN that has been made using Musecore:
RNIB Free Transcription service:
- Individual request service – you need to send the team your print/score that you want making accessible
- The service will modify paper colour, the thickness of staves and notes, font etc..
Useful links:
- Modified Stave Notation | RNIB
- Modified Stave Notation: How To Meet Individual Needs For Large Print Music – UK Association for Accessible formats
- Free music composition and notation software | MuseScore