Hummingbird: a new musical notation technique

Sheet-music with traditional notation fills many apprentice musicians with fear.  Learning to read  music notation competently requires lengthy practice.  As competent musicians demonstrate, the skill can be mastered, but many fail to commit sufficient time and effort to the journey and fail on the way.

Alternative methods of notation have been developed which are easier to read and therefore faster.  These, such as tabulature for guitar, are criticised by "proper" musicians.  Firstly, tabs work on a monkey-see, monkey-do basis.  They enables you to play the notes required, but does not reflect music theory or the instrument.  You can copy but not create.  The player becomes the guitar's equivalent of a pianola music roll.  Tablature is not a sophisticated language, so the author is unable to adequately express musical ideas.

The requirement of a notation method would be one that would be easy and fast to read but without dumbing down what is being expressed (or capable of being expressed).  It can be done, because "clutter and confusion are failures of design, not attributes of information" (Edward Tufte).

Check out Hummingbird Notation for a new technique at: http://www.hummingbirdnotation.com