Modified stave notation—encouraging musical independence through accessible, easily produced scores

Abstract

In ordinary print works, accessibility for people with sight difficulties is well promoted. The variety of layout and scale within stave notation, combined with its complexity, has yet to receive such attention. The common solutions are either to photoenlarge the original or not to read the music and play by ear. Advances in music software packages however have made the prospect of producing clearer, more consistent scores quick and attractive. This presentation illustrates this process using Sibelius™, a music score writing package widely available in the UK and beyond. It also discusses the adoption of modified stave notation taken by three of the leading examination boards in the UK, and current work being undertaken at RNIB to survey musicians who are partially sighted and wish to read printed music as to their preferred style of modification.