The Pitch for WYSIWYP research
This is my pitch for including my WYSIWYP design in the mix of Alternative Notations that would be candidates for evaluative research. First, I ask that you do some homework by reading these pre-reqs if you haven’t already done so:
Why is WYSIWYP diatonic and not a chromatic design like most other proposed Alternative Notations? Chromatic designs appear to be the logical solution, but are they easy to read? To address this obvious question, read why here I chose to stick with a diatonic design.
The importance of the Simplified Notation app: SNapp My virtual sheet music display app is an integral part of the philosophy of the WYSIWYP project as well as of the design itself. Read about it here.
The Pitch: selling points for considering an evaluation of WYSIWYP
WYSIWYP solves all three main challenges of reading Traditional Notation (staff consistency, key signatures, tempo).
WYSIWYP was designed by a beginner for beginners, and as a result, it is simple and intuitive.
Although simple to read, it is still full function and can be used by players of all proficiency levels.
It provides a shorter learning path to those who later want to learn to read Traditional Notation.
Read the full explanations here.
Closing the deal
The points that I made in the pitch for Alternative Notations in general are so important, I'll repeat them here:
there is an interest in an easier way to learn to play music
clever ideas can be quickly spread on the internet and adopted thanks to websites and social media
young people will experiment with new tools and techniques such as sheet music display apps
young people are not bound by tradition.
These points emphasize young students because they are going to be the main target audience for the adoption of any new Alternative Notation. Trying to convince readers of Traditional Notation to switch is mostly a lost cause (OK maybe there are a few exceptional cases). But the point is that I think open-minded young beginners will pounce on a new notation if it is easy to read. And because of social media, good ideas can quickly go viral.
In addition to these selling points, I also point out that the availability of SNapp enables an evaluation study right away.
Bottom line: There's a receptive audience waiting, WYSIWYP is worth a look (IMHO), and it's ready to go. So act now to get your free Ginsu knives.