Elementary Music Notation - stick notation vs. note heads
When learning fundamentals of music notation in a children's group class setting, it is quite common to isolate the rhythm from the melody.
When we focus on the rhythm, we only write the stems (except the open-headed notes). This allows students to succeed in layers very quickly, and we can add in melodic information as fits the learning objectives (solfege letters underneath or note heads on the staff).
When we focus on the melody, we only write the noteheads, ensuring that they are spaced out in the same relationship as the rhythmic note values would have been spaced out. It's as if the stems are invisible.
Please implement stick notation capabilities that are defaulted to force the beats and barlines to line up vertically and consistently.
Please implement note head only capabilities that maintain the representation that two sounds are happening on a beat, or that this sound should take up two beats of space (we don't use open note heads in this context - they're for rhythm).
Think of these like iconic notation that is laying a strong foundation for the characteristics of standard notation as we learn each melodic and rhythmic element through aural analysis.
I can see this as a toggle on the menus (show/hide all stems and show/hide all note heads).
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