[MusicTlk] Some Perspective on the Relationship Between Braille and Print Music Notation

[Ella Yu]

Hey everyone,

Another thing that has recently been on my mind is the hot button issue of
whether braille music is equivalent to print music in terms of both its
everyday utility and how well/meaningfully it conveys musical information.
I have come across some accounts on the internet from some individuals who
do like using braille music, but feel that it's not exactly equivalent to
print music in terms of its everyday utility, among other things, and I
definitely feel them on it, so I wanted to take this opportunity to sort of
react/reflect on the matter. This discussion is not about the basic
differences between braille and print music e.g octave signs vs clefs, how
note values are represented, etc. It's more about how the differences
between print and braille music notation are framed in discussions.

For context, I’m a fluent braille music reader and have used it to study
classical literature at pretty advanced levels on piano, violin, and viola,
both for solo and ensemble contexts. While I do find braille music
effective, I’ve noticed that there is a common tendency to place blame on
the braille music code itself for difficulties like it being slow or
challenging to use. Personally, I feel that these issues are less about
braille music specifically and more about the nature of braille itself as a
linear code. In print music, multiple elements can be displayed vertically
and horizontally at the same time, allowing for a more fluid presentation,
particularly in more complex music. In braille, however, everything is
presented linearly because braille readers must go symbol by symbol, which
can feel a bit more cumbersome and less fluid when dealing with things like
advanced piano pieces where you’re juggling multiple voices and chords.
This issue also arises when there are many additional markings in the
music, such as dynamics, fingerings, and articulations, so I do feel it
takes a bit more patience to know how to look through the music for the
information you want/need to digest at any given moment. The reason I bring
all this up is because I feel the vertical vs linear presentation issue in
braille affects a wide range of areas, not just music, and I think it's
something that I feel isn't acknowledged enough in discussions. For
instance, the same issues arise with braille math and scientific notation,
where complex, visually-oriented information is harder to replicate fluidly
in braille. This includes things like complex equations with lots of
symbols, fractions, spatially-oriented layouts for performing certain
calculations, and much more.

Overall, I feel that it is important to frame the challenges of braille
music in the broader context of braille as a tactile system, rather than
blaming the braille music code itself. By acknowledging the similarities
with other fields like math and science, we might have more productive
discussions about how to approach these challenges. These are just my
thoughts, and I’d love to hear your perspectives on this.
Best,
Ella