Instructions

In Simplified Music Notation, flats and sharps are represented by their own distinctive noteheads:

Traditional Notation	Simplified Music Notation

The traditional oval note is used where a note is natural.

The traditional sharp and flat symbols in the key signature are replaced by the sharp and flat noteheads of Simplified Music Notation:

If there is a key change in the middle of a piece, the new key signature is shown without naturals to ‘neutralise’ the previous key:

The exception to this is where the key changes to C major or A minor, where ‘neutralising’ naturals are put in to make this clear. Instead of the traditional natural symbol, an oval notehead is used:

History Signs are not accidentals, but are there to mark where accidentals used to be.

In Simplified Music Notation, double sharps, double flats, B and E sharps, C and F flats are all transposed to the position on the stave on which they are actually played.

To show that these notes have been transposed, they are preceded by a History Sign. This explains the origin of the note for the benefit of the theorist, but can be ignored when playing. Like accidentals, History Signs are not repeated within a bar (measure).

To show that these notes have been transposed, they are preceded by a History Sign. As in traditional notation, History Signs are not repeated within a bar (measure):

Enharmonic notes are two notes that are written differently but sound (and are played) the same, for instance: B sharp and C natural. However, because all notes in Simplified Music Notation are written on the staff lines on which they are played, a natural that follows a transposed enharmonic note within the same bar is preceded by the ‘N’ (natural) symbol, to clarify how it was originally written.