Creating My Own Typeface Part 1

I have written at the beginning of this blog that I was doing research on type in order to create my own typeface. I wish include a theme or use the typeface as a form of branding or identity. I have a passion for music and recording music. I have been thinking recently of designing an album cover so I will use this as an opportunity to design a typeface for this.

Musical Notation.

An idea I had was to use musical notation somewhere in the lettering within the typeface, or to modify it and use it as lettering. Something similar to what is shown below.

http://photos.northtemple.com/oams_cvr.jpg

Musical notation in itself is very precise and unlike type that represents spoken words is universal. Musical notation is the same throughout the world and can be read by any musician in any country.

Modern Musical notation originated in European Classical Music. A Five line staff or stave is used and pitch it represented by notes which are placed on or between the lines of the staff. A Clef is used at the beginning of a piece of music or score to identify the pitch of the notes placed on tha line at the beginning of the staff.

Clef	Name	Note	Line
	G-clef	G4	encircled by the curl of the clef.
	C-clef	Middle C	that passes through the center of the clef.
	F-clef	F3	between the two dots of the clef.

We then have key signature which represents which notes in the piece will be played flat or sharp. Next is time signature which is represented by two numbers one over the top of the other to identify the timing of the piece. see belwo for an example of a piece of music

There are many many other symbols used in musical notation.