The structure of music is based on relationships between pitches– that is, the intervals (the difference between two pitches) – not on pitches themselves.
The geometric pattern of notes on a thummer’s keyboard layout
ensures that any given sequence or combination of intervals has
the “same shape” within and across all keys, octaves,
scales, modes, and tunings. The thummer's layout of keys makes
the structure of music tangible and concrete, which makes music
easier to learn.
Comparisons
On the thummer’s button-field, all intervals, scales, modes, melodies, chords, chord progressions, etc. – have the same shape in every key and in every tuning. For example, a major scale or major triad has the same finger pattern for all key signatures. (This is not true of the piano, the guitar, or of most other musical instruments.) This reduces the amount of information that a beginner needs to learn to understand music.
When playing the major triad on the thummer, the shape can be seen with one’s eyes, felt with one’s fingers, and heard with one’s ears. Three separate senses reinforce its consistency every time it is played, anywhere on the button-field, irrespective of key, octave, scale, mode, etc. This makes the structure of music concrete and tangible, and therefore easier to learn.
Press Play to view the animation
Major Scale
A thummer’s expressive controls can be completely disabled
by (or for) the beginner. For example, the button-field could
interpret button-presses as turning notes “on or off”
like an organ, and all of the thumb-controls would be disabled.
This limitation on expressive power should help focus the beginner's
attention on “pressing the right buttons.” Once
the button-field’s note-layout is mastered, a more expressive
interpretation of button-pressure (such as piano-like “key
velocity”) could be enabled. When that is mastered, perhaps
the pitch-bend axis of a thumb-operated joystick could be enabled,
so that this expressive feature could be mastered. And so on.
With a thummer, additional expressive features can be added
progressively, so that the student need only master one feature
at a time.
With a thummer, then,
• The student needs to learn less information to master the same concepts.
• The student receives consistent information from more senses.
• The student has a tangible embodiment of the structure of music as a musical interface.
• The thummer’s expressive features can be enabled progressively.
