Graphic Notation

Abstract Graphic notation is a visually focused method of transcribing improvisations in music therapy. According to the needs of the transcriber, it can map both parts and totalities of musical landscapes, and it can facilitate memorizing and comparison. The idea of notating music in new ways came from experimental music after 1945. Under the name of aural scores, scores made to map the music for listeners also began to appear for educational use. Changing forms and functions of music notation through history can throw the relativity of notation to its purposes and context into relief. The discipline of music analysis has yielded a perspective for further developing graphic notation in music therapy. Visual design and layout are essential contemporary practices to take inspiration from. Graphic notation can be used with a purely descriptive aim, but it may also be flexibly combined with hermeneutic procedures. This chapter concludes with outlining ideas for further research.