Analysis of Unconventional Musical Notations and Conditions Affecting Cognition: A Scoping Review

People with neurodevelopmental and acquired conditions affecting cognition (NACAC) who learn to play a musical instrument or learn to sing may benefit from unconventional musical notations (UMN). Unconventional musical notations are mostly used in the education and music therapy of people with dyslexia and developmental disabilities. The objectives of this study were (1) to identify existing UMN for people with NACAC, (2) to analyze how the UMN represent different features of musical material, and (3) to summarize the available research evidence. This scoping review was conducted following the JBI (formerly Joanna Briggs Institute) methodology. Out of the 1,527 documents, 50 complied with the eligibility criteria. Unconventional musical notations found in these relevant documents were classified into visually adapted conventional notation, UMN based on different types of coding, standardized UMN, and multisensory/computer-based notations. The results of this review were used to create a comprehensive framework for understanding the applications of diverse types of UMN across music education and music therapy. This framework may help practitioners to identify an appropriate notation for people with NACAC.