# music notation puzzle
by pjvm
24-12-2022
log entry #3
December is, for some, a month of puzzles. Over on the web many, many people
are working in parallel on puzzling problems, one per day and all just for fun.
For those who like mathematics and also make music, I have not a calendar's
worth but just one puzzle to add to the pile.
The task is to decipher a somewhat arcane system of music notation. You are
given sheet music of one work but it is not given which work. You should deduce
how the notation works: a correct answer is an explanation of how to interpret
a score that uses this system. In the process, you'll likely discover which
piece of music is depicted (or quite possibly you will not), but that is not
part of the objective.
Good luck!
=> ./files/000003-sheet-music.png image: sheet music of unspecified work
In all honesty, I do not know how difficult this puzzle is. I will not be
handing out any prizes, but by all means send me your solution if you have a go
at it! I just hope someone can get some fun out of this.
What led to this is that very recently, a friend of mine handed me a piece of
sheet music that I did not remember writing, but looking at it I knew I must've
written it. I think it was 4 or 5 years old. It used unconventional notation,
innovative one could say but really a little too innovative. I think it would
be hard to actually use it, but there are ideas in there that I still
sporadically use today.
The image in the puzzle is not quite that: I made a new version that removes
some of the more confusing "innovations" and adds some more recent weird
notation ideas.
Copyright note: as far as I know, the piece of music chosen is itself not free
of copyright or available under a free license. I think its use here as a
puzzle likely falls under fair use. To the text of this puzzle, the usual
license applies.
PS: the song has no relation to the holiday season.
