of a drum circle surrounded by about 200
people playing every kind of drum and
percussion instrument that you can
imagine drum circles are great because
everyone is able to very quickly and
meaningfully connect with the music and
with each other I’m going to try and
recreate that moment of 15 years ago now
so what we’re gonna do is we’re going to
learn some very basic drum circle
techniques when I count one two here we
go we’re going to start clapping so you
just need to put your number down at the
moment and we’re just going to keep the
pulse with the cowbell so he’ll get one
two here we go okay so the second drum
circle technically knows how to stop so
fantastic now the next thing that we’re
going to learn is this if I do this to
you means you’re going to keep going if
I do this it means that you’re going to
stop so I’m going to put you in two
sections some of you might keep going
some of you might stop so we’re going to
start together with the clapping one two
here we go this side if you’re displa
you’re gonna keep going this side your
knees here you’re gonna stop before you
[Applause]
take one step so over the last 15 years
I’ve been experimenting with guitar
circles ukulele circles keyboard circles
glockenspiels brass woodwind the list
goes on but there have always been
stumbling blocks learning to play a
musical instrument is hard and learning
to read the music for a musical
instrument is hard especially if the
goal is to improvise and play freely
with others as a large group my journey
over the last 15 years has resulted in
me developing a new method of music
notation and a new musical instrument
I’m very proud to introduce to you today
the number Yana if you own a smartphone
or a tablet then you have a very
powerful useful instrument in your
pocket with the Noviello you only need
to be able to count from 1 to 7 to play
any song in the world in any kid with
the number mo you can form a band or
Orchestra with the people around you
right now
pretty cool so hopefully you’ve all had
a chance to install the number yellow on
your smartphone device here are the
instructions on the screen and I believe
that already the last thing to say
please hold your
no landscape and at the top are the
letters of the keys if you could please
make sure that you’re gonna key of C so
press to see and you should have this on
your screen now I know it’s incredibly
tempting to play the number you know so
I’m going to give you a 5 second Rumble
and you guys can play whatever you like
hold on a minute
I’m can’t do it and then you can stop it
already turned up the maximum hold it
landscape turn up we’re gonna stop up at
four three two one stop
that’s it that’s your problem everything
else now is orchestrated so make sure
it’s landscape make sure you follow you
is up full now I’m going to admit to you
but the mum beyond Oh is still a work in
progress the sound isn’t the most
pleasing in the world as you can hear it
isn’t an oboe but I have a vision assume
the number I know will be a native app
for iOS and Android devices and will
allow the user to play any sampled or
synthesized sound in fact number is so
new that you’re the first large audience
in the world to be interacting with
music in this way and I’m feeling
incredibly excited I can hear that you
are too please refrain from playing on
piano until I tell you what we’re going
to play okay sir
right so you can see the layout here
which is what you should have on your
screens the nub you know is organized in
three octaves
well we’re normally on a keyboard take
up this much space on the number mo is
this much space you’ve got three octaves
on top of each other this number here is
the lower octave this number here is the
middle octave and this number here
whoops sorry I’ll go again low octave
middle and higher that was the one the
one and the one the number you know is
also organized into red numbers and blue
numbers and we’ll talk about what the
difference is between red blue means in
a moment every song in the world has its
own unique numerical sequence of red and
blue numbers once the songs numerical
sequence has been learned it can be
played in any key with any total center
and any roots note to play a song in a
different key all you need to do is
press the letter at the top of the key
that you want to be playing now
unfortunately this is a prototype number
you know the key that go in isn’t
highlighted so hopefully you will all be
in the key of C there’s nothing to show
you there in C but hopefully you’re your
winner okay so this is the layout for
what it would look like in D you don’t
need to change to this but just want to
show you that the number works by
knowing where the number one is this is
your root note every other number is
related to that and when we learn the
relationship between the numbers that is
when you’re able to really improvise and
create music in any key is the
relationships that are important so
we’re going to play some music and two
of the most fundamental building blocks
of western music and the major and the
minor scales and to do this we’re all
going to play the numbers from one up to
the one with a circle around
now these are red numbers you’ll see at
the bottom that you’ve got blue numbers
here it’s very important that we are
just playing the red numbers so please
find the one without anything around it
not a square not a circle and we’re
going to go up from 1 to 1
now these circles here are the rhythm
families this is a semi breed or four
beats The Walkmen do is just play the
number one I’ll count you in
we’re gonna play the number one the red
one for four weeks and then stop let’s
try it one two here we go one and stop
you can keep your finger on the number
one don’t you to tap it keep your finger
on the one for four fees one two here we
go stop lovely so now just with your
eyes locate where the two – three – four
– five – six – seven over one is we’re
going to try to go all the way at the
scale sometimes it might help how open
are being around so you can see from
behind and the screen so let’s try to
prepare major scale in the key of C 1 2
stop very good you pay a major scale in
the key of C now we’re gonna play a
minor a natural minor in the key of C
you can see here three it’s not red it’s
blue so we’re going to try and play that
blue 3 and the 6 is blue not red and the
7 is blue and not red so we’re going to
do the same thing going up to 1 to 1 but
this time the 3 is blue 6 is blue 7 3 1
2 here we go red 1 2 3 4 blue 6 you’ve
all just made a natural minor scale in
the key of C now what you’ve learnt
these in one key you would just change
your number yellow to a different type
of Center and you could play those same
numbers in that key to play those major
minor scales in any key now where the
numbers from the major and the minor key
are rearranged they make melodies so
what I’ve got up here is a melody and
we’ve got some different pieces from
traditional music notation here is the
time signature the three of the top
tells us that they have three beats and
above this crotchet below has told us
that there are 3 crotches in that bar so
when I’m teaching use it to overnight
use the word T for a crotchet and I use
the word soup for a minute and I use a
or crotchett rest so I would say that
like this t-t-t-t-t-t-t-t-t-t the
numbers that you need 3.2 and then a
fine with a square around it it’s going
to go 3 1 2 5
five two three Wow let’s try it
locate those numbers we’re going to give
it a go and we’re going to play a game
to see who can guess what this tune is
are you ready we’re coming after three
we go 1 2 3 Big Ben
very good it’s the Westminster chime
fantastic
ok but what we’re going to do is we’re
running out of time
so I’m going to split you up into
different sounds if you’re on the front
row row number 1 you’re going to play on
option if you’re on the front row you’re
gonna play the number 1 so kind us here
front row number 1 and stop row 2 number
2 vote 303 vote for number four go five
and five
row six number six the red red six here
we go number six again whose phone
number seven seven okay if you’re on the
back rows you can people don’t love you
like okay so what we’re going to do is
we’re going to try to play some chords
chords are really interesting because
when you put more than one note together
you make it called so what we’re going
to do is we’re going to play the top
chord is the first coordinate key it’s a
major chord so can I please have the
front row player number one here we go
are you might please keep keep a go it
might happen
very broke joining with a three and I
stop that’s the one major chord
now we’re gonna play the second chord
which is a minor chord we’ve got play
two four and six if you were to play it
so the next chord three five seven one
two here we go
oh of course four six one here we go and
stop think cord five seven two here we
go and stop the sick chord six one three
here we go stop seventh chord seven two
four here we go
lovely so it’s the same thing for my
Niki if you’re in bone three please now
pay the blue three it will invariably
7:07 please pay the blue settlement do
the same with the minor chords one two
here we go and stop second chord here we
stop horse coat here we done stopped
tinkled here we go
and stop sick bored here we go
and stop settled here will you go and
all play for my cause from a minor key
and you could use those same formulas
those same sequences of numbers for any
key to play the chords that belong in
that key of music so what we’re going to
do we are going to move on and we’re
going to have a go at playing a very
famous chord progression which is
Pachelbel’s Canon I think what we’re
going to do just to save some time if
you’re between my arms here can you
please play the top line of music so
locate those numbers on your number you
know if you’re in the middle here can
you please play the middle line in music
numbers and if you’re between my arms
can you please take the bottom line so
we’re going to start with that bottom
line let’s see how we get on
locate the numbers we’re gonna have four
beats per number given that
[Music]
stop lovely it sounds beautiful so we’re
going to now bring in the top two lines
of music to play your line so that we
have the full chord progression or Pacwa
girls Cameron but what we’re going to do
is we have tried playing this original
key which is in the key of D so at the
top of your screen can you please tap on
the letter D at the top and all the
numbers will change it will suddenly
become a different sequence of numbers
starting with different singing can you
just show me that you’re all in the key
of D behind that pick with your kids
okay
clicker numbers put your eyes on your
numbers we’re gonna try it original key
Pachelbel’s Canon all together one two
you got again two three four two three
four
[Music] three four and then stop base number 1 1
three four and then stop base number 1 1 3 5 and 2 A 1 3 5
3 5 and 2 A 1 3 5 or three to one what are the
or three to one what are the applications for not Vienna well I see
applications for not Vienna well I see the number being used as an interactive
the number being used as an interactive social tool I have visions of mum BMO
social tool I have visions of mum BMO orchestras in every town in every school
orchestras in every town in every school how about everyone’s a concert playing
how about everyone’s a concert playing songs for the band the band are singing
songs for the band the band are singing and playing solos while the audience are
and playing solos while the audience are playing the actual chordal progression
playing the actual chordal progression company team-building sessions could
company team-building sessions could start the colleagues playing a song
start the colleagues playing a song together that they had written I met
together that they had written I met with some friends last Friday and after
with some friends last Friday and after me all your contemplates not around the
me all your contemplates not around the piano go around are numb be honest and
piano go around are numb be honest and we play music together I’m going to end
we play music together I’m going to end with a rendition of our bark chorale in
with a rendition of our bark chorale in number 67 it goes like this
[Music] [Applause]