Both of the videos, above, are performances by young Ethan, who learned these pieces by using the NUME method of music transcription. The video on the left is when he was eight years old and the one on the right is when he was nine years old. He did NOT suffer months or years of tons of memorization on traditional music transcription in order to learn these pieces.

The New Understanding of Musical Expression, NUME, is a method of transcribing music in Western Culture which could be considered the single greatest advance in music transcribing in the last several hundred years. It is featured in The Music Notation Project (formerly The Music Notation Modernization Association) because  "...it is certainly possible to solve problems in a different manner, as you have done with your carefully designed system, which is one reason why we want to maintain a link to your Web site on the MNP page" and "Another reason is that you've come up with a novel rhythmic notation, and rhythmic innovations are under-represented on the MNP Web site." Just search for Mike Ellis.

Professional Music Instructor Dan Anderson sent the following comment about NUME.  "Your NUME notation system is so sensible it makes me feel guilty for putting kids through our convoluted traditional system."

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Below is the
COMPLETE   N.U.M.E.   TUTORIAL

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The NUME method incorporates the six-line staff to utilize the chromatic (every note) scale. Several other six-line methods exist. The three distinguishing and more logical features of the NUME method are:

1. The bottom line of each clef can begin at the start of the alphabet with the A note. Since the bottom line can be assigned any note, it eliminates the need for key signatures.
2. The longest duration of a note, rest, or sustain is one beat, giving a simple and unique method of timing the sounds.
3. Since different kinds of notes cannot arbitrarily be assigned one beat, time signatures are no longer needed.

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To understand the reasons behind the creation of NUME, you can read the article
Transcribing Music in Western Culture and the Introduction of N.U.M.E.

The following music selections have been transcribed in the NUME method. Feel free to copy, print, and distribute any and all music presented here. And check back from time to time to find new music. The current method of transcribing music in Western culture has only been in place for 500 years. That's not long considering how long music has been around. And one man started the current method. Maybe one man can change the world of transcribing music, but I'll need YOUR HELP!
So pass it along freely, and SPREAD THE WORD!

And you can write your own music by downloading the NUME Manuscript Paper. Just click HERE.