Universal Design for Musical Instruments

First, let’s review what universal design means.

Universal design is a concept of designing (for example) buildings, objects, systems or services so that anyone, regardless of age, gender, nationality, culture or physical condition, can use them easily and live more comfortably.

Concrete examples of universal design include automatic doors, multi-functional toilets and [remark id=pictogram offset=]pictograms[/remark] (simple graphical symbols used to convey information or warnings—for example, the emergency exit sign with a running figure on a green background). These are used in many places such as public transport, tourist facilities and commercial buildings.

Music heals people’s hearts and gives them a sense of wonder.
However, depending on physical disabilities or differences in ability, some people may not be able to freely enjoy music. For example, people with hearing impairments or limited physical mobility might find it difficult to play or listen to music. Also, children with small bodies or elderly people whose muscles have weakened may not freely enjoy music either.

To solve these issues, various initiatives are underway under the idea of universal design—to aim for an environment in which everyone can enjoy music freely.

People with hearing impairments may find it difficult to hear music and thus may have fewer opportunities to attend concerts. A “universal concert” is a concert where such people, as well as others, can enjoy music together.
Practically, this includes setting up a hearing‐aid support area using hearing loops (also called magnetic induction loops), which transmit a sound signal through microphone and loop so that hearing aids or cochlear implants can pick it up clearly in settings like lectures, meetings or concerts.
Also included is the use of special acoustic/vibration devices (such as “Rin­shū” — a curved plate shaped like a sail, which amplifies sound and vibration; used in welfare facilities) so that people with hearing impairments can enjoy music.
In addition, support via sign‐language interpretation and showing the names of pieces or performers on screens are some of the measures employed.

In music education, support is especially needed for students who have difficulty processing information from sounds (hearing input). Since auditory information (sound) differs from visual or tactile information in that you cannot always “see” it in concrete form, it can be hard to grasp the flow of a melody or musical phrase.
So methods such as translating sound movements into bodily movements, or using tablets to slow down playback and make certain sounds stand out, are being practiced.
By bringing universal design into lessons, regardless of students’ physical characteristics or differences in ability, classes can be made easier to understand and fun for all students (this is part of inclusive education, which respects children’s diversity and aims to include all children whether or not they have disabilities).

Universal musical instruments contribute greatly to creating an environment where more people can enjoy music. Here are some uniquely designed instruments:

Developed jointly by the FOVE Inc. (manufacturer/seller of eye-tracking VR hardware & software) and the Tsukuba University 附属桐が丘特別支援学校 (Tsukuba University Attached Special Support School, Kirigaoka).
This instrument allows someone to play the piano using only eye movement (i.e., without using hands or arms) so that even people with severe physical disabilities can play. The system works by selecting a digital key with the gaze, and pressing it by blinking. With a single‐note mode and a chord mode, a variety of pieces can be played.
Using Eye Play the Piano, a male high‐school student at the special support school held a Christmas concert after about four months of practice. A crowdfunding campaign aimed to introduce it to special support schools (approximately 135 schools for students with severe physical disabilities) and collected more than one million yen in donations from around the world; the instrument has been donated to Japanese special support schools.

Co-developed by the Tokyo University of the Arts Center of Innovation (COI) project and Yamaha Corporation. This piano supports one‐finger playing of a melody, with automatic accompaniment and pedal. Even children, elderly people, those with physical disabilities or first‐time pianists can enjoy the fun of playing the piano, simply by playing the melody at their own pace and the system will follow with accompaniment and pedal automatically.
When you press a key, the system receives the signal and matches it with pre-created accompaniment data, then controls the timing of accompaniment and pedal. It is used mainly in music education and workshops for children with disabilities. Also, by giving continuous piano lessons to older people, it is expected to create a sense of purpose and improve quality of life (QOL).

Developed by Swedish leader in music therapy Sten Bünne. The family includes four types: Swing Bar Guitar, Mini Bass, Single‐Note Flute, Chime Bar. They are designed to be easy to play—for example, children with small hands or elderly people with weaker muscle strength can enjoy music.
The Swing Bar Guitar, for instance, produces four chords simply by tilting the bar and plucking the string. Instead of standard music notation, colour notation is used for the strings/notes: you match the colour on the score and move the bar accordingly, making intuitive performance possible. These instruments focus on true quality sound and are ideal as an introduction to music study for children. While toy‐like instruments for children often compromise sound quality, Bünne instruments allow you to touch rich, beautiful sound from the “sound play” stage and thereby develop children’s sense of music. Also, playing music has scientifically proven benefits for mental health and neural activation; because Bünne instruments are so easy to play even for beginners, they are attracting attention as enjoyable hobbies that combine ensemble playing or singing with dementia prevention for older people.

We have introduced “universal musical instruments” designed so that anyone can freely enjoy music. Universal design is something that evolves to include many voices, so it never really ends. We hope that future developments of new universal musical instruments will help create an environment in which an even greater diversity of people can enjoy music.