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Jerry's Songbook Complete Tutorial

Introduction to the Notation System

Jerry's Songbook transforms song lyrics into countable entities, making it possible to sing in perfect time even if you can't read traditional music notation. If you can count to 4, you can use this system!

Core Concept: The "Bon"

The foundation of this system is the "bon" - a unit that represents either a beat or a note (they have equal timing value). Unless otherwise specified, every bar in 4/4 time must contain exactly 4 bons.

Symbol Reference Guide

Note Values

  • Regular syllable = 1 bon
  • ^ (caret) before a syllable = ½ bon
  • ^ between two syllables (e.g., ten^der) = joins two ½ bons into 1 bon
  • = (equals) before a syllable = ¼ bon
  • = between two syllables = joins two ¼ bons into ½ bon

Beat/Rest Values

  • / (forward slash) = 1 bon (silent beat)
  • ~ (tilde) = ½ bon (silent beat)
  • # (hash) = ¼ bon (silent beat)

Note Extensions

  • tt, ll, ee, etc. = extends the previous syllable by the number of letters
  • oo, yy, etc. = indicates the note continues with the same pitch
  • @ (at) = note can be sustained longer than its written value

Structural Elements

  • ||: = Repeat bar start (go here when you reach :||)
  • :|| = Repeat bar end (return to previous ||:)
  • || = End of song
  • Underlined text = Chorus or Bridge
  • 1. 2. 3. = Different endings for verses/repeats

Tutorial 1: Understanding Basic Notation

Let's start with a simple example. In a bar like:

| Love me ten der |

  • "Love" = 1 bon
  • "me" = 1 bon
  • "ten" = 1 bon
  • "der" = 1 bon
  • Total = 4 bons ✓

When you see:

| love me sweet tt |

  • "love" = 1 bon
  • "me" = 1 bon
  • "sweet" = 1 bon stretched to 2 bons (the "tt" extends it)
  • Total = 4 bons ✓

Tutorial 2: Advanced Timing

Consider this more complex bar:

| / ~ ^We skipped^the^light^fan |

Breaking it down:

  • / = 1 bon (silent beat)

  • ~ = ½ bon (silent beat)

  • ^We = ½ bon

  • skipped^the^light^fan = 4 syllables × ½ bon each = 2 bons

  • Total = 4 bons ✓

Working with Quarter Notes

When you see:

| / I^was^feel ing kind=of |

  • / = 1 bon
  • I^was^feel = 3 × ½ bon = 1½ bons
  • ing = 1 bon
  • kind=of = 2 × ¼ bon = ½ bon
  • Total = 4 bons ✓

Remember: "kind=of" must be sung in half the time of "ing"!

Tutorial 3: Complex Rhythms

The most challenging patterns involve multiple quarter notes:

| # An=oth=er sum=mer^day # has=come=and gone=a^way |

Breaking this down:

  • # An=oth=er = ¼ bon + 3 × ¼ bon = 1 bon

  • sum=mer^day = 2 × ¼ bon + ½ bon = 1 bon

  • # has=come=and = ¼ bon + 3 × ¼ bon = 1 bon

  • gone=a^way = 2 × ¼ bon + ½ bon = 1 bon

  • Total = 4 bons ✓

Special Features

Brackets reduce the total value by one entity:

  • (And so it) = 3 words normally worth 3 bons, reduced to 2 bons

  • (And^so^it) = 3 × ½ bon = 1½ bons, reduced to 1 bon

Time Signature Changes:

| 2/4 / / |

This bar has only 2 beats instead of the usual 4.

Note Runs: When a word has melodic movement:

ho | oo o^o ^o oo ^o | me

This shows how "home" is sung with specific pitch changes.

Tutorial 4: Additional Resources

Quick Reference Summary

Symbol Name Value Usage
(none) Regular syllable 1 bon Standard note
^ Caret ½ bon Before syllable or joining syllables
= Equals ¼ bon Before syllable or joining syllables
/ Forward slash 1 bon Silent beat
~ Tilde ½ bon Silent half-beat
# Hash ¼ bon Silent quarter-beat
tt, ll, etc. Extension Varies Extends previous note
@ At Variable Sustain note longer
( ) Brackets -1 entity Reduces total value

Key Points to Remember

  1. Every bar must total 4 bons (unless otherwise specified)
  2. Chords are placed exactly where they should be played
  3. Every note, beat, and bar is transcribed - nothing is left out
  4. The underline indicates Chorus or Bridge sections
  5. If you can "hear" the melody, you can sing in time

Getting Started

  1. Pick a song you know well
  2. Count the bons in each bar to understand the rhythm
  3. Pay attention to the special symbols for timing
  4. Follow the repeat signs and verse markers
  5. Practice with simpler songs before tackling complex rhythms

This notation system allows anyone to sing songs in perfect time without reading traditional music. It's particularly helpful for understanding exactly where pauses occur, when to breathe, and how to maintain proper rhythm throughout a song.