"MUSICAL DOMINOES."
AN ORIGINAL GAME OF SKILL,
Invented by F. S. GILBERT
"OBJECTS."
To Amuse
To Instruct
To Impart a thorough "Theoretical" and "Practical" knowledge of the value of notes used in the Science of Music and to make them familiar to the eye and mind.
"THE GAME."
The Dominoes, or Tablets are twenty-eight in number, each representing the musical characters or notes- Semibreve, Minim, Crotchet, Quaver, Semiquaver, Demisemiquaver and Semidemisemiquaver.
The figures on the tablets represent the value of the notes compared with the Semibreve which is numbered 1, a Crotchet is 4, meaning four of these particular notes equal one Semibreve, a Semiquaver is 16, because sixteen equal one semibreve, and so on
Two, or four persons may play; if the latter, two become partners against the others.
Having arranged who plays first, the Tablets are turned face downwards, the players draw six each, and the game is commenced by No. 1 player placing or exposing his most useful note, viz.:- the one of which he thinks most likelyl to enable him to eventually run out. The player on the left follows suite by placing his best tablet next to that first led, if he cannot do so he calls "Rest" which means "No Note." The next player proceeds and thus the game continues until the tablets are exhausted, or played out. The first out wins, unless four are playing, when the first set of partners out win.
If all the players call "Rest" i.e. are unable to follow suite, the tablets in hand are shown, and counted according to the value of the notes, the semibreve counting as one. The lowest score wins. Thus it is apparent that skill is requisite to get rid of the tablets so as to leave those in hand "low" or nearest the semibreve in value.
By following suite, is meant a tablet with a Crotchet can only match a Crotchet, a Quaver can only match a Quaver, and so on.
Both ends of the tablets are playable, and should be placed length ways, except the double numbers which are places across or to form a T, leaving the same note playable a second time.
"THE CHART"
The accompanying Chart requires dissecting into 28 parts, which should be pasted on cardboard or other substantial foundation to form tablets.
