The beginnings of musical notation 16. SAY which of these two types of medieval writing you think is the most accurate. To make sure that plainsong was per formed in a similar way in all places , it was necessar y to wr ite it down. Thus , between the 9th and 13th centur ies , neumatic notation was born. This system of musical notation used a ser ies of symbols , called neumes , that were wr it ten on top of the words to show the changes in pitch of the voice. (The rhy thm was not specified , since it was in free time.) Later, in the 12th centur y, square notation appeared . Its name came from the shape of the head of the neumes , which were wr it ten on a four-line stave to show the pitch of the notes . 17. COMPARE the square notation score of the hymn Ut Queant Laxi s with its modern notation version. Then perform the latter version. Ut que-ant la-xis re-so-ná-re fi-bris mi-ra sol-ve pol-lú-ti, ges-tó-rum fá-mu-li tu-ó-rum, lá-bi-i re-á-tum, sanc-te Io-án-nes. Ut que-ant la-xis re-so-ná-re fi-bris mi-ra sol-ve pol-lú-ti, ges-tó-rum fá-mu-li tu-ó-rum, lá-bi-i re-á-tum, sanc-te Io-án-nes. 1 1 2 Ut que -ant l a x i s, - re -so-ná- re br i s, - m i - ra ges- tó rum , - fá - m u - l i t u-ó rum , - sol - ve pol- l ú-t i , l á - bi - i re - á t um , - sanc t e I o - án nes. - & & œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œœœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ 2 Ut que -a t l i , - r - -n - r r i , - i - r - t r , - f - - l i t - r , - l - l- l -t i , l - i - i r - t , - t I - . - & & œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ Outstanding musicians Guido d'Arezzo (992-1050) was a monk and music teacher born in Arezzo (Italy). He is known for creating the four-line stave and giving the musical notes the names that we still use today. To do this, he used a hymn called Ut Queant Laxi s. However, he didn't take into account the note Si or B, as it was thought that this note belonged to the devil , and gave the name ‘Ut’ to the note that we now call Do or C. He also invented the ‘Guidonian hand’ to help his students to learn music, in which each part of the hand represents a note. 14 I The Middle Ages
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