Notation

Notation is a method of writing music, in most cases for preservation, an aid to memory, or for performances. In most regions, the sophistication of notation is directly related to art music in contrast to popular or folk music. The systems, history, and development of notations vary widely with respect to geographic region.

In Western cultures, the notational system derives from an alphabetic naming of notes. During the Medieval Era, the Christian church played a prominent role in the preservation of music, resulting in an abundance of notated sacred vocal works.

Throughout the 8th and 9th centuries, an attempt at standardizing Gregorian chant resulted in some of the earliest Western notation. To reinforce the memory, the notated text was enhanced by [Page 818]symbols, called neumes, placed at varying heights to provide relative pitch and melodic contour.

This method was enhanced by Guido of Arezzo in the 11th century through the use of a musical staff and the solmization of syllables. The former evolved into the musical staff still in use today. The gradual emergence of polyphony, or the use of more than one musical line at a time, necessitated a sophisticated notational system that would render accuracy in rhythm to avoid unpleasant sounding intervals. Previously, notation focused solely on pitch.

Although the use and development of polyphony occurred quite gradually up until the 13th century, it is viewed as one of the most significant developments in the history of Western music. In part, this is because of the new durational notation styles that resulted called rhythmic modes. Notation of these rhythms was accomplished through patterns of ligatures and individual notes that signified which of the six rhythmic modes to utilize.

Instrumental music during the Medieval period was infrequently notated, and remains a source of ongoing controversy. Notated dance music dates from the latter half of the 13th century, and was functional music, thus often consisting of much repetition; instrumentation was unspecified.