For a system of musical notation to be precise, it must be able to represent both the pitch and the rhythm of musical sounds. Up until about the 13th century, no such system had ever existed. Music was passed on exclusively by oral tradition, and the function of notation was simply to remind people of musical patterns they already knew. In vocal music, the notational reminders often consisted of small symbols placed over the words to be sung. The ancient Greeks used such symbols, as did the ancient Hebrews, whose system is still used today for chanting sacred texts in the synagogue. In medieval times, monks of the Roman Catholic Church used similar symbols to notate the melodies of Gregorian chant. The first musical symbols that could be called “notes” made their appearance in the 1200's, and over the next 400 years the systems used to notate pitch and rhythm became more and more precise. The genius of the modern system as it’s come down to us is that it can be used to notate anything from medieval motets to 17th-century keyboard pieces to huge modern symphonies.
A Minute with Miles - a production of ETV Radio made possible by the JM Smith Corporation.
