Chant is written in neumes, which are notes sung on a single syllable.
Gregorian Chant has no meter at all, though it does have a rhythm of groups of 2 or 3 notes.
Vertical lines separate musical phrases and may sometimes allow a pause for taking a breath, like
Chant is not in a major key or a minor key, but in modes (though there are some modes which can sound like a modern scale).
Chant is written on a 4-line staff, instead of 5 lines as music is written on now.
marks where Do is on the staff. Here it is on the third line from the bottom, so if Do is on C then the lines would go F-A-C-E.
would mean that Do is on the top line, so if Do is on C the notes on the lines would be D-F-A-C.
is a Fah Clef, and indicates where Fah is on the staff. Here, Do would be on the bottom space.
Punctum This is just a single note |
||
Virga This is the same as a punctum. |
Podatus (pes)
When one note is written above another note like this, the bottom note is sung first, and then the note above it. |
Clivis (flexa)
When the higher note comes first, it is written like this. |
Scandicus
Three or more notes going upward. |
Salicus
Three or more notes going upward, but the middle one has a vertical episema: that note is slightly lengthened. |
Climacus
Three or more notes going downwards. |
Torculus (pes flexus )
Three notes that go up and then back down. |
Porrectus (flexus resupinus)
A high note, a low note, and a high note. The line starts at the first note and goes down to the middle note. |
Scandicus flexus
Four notes, going up and then dropping down. |
Porrectus flexus
A porrectus with a low note on the end. |
Climacus resupinus
The opposite of a scandicus flexus. |
Torculus resupinus
Low-up-down-up. |
Pes subbipunctus
One note up and two notes down. |
Virga subtripunctis
Four notes in a row, going downwards. |
Virga praetripunctis
Four notes in a row, going up. |
Epiphonus (liquescent podatus) Little notes lose some of their fullness because they are sung on a complicated syllable. |
Cephalicus (liquescent flexa) In liquescent neumes that look like this, The top note comes before the bottom note! |
Pinnosa (liquescent torculus) Again, the top note comes before the note underneath. |
Porrectus liquescens The little note always comes last. |
Scandicus liquescens The little note is highest. |
Quilisma This is marked by a jagged line in the middle. The first note is held a little longer than the middle one. |
These are other ways of showing that a note is held:
One is by putting a dot (punctum-mora) after the note.
It is a little bit like a dotted note in modern music.
The second way of showing that a note is held is by having more than one
of the same note in a row on the same syllable.
This is called a repurcussive neume.
A horizontal line (episema) above a neume means to hold the note, or slow down, a little like rit. in modern music.
A vertical line (episema) written under a note means it has a mild emphasis, like an accent mark.
There is one accidental that may be used in Chant notation, it is the B-flat
which does look a lot like the modern
B-flat
Sometimes the flat sign can be written at the
beginning instead of in front of the note,
and then it's like a key signature. Otherwise, it only
lasts for one word.
At the end of a line of chant, a little, skinny note (custos) is written to show what note is coming up next in the following line.
You can write to me at: Rick Kephart <>
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