Guidonian hand
The Guidonian hand was a
Theory
The idea of the Guidonian hand is that each portion of the hand represents a specific note within the hexachord system, which spans nearly three
In teaching, an instructor would indicate a series of notes for their students to sing by pointing to them on their hand,[
This device allowed people to visualize where the half steps of the gamut were, and to visualize the interlocking positions of the hexachords (the names of which—ut re mi fa sol la—were taken from the hymn "Ut queant laxis"). The Guidonian hand was reproduced in numerous medieval treatises.
Modern note name |
Medieval note name |
Mutation | Compound Names | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | ||||
Solmization | ||||||||||
e″ | ee | la | E la | Ela | ||||||
d″ | dd | la | sol | D la sol | Delasol | |||||
c″ | cc | sol | fa | C sol fa | Cesolfa | |||||
b′ | ♮♮ | mi | B mi | Bemi | ||||||
b♭′ | ♭♭ | fa | B fa | Befa | ||||||
a′ | aa | la | mi | re | A la mi re | Alamire | ||||
g′ | g | sol | re | ut | G sol re ut | Gesolreut | ||||
f′ | f | fa | ut | F fa ut | Fefaut | |||||
e′ | e | la | mi | E la mi | Elami | |||||
d′ | d | la | sol | re | D la sol re | Delasolre | ||||
c′ | c | sol | fa | ut | C sol fa ut | Cesolfaut | ||||
b | ♮ | mi | B mi | Bemi | ||||||
b♭ | ♭ | fa | B fa | Befa | ||||||
a | a | la | mi | re | A la mi re | Alamire | ||||
g | G | sol | re | ut | G sol re ut | Gesolreut | ||||
f | F | fa | ut | F fa ut | Fefaut | |||||
e | E | la | mi | E la mi | Elami | |||||
d | D | sol | re | D sol re | Desolre | |||||
c | C | fa | ut | C fa ut | Cefaut | |||||
B | B | mi | B mi | Bemi | ||||||
A | A | re | A re | Are | ||||||
G | Γ | ut | Gamma ut |
Exact notation to the hexachord system can be found in a reproduction of Ameri Practica artis musice (1271),[3] or in the 1784 source Scriptores ecclesiastici de musica sacra potissimum.[4]
The hexachord in the Middle Ages
The hexachord as a mnemonic device was first described by
Each hexachord could start on G, C or F and the adjacent table, reading upwards from the bottom, shows the notes in each hexachord for each of three octaves. Reading from left to right could, within certain limits, permit notes within different octaves to be distinguished from each other. Thus, C (modern c) was "C fa ut" (or "Cefaut"), c (modern c′) was "C sol fa ut", and cc (modern c″) was "C sol fa". Since the lowest pitch was designated by the Greek letter Γ (gamma, for 'g'), the pitch was known as "Gamma ut" or "
The hexachordal system also distinguished between B♭ (fa in the F hexachord, and known as "B molle" for 'soft B') and B♮ (mi in the G hexachord, and known as "B durum" for 'hard B'). Over time, the soft and hard variants of 'b' were depicted as a rounded '♭' and a squared-off '♮' which gradually developed into the modern flat and natural signs (or, in Northern Europe, into the letters 'b' and 'h').[8]
Since a single hexachord did not cover every possible note in the range of the gamut (only C–A, F–D excluding B♮, or G–E excluding B♭), singers would have to "mutate" between hexachords if the range of a sixth was exceeded or if there was an alternation between B♮ and B♭.[8] In this way the "Guidonian" system of multiple hexachords was different from the modern system of solfège, wherein a single set of syllables suffices to name all possible pitches (including, often, chromatic pitches) within a mode.
Because it included B durum, the G hexachord was called hexachordum durum; likewise, the F hexachord was called hexachordum molle. The C hexachord, containing neither B, was called hexachordum naturale.[8]
In the 14th century, this system was expanded to hexachords that would accommodate an increased use of signed accidentals. From this time onward, the use of such notes was called musica ficta.[6]
See also
References
- ^ Willi Apel, "Hexachord," In the Harvard Dictionary of Music, Willi Apel, ed. (Cambridge: Bellknap Press, 1972), 384.
- ^ Andrew Hughes, "Solmization", The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, second edition, edited by Stanley Sadie and John Tyrrell (London: Macmillan Publishers, 2001).
- ^ Ameri Practica artis musice (1271), ed. Cesarino Ruini, Corpus scriptorum de musica, vol. 25 (n.p.: American Institute of Musicology, 1977), 19–112. http://www.chmtl.indiana.edu/tml/13th/AMEPRA_TEXT.html
- ^ Elias Salomo, "Scientia artis musicae", Scriptores ecclesiastici de musica sacra potissimum, 3 vols., ed. Martin Gerbert (St. Blaise: Typis San-Blasianis, 1784; reprint ed., Hildesheim: Olms, 1963)
- ^ Reproduction aus Ameri Practica artis musice (1271), ed. Cesarino Ruini, Corpus scriptorum de musica, vol. 25 http://www.chmtl.indiana.edu/tml/13th/AMEPRA_02GF.gif
- ^ a b Jehoash Hirshberg, "Hexachord", The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, second edition, edited by Stanley Sadie and John Tyrrell (London: Macmillan Publishers, 2001).
- ^
McNaught, W. G. (1893). "The History and Uses of the Sol-fa Syllables". Proceedings of the Musical Association. 19: 35–51. ISSN 0958-8442. Retrieved 2010-02-26.
- ^ a b c
ISBN 978-0-674-01163-2. Retrieved 2010-02-26.
Further reading
- Claude V. Palisca. "Guido of Arezzo", Grove Music Online, ed. L. Macy (accessed June 13, 2007), grovemusic.com Archived 2008-05-16 at the Wayback Machine(subscription access).
- Andrew Hughes. "Solmization", Grove Music Online, ed. L. Macy (accessed March 12, 2006), grovemusic.com Archived 2008-05-16 at the Wayback Machine(subscription access).
External links
- Margo Schulter, Hexachords, solmization, and musica ficta