What are the evolution of Western music notation?

The Musical Staff As time passed, music notation began developing more as the oral tradition of teaching music became less common. In the 11th century, neums were written at varying distances to each other, signifying intervals between the pitches sung. Sometimes, a line was used to indicate a specific pitch.

When did music notation change?

Throughout the 1600s, music notation continued to evolve according to the music of Renaissance and Baroque composers. So when instrumental music overtook vocal music as the most popular genre, a change in music notation was needed.

Who invented the Western musical scale?

The origins of this scale can be traced to ancient Greece, and it has been formulated to some extent according to acoustical principles. Since the octave in Western music is normally divided into 12 equal half steps, the characteristic intervals of the diatonic scale can be constructed upon any one of the 12 pitches.

Is music notation still evolving?

In the contemporary classical music of the 20th and 21st century, music notation has continued to develop, with the introduction of graphical notation by some modern composers and the use, since the 1980s, of computer-based score writer programs for notating music.

When was Western music notation invented?

Musical notation in the music of so-called “western” civilization first appeared by the 9th century in the form of little mnemonic markings, called neumes, above the text of the chant that was sung in church by the clergy (see example 1). By the 10th century these markings had become increasing ornate (see example 2).

Why are there only 12 notes in Western music?

All sounds are the result of waves, and the frequency of waves determine the pitch of sounds we hear. Pitches or notes that sound high, for instance, have a high frequency. We typically use just 12 notes in Western music because of the spaces – or intervals – between the notes.

How many tones does Western music have?

twelve
The chromatic scale or twelve-tone scale is a musical scale with twelve pitches, each a semitone, also known as a half-step, above or below its adjacent pitches. As a result, in 12-tone equal temperament (the most common tuning in Western music), the chromatic scale covers all 12 of the available pitches.

What is the oldest musical notation?

The earliest form of musical notation can be found in a cuneiform tablet that was created at Nippur, in Babylonia (today’s Iraq), in about 1400 BC.

What does musical notation allow musicians to do?

Musical notation gives the same information to a musical performer: it tells her what notes to play, how fast or slow to play them, and perhaps instructions about dynamics or timbre.