Domus Mea - Communio
  • noel jones, aagonoel jones, aago
    Posts: 6,605
    In m.1, is that definitely a B natural over "me" and in m. 6 above "san" as well? And then over "pen".

    It looks obvious that they are...but I wonder. And where can I find something that teaches about this? Is this an early form of Musica Ficta? Was it always notated (the Bb)?
  • Felipe Gasper
    Posts: 804
    I have forgotten the rule, but in a pinch, you can check some recordings online....
  • noel jones, aagonoel jones, aago
    Posts: 6,605
    Having difficulty finding recordings..just found one, note for note with the B naturals...I'm just wondering about the use of the flat....guess I'll dig for an old manuscript. Want to know when the use of it began and how it is justified in the mode.
  • noel jones, aagonoel jones, aago
    Posts: 6,605
    "Around 1025, Guido d'Arezzo revolutionized Western music with the development of the "gamut", in which pitches in the singing range were organized into overlapping hexachords. Hexachords could be built on C (the natural hexachord, C-D-E^F-G-A), F (the soft hexachord, using a B-flat, F-G-A^Bb-C-D), or G (the hard hexachord, using a B-natural, G-A-B^C-D-E). The B-flat was an integral part of the system of hexachords rather than an accidental. The use of notes outside of this collection was described as musica ficta."

    From some sort of online encyclopedia. This makes sense.
  • noel jones, aagonoel jones, aago
    Posts: 6,605
    So, was the use of the hard hexachord present in earliest chant? Was it taught as something to be avoided and became a later practice?
Add a Comment