Thank you very much, Stewart!!! Manolo Laguillo Stewart McCoy wrote:
>Dear Kay, > >The discussion has been about time signatures in the music of Dalza. >Dalza's _Libro Quarto_ was the fourth book of lute music ever >printed, and was published by Petrucci in 1508. > >Instead of a time signature of 4/4, we sometimes use C. That C is >really half a circle, not a letter C, and is one of the old signs of >mesuration. (See below.) > >Nowadays we are used to dividing a semibreve into two minims, but in >earlier music it was possible to divide a semibreve into three >minims instead. Similarly you could divide a breve into two >semibreves or into three semibreves. That's confusing, so they >divised special signs (mensuration signs) to tell you how notes were >to be divided up. There were many of these signs, and the system >became very complicated, causing much confusion then and now, hence >the discussion about how Dalza used them. > >The four basic signs were as follows: > >1) A circle was used to show that each breve was to be divided into >three semibreves. > >2) A half-circle (looking like C) showed that each breve was divided >into two semibreves. > >3) A dot in the middle of the circle or half circle showed that each >semibreve was to be divided into three minims. > >4) If there was no dot, it meant that each semibreve was divided >into two minims. > >So, for example, the C sign (half a circle without a dot) means that >each breve is divided into two semibreves, and each semibreve is >divided into two minims. > >Why did they divide notes into twos and threes? It works out the >same as modern time signatures, producing different numbers of notes >per bar, and different rhythms. Nowadays we use crotchets (quarter >notes) and quavers (eighth notes) rather than semibreves and minims. >The modern equivalent of those four signs would be as follows: > >1) Circle with a dot: 9/8 >2) Circle without a dot: 3/4 >3) Half circle with a dot: 6/8 >4) Half circle without a dot: 4/4 > >Special words were used to describe all this: > >1) "Time" was used for the dividing of breves into semibreves. >2) "Prolation" was used for dividing semibreves into minims. >3) "Perfect" means dividing notes into three (because the Holy >Trinity is perfect). >4) "Imperfect" means dividing notes into two. > >That means we could describe those four mensuration signs as >follows: > >1) Circle with a dot: perfect time and perfect prolation, >i.e. breves divide into three; semibreves divide into three. > >2) Circle without a dot: perfect time and imperfect prolation, >i.e. breves divide into three; semibreves divide into two. > >3) Half circle with a dot: imperfect time and perfect prolation, >i.e. breves divide into two; semibreves divide into three. > >4) Half circle without a dot: Imperfect time and imperfect >prolation, >i.e. breves divide into two; semibreves divide into two. > >Bernd referred to these things in Latin, as did many music theorists >in the past, so, for example, he wrote "tempus perfectum" for >"perfect time". > >There were many more mensuration signs than the four I've described. >It's not always clear what they are supposed to mean, particularly >when one sign follows another. > >I hope this gives you some idea of what they were talking about. > >Best wishes, > >Stewart McCoy. > > >----- Original Message ----- >From: "Kay" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >To: <[email protected]> >Sent: Tuesday, October 24, 2006 2:18 PM >Subject: [LUTE] Re: Dalza > > > > >>I know everyone said to ask questions if I'm a raw beginner...and >> >> >I replied > > >>that I don't know where to start because I know so little...so I'm >> >> >gonna go > > >>out on a limb and say what in world are you talking about?? >> >> > > > > > >To get on or off this list see list information at >http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html > > > --
