Byzantine
Some systems are difficult or impossible to interpret
Slavic or "Znamenny" notation
- Continuing hybrid oral-literate tradition
- Significant improvisatory expectations!
- No pitch reference points
- Complex and layered orthography
- Interpretation changes depending on era
- Significant improvisatory expectations
- Extant tradition (though somewhat less so than Byzantine)
- Highly complex orthography
- Color
- "Hooks and banners"
These include:
- Aramaic Ekphonetic
- Hispanic/Mozarabic
Although there is often, if not always a degree of guesswork in attempting to decipher neumatic notation, in these two cases especially we do not have enough evidence to suggest a plausible reading.
Major issues
- Absolute pitch
- Tuning
- Rhythm
- Ornamentation
Why neumes?
- Orality vs. Literacy
- Aids vs. Substitutes
Diastematic and Daseian - Transitional forms
Neumatic Notation:
History and Practice
Major Western Neumatic Systems
- Aramaic Ekphonetic
- Byzantine
- Slavic
- Hispanic/Mozarabic
- Diastematic
- Daseian
- Gothic/Hufnagel
- Plainchant
Guido of Arezzo
Hucbald
Plainchant
Modern practice
(for the most part) -
Solesmes
Gothic/Hufnagel
Practice prior to 19th century -
Who knows?
Literally "hoof-nail"
- Increasing literacy
- Multiple lines necessitate greater precision in both rhythm and pitch
- On a staff
- Adapted for more syllabic writing
- A mix of "notes" and neumes