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Keyboard tablature

December 18, 2023

Keyboard tablature is a form of musical notation for keyboard instruments. Widely used in some parts of Europe from the 15th century, it co-existed with, and was eventually replaced by modern staff notation in the 18th century. The defining characteristic of the best known type, German organ tablature, is the use of letters[a] to indicate pitch (with added stems or loops to indicate accidentals) as well as beams for rhythm. Spain and Portugal used a slightly different cipher tablature, called cifra.

An example: Dieterich Buxtehude's O dulcis Jesu (BuxWV 83) in full score using tablature

Historical details edit

The earliest extant music manuscripts written in German tablature date from the first half of the 15th century, with the oldest example, a German manuscript dating from 1432, containing the earliest known setting of a partial organ mass as well as a piece based on a cantus firmus.[1] These manuscripts used letters (the same as today) to identify pitch, with the upper voice typically written on a staff in mensural notation.[2] This style was also present in other German-speaking areas, such as Austria.[3] These manuscripts contain valuable information as to the evolution of the music from the period,[4] with extensive evidence of the influence of vocal, and later dance music, on early instrumental music.[5] This practice which could still be seen in collections from the 16th century[6] eventually led to the full-fledged Baroque dance suites of later centuries.[7] This hybrid tablature was also featured in some early printed music books, such as Arnolt Schlick’s Tabulaturen etlicher Lobgesang und Lidlein of 1512.[8]

Later notation that included the upper voice in letters as well[3] became prevalent in the latter part of the 16th century.[9] Even works published in open score, such as Samuel Scheidt's Tablatura Nova (1624), may have been influenced by the strict vertical alignment of so-called "new German organ tablature".[10] Remaining in use in Germany (and neighboring areas, such as modern-day Hungary[11] or Poland[12]) through the time of Bach,[10] the music of some composers of the period remains available only in manuscript tablature format.[13][14] The last use of this style of notation is in Johann Samuel Petri’s Anleitung zur praktischen Musik (1782).[15]

In France, England and Italy, staff notation was the norm,[16] and while there are isolated examples of tablature from England (the 14c Robertsbridge codex), there is no evidence that such use was as widespread as in Germany.

Notation edit

North German tablature edit

See also: Organ tablature

The use of tablature was not limited to solely keyboard music: many vocal works of the period, notably in the Düben collection, survive in this format.

Iberian cipher notation edit

Juan Bermudo's Declaración de instrumentos musicales (1555) introduced two tablatures, one assigning numerals from 1 to 42 to each key of the organ, and the second counting white keys only from 1 to 23. Only a third method of cifra was widely adopted however: introduced in Venegas de Henestrosa's Libro de cifra nueva (1557), and later used in Cabezón’s Obras de música (1578), it used 1-7 with together accidentals; slashes lower the octave and superscript dots raise it.[citation needed][17]

Footnotes edit

  1. ^ Although letters are by far the most common method, numbers are also a possibility. See Colton 2010 for the description of an English example, or Encyclopedia Britannica 2018 for a description of Spanish keyboard tablature.

Citations edit

  1. ^ Apel 1937, p. 210.
  2. ^ Apel 1937, p. 212.
  3. ^ a b Crane 1965.
  4. ^ Apel 1937, p. 213-217.
  5. ^ Apel 1937, p. 218,229,235-237.
  6. ^ Apel 1937, p. 226.
  7. ^ Apel 1937, p. 230.
  8. ^ Apel 1937, p. 220-222.
  9. ^ Apel 1937, p. 232-233.
  10. ^ a b Boe & Godwin 1974.
  11. ^ Papp 2005.
  12. ^ Baron 1967.
  13. ^ Tuck 1966, p. 123.
  14. ^ Smith 2009.
  15. ^ "Tablature, 2.iii", Thurston Dart, revised by John Morehen and Richard Rastall in New Grove online
  16. ^ Tuck 1966, p. 122.
  17. ^ Encyclopedia Britannica 2018.

Bibliography edit

  • Apel, Willi (1937), "Early German Keyboard Music", The Musical Quarterly, 23 (2): 210–237, doi:10.1093/mq/xxiii.2.210, ISSN 0027-4631, JSTOR 738677
  • Apel, Willi (1961), The notation of polyphonic music, 900-1600 (4th ed.), Cambridge, Massachusetts: Medieval Academy of America
  • Baron, John H. (July 1967), "A 17th-Century Keyboard Tablature in Brasov", Journal of the American Musicological Society, 20 (2): 279–285, doi:10.2307/830790, JSTOR 830790
  • Benson, Joan (2014), "Exploring the Past: Fifteenth through Seventeenth Centuries", Clavichord for Beginners, Indiana University Press, pp. 68–82, ISBN 9780253011589, JSTOR j.ctt16gzjxk.10
  • Boe, John; Godwin, Joscelyn (1974), "Playing from Original Notation", Early Music, 2 (3): 199–201, doi:10.1093/earlyj/2.3.199, ISSN 0306-1078, JSTOR 3125580
  • Braatz, Thomas (1 September 2006), "BWV 1121 - Organ Tablature", www.bach-cantatas.com, retrieved 15 May 2019
  • Crane, Frederick (July 1965), "15th-Century Keyboard Music in Vienna MS 5094", Journal of the American Musicological Society, 18 (2): 237–243, doi:10.2307/830688, JSTOR 830688
  • Colton, Lisa (2010), "A Unique Source of English Tablature from Seventeenth-Century Huddersfield", Music & Letters, 91 (1): 39–50, doi:10.1093/ml/gcp081, ISSN 0027-4224, JSTOR 40539093
  • "Tablature", Encyclopedia Britannica, 2018
  • Emery, Walter (October 1938), "The Orgelbuchlein: Some Textual Matters: I. Readings of the tablature in 'Christus, der uns selig macht'", The Musical Times, 79 (1148): 770–771, doi:10.2307/923787, JSTOR 923787
  • Gaare, Mark (March 1997), "Alternatives to Traditional Notation", Music Educators Journal, 83 (5): 17–23, doi:10.2307/3399003, JSTOR 3399003, S2CID 144806718
  • Godwin, Joscelyn (1974), "Playing from Original Notation", Early Music, 2 (1): 15–19, doi:10.1093/earlyj/2.1.15, ISSN 0306-1078, JSTOR 3125877
  • Jackson, Roland (July 1971), "[Letter from Roland Jackson]", Journal of the American Musicological Society, 24 (2): 318, doi:10.2307/830503, JSTOR 830503
  • Johnston, Gregory S. (1998), "Polyphonic Keyboard Accompaniment in the Early Baroque: An Alternative to Basso Continuo", Early Music, 26 (1): 51–64, doi:10.1093/earlyj/XXVI.1.51, ISSN 0306-1078, JSTOR 3128548
  • King, A. Hyatt (1962), "The Organ Tablature of Johann Woltz", The British Museum Quarterly, 25 (3/4): 61–63, doi:10.2307/4422744, JSTOR 4422744
  • Nanni, Matteo; Moths, Angelika, "How do tablatures work? - From Ink to Sound", FutureLearn, University of Basel
  • Papp, Ágnes (1 August 2005), "Orgeltabulaturen des 17. Jahrhunderts aus Ungarn: Intavolierung, Reduktion, Notationsarten" [Hungarian organ tablatures from the 17th century: Intabulation, reduction, notation types], Studia Musicologica Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae (in German), 46 (3): 441–469, doi:10.1556/SMus.46.2005.3-4.9, JSTOR 25164477
  • Rifkin, Joshua (April 1969), "[Letter from Joshua Rifkin]", Journal of the American Musicological Society, 22 (1): 142, doi:10.2307/830826, JSTOR 830826
  • Smith, David J. (2009), "Early Seventeenth-Century Keyboard Culture at the Court of the Archdukes in Brussels: The Manuscript Kraków, Biblioteka Jagiellońska, Mus. MS 40316", Revue belge de Musicologie / Belgisch Tijdschrift voor Muziekwetenschap, 63: 67–98, ISSN 0771-6788, JSTOR 25746578
  • Tuck, Mary Lynn (1966), "Tablature Notation in the Sixteenth Century", Music Educators Journal, 53 (1): 121–123, doi:10.2307/3390828, ISSN 0027-4321, JSTOR 3390828, S2CID 191320043
  • Wollny, Peter; Maul, Micheal (2008), "The Weimar Organ Tablature: Bach's Earliest Autographs" (PDF), Understanding Bach, 3: 67–74

See also edit

External links edit

  • Obras de musica para tecla, arpa y vihuela (click "View options" JPG icon) - Biblioteca Nacional de España

December 18, 2023
keyboard, tablature, form, musical, notation, keyboard, instruments, widely, used, some, parts, europe, from, 15th, century, existed, with, eventually, replaced, modern, staff, notation, 18th, century, defining, characteristic, best, known, type, german, organ. Keyboard tablature is a form of musical notation for keyboard instruments Widely used in some parts of Europe from the 15th century it co existed with and was eventually replaced by modern staff notation in the 18th century The defining characteristic of the best known type German organ tablature is the use of letters a to indicate pitch with added stems or loops to indicate accidentals as well as beams for rhythm Spain and Portugal used a slightly different cipher tablature called cifra An example Dieterich Buxtehude s O dulcis Jesu BuxWV 83 in full score using tablature Contents 1 Historical details 2 Notation 2 1 North German tablature 2 2 Iberian cipher notation 3 Footnotes 4 Citations 5 Bibliography 6 See also 7 External linksHistorical details editThe earliest extant music manuscripts written in German tablature date from the first half of the 15th century with the oldest example a German manuscript dating from 1432 containing the earliest known setting of a partial organ mass as well as a piece based on a cantus firmus 1 These manuscripts used letters the same as today to identify pitch with the upper voice typically written on a staff in mensural notation 2 This style was also present in other German speaking areas such as Austria 3 These manuscripts contain valuable information as to the evolution of the music from the period 4 with extensive evidence of the influence of vocal and later dance music on early instrumental music 5 This practice which could still be seen in collections from the 16th century 6 eventually led to the full fledged Baroque dance suites of later centuries 7 This hybrid tablature was also featured in some early printed music books such as Arnolt Schlick s Tabulaturen etlicher Lobgesang und Lidlein of 1512 8 Later notation that included the upper voice in letters as well 3 became prevalent in the latter part of the 16th century 9 Even works published in open score such as Samuel Scheidt s Tablatura Nova 1624 may have been influenced by the strict vertical alignment of so called new German organ tablature 10 Remaining in use in Germany and neighboring areas such as modern day Hungary 11 or Poland 12 through the time of Bach 10 the music of some composers of the period remains available only in manuscript tablature format 13 14 The last use of this style of notation is in Johann Samuel Petri s Anleitung zur praktischen Musik 1782 15 In France England and Italy staff notation was the norm 16 and while there are isolated examples of tablature from England the 14c Robertsbridge codex there is no evidence that such use was as widespread as in Germany Notation editNorth German tablature edit See also Organ tablature This section needs expansion You can help by adding to it September 2021 The use of tablature was not limited to solely keyboard music many vocal works of the period notably in the Duben collection survive in this format Iberian cipher notation edit Juan Bermudo s Declaracion de instrumentos musicales 1555 introduced two tablatures one assigning numerals from 1 to 42 to each key of the organ and the second counting white keys only from 1 to 23 Only a third method of cifra was widely adopted however introduced in Venegas de Henestrosa s Libro de cifra nueva 1557 and later used in Cabezon s Obras de musica 1578 it used 1 7 with together accidentals slashes lower the octave and superscript dots raise it citation needed 17 Footnotes edit Although letters are by far the most common method numbers are also a possibility See Colton 2010 for the description of an English example or Encyclopedia Britannica 2018 for a description of Spanish keyboard tablature Citations edit Apel 1937 p 210 Apel 1937 p 212 a b Crane 1965 Apel 1937 p 213 217 Apel 1937 p 218 229 235 237 Apel 1937 p 226 Apel 1937 p 230 Apel 1937 p 220 222 Apel 1937 p 232 233 a b Boe amp Godwin 1974 Papp 2005 Baron 1967 Tuck 1966 p 123 Smith 2009 Tablature 2 iii Thurston Dart revised by John Morehen and Richard Rastall in New Grove online Tuck 1966 p 122 Encyclopedia Britannica 2018 Bibliography editApel Willi 1937 Early German Keyboard Music The Musical Quarterly 23 2 210 237 doi 10 1093 mq xxiii 2 210 ISSN 0027 4631 JSTOR 738677 Apel Willi 1961 The notation of polyphonic music 900 1600 4th ed Cambridge Massachusetts Medieval Academy of America Baron John H July 1967 A 17th Century Keyboard Tablature in Brasov Journal of the American Musicological Society 20 2 279 285 doi 10 2307 830790 JSTOR 830790 Benson Joan 2014 Exploring the Past Fifteenth through Seventeenth Centuries Clavichord for Beginners Indiana University Press pp 68 82 ISBN 9780253011589 JSTOR j ctt16gzjxk 10 Boe John Godwin Joscelyn 1974 Playing from Original Notation Early Music 2 3 199 201 doi 10 1093 earlyj 2 3 199 ISSN 0306 1078 JSTOR 3125580 Braatz Thomas 1 September 2006 BWV 1121 Organ Tablature www bach cantatas com retrieved 15 May 2019 Crane Frederick July 1965 15th Century Keyboard Music in Vienna MS 5094 Journal of the American Musicological Society 18 2 237 243 doi 10 2307 830688 JSTOR 830688 Colton Lisa 2010 A Unique Source of English Tablature from Seventeenth Century Huddersfield Music amp Letters 91 1 39 50 doi 10 1093 ml gcp081 ISSN 0027 4224 JSTOR 40539093 Tablature Encyclopedia Britannica 2018 Emery Walter October 1938 The Orgelbuchlein Some Textual Matters I Readings of the tablature in Christus der uns selig macht The Musical Times 79 1148 770 771 doi 10 2307 923787 JSTOR 923787 Gaare Mark March 1997 Alternatives to Traditional Notation Music Educators Journal 83 5 17 23 doi 10 2307 3399003 JSTOR 3399003 S2CID 144806718 Godwin Joscelyn 1974 Playing from Original Notation Early Music 2 1 15 19 doi 10 1093 earlyj 2 1 15 ISSN 0306 1078 JSTOR 3125877 Jackson Roland July 1971 Letter from Roland Jackson Journal of the American Musicological Society 24 2 318 doi 10 2307 830503 JSTOR 830503 Johnston Gregory S 1998 Polyphonic Keyboard Accompaniment in the Early Baroque An Alternative to Basso Continuo Early Music 26 1 51 64 doi 10 1093 earlyj XXVI 1 51 ISSN 0306 1078 JSTOR 3128548 King A Hyatt 1962 The Organ Tablature of Johann Woltz The British Museum Quarterly 25 3 4 61 63 doi 10 2307 4422744 JSTOR 4422744 Nanni Matteo Moths Angelika How do tablatures work From Ink to Sound FutureLearn University of Basel Papp Agnes 1 August 2005 Orgeltabulaturen des 17 Jahrhunderts aus Ungarn Intavolierung Reduktion Notationsarten Hungarian organ tablatures from the 17th century Intabulation reduction notation types Studia Musicologica Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae in German 46 3 441 469 doi 10 1556 SMus 46 2005 3 4 9 JSTOR 25164477 Rifkin Joshua April 1969 Letter from Joshua Rifkin Journal of the American Musicological Society 22 1 142 doi 10 2307 830826 JSTOR 830826 Smith David J 2009 Early Seventeenth Century Keyboard Culture at the Court of the Archdukes in Brussels The Manuscript Krakow Biblioteka Jagiellonska Mus MS 40316 Revue belge de Musicologie Belgisch Tijdschrift voor Muziekwetenschap 63 67 98 ISSN 0771 6788 JSTOR 25746578 Tuck Mary Lynn 1966 Tablature Notation in the Sixteenth Century Music Educators Journal 53 1 121 123 doi 10 2307 3390828 ISSN 0027 4321 JSTOR 3390828 S2CID 191320043 Wollny Peter Maul Micheal 2008 The Weimar Organ Tablature Bach s Earliest Autographs PDF Understanding Bach 3 67 74See also editTablature Klavarskribo Piano rollExternal links editObras de musica para tecla arpa y vihuela click View options JPG icon Biblioteca Nacional de Espana info Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Keyboard tablature amp oldid 1128144536, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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