In medieval music theory, the Latin term modus (meaning "a measure", "standard of measurement", "quantity", "size", "length", or, rendered in English, mode) can be used in a variety of distinct senses. The most commonly used meaning today relates to the organisation of pitch in scales. Other meanings refer to the notation of rhythms.
In describing the tonality of early music, the term "mode" (or "tone") refers to any of eight sets of pitch intervals that may form a musical scale, representing the tonality of a piece and associated with characteristic melodic shapes (psalm tones) in Gregorian chant. Medieval modes (also called Gregorian mode or church modes) were numbered, either from 1 to 8, or from 1 to 4 in pairs (authentic/plagal), in which case they were usually named protus (first), deuterus (second), tertius (third), and tetrardus (fourth), but sometimes also named after the ancient Greek tonoi (with which, however, they are not identical).[clarification needed]
In the medieval theory of rhythmic organisation, a mode was understood as a patterned sequence of long and short values. The expressions "rhythmic mode" and "modal rhythm", however, are modern names applied to the medieval concept. Just what relationship may have existed with a metric foot in ancient or medieval poetry or poetic theory is not entirely clear.[2] Rhythmic modes were first used by the Notre-Dame school according to a classification numbered from 1 to 6. The patterns are all ternary, and vary in number (depending on the theorists' preferences) from four to nine.[3] The six most often described, forming the nucleus of the system, are:[4][5]
Rhythmic modes were the basis for the notation technique of modal notation, the first system in European music to notate musical rhythms and thereby make the notation of complex polyphonic music possible, which was devised around 1200 AD and later superseded by the more complex mensural notation. Modal notation indicated modes by grouping notes together in ligatures—a single written symbol representing two or more notes. A three-note ligature followed by a succession of duple ligatures indicated mode 1; the reverse—a succession of duple ligatures ending with a ternary on—indicated mode 2; a single note followed by a series of ternary ligatures mean mode 3 and the reverse mode 4; uniform ternary ligatures signified mode 5, and a four-note ligature followed by a chain of ternary ligatures meant indicated mode 6.[6]
In the notation system of mensural notation (after c.1300), and in the century or so preceding the invention of that system, the term modus was used to describe a part of the overall metric organisation of a piece, comparable not to a modern time signature, but rather to what is sometimes called hypermeter—organization of measures into regular groups of twos or threes. It referred to the division of the note called a longa into either three (modus perfectus) or two (modus imperfectus) breves, for which reason it is called modus longarum. Similar divisions on subsequently lower levels were described by the terms tempus (corresponding to the modern concept of a measure or bar and referring to the division of breves into two or three semibreves) and prolatio (the division of semibreves into two or three minims). The modus longarum was applied primarily to pieces based on a cantus firmus tenor part in long note values. An even longer temporal unit was the modus maximarum, but it is of little practical importance outside of the 13th century.[7]
Apel, Willi (1961). The Notation of Polyphonic Music, 900–1600, fifth edition, revised and with commentary. Publications of the Mediaeval Academy of America, no. 38. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Mediaeval Academy of America.
Curtis, Liane (1998). "Mode". In Companion to Medieval and Renaissance Music, edited by Tess Knighton and David Fallows. Berkeley: University of California Press. ISBN0-520-21081-6.
Reese, Gustave (1940). Music in the Middle Ages: With an Introduction on the Music of Ancient Times. New York: W. W. Norton. ISBN0-393-09750-1.
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In medieval music theory the Latin term modus meaning a measure standard of measurement quantity size length or rendered in English mode can be used in a variety of distinct senses The most commonly used meaning today relates to the organisation of pitch in scales Other meanings refer to the notation of rhythms Contents 1 Modal scales 2 Modus modal notation 3 Modus mensural notation 4 ReferencesModal scales editMain articles Mode music and Gregorian mode In describing the tonality of early music the term mode or tone refers to any of eight sets of pitch intervals that may form a musical scale representing the tonality of a piece and associated with characteristic melodic shapes psalm tones in Gregorian chant Medieval modes also called Gregorian mode or church modes were numbered either from 1 to 8 or from 1 to 4 in pairs authentic plagal in which case they were usually named protus first deuterus second tertius third and tetrardus fourth but sometimes also named after the ancient Greek tonoi with which however they are not identical clarification needed Authentic modes Plagal modes I Dorian II Hypodorian III Phrygian IV Hypophrygian V Lydian VI Hypolydian VII Mixolydian VIII Hypomixolydian nbsp The eight musical modes f indicates final 1 Modus modal notation editMain article Rhythmic mode In the medieval theory of rhythmic organisation a mode was understood as a patterned sequence of long and short values The expressions rhythmic mode and modal rhythm however are modern names applied to the medieval concept Just what relationship may have existed with a metric foot in ancient or medieval poetry or poetic theory is not entirely clear 2 Rhythmic modes were first used by the Notre Dame school according to a classification numbered from 1 to 6 The patterns are all ternary and vary in number depending on the theorists preferences from four to nine 3 The six most often described forming the nucleus of the system are 4 5 Long short trochee Short long iamb Long short short dactyl citation needed Short short long anapest citation needed Long long spondee Short short pyrrhic Rhythmic modes were the basis for the notation technique of modal notation the first system in European music to notate musical rhythms and thereby make the notation of complex polyphonic music possible which was devised around 1200 AD and later superseded by the more complex mensural notation Modal notation indicated modes by grouping notes together in ligatures a single written symbol representing two or more notes A three note ligature followed by a succession of duple ligatures indicated mode 1 the reverse a succession of duple ligatures ending with a ternary on indicated mode 2 a single note followed by a series of ternary ligatures mean mode 3 and the reverse mode 4 uniform ternary ligatures signified mode 5 and a four note ligature followed by a chain of ternary ligatures meant indicated mode 6 6 Modus mensural notation editMain article Mensural notation In the notation system of mensural notation after c 1300 and in the century or so preceding the invention of that system the term modus was used to describe a part of the overall metric organisation of a piece comparable not to a modern time signature but rather to what is sometimes called hypermeter organization of measures into regular groups of twos or threes It referred to the division of the note called a longa into either three modus perfectus or two modus imperfectus breves for which reason it is called modus longarum Similar divisions on subsequently lower levels were described by the terms tempus corresponding to the modern concept of a measure or bar and referring to the division of breves into two or three semibreves and prolatio the division of semibreves into two or three minims The modus longarum was applied primarily to pieces based on a cantus firmus tenor part in long note values An even longer temporal unit was the modus maximarum but it is of little practical importance outside of the 13th century 7 References edit Curtis 1998 Roesner 2001 Reese 1940 207 Apel 1961 220 Reese 1940 272 Apel 1961 224 225 Apel 1961 99 124 Sources Apel Willi 1961 The Notation of Polyphonic Music 900 1600 fifth edition revised and with commentary Publications of the Mediaeval Academy of America no 38 Cambridge Massachusetts Mediaeval Academy of America Curtis Liane 1998 Mode In Companion to Medieval and Renaissance Music edited by Tess Knighton and David Fallows Berkeley University of California Press ISBN 0 520 21081 6 Reese Gustave 1940 Music in the Middle Ages With an Introduction on the Music of Ancient Times New York W W Norton ISBN 0 393 09750 1 Roesner Edward H 2001 Rhythmic Modes Modal Rhythm The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians second edition edited by Stanley Sadie and John Tyrrell London Macmillan Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Modus medieval music amp oldid 1023219500, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
