103:). The compound names combine the tone's pitch letter and up to three hexachordal syllables to indicate the functions of each note. These compound names were sometimes rendered with spaces between the pitch letter and the syllables, but in prose were also sometimes combined into one word, adding an "e" after the pitch letter if it was a consonant, yielding the names indicated in the chart below. Some of the compound names clarify the register (for example, C
818:
20:
888:
Each hexachord could start on G, C or F and the adjacent table, reading upwards from the bottom, shows the notes in each hexachord for each of three octaves. Reading from left to right could, within certain limits, permit notes within different octaves to be distinguished from each other. Thus, C
782:
47:
who wrote a number of treatises, including one instructing singers in sightreading. The hand occurs in some manuscripts before Guido's time as a tool to find the semitone; it does not have the depicted form until the 12th century.
158:") (the back of that joint, the only note on the back of the hand) were reached. The exact position of the notes on the hand occasionally varies from source to source, so it can be argued that no one version is definitive.
893:) was "C fa ut" (or "Cefaut"), c (modern c′) was "C sol fa ut", and cc (modern c″) was "C sol fa". Since the lowest pitch was designated by the Greek letter Γ (gamma, for 'g'), the pitch was known as "Gamma ut" or "
841:. It was the most basic pedagogical tool for learning new music in the European Middle Ages, and was often referenced in contemporary musical theory. In each hexachord, all adjacent pitches are a
122:
In teaching, an instructor would indicate a series of notes for their students to sing by pointing to them on their hand, similar to the system of hand signals sometimes used in conjunction with
979:
In the 14th century, this system was expanded to hexachords that would accommodate an increased use of signed accidentals. From this time onward, the use of such notes was called
161:
This device allowed people to visualize where the half steps of the gamut were, and to visualize the interlocking positions of the hexachords (the names of which—
60:. The Guidonian hand is closely linked with Guido's new ideas about how to learn music, including the use of hexachords, and the first known Western use of
126:. Commonly, as in the example below, the notes of the gamut were mentally superimposed onto the joints and fingertips of the left hand. Thus "gamma
1226:
1206:
72:
The idea of the
Guidonian hand is that each portion of the hand represents a specific note within the hexachord system, which spans nearly three
1180:
914:
in the G hexachord, and known as "B durum" for 'hard B'). Over time, the soft and hard variants of 'b' were depicted as a rounded '
941:), singers would have to "mutate" between hexachords if the range of a sixth was exceeded or if there was an alternation between B
1045:
957:, wherein a single set of syllables suffices to name all possible pitches (including, often, chromatic pitches) within a mode.
1277:
926:' which gradually developed into the modern flat and natural signs (or, in Northern Europe, into the letters 'b' and 'h').
1101:
1032:
1272:
115:
indicate three different octaves of C), but there are also some names that repeat (for instance, the same name B
1267:
929:
Since a single hexachord did not cover every possible note in the range of the gamut (only C–A, F–D excluding B
182:
1077:
Reproduction aus Ameri
Practica artis musice (1271), ed. Cesarino Ruini, Corpus scriptorum de musica, vol. 25
142:") was the joint at the base of the index finger, and so on, spiraling around the hand counterclockwise past
49:
897:", a term which came to designate the range of notes available, and later, a complete range of anything.
1234:
1214:
1044:
Ameri
Practica artis musice (1271), ed. Cesarino Ruini, Corpus scriptorum de musica, vol. 25 (n.p.:
953:. In this way the "Guidonian" system of multiple hexachords was different from the modern system of
881:. These six names are derived from the first syllable of each half-line of the 8th century hymn "
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1105–1110 did describe Guido using the joints of the hand to aid in teaching his
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61:
1139:
418:
57:
19:
1175:(4th ed.). Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. pp. 390–391.
1131:
846:
801:
Exact notation to the hexachord system can be found in a reproduction of
174:
143:
32:
1064:, 3 vols., ed. Martin Gerbert (St. Blaise: Typis San-Blasianis, 1784;
169:"). The Guidonian hand was reproduced in numerous medieval treatises.
73:
154:") (the middle joint of the middle finger) and the E above that ("E
816:
780:
81:
18:
910:
in the F hexachord, and known as "B molle" for 'soft B') and Bâ™® (
825:(1271), ed. Cesarino Ruini, Corpus scriptorum de musica, vol. 25.
100:
96:
785:
Guidonian hand. Colors indicate the three modes of hexachord:
1231:
1211:
23:
One example of the
Guidonian hand, from a Bodleian Library MS
845:
apart, except for the middle two, which are separated by a
829:
The hexachord as a mnemonic device was first described by
130:" (two Gs below middle C) was the tip of the thumb, A ("A
95:" (in other words, from the G at the bottom of the modern
1088:
1086:
1014:
Willi Apel, ed. (Cambridge: Bellknap Press, 1972), 384.
1050:
http://www.chmtl.indiana.edu/tml/13th/AMEPRA_TEXT.html
1079:
http://www.chmtl.indiana.edu/tml/13th/AMEPRA_02GF.gif
972:. The C hexachord, containing neither B, was called
1062:
Scriptores ecclesiastici de musica sacra potissimum
900:
The hexachordal system also distinguished between B
807:
Scriptores ecclesiastici de musica sacra potissimum
138:") was the joint at the base of the thumb, C ("C
39:. Some form of the device may have been used by
1159:
1157:
1155:
1094:The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians
1025:The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians
1116:"The History and Uses of the Sol-fa Syllables"
134:") was the inside of the thumb knuckle, B ("B
91:", which can refer to the entire span) to "E
35:device used to assist singers in learning to
8:
16:Medieval mnemonic device for choral singers
171:
150:") until the D a ninth above middle C ("D
1253:Hexachords, solmization, and musica ficta
1230:, ed. L. Macy (accessed March 12, 2006),
1210:, ed. L. Macy (accessed June 13, 2007),
1060:Elias Salomo, "Scientia artis musicae",
1003:
968:; likewise, the F hexachord was called
1204:Claude V. Palisca. "Guido of Arezzo",
1120:Proceedings of the Musical Association
793:(natural, equivalent to C major), and
173:The medieval hexachordal system (c′ =
1104:(London: Macmillan Publishers, 2001).
1035:(London: Macmillan Publishers, 2001).
196:
119:appears in three different octaves).
7:
14:
87:") (the contraction of which is "
1092:Jehoash Hirshberg, "Hexachord",
1046:American Institute of Musicology
1010:Willi Apel, "Hexachord," In the
813:The hexachord in the Middle Ages
1173:The Harvard Dictionary of Music
849:. These six pitches are named
789:(hard, equivalent to G major),
1224:Andrew Hughes. "Solmization",
1023:Andrew Hughes, "Solmization",
805:(1271), or in the 1784 source
797:(soft, equivalent to F major).
1:
964:, the G hexachord was called
53:
1096:, second edition, edited by
1027:, second edition, edited by
1012:Harvard Dictionary of Music,
873:, with the semitone between
823:Ameri Practica artis musice
803:Ameri Practica artis musice
165:—were taken from the hymn "
99:to the E at the top of the
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835:Epistola de ignoto cantu
50:Sigebertus Gemblacensis
1241:(subscription access).
1221:(subscription access).
960:Because it included B
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24:
1278:Medieval music theory
920:' and a squared-off '
820:
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22:
1132:10.1093/jrma/19.1.35
974:hexachordum naturale
935:, or G–E excluding B
1165:Randel, Don Michael
178:
1237:2008-05-16 at the
1227:Grove Music Online
1217:2008-05-16 at the
1207:Grove Music Online
993:Diatonic hexachord
827:
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172:
163:ut re mi fa sol la
25:
1182:978-0-674-01163-2
1048:, 1977), 19–112.
970:hexachordum molle
966:hexachordum durum
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45:music theorist
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43:, a medieval
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1186:. Retrieved
1172:
1143:. Retrieved
1123:
1119:
1109:
1102:John Tyrrell
1093:
1073:
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1056:
1040:
1033:John Tyrrell
1024:
1019:
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981:musica ficta
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241:Solmization
234:
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116:
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108:
104:
92:
84:
77:
71:
28:
26:
1169:"Hexachord"
1066:reprint ed.
628:G sol re ut
519:C sol fa ut
492:D la sol re
415:G sol re ut
101:treble clef
1262:Categories
1188:2010-02-26
1145:2010-02-26
999:References
843:whole tone
839:Micrologus
631:Gesolreut
601:A la mi re
522:Cesolfaut
495:Delasolre
390:A la mi re
37:sight-sing
1140:0958-8442
1126:: 35–51.
833:, in his
775:Gamma ut
419:Gesolreut
191:note name
185:note name
148:sol fa ut
109:sol fa ut
97:bass clef
58:hexachord
1235:Archived
1215:Archived
987:See also
950:♭
944:♮
938:♭
932:♮
923:♮
917:♭
903:♭
889:(modern
847:semitone
791:naturale
699:Desolre
696:D sol re
604:Alamire
562:♭
555:♭
532:♮
393:Alamire
353:♭
348:♭
340:♭
319:♮
314:♮
304:Cesolfa
301:C sol fa
282:Delasol
279:D la sol
197:Compound
194:Mutation
189:Medieval
175:Middle C
144:middle C
111:, and C
76:from "Γ
33:mnemonic
955:solfège
721:Cefaut
718:C fa ut
674:E la mi
655:Fefaut
652:F fa ut
465:E la mi
444:Fefaut
441:F fa ut
124:solfège
74:octaves
62:solfège
1179:
1138:
869:, and
677:Elami
468:Elami
199:Names
183:Modern
152:la sol
113:sol fa
68:Theory
31:was a
962:durum
947:and B
895:Gamut
795:molle
787:durum
740:Bemi
577:Befa
547:Bemi
368:Befa
332:Bemi
140:fa ut
105:fa ut
89:Gamut
82:Gamma
1177:ISBN
1136:ISSN
1100:and
1031:and
877:and
759:Are
756:A re
737:B mi
574:B fa
544:B mi
365:B fa
329:B mi
260:Ela
257:E la
146:("C
107:, C
27:The
1128:doi
885:".
867:sol
688:sol
617:sol
508:sol
484:sol
406:sol
295:sol
276:sol
52:in
1264::
1171:.
1154:^
1134:.
1124:19
1122:.
1118:.
1085:^
983:.
976:.
912:mi
908:fa
879:fa
875:mi
871:la
865:,
863:fa
861:,
859:mi
857:,
855:re
853:,
851:ut
809:.
770:ut
751:re
732:mi
713:ut
710:fa
691:re
669:mi
666:la
647:ut
644:fa
623:ut
620:re
596:re
593:mi
590:la
569:fa
539:mi
514:ut
511:fa
500:c′
487:re
481:la
473:d′
460:mi
457:la
449:e′
436:ut
433:fa
425:f′
412:ut
409:re
398:g′
387:re
384:mi
381:la
376:aa
373:a′
360:fa
326:mi
309:b′
298:fa
290:cc
287:c″
273:la
268:dd
265:d″
254:la
249:ee
246:e″
177:)
156:la
136:mi
132:re
128:ut
117:mi
93:la
85:ut
78:ut
64:.
54:c.
1191:.
1148:.
1130::
906:(
891:c
767:Γ
764:G
748:A
745:A
729:B
726:B
707:C
704:c
685:D
682:d
663:E
660:e
639:F
636:f
612:G
609:g
585:a
582:a
552:b
527:b
503:c
476:d
452:e
428:f
401:g
343:′
337:b
235:7
230:6
225:5
220:4
215:3
210:2
205:1
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