In the 12th century or something when introducing a 7th note to the
already existing hexachord, there was a babylonic confusion about the
name. We know that the first syllabe of each verse came out the hymne
for St Johannes (Ut..., Re..., Mi..., etc.) where indeed every
sentence started a tone above the previous. But what about the new,
seventh note? A solution was found at the end of the hymne: Sanctus
Iohannis has lent his initials to name the Si.
But..., a second problem arised by introducing the musica ficta:
should it be a high or a low Si? Therefore we invented two new signs:
a rondinum and a quadratum. The quadratum looks like a h, our
natural sign, later even transformed to a sharp, while the rondinum
stand for a lowered (b). This system has evolved to other steps of
the scale.
The names C-D-E... (or originally A-B(H)-C...) were invented later.
Hence there are yet three systems in our western music:
- the "italian", used also in France and Belgium. (Do, Re, Mi, etc).
For us the La is fixed at 440 Hz. We know the other systems, but
don't use them in practice. BTW: "Ut", the first tone, wasn't very
useful for solfeggio exercises, therefore changed in "Do".
- the "german", A-H-C-D,... who swear by the original historical
context. When they mean Sib (Bb), they call it consequentially B.
- the "english", also used in the Netherlands, A-B-C, etc. For both
german and english systems the A is fixed, while for them the italian
names are relatives to the scale.
I don't know much about the historical outcome of the C-D- system,
nor about the suffixes -es and -is, to mark a b or a # (des, fis), It
likes even a bit ridiculous when comes to double alterations (cisis,
geses). The english Bb and C# likes more logical.
Hans
====
"Please, compose something Wagner-like, only a bit shorter and louder".
Sam Goldwyn.
Op 30-okt-07, om 17:49 heeft A-NO-NE Music het volgende geschreven:
dhbailey / 07.10.30 / 6:33 AM wrote:
B-dur would be our Bb-major. What's the confusion?
I know. A moment of stupidness. How come it's not Hes-Dur?
:-)
--
- Hiro
Hiroaki Honshuku, A-NO-NE Music, Boston, MA
<http://a-no-ne.com> <http://anonemusic.com>
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