jan 1, 800 - NEUMES

Description:

Neumes were marks over text syllables representing how the melody moves in sacred chant. Neumes did not include pitch or rhythm because they were used to help someone remember the details of songs that they already knew. This means that the music would have to be passed on orally and it could not easily be sight-read. This was the earliest record of recorded music so this was the first step to the development in music notation. The picture shows some early neume markings.

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