# How to read this music notation:



## obwan

I am at a loss. Someone please help.


----------



## ComposerOfAvantGarde

I am no expert on early music notation, nut that looks like an early version of the G (treble) clef and I do know for certian that the first accidental that composers began to use when they were steering away from modal music was the B flat which is more evidence that it is in treble clef.

It looks like there are many flagged stems too which make up semiquavers and quavers.


----------



## Head_case

Are you playing alto or bass recorder?

It looks very similar to the texts of van Eyck's (17th century) pre-baroque recorder music although seems less majestically slow as van Eyck's music tends towards.

It looks like alto clef (pre-modern) which you can see rudiments of down the page:










That means, that you can use standard fingerings to play in pitch if you you're playing alto or bass recorder, then you don't need to transpose it by a fourth (or a fourth, and an octave). You can play it at face value out of pitch to get a feel for the music. Put a sprightly 6/8 time signature on it, and you work out the semi-demi quavers, quavers and crochets from the curls at the ends.

Better still, buy some of the early music books:


----------



## Kopachris

It is mensural notation, about 15th-century, judging by the G clef at the beginning. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mensural_notation


----------



## obwan

But how does that help you? There are also fsharps and csharps. 

in anoter piece it looks like there is a C (for common time), on the middle line, i have been interpreting that as a key signature though. because it does sound better with bflats in that piece.


----------



## ComposerOfAvantGarde

obwan said:


> But how does that help you? There are also fsharps and csharps.
> 
> in anoter piece it looks like there is a C (for common time), on the middle line, i have been interpreting that as a key signature though. because it does sound better with bflats in that piece.


In mesural notation, C is a symbol for "imperfect time" in which each bar is divisible by four and O is a symbol for "perfect time" in which each bar is divisible by three.

C standing for "common time" is a common misconception, it was actually originally a circle with a part taken out to show that it is "imperfect." I have never understood what made quadruple meter imperfect and triple meter perfect, but there you go.


----------



## oogabooha

ComposerOfAvantGarde said:


> In mesural notation, C is a symbol for "imperfect time" in which each bar is divisible by four and O is a symbol for "perfect time" in which each bar is divisible by three.
> 
> C standing for "common time" is a common misconception, it was actually originally a circle with a part taken out to show that it is "imperfect." *I have never understood what made quadruple meter imperfect and triple meter perfect, but there you go.*


Pretty sure it has to do with early church music, in which time signatures of 3 were considered more sacred due to their reference to the holy trinity--god, son, holy spirit


----------



## ComposerOfAvantGarde

oogabooha said:


> Pretty sure it has to do with early church music, in which time signatures of 3 were considered more sacred due to their reference to the holy trinity--god, son, holy spirit


Ah of course. I always forget to take religion into account haha. Thank you.


----------



## obwan

ComposerOfAvantGarde said:


> I have never understood what made quadruple meter imperfect and triple meter perfect, but there you go.


After your explanation neither do I.

j/k.


----------

