Chapter Four

The hymn to Saint John the Baptist received its name from its opening words: "So that with relaxed strings." original: Ut queant laxis. This hymn, traditionally attributed to Paul the Deacon (c. 720–799), was used by Guido d'Arezzo to teach singers how to find pitches. "So that your servants may be able to sing the wonders of your deeds with relaxed vocal cords: Cleanse the guilt of the stained lip: O Saint John." original: Ut queant laxis resonare fibris: Mira gestorum: famuli tuorum: Solve polluti labij reatum: Sancte Ioannes. From this, if we correctly inspect the first syllables after each punctuation mark, we extract these six voices: ut, re, mi, fa, sol, la. Each of these is separated from its neighbor in the series by a whole tone, except for fa, which departs from mi by the space of a semitone A semitone is the smallest interval in this musical system, roughly half of a whole tone.. It will therefore have two tones below it and two above.

When the first letter G is placed with the syllable ut, the whole is called Gamma ut This is the origin of the word "gamut," meaning the full range of notes.. Similarly, from the letter A and the syllable re, A-re is made; from the letter B and the syllable mi, B-mi; from the letter C and the syllable fa, C-fa; from D and sol, D-sol; and from E and la, E-la.

In order to imitate the teaching of Boethius An influential 6th-century philosopher whose works on music were the standard textbooks of the Middle Ages., which divides the whole harmony by tetrachords A group of four notes., ...

A diagram depicts the Guidonian Hand, a mnemonic device used in medieval and Renaissance music pedagogy to teach the hexachord system and solmization. Syllables are assigned to the various joints and tips of the fingers to help students memorize the overlapping scales. This is an excellent and clear example of a seminal musical pedagogical tool, essential for understanding the history of music theory and education.

The Guidonian Hand

[Middle Finger]

[Index Finger]
E-la-mi
F-fa-ut
G-sol-re-ut
C-fa-ut

[Middle Finger (continued)]
D-la-sol
A-la-mi-re
D-sol-re

[Ring Finger]
C-sol-fa-ut
C-sol-fa
B-flat (fa) and B-natural (mi)
E-la-mi

[Pinky Finger]
B-flat (fa) and B-natural (mi)
A-la-mi-re
G-sol-re-ut
F-fa-ut

[Thumb]
Gamma-ut
A-re
B-mi

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We have found it best to mark [the notes] with letters alone. Nothing is easier for learning a song than these, provided they are practiced for at least three months. original: Solis notare litteris optime probauimus. quibus ad adiscendum cantum nihil est facilius si frequentate fuerint saltem tribus mensibus.