Prologue

...whoever might wish to give) considering I have written what everyone can see, and there is even more yet to be printed; and I consider every one of them [the great musicians] to be my master. St. Peter was the supreme pontiff, tutored by Christ our redeemer, taught by the eternal Father, and enlightened by the Holy Spirit, yet he did not write a Gospel; his disciple St. Mark composed it. However, it was not read in the Church until his master St. Peter approved it and it was received by his authority and decree. There is hardly a musician in Spain, or outside of it, with whom I have not communicated personally or through their works, and from whom I have not learned, thus holding them as my masters. From the excellent words and works of such men, I have made a recapitulation of seven books. The wise musicians who have seen them have approved them, as appears in the epistle of the no less wise than humble Lord Bernardino de Figueroa Bernardino de Figueroa (c. 1510–1591) was a distinguished Spanish composer and the chapel master of the Royal Chapel in Granada., chapel master of the Royal Chapel of Granada, being then Bishop-elect, and in the epistle of the eminent musician Cristóbal de Morales Cristóbal de Morales (c. 1500–1553) is considered one of the greatest Spanish composers of the Renaissance, famous throughout Europe.. Having finished printing these books, I will send them to other men learned in the faculty (whom I have not been able to see or take their opinion before printing, as they are distant and I am not my own master) Bermudo refers to his obligations as a Franciscan friar, meaning his time and travels are restricted by his order. so that by their decree and determination, it may be read throughout the Christian republic. Nor was there a lack of writing on the part of such men, but rather they were occupied with other practical things from which I learned much; and thus, writing is not pride in me, because I teach the "mute" Bermudo likely means he is giving a voice to the silent, practical knowledge of performers who did not write down their secrets. what I learned from them, and what our Lord, through His infinite goodness and mercy, wished to give to the world. I confess that almost everything I have written belongs to others. Only the artifice The "artifice" refers to the organizational structure, the method of presentation, and the pedagogical framing. can be attributed to me. For the subject matter is ancient, and updated by the musicians of this time, but the manner and style of speaking it is new.

The new things you will find in these books are twelve, which cost me great labor because I found no trace or memory of them.

The first is a vihuela A Spanish Renaissance string instrument, similar to a guitar but with the tuning and repertoire of a lute. of seven courses. I well know some have played a vihuela of seven courses, but not this new one, which has a new temple original: "temple"; refers to the tuning or temperament of the instrument.. The distance of this seven-course instrument is the same quinzena A double octave (an interval of a 15th). that a six-course vihuela has on its open strings.

To fret a vihuela by compass Using a compass (measurement tool) to mathematically determine the exact placement of frets based on proportions. is the second thing I discovered. Just as there is a diapason Here referring to the full range or the mathematical scale of an instrument. of a monachordio A monochord; a single-stringed ancient instrument used to teach musical intervals and mathematical proportions. and of an organo [organ], and it is derived by compass, so it is with the trastes [frets] of the vihuela. Thus, the frets are placed on the vihuela with total certainty by compass.

The third is to string a harpa [harp] with strings of equal thickness, and that none remain strained nor slacker than others; rather, all being equally stretched, they form their consonances. This can also be done on a vihuela, though it would have great difficulties.

The fourth is to invent a new genus of music. And if in the instruments made until now the fifths could not be tuned, and some remain less perfect than others, in my instruments they are so perfect that they have a great resemblance to octaves. I say that the octaua [octave] remains fine when one voice joins with the other in such a way that, being two voices, it sounds like one. In this way, the quintas [fifths] in my new instruments remain so married one voice with another that they seem like a unison, or something of its kind.

The fifth is that they can make an organ, cutting the pipes punctually the first time, so that it comes out just and complete, and it is not necessary to cut it again; and this can be done not only in the organ I invented, but in the ones used until now.