Dodecachordon

Concerning clefs and the deduction of voices through them, also concerning the shapes of the notes,

Chapter IV.

The term clef original: "clauis," literally meaning "key" is undoubtedly taken as a metaphor from an iron key, because just as the latter opens a lock, the former opens the song. Since it would be quite foolish to place every letter at the beginning of a song, musicians marked one or two in the leading margins so that the others might be distinguished from them; these they called "signed" original: "signatas," referring to the clef signs we use today like the G or F clef. Some, like Sebald Heyden A prominent German music theorist (1499–1561) and contemporary of Glarean, an eminent musician of our time, call them "characteristic," a term that would not be displeasing if it were accepted in common usage. Most frequently, they draw two: F-fa-ut and c-sol-fa-ut, although g-sol-re-ut is sometimes used in the highest voice of composed songs. It is superfluous to mark Γ-ut Gamma-ut, the lowest note or dd-la-sol a very high note. Therefore, once the signed clef is known, one must see on which key the song begins and act according to the rules already stated: taking lower syllables when ascending and higher ones when descending. One must also work thoroughly to note distances or intervals and become accustomed to them, lest when the syllables fa-re are presented, we sing fa-mi, or when sol-ut is presented, we sing sol-re.

For this reason, simple deductions vocal exercises based on the six-note hexachord are usually handed down to boys, being exceedingly useful for training their mouths. They will become so accustomed to the lines and spaces from the lowest to the highest that the sequence ut re mi fa sol la is repeated seven times in the scale. Whoever provided us with these formulas truly looked out for unrefined minds; he was himself of no small talent, a true teacher and a true leader in this business. He joined simple things to the simple and varied everything in small ways, leading the unrefined person beautifully and gradually to dare greater things. Our own Ludwig Senfl A famous Swiss composer of the Renaissance set these to four voices with a Tenor with quite a happy result. Therefore, these exercises should by no means be neglected by beginners, and they are of this sort: