For a long time, different civilizations not only live the musical experience but also elaborate methods and theories capable of standardizing a way of composing and thinking about the musical universe. In Ancient Greece, we have already observed ways of recording and designing musical pieces through systems that used the letters of the Greek alphabet. Over time, there were several attempts at systematization interested in formulating a way of representing and disseminating musical pieces.
In the Middle Ages, the question of music took on a very great importance among the clerics of that time. On the one hand, this importance must be understood because the monks had the time and opportunity to learn about all the musical knowledge from classical civilization through the libraries of the monasteries. On the other hand, it can also be understood why the use of music was assuming great importance in the realization of the liturgies that populated the religious manifestations of the institution itself.
It was in this context that a French Benedictine monk named Guido de Arezzo, born at the end of the 10th century, organized the musical notation system known to this day. In his studies, he ended up realizing that the construction of a simplified musical scale could facilitate student learning and, at the same time, reduce the misinterpretation of a play musical. However, how would he create such a scale?
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To resolve this issue, the monk Guido took advantage of a hymn sung in praise of St. John the Baptist. In his stanzas the following lines were sung in Latin: “Ut quant laxis / Resonare fibris / Mira managerum / Famuli tuorum / Solve polluti / Labii reatum / Sancte Iohannes”. Translating into our language, the song pays the following tribute to the Catholic saint: “For your servants / May from the bowels / Flutes resound / Thy admirable deeds / Absolve sin / From those impure lips / O Saint John". But what is the relationship between music and musical notes known today?
Observing the initials of each of the verses arranged in the Latin version, the monk created the vast majority of musical notes. Initially, the musical notes were defined as “ut”, “re”, “mi”, “fa”, “sol”, “there” and “si”. The “si” was obtained from the joining of the initials of “Sancte Iohannes”, the honoree of the song that inspired Guido de Arezzo. The “do” was only adopted in the 17th century, when a revision of the system originally conceived ended up being agreed.
By Rainer Sousa
Master in History
Brazil School Team
Curiosities - Brazil School
Would you like to reference this text in a school or academic work? Look:
SOUSA, Rainer Gonçalves. "The Origin of Musical Notes"; Brazil School. Available in: https://brasilescola.uol.com.br/curiosidades/a-origem-das-notas-musicais.htm. Accessed on June 27, 2021.
