Analysis of Guido’s Methods: Solutions and Importance
Analysis of Guido’s Methods: Solutions and Importance
Guido was born towards the end of the 10th century in Italy, and learnt in the Benedictine Abbey near Ferrara. As a music teacher, one of the problems he experienced with his students was the fact that they were unable to sing by themselves despite singing for many years since they had not mastered even a single antiphon, which was generally a waste of time. The solution for this as suggested by Guido would be not to provide antiphons that lacked neumes (Taruskin & Gibbs 2012, Pg. 212). Another problem faced was the fact that, his students were unable to pronounce words as well as syllables of the antiphon, which they sung correctly thus, without a master present. The solution to this problem, according to Guido would be to have a greater understanding of how the neumes are arranged. Guido’s solution also involved teaching using two colors thus; yellow and red which would enable his student’s to know which tone as well as which monochord letter aligned with particular letters and neume (Taruskin & Gibbs 2012, Pg. 213).
Guido’s Innovations and Inventions
One of Guido’s major innovations as well as inventions was in the music theory realm was the codification of the system termed as the hexagonal system. In Guido’s hexachord system, the musical gamut notes were better described through six-note segments that interlocked thus, referred to as hexachords which shared an equal interval pattern (Risenweaver 2012, Pg. 39). The hexachord system was built in the modal system and to a certain level to the modern concepts involving scales as well as a totality. Guido’s system enabled singers to learn all the intervals of a chant within a hexachord’s context rather than only listening as well as repeating a monochord’s pattern.
The system was then codified, which rendered it as a critical tool for teaching the system and the transposition technique. Although Guido’s system does share some basic similarities with the modal system that existed long before his invention, the two concepts are generally un-identical, thus, unlike the modal system, the hexachord was mainly invented for the purpose of facilitating the learning as well as teaching of plainchant melodies and, hence, it does not reflect both the scalar pattern and modes in which the melodies were written (Risenweaver 2012, Pg. 40). Throughout the late middle ages as the progression of the music theory, the hexachord system highly became a foundation thus, for the development of tonality.
Guido’s second major innovation was is an invention of the system which involved solmization syllables. This system was closely and highly related to the hexachord system. This system greatly aided in the application of a hexachord as a practical tool in the learning process of chants. Presence of solmization syllables, enabled singers to become more familiar “with the intervallic context surrounding each syllable” within the existing hexachord which aided in determination of the precise placement of pitches, hence, chants could be learnt without application of the monochord (Taruskin & Gibbs 2012, Pg. 215). Unlike the hexachord which was generally developed from other scholars theories; the solmization system was his personal and unique innovation despite the claims that both the Ancient Arabic as well as Greek music included the system of solmization syllables.
Guido’s third innovation to music as well as music education is his music notation development. Before Guido’s invention, the music notations during his time were not only unclear but also very sparse (Risenweaver 2012, Pg. 48). Thus, they only served as a remaineder of melodies that had been previously learnt thus, provided insufficient help to singers that were studying for chants during their fast time. On the other hand, Guido’s invention laid a strong foundation for modern musical stuff and notation (Taruskin & Gibbs 2012, Pg. 212). Further, his invention also provided a means through which his solmization and hexachord systems could be expressed visually (Risenweaver 2012, Pg. 48).
Building upon some of the development that had been initiated by both Hucbald and Musica Enchiriadis, Guido came up with the idea that involved using multiple lines for the purpose of indicating particular pitches. However, he limited his staff to only four lines that were positioned a third apart unlike the previous scholars (Taruskin & Gibbs 2012, Pg. 216). According to the Guido, this was an advantage as stated, “pitches are so arranged that each sound, howsoever much it is repeated in a chant, is always found in one and the same row. . .thus, however many sounds there are on one line or on one space, they all sound similarly (Risenweaver 2012, Pg. 42).” In addition, he also added clef signs as well as colors for the purpose of indicating the line’s specific pitches as well as to indicate the position of the neume.
Importance of Guido’s Contributions
One of the importance’s of Guido’s invention of the hexachord system is the fact that the system provided an opportunity for learning as well as organizing intervals for a chant. Also allows singers to easily change between hexachords through a process identified as mutation. Another importance of Guido’s work is the fact that it provided a method that could be utilized in learning as well as organizing particular intervals thus, of a chant (Risenweaver 2012, Pg. 39).
Before Guido’s invention of the solmization of syllables, student’s consumed a lot of time in learning new chants which was mainly through imitation of the pitches that were being played on the monochord (Risenweaver 2012, Pg. 44). The learning process was not only time consuming, but also a very painstaking process. Therefore, Guido’s system is regarded as very important in the music field as it allowed the hexachord to be applied more as a practical tool in the learning process of chants. The system enabled the determination of the specific placement of different pitches as well as learning of chants without application of the monochord.
Despite the difficulties that Guido encountered, his innovation had a permanent as well as significant influence on what is referred to as music notation. His idea of the four-line staff whereby, these lines are spaced in thirds over the years has become a standard for chant; moreover, it is still applied in today’s plainchant notation (Taruskin & Gibbs 2012, Pg. 213).
Although application of colors in the indication of both the C and F gradually faded thus, in the 14th century, the application of Clef signs inclusive of letters for the purpose of indicating the pitch of particular lines has remained to be one of the most essential parts, in relation to music notion. The modern stuff significantly mirrors the ones invented by Guido, as it spaces its lines a third apart (Taruskin & Gibbs 2012, Pg. 213). The Modern Bass, treble, as well as clef signs developed from Guido’s innovations thus, they act as a foundation to the modern music.
The Guidonian hand is yet another invention of Guido that was widely used. The Guidonian hand can be described as a mnemonic system that involves mapping note names, thus, on various parts of the hand. This invention enabled musicians to label a variety of gamut on their hand which greatly aided in memorizing the solmization syllables (Risenweaver 2012, Pg. 47). The knowledge of this hand enabled the musicians to transpose, identify specific intervals as well as creation of music as well as notation usage. Musicians during performances were not only able to sing but also memorize large music sections while the amount of time dedicated to memorizing diminished drastically.
References
Risenweaver, A. (2012) Guido of Arezzo and His Influence on Music Learning. Musical Offerings. Cedarville University. 3, pp. 37-55.
Taruskin, R. & Gibbs, C. (2012). The Oxford History of Western Music. Collge Edition. OUP USA. Pp. 211-218
Waesberghe, J.S., (1951). The Musical Notation of Guido of Arezzo. Musica disciplina, 5, pp.15-53.
