[35]
<JOHANNIS DE GARLANDIA DE MENSURABILI
MUSICA >
<CAPITULUM PRIMUM >
Habito de ipsa plana musica, quae
immensurabilis dicitur, nunc est praesens
intentio de ipsa mensurabili, quae organum
quantum ad nos appellatur, prout organum
generaliter dicitur ad omnem mensurabilem
musicam. Unde ORGANUM et est species totius
mensurabilis musicae et est genus diversimode
tamen, prout dictum est superius. Sciendum est
ergo, quod ipsius organi generaliter accepti tres
sunt species, scilicet discantus, copula et
organum, de quibus dicendum est per ordinem.
DISCANTUS est aliquorum diversorum cantuum
sonantia secundum modum et secundum
aequipollentis sui aequipollentiam. Sed quia in
[36] huiusmodi discantu consistit maneries sive
modus, in primis videndum est, quid sit modus
sive maneries, et de speciebus ipsius modi sive
maneriei et gratia huiusmodi maneriei ac
specierum eius plura alia videbimus.
MANERIES eius appellatur, quidquid
mensuratione temporis, videlicet per longas vel
per breves, concurrit. Sunt ergo sex species
ipsius maneriei, quarum tres dicuntur
mensurabiles, tres vero ultra mensurabiles, id
est ultra rectam mensuram se habentes. Iste
vero dicuntur mensurabiles, scilicet prima,
secunda et sexta. Iste vero ultra mensurabiles,
scilicet tertia, quarta et quinta. Prima enim
procedit ex una longa et altera brevi et altera
longa, et sic usque [37] in infinitum. Secunda
autem e converso, videlicet ex una brevi et
altera longa et altera brevi. Tertia ex una longa
et duabus brevibus et altera longa. Quarta ex
duabus brevibus et altera longa et duabus
brevibus. Quinta ex omnibus longis. Sexta ex
omnibus brevibus.
1
<CONCERNING MEASURABLE MUSIC, BY
JOHANNES DE GARLANDIA >
trans. Rob C. Wegman
<CHAPTER THE FIRST>
Having considered that plain type of music
which is called unmeasurable, it is now the
present purpose [to consider] that measurable
[music] which we call organum, inasmuch as
organum is the word generally applied to all
measurable music. Now ORGANUM is not only a
species of measurable music, but it is also, in a
different way, a class, as has been said above.
And therefore one must know that one
generally recognizes three kind s of that
organum, namely, discant, copula, and
organum, of which we will speak by turns.
DISCANT is the sounding together of certain
diverse songs, according to mode and according
to equivalence of its counterpart. But since in
this kind of discant there is a manner or mode,
we firstly need to define what a mode or
manner is, and what are the different kinds of
the same mode or manner. And with the help of
that manner and its kinds we shall address many
other things.
Its MANNER is called that which proceeds by
means of the measuring of time, that is, through
longs or through shorts. And there are six kind s
of that manner, of which three are called
measurable, and three beyond measurable, that
is, keeping beyond the right measure. Those
that are called measurable are the first, second,
and sixth. Those beyond measurable are the
third, fourth, and fifth. For the first proceeds
with one long and the other short and then
another long, and so on, indefinitely. The
second, on the other hand, does the reverse, that
is, [it proceeds] with one short and the other
long and then another short. The third with one
long and two shorts and another long. The
fourth with two shorts and another long and two
shorts. The fifth with longs only. The sixth with
shorts only.
 Gratia horum trium modorum, qui sunt in
recto modo, videndum est, quid sit rectus
modus et recta mensura. RECTA MENSURA
appellatur, quidquid per rectam mensuram
rectae longae vel rectae brevis profertur. Unde,
ne in ambiguum procedamus, videndum est,
quid appellatur recta longa vel recta brevis. Ad
quod dicendum, quod RECTA LONGA appellatur
illa, quae continet duas rectas breves tantum.
RECTA vero BREVIS est, quae unum solum
tempus continet. Propter hoc posset fieri
quaestio, quid appellatur unum solum tempus.
Ad quod dicendum, quod unum solum TEMPUS,
prout hic sumitur, est illud, [38] in quo recta
brevis habet fieri in tali tempore, quod fit
indivisibile. Sed huiusmodi tempus habet fieri
tripliciter: aliquando enim per rectam vocem,
aliquando per vocem cassam, aliquando per
vocem amissam. Unde recta brevis habet fieri
in primo tempore, videlicet per vocem rectam.
Sciendum est autem, quod huiusmodi duae
tales breves, quae ita formantur, faciunt unam
rectam longam.
Deinde accedendum est ad alias tres
species, quae dicuntur ultra mensurabiles.
Unde ULTRA MENSURAM, prout hic sumitur,
dicitur esse illud, quod ultra mensuram rectae
longae vel rectae brevis profertur. Ad hoc
autem, quod possimus apprehendere, quid sit
hoc dictum ultra mensuram, tres regulae sunt
nobis necessariae. Prima vero talis est: longa
ante longam valet longam et brevem. Secunda
vero talis est: si multitudo brevium fuerit in
aliquo loco, semper debemus facere, quod
aequipolleant longis. Tertia vero talis est: si
multitudo [39] brevium fuerit in aliquo loco,
quanto brevis plus appropinquatur fini, tanto
debet longior proferri.
MODUS PERFECTUS dicitur esse,
quandocumque ita est, quod aliquis modus
desinit per talem quantitatem vel per talem
modum sicut per illam, qua incipit. Dicitur
modus perfectus, ut dicatur prima longa, altera
brevis et altera longa, et sic de aliis modis sive
maneriebus. Omnis MODUS dicitur
2
With the help of the three modes that are in
the right mode we must now define what are the
right mode and the right measure. We call the
RIGHT MEASURE that which is performed in the
right measure of the right long or the right
short. But lest we wander off into ambiguity, let
us consider what is called the right long or the
right short. To which we reply that we call a
RIGHT LONG that which contains no more than
two right shorts. And the RIGHT SHORT is that
which contains one single time unit. Because of
this the question may arise what is called one
single time unit. To which we reply that one
single TIME UNIT, as understood here, is that
[unit] in which the right short [occupies] such a
span that it cannot be divided. But a span of this
kind can occur in one of three ways : sometimes
with the right voice, sometimes with broken
voice, and sometimes without voice altogether.
And the right short must be made as the first [of
these three spans], that is, with the right voice.
But it must be known that two such shorts,
formed in this way, make one right long.
Now we must move on to the other three
kinds [of mode], which are called beyond
measurable. Now BEYOND MEASURE, as
understood here, is said to be that which is
performed beyond the measure of the right long
or the right short. In order that we may
understand what the said beyond measure
means, we need three rules. The first is as
follows: a long before a long has the value of a
long plus short. The second is as follows: if
there is more than one short in some place, we
must always render [the shorts] in such a way
that they are equivalent to longs. And the third
is as follows: if there is more than one short in
some place, then the closer the short is towards
the end, the longer it must be performed.
We speak of a COMPLETE MODE whenever it
happens that a mode ends with the same
quantity or the same manner with which it
begins . . . as when the first is said to be long,
the other short, and then another short, and
likewise with the other modes or manners.
Every mode is called INCOMPLETE when some
IMPERFECTUS, quandocumque ita est, quod
aliquis modus desinit per aliam quantitatem
quam per illam, qua incipit, ut cum dicatur
prima longa, altera brevis, altera longa et altera
brevis.
Exemplum primae maneriei de perfecto modo:
Exemplum primae maneriei de imperfecto
modo:
Exemplum secundae de perfecto modo:
Exemplum secundae de imperfecto modo:
Exemplum tertiae de perfecto modo:
Exemplum tertiae de imperfecto modo:
3
mode ends with ano ther quantity than the one
with which it begins, like when the first is
called long, the other short, another long, and
another short.
Example of the first manner in complete mode:
Example of the first manner in incomplete
mode:
Example of the second in complete mode:
Example of the second in incomplete mode:
Example of the third in complete mode:
Example of the third in incomplete mode:
[42] Exemplum quartae de perfecto modo:
Exemplum quartae de imperfecto modo:
Exemplum quintae de perfecto modo:
[43] Exemplum quintae de imperfecto modo:
Exemplum sextae de perfecto modo:
Exemplum sextae de imperfecto modo:
[44]
<CAPITULUM SECUNDUM >
Sequitur de repraesentatione figurarum sive
notularum, videlicet quomodo per huiusmodi
figuras denotetur longitudo vel brevitas.
Unde FIGURA est repraesentatio soni
secundum suum modum. Et sciendum, quod
huiusmodi figurae aliquando ponuntur sine
4
Example of the fourth in complete mode:
Example of the fourth in incomplete mode:
Example of the fifth in complete mode:
Example of the fifth in incomplete mode:
Example of the sixth in complete mode:
Example of the sixth in incomplete mode:
CHAPTER THE S ECOND
Now follows a discussion of the representation
through figures, or little marks, that is, in what
way longness and shortness are indicated by
figures of this kind. Now a FIGURE is a
representation of a sound according to its kind.
And one must know that figures of this kind are
littera, aliquando cum littera; sine littera ut in
caudis vel conductis, cum littera ut in motellis.
Inter figuras, quae sunt sine littera et cum littera,
talis datur differentia, quoniam ille, quae sunt
sine littera, debent, prout possunt, amplius ad
invicem ligari. Sed huiusmodi proprietas [45]
aliquando amittitur propter litteram huiusmodi
figuris associatam. Sed huiusmodi figurarum tam
litterae societarum quam non societarum dantur
divisiones sequentes ac etiam regulae.
Prima divisio est haec: figurarum quaedam
ligantur ad invicem, quaedam non. FIGURA
LIGATA est, ubicumque fit multitudo punctorum
simul iunctorum per suos tractus. Figura non
ligata est, ubicumque non fit multitudo
punctorum et caetera, vel etiam simplex.
Figurarum simplicium quaedam dicuntur
longae, quaedam breves. Longarum triplex est
modus, quia quaedam dicitur recta longa,
quaedam duplex longa, quaedam plica longa.
Unde sequitur regula: omnis figura simplex
portans tractum magis a parte dextra quam a
sinistra semper significat longitudinem. RECTA
LONGA est illa, quando longitudo non transit
latitudinem. [46] DUPLEX LONGA est illa, quando
latitudo transit longitudinem. P LICA LONGA
dicitur illa, quae habet duplicem tractum, scilicet
a parte dextra longiorem quam a sinistra, et est
duplex, ascendendo et descendendo. Similiter
brevium triplex est modus. Quaedam dicitur
RECTA BREVIS, quaedam SEMIBREVIS, quaedam
PLICA BREVIS. Omnis figura brevis sumitur sine
tractu praeter plicam, quae accipitur cum duplici
tractu vel uno propter divisionem soni. Similiter
etiam duplex est plica, quia quaedam dicitur
ascendendo, quaedam descendendo, ut superius
dicebatur. SEMIBREVIS est, quae formatur ad
modum rectae brevis, sed quatuor anguli
transpositi ad differentiam rectae brevis.
[47] Figurarum simul ligatarum quaedam
dicitur ascendendo, quaedam descendendo.
Figura DESCENDENDO dicitur esse illa, quando
5
sometimes written without text, sometimes with
text; without text as in tail-ends [of] conducti,
with text as in motets. This distinction, between
figures without text and with text, is made
because those figures that are without text must
be bound together, as much as is possible, into
larger groups. But this condition [of being
bound together] is sometimes left off because of
the text associated with this kind of figure. As
regards figures of this kind, both those
associated with text and those not so associated,
the following divisions and rules obtain.
The first division is this: some of the figures
are bound together, some are not. A figure is
BOUND whenever there is more than one point
connected simultaneously by their lines. A
figure is not bound wherever there is not a
multiplicity of points, and so forth, or also
single.
Of the single figures some are called longs,
some shorts. There are three kinds of longs, for
some are called the right long, some a twofold
long, some a folded long. Whence follows the
rule: every single figure that carries a stem on
the right-hand side, rather than the left, always
indicates longness. The RIGHT LONG is when the
length [of the figure] does not exceed the width.
The TWOFOLD LONG is when the width exceeds
the length. The FOLDED LONG is said to be one
that has two strokes, that is, one on the right that
is longer than that on the left, and there are two
kinds, upward and downward. In the same way,
there are three kinds of shorts. Some are called
the RIGHT SHORT , some a HALF - SHORT, some
FOLDED SHORT . Every short is understood to be
without stem, except for the folded short, which
is taken with either two dashes or one because of
the splitting of the sound. In the same way there
are two kinds of fold ings, for some are said to be
upward, some downward, as was said above. A
half-short is one that is formed in the manner of
the right short, except that the four corners are
placed differently from the right short.
Of the figures that are bound together some
are called moving up and some moving down.
We speak of a figure MOVING DOWN when the
secundus punctus ligaturae inferior est primo.
ASCENDENDO dicitur esse, quando secundus
punctus altior est primo. Figurarum ascendendo
vel descendendo duae sunt species, quia
quaedam dicitur cum proprietate a parte
principii, quaedam a parte finis.
A PARTE PRINCIPII quatuor sunt species,
quia quaedam dicitur cum proprietate, id est cum
proprietate propria, quaedam sine proprietate,
quaedam per [48] oppositum cum proprietate,
quaedam sine opposito cum proprietate. Unde
regula: omnis figurae descendendo PROPRIETAS
est, ut primus punctus habeat tractum a latere
sinistro. Ascendendo proprietas est, ut nullum
habeat tractum. Ascendendo sine proprietate, ut
habeat tractum, descendendo, ut non habeat.
Ascendendo vel descendendo dicitur PER
OPPOSITUM cum proprietate, ut primus punctus
habeat tractum ascendendo a latere sinistro, sine said to be in opposite propriety when the first
opposito, ut non habeat tractum.
[49] A PARTE FINIS etiam quatuor sunt
species, quia quaedam dicitur cum plica,
quaedam sine plica, quaedam perfecta circa
finem, quaedam imperfecta circa finem. CUM
PLICA dicitur esse illa, quando ultimus punctus
portat tractum a parte dextra, et hoc est
dupliciter, aut ascendendo aut descendendo. SINE kinds, that is, either upward or downward. We
PLICA dicitur, quae non habet tractum. Perfecta
circa finem dicitur dupliciter, aut ascendendo aut There are two kinds of complete with regard to
descendendo. Ascendendo dicitur esse, quando
ultimus punctus ligaturae altior est paenultimo.
Descendendo est, quando ultimus punctus
inferior est paenultimo. Perfecta ascendendo est
illa, quando ultimus punctus stat
perpendiculariter supra paenultimam. Imperfecta last point is placed vertically above the one-but-
est, quando stat obliquo modo. Perfecta
descendendo est, quando tractus a paenultimo
punctu usque ad ultimum stat perpendiculariter.
Imperfecta dicitur, quando tractus a paenultimo
usque ad ultimum stat obliquo modo.
6
second point of the binding is lower than the
first. We speak of MOVING UP when the second
point is higher than the first. There are two kinds
of figures moving up or moving down, for some
are called with propriety at the beginning, and
some at the ending.
Of [propriety] AT THE BEGINNING there are
four kinds, for some are called with propriety,
that is, with the proper propriety, some without
propriety, some in opposition with propriety,
and some witho ut opposition with propriety.
Whence the rule: the PROPRIETY of every figure
moving down is that the first point has a tail on
the left-hand side. The propriety of one moving
up is that it has no tail. The one moving up
without PROPRIETY is one that has a tail; the one
moving down [without propriety] does not have
one. [A figure] moving up or moving down is
point has an upward tail on the left-hand side,
[and] without opposite [propriety] when it does
not have a tail.
AT THE ENDING there are also four kind s, for
some are said to be with fold, some without fold,
some complete with regard to the ending, some
incomplete with regard to the ending. We say
WITH FOLD when the last point carries a line on
the right-hand side, of which there are two
say WITHOUT FOLD when it does not have a line.
the ending, either moving up or moving down.
Moving up is when the last point of the binding
is higher than the one-but-last. Moving down is
when the last point is lower than the one-but-
last. A figure moving up is complete when the
last. It is incomplete when it stands sideways. A
figure moving down is complete when the line
connecting the one-but-last point to the last is
vertical. We speak of incomplete when the line
connecting the one-but-last to the last is
slanting.
[50] <CAPITULUM TERTIUM >
Sequitur de regulis figurarum ad invicem
ligatarum cum proprietate vel sine proprietate et
caetera. Omnis figura ligata cum proprietate
posita et perfecta paenultima dicitur esse brevis
et ultima longa. Si sint ibi praecedentes vel
praecedens, omnes ponuntur pro longa. Omnis
figura sine proprietate et perfecta posita valet per
oppositum cum proprietate. Regula est, quod
numquam ponuntur duae breves vel tres vel
quatuor et caetera pro brevi, ubi possunt poni pro
longa. Omnis ligatura per oppositum cum
proprietate et perfecta ultima est longa et omnes
praecedentes ponuntur pro brevi, si sint ibi plures
sive pauciores.
[51] Omnis figura cum plica et cum
proprietate et perfecta ultima cum plica valet
longam, quia plica nihil aliud est quam signum
dividens sonum in sono diverso. Omnis figura
cum plica et sine proprietate et perfecta ultima
cum plica dicitur esse brevis, et ita sunt duae
breves, id est semibreves. Omnis figura cum
plica et cum opposita proprietate sumitur ut cum
proprietate vel non et perfecta.
Omnis figura imperfecta sumitur tripliciter:
aut cum proprietate et cum plica vel sine plica,
aut sine proprietate et cum plica vel sine plica,
aut per oppositum cum proprietate <et> cum
plica vel sine plica ut perfecta. Regula est: omnis
imperfecta figura, si sit cum proprietate,
extenditur usque ad primam longam sequentem,
si sit sine proprietate, extenditur usque ad
primam brevem sequentem. Et totum hoc
intelligitur in conductis vel motellis, quando
sumuntur sine littera vel cum littera, si proprio
modo figurantur. Si improprio modo figurantur,
fere omnes figurae accipiuntur imperfectae, et
hoc intelligitur in discantu et ubicumque rectus
modus accipitur.
7
<CHAPTER THE THIRD>
Now follows a discussion of the rules of the
figures that are bound together, whether with or
without propriety, and so forth. Every figure of a
binding written with propriety and completely:
the one-but- last is short, and the last long. If
there are [points] preceding, or one point
preceding, then all are written for a long. Every
figure written without propriety but completely
is worth the opposite of [one] with propriety. It
is the rule that one never writes two shorts, or
three, or four, and so forth, for a short when they
can be written for a long. Every binding in
opposite propriety and written completely: the
last is long and all preceding ones are written for
a short, whether there be more or fewer.
Every figure with a fold and with propriety
and [written] completely: the last [point] with
fold is worth a long, for the fold is nothing but a
sign which splits the sound into different sound.
Every figure with fold and without propriety and
[written] completely: the last one with fold is
said to be short, and consequently there are two
shorts, that is half-shorts. Every figure with fold
and in opposite propriety is taken as with
propriety, or not, and complete.
Every incomplete figure is understood in
three ways: either with propriety and with a fold,
or without a fold, or without propriety and with
fold or without fold, or in opposite propriety
[and] with fold or without fold like the complete
one. The rule is: every incomplete figure, if it be
[notated] with propriety, is taken to include the
first that follows, a long, and, if it be without
propriety, is taken to include the first that
follows, a short. And all this is understood in
conductus and motets, both when they are taken
without text or when with, if they are notated
with propriety. If they are notated without
propriety, almost all figures are taken as
incomplete, and this is understood in discant and
wherever the right mode is accepted.
[52] <CAPITULUM QUARTUM >
Sequitur de probatione modorum per figuras.
Unde prima regula primi modi dicitur esse tres
ligatae ad invicem in principio et in posterum
cum duabus et duabus ligatis et caetera, et hoc
totum cum proprietate et perfectione, ut hic:
Alia regula de eodem: tres ligatae cum brevi
pausatione et caetera in infinitum, et hoc potest
intelligi, ut sumitur hic:
[53] Secundi modi prima regula sumitur ita: duae
et duae cum proprietate et caetera et tres in fine
sine proprietate et <perfectae>, ut sumitur hic:
Alia regula de eodem: tres sine proprietate cum
longa pausatione et sic in infinitum, ut sumitur
hic:
[54] Tertius modus dicitur ita per figuram: prima
longa et tres ligatae et tres et tres, et hoc cum
proprietate, ut hic:
Quartus modus dicitur ita: tres et tres et tres
ligatae cum proprietate et duae imperfectae in fine
8
<CHAPTER THE FOURTH>
Now follows a discussion of the way modes are
demonstrated by means of the figures. And the
first rule of the first mode is said to be this: three
bound together at the beginning, and
[proceeding] thereafter with twos and twos
bound together, and all this with propriety and
completeness, as here:
Another rule of the same: three bound with a
short pausation, and so forth, indefinitely, and
this can be understood as it is taken here:
The first rule of the second mode is taken thus:
twos and twos with propriety, and so forth, and
three at the end without propriety and [written
completely], as it is taken here:
Another rule of the same: three without
propriety with a long pausation, and thus
indefinitely, as it is taken here:
We speak of third mode by means of a figure
thus: the first long and three bound, and threes,
and threes, and this with propriety, like here:
We speak of fourth mode thus: threes and
threes and threes bound with propriety and two
cum longa pausatione, ut hic:
[55] Quintus modus sumitur hoc modo: omnes
longae, ut hic:
Alia regula de eodem: tres et tres ligatae cum
proprietate et perfectae cum longa pausatione et
caetera, et hoc fit causa brevitatis et non proprie
dicitur ita, sed usus est, quod ita in tenoribus
motellorum accipiatur, ut hic:
[56] Sextus sumitur hoc modo: quatuor ligatae
cum proprietate et plica et postea duae ligatae et
duae cum plica et caetera, ut hic:
Alia regula de eodem, sed non probatur per istam
artem, sed bene probatur per exemplum, quod
invenitur in Alleluia Posui adiutorium in triplo,
scilicet quatuor ligatae cum proprietate et postea
tres et tres et tres cum proprietate et caetera, et
hoc est exemplum, quod sumitur in supradicto
Alleluia:
9
incompletes at the end with a long pausation, as
here:
The fifth mode is taken in this way: all long
ones, as here:
Another of the same: threes and threes bound
with propriety and [written] completely, with a
long pausation, and so forth, and this is done
for the sake of brevity and is not properly stated
thus, but it is the custom that this is applied in
the tenors of motets, as here:
The sixth is taken in this way: four bound with
propriety and fold, and thereafter twos and
twos bound and with fold, and so forth, as here:
Another rule of the same, even though it is not
attested in that art, still it is well attested by the
example which is found in Alleluia Posui
adiutorium, in the triplum, namely, four bound
with propriety, and thereafter threes and threes
and threes with propriety, and so forth, and this
is the example which is taken from the
abovesaid Alleluia:
[57] <CAPITULUM QUINTUM >
Sequitur de modis imperfectis, quomodo et
qualiter figurantur. Unde primus modus
imperfectus figuratur hoc modo: tres cum
proprietate et postea cum duabus et duabus et
caetera cum proprietate et in fine tres sine
proprietate, ut hic:
[58] Alia regula de eodem: duae ligatae et duae
sine proprietate et cum proprietate et cum
pausatione longa et brevi, ut hic:
Secundus modus imperfectus sumitur hoc modo:
duae ligatae et duae cum proprietate, ut in hoc
exemplo:
[59] Alia regula de eodem: duae cum proprietate
<cum brevi> pausatione et etiam duae sine
proprietate cum longa pausatione, ut hic:
Tertius modus imperfectus sumitur hoc modo:
scilicet una longa cum tribus et tribus et tribus
ligatis cum proprietate et in fine duae cum
proprietate et imperfectae, ut hic:
10
<CHAPTER THE FIFTH>
Now follows a discussion of the incomplete
modes, how and in what way they are notated.
And the first incomplete mode is notated in this
way: three with propriety and [proceeding]
thereafter by twos and twos, and so forth, with
propriety and at the end three without
propriety, as here:
Another rule of the same: twos and twos,
bound, [alternately] without propriety and with,
and with a long pausation and a short one, as
here:
The second incomplete mode is taken in this
way: twos and twos, bound with propriety, as
in this example:
Another rule of the same: two with propriety
with a [short] pausation, and also two without
propriety with a long pausation, as here:
The third incomplete mode is taken in this way:
namely, one long with threes and threes and
threes, bound with propriety, and in the end
two with propriety and incomplete, as here:
[60] Quartus modus imperfectus sumitur hoc
modo: scilicet tres et tres ligatae cum
proprietate, ut hic:
[61] Quintus modus imperfectus sumitur hoc
modo: omnes longae in pari numero, ut hic:
Sextus modus imperfectus sumitur hoc modo:
quatuor ligatae cum plica primo, postea cum
duabus et duabus cum proprietate et cum plica,
si reducatur ad primum modum, ut hic:
[62] Si modus iste accipitur per reductionem
secundi, talis est regula: duae ligatae et duae,
duae et caetera cum proprietate et perfectae et
cum plica, omnes breves dicuntur, ut sumitur in
hoc exemplo:
Et hoc est propositum omnium modorum
perfectorum et imperfectorum.
<CAPITULUM SEXTUM >
Sed sciendum, quod numquam debet poni
aliqua figura sine proprietate, ubi potest poni
cum proprietate. Alia regula, quod numquam
ponatur simplex vel non ligata, ubi potest poni
ligata vel composita. Omnis ordinatio ligatarum
debet fieri per eundem ordinem compositarum,
id est per eandem ligaturam. [63] Omnis figura
simplex sumitur secundum suum nomen, sive
11
The fourth incomplete mode is taken in this way:
namely, threes and threes, bound with propriety,
as here:
The fifth incomplete mode is taken in this way:
all are longs in even number, as here:
The sixth incomplete mode is taken in this way:
four bound with first fold, [proceeding] thereafter
by twos and twos with propriety and with fold, if
it be resolved to the first mode, as here:
If this mode is applied through a resolving of the
second, the rule is thus: [when] twos and twos
and twos, and so forth, [are] bound with propriety
and [written] completely and with fold, all are
said to be shorts, as is shown in this example:
And this is the arrangement of all the complete
and incomplete modes.
<CHAPTER THE SIXTH>
But it must be known that one should never write
a figure without propriety in a place where it can
be written with propriety. Another rule, that one
should never write a single or unbound [figure] in
a place where a bound or composite one can be
written. Every arrangement of bindings must be
done through the same order of composite ones,
that is, through the same binding. Every single
fuerit cum littera sive non. Item omnes voces,
quae accipiuntur in eodem sono, non possunt
ligari vel facere figuram compositam, quia
omnis figura composita vel ligata dicitur
ascendendo vel descendendo. Et quaecumque
sunt in eodem sono, non sunt ascendendo vel
descendendo, ergo ex his non fit ligatura, id est
figura ligata. Item omnis figura non ligata debet
reduci ad figuram compositam per
aequipollentiam. Item omnis figura ligata ultra
tres suo proprio modo reducitur ad tres per
aequipollentiam. Item omnis figura simplex, id
est non composita, et duae ligatae sequentes
reducuntur ad tres ligatas per aequipollentiam,
et hoc est secundum propriam proprietatem,
quia reducuntur ad aliquem modum proprium.
Item, ubicumque invenitur multitudo brevium,
semper participant cum praecedente, quia
praecedens cum eis non reputatur, nisi pro uno
tali sicut et praecedens.
[64] <CAPITULUM SEPTIMUM >
Sequitur de pausationibus. Unde primo
videndum est, quid sit pausatio. PAUSATIO est
dimissio soni facta in debita quantitate.
Pausationum quaedam simplex sive singularis,
quaedam composita sive duplex. PAUSATIO
SIMPLEX dicitur, quando pausatur secundum
quantitatem unius alicuius modi sive maneriei.
Simplicium quaedam dicitur perfecta, quaedam
imperfecta. P ERFECTA dicitur illa, quae non
transmutat modum propter sui adventum, sed
aequalem praecedenti, quando advenit,
repraesentat, vel quando reddit talem modum
post sicut et ante. IMPERFECTA dicitur illa, quae
transmutat modum propter sui adventum, vel
quando reddit alium modum post quam ante.
Unde regula: omnis pausatio simplex debet esse
aequalis paenultimae modi praecedentis. [65] Si
autem modus ante pausationem sit perfectus, et
pausatio dicitur perfecta, si vero sit imperfectus,
et pausatio erit imperfecta. Omnis pausatio
12
figure is taken according to its name, whether it
be with text or without. Also, sounds that are of
the same pitch cannot be bound together, or made
into a composite figure, because every composite
or bound figure is said to be either moving up or
moving down. And any such [points] that are of
the same pitch are not moving up or moving
down, hence they cannot make a binding, that is,
a bound figure. Also, every unbound figure must
be resolved to a composite figure through
equivalence. Also, every bound figure of more
than three with propriety is resolved to three
through equivalence. Also, every single, that is,
not composite figure, followed by a binding of
two, is resolved to a binding of three through
equivalence, and this is according to the proper
propriety, for they are resolved to [a binding
with] propriety. Also, wherever one finds more
than one short, they always partake with the
preceding one, for the preceding one is not
reckoned with them [i.e., as one of them] except
for one such [short], just as [if that were] also a
preceding one.
<CHAPTER THE S EVENTH>
Now follows a discussion of pausations. And first
we must define what a pausation is. A PAUSATION
is an interruption of sound, made according to the
proper quantity. Of pausations some are onefold,
or single, and others are composite, or twofold. A
pausation is said to be ONEFOLD when one pauses
according to the quantity of one particular mode
or manner. Of the onefold [pausations], some are
said to be complete, and others incomplete. [A
pause] is said to be COMPLETE when it does not
change the mode on account of its arrival, but
[leaves] it equal to what precedes, when it arrives,
represents, or when it renders such a mode
afterwards as before. We speak of INCOMPLETE
when it changes the mode on account of its
arrival, or when it renders the mode differently
after than before. Whence the rule: every onefold
pausation must be equal to the one-but- last
[point] of the preceding mode. If, however, the
mode before the pausation is complete, then the
sumitur per oppositum secundum modum
perfectum sui modi praecedentis vel etiam
secundum numerum, et hoc a parte principii vel
finis, sed secundum modum imperfectum a
parte finis tantum et non principii. Si pausatio
sit perfecta, et modus praecedentis erit
perfectus, si imperfecta, et modus erit
imperfectus.
Pausatio COMPOSITA vel DUPLEX dicitur,
quando simplex duplatur vel triplatur vel
quadruplatur et caetera. Compositarum
quaedam perfecta, quaedam imperfecta, ut
superius in simplici et caetera. Omnis pausatio
sumitur contrario modo sui modi praecedentis
in primo, secundo et tertio, quarto, et in quinto
secundum numerum, et in sexto secundum
primum vel secundum. Sed sextus secundum
suum proprium modum aequalis est principio et
fini, nec recipit contrarietatem nisi secundum
numerum aliquem parem vel imparem. In omni
perfecta pausatione naturaliter debe<n>t tractus
et intervallum sive spatium inter duos tractus
computari pro pausatione. In omni imperfecta
tractus sine intervallo debent computari.
[66] <CAPITULUM OCTAVUM >
Sequitur de figuris pausationum. Unde FIGURA
PAUSATIONIS est signum vel tractus significans
dimissionem soni factam in debita quantitate.
Pausationum vel tractuum quaedam dicitur
recta brevis, quaedam longa, quaedam finis
punctorum, quaedam divisio modorum,
quaedam divisio sillabarum, quaedam
suspiratio. RECTA BREVIS est tractus respiciens
longitudinem secundum latitudinem unius
spatii. LONGA est tractus respiciens
longitudinem duorum spatiorum vel plurium.
FINIS PUNCTORUM dicitur, ut tractus respicit
longitudinem secundum quantitatem omnium
spatiorum et linearum. DIVISIO MODORUM , cum
13
pausation is also said to be complete; if, on the
other hand, [the mode] is incomplete, then the
pausation shall also be incomplete. Every
pausation is taken as the contrary according to the
complete mode of its preceding mode, or also
according to the number, and this either at the
beginning or at the end, but according to the
incomplete mode only at the end, and not at the
beginning. If the pausation is complete, then the
preceding mode shall also be complete.
One speaks of a COMPOSITE or TWOFOLD
pausation when a onefold [pausation] is doubled
or tripled or quadrupled, and so forth. Of
composite [pausations] some are complete, some
incomplete, just like the onefold [pausation]
above. Every pausation is taken in the opposite
sense of its preceding mode in the first, second,
and third, fourth, and in the fifth, according to the
number, and in the sixth according to the first or
second. But the sixth according to its proper
mode is equal at the beginning and at the end, nor
does it admit the contrary except according to
some even or odd number. In every complete
pausation one must reckon the stroke and the
space or interval between two staff lines,
according to [its] nature, for the pausation. In
every incomplete [pausation] one must reckon the
stroke without the space.
<CHAPTER THE EIGHTH>
Now follows a discussion of the figures of the
pausations. A FIGURE OF A PAUSATION is a sign, or
stroke, denoting the cessation of sound made in
the proper quantity. Of these pausations, or
strokes, some are called right short, some long,
some the end of points, some the division of
modes, some the division of syllables, some the
breath. The RIGHT SHORT STROKE is one whose
length agrees with the width of one space. A
LONG STROKE is one whose length equals that of
two spaces [between staff lines] or more. We
speak of the END OF THE POINTS when the length
of the stroke equals the quantity of all spaces and
staff lines. [We speak of] a DIVISION OF MODES
tractus obliquo modo positus, et hoc in inferiori
parte et minor apparet recta brevi. DIVISIO
SILLABARUM dicitur idem, sed accipitur in
superiori [67] parte. SUSPIRATIO est apparentia
pausationis sine existentia, et hoc est
propositum, quia suspiratio potest fieri cum
tractu vel sine, et maior <vel> minor rectae
brevis potest esse suspiratio.
<CAPITULUM NONUM >
Sequitur de consonantiis in eodem tempore.
Consonantiarum quaedam dicuntur
concordantiae, quaedam discordantiae.
CONCORDANTIA dicitur esse, quando duae
voces iunguntur in eodem tempore, ita quod
una vox potest compati cum alia secundum
auditum. Discordantia dicitur contrario modo.
Concordantiarum [68] triplex est modus, quia
quaedam sunt perfectae, quaedam imperfectae,
quaedam mediae.
PERFECTA dicitur esse illa, quando duae
voces iunguntur in eodem tempore, ita quod
secundum auditum una vox non percipitur ab
alia propter concordantiam, et UNISONANTIA
dicitur aut aequisonantia, ut in unisono et
diapason:
IMPERFECTA dicitur, quando duae voces
iunguntur in eodem tempore, ita quod una vox
ex toto percipitur ab alia secundum auditum, et
hoc dico secundum concordantiam, et sunt
duae species, scilicet ditonus et semiditonus:
14
when a stroke is written casually, and at the
bottom, and appears smaller than the right short.
We speak in the same way of the DIVISION OF
SYLLABLES , yet it is understood to be at the top. A
BREATH is the appearance of a pausation that does
not actually exist, and it is identified because a
breath can occur with stroke or without, and the
breath can be greater or smaller than a right short.
<CHAPTER THE NINTH>
Now follows a discussion of simultaneous
sounds, [those that are sounding] in the same time
unit. Of these sounds some are called concords
and some discords. We speak of CONCORD when
two pitches are joined in the same time unit in
such a way that the sense of hearing can tolerate
them together. We speak of a discord when the
reverse is true. There are three kinds of concords,
for some are complete, some incomplete, and
some middling.
We speak of COMPLETE when two pitches are
joined in the same time unit in such a way that
the sense of hearing cannot distinguish one pitch
from the other, on account of the concord, and
these are called ONE- SOUNDING, or same-
sounding, as in the unison and octave:
We speak of INCOMPLETE when two pitches
are joined in the same time unit in such a way that
the sense of hearing can distinguish one pitch
completely from the other, and this I say
according to concord, and there are two kinds of
these, namely major third and minor third:
[69] M EDIA dicitur esse illa, quando duae
voces iunguntur in eodem tempore, quod
nec dicitur perfecta vel imperfecta, sed
partim convenit cum perfecta et partim cum
imperfecta, et duae sunt species, scilicet
diapente et diatessaron:
Sic apparet, quod sex sunt species
concordantiae, scilicet unisonus, diapason,
diapente, diatessaron, ditonus, semiditonus.
Et dicuntur genera generalissima omnium
concordantiarum. [70] Et sciendum, quod
supradictae concordantiae possunt sumi in
infinitum. Probatio: sit primus sonus datus
supra primum G, secundus sonus supra
secundum g, quod dicitur unisonus vel
aequisonantia, quod idem est. Dico, quod
quidquid concordat secundo g et primo.
Probatio: quae aequalia sunt eidem sibi
invicem sunt aequalia [Eucl., El., I]. Sed
diapente bene concordat secundum suam
speciem secundo g, ergo et primo et non e
converso, quia si illud quod minus videtur
inesse, inest, et illud quod magis et non e
converso [Ar., Top., II. 10]. Et omne totum
ponit suas partes et non e converso, quia
omne totum est maius sua parte et non e
converso [Eucl., El., I]. Tunc dico:
semiditonus bene concordat secundo g, ergo
et primo et non e converso per praecedentia,
et vocatur ista concordantia semiditonus cum
diapason. Et sic dico de ditono et vocatur
ditonus cum diapason, et sic dico de
diatesseron et diapente et diapason et caetera,
et sic in infinitum ascendi potest, et hoc
sufficit:
Diton<us> cum diapason.
Diatesseron cum diapason.
Semiditonus cum diapason.
Diapente cum diapason.
Exemplum bis diapason.
We speak of MIDDLING when two pitches are
joined in the same time unit, [in such a way] that
they are said to be neither complete nor
incomplete, but it agrees partly with the complete
[kind], and partly with the incomplete, and there
are two kinds of these, namely fifth and fourth:
Thus it appears that there are six kind s of
concord, namely unison, octave, fifth, fourth, major
third, and minor third. And these are said to be the
most universal classes of all concords. And one
must know that the abovesaid concords can be taken
indefinitely. Demonstration: let the first sound be
given above the first G, and the second sound above
the second g which is called one-sounding or same-
sounding, which is the same thing. I say that
whatever is concordant with the second g is
concordant also with the first. Demonstration: things
that are equal to the same [third] thing, are equal
also to one another. [So if] the fifth, according to its
nature, concords well with the second g, then [it
will] also with the first, and not the other way
round, for if that which seems less likely to belong,
nevertheless does belong, then that which seems
more likely [to belong, will belong, also], and not
the other way round. And every whole disposes its
parts and not the other way round, for every whole is
greater than its part and not the other way round.
Then I say: [if] the minor third concords well with
the second g, then consequently also with the first
[G], and not the other way around, per precedent,
and this concord is called a minor third plus octave.
And likewise I say concerning the major third, [in
which case] it is called a major third plus octave,
and likewise I say concerning the fourth, and fifth
and octave, and so forth, and thus one may go on
indefinitely, and this is enough:
Third plus octave.
Fourth plus octave.
Minor third plus octave.
Fifth plus octave.
Example double octave.
15
 Semiditonus cum bis diapason.
[71] Ditonus cum bis diapason.
Diatesseron cum bis diapason.
Diapente cum bis diapason.
Triplex diapason, et ista species non est
multum in usu, nisi in organis et caetera.
DISCORDANTIA dicitur esse, quando duae
voces iunguntur in eodem tempore, ita quod
secundum auditum una vox non potest
compati cum alia. Discordantiarum quaedam
dicuntur perfectae, quaedam imperfectae,
quaedam mediae. P ERFECTAE dicuntur,
quando duae voces iunguntur aliquo modo
secundum compassionem vocum, ita quod
secundum auditum una vox non potest
compati cum alia, et tres sunt species, scilicet
semitonium, tritonus, ditonus cum diapente:
IMPERFECTAE dicuntur, quando duae voces
iunguntur, ita quod secundum auditum aliquo
modo possunt compati, tamen non concordant
secundum concordantiam, [72] et sunt duae
species, scilicet tonus cum diapente et
semiditonus cum diapente:
MEDIAE dicuntur, quando duae voces
iunguntur, ita quod partim conveniunt cum
perfectis, partim cum imperfectis secundum
auditum, et sunt duae species, scilicet tonus et
semitonium cum diapente:
Iste species dissonantiae sunt septem,
scilicet semitonium, tritonus, ditonus cum
Minor third plus double octave.
Major third plus double octave.
Fourth plus double octave.
Fifth plus double octave.
Triple octave, though this kind is not much used
except in organs, and so forth.
We speak of a DISCORD when two pitches are
joined in the same time unit but the sense of hearing
cannot tolerate them together. Of the discords some
are said to be complete, some incomplete, some
middling.
We speak of COMPLETE [DISCORDS] when two
pitches are joined as though they could be tolerated
together, yet the sense of hearing cannot tolerate
them together, and there are three kinds: namely, the
semitone, the tritone, and the seventh.
We speak of INCOMPLETE [DISCORDS ] when
two pitches are joined such that the sense of
hearing can tolerate them somewhat, yet they
do not agree like concords, and there are two
kinds, namely, the major sixth and minor
seventh:
We speak of MIDDLING [DISCORDS ] when
two pitches are joined such that, according to the
sense of hearing, they agree partly with the
complete ones, and partly with the incomplete
ones, and [of these] there are two kinds, namely,
the whole tone and the minor sixth:
There are seven kinds of dissonances, namely
the semitone, tritone, major seventh, major sixth,
16
diapente, tonus cum diapente, semiditonus cum
diapente, tonus et semitonium cum diapente, et
possunt sumi usque in infinitum sicut et
concordantiae, scilicet semitonium cum
diapason, tonus cum diapason, tritonus cum
diapason et caetera, usque ad bis diapason et
ulterius quantum placuerit.
<CAPITULUM DECIMUM >
Sequitur de consonantiis, scilicet quae magis
concordant et quae minus, et quae magis
discordant et quae minus.
Concordantiarum prima dicitur unisonus,
quia procedit ab aequalitate, et ideo meliorem
modum habet concordantiae.
[73] Secunda dicitur diapason, quia sumitur
in dupla proportione.
Tertia diapente, quia sumitur in sesquialtera
proportione.
Quarta diatesseron, quia sumitur in
sesquitertia.
Quinta dicitur ditonus, quia sumitur in
minori superpartiente quam semiditonus,
scilicet dicitur in 17 partiens 64.
Sexta semiditonus dicitur, quia sumitur in
minori superpartiente, scilicet 5 partiens 27.
Unde regula: quae magis procedunt ab
aequalitate, et magis concordant in sono. Et
quae minus appropinquant aequalitati, et minus And the further they are from equality, the less
concordant, ergo et magis discordant secundum concordant they are, and, consequently, the more
auditum.
Discordantiarum prima dicitur tritonus,
quia magis dicitur perfecta discordantia, quia
sumitur in maiori superpartiente, scilicet 217
partiens 512, sicut se habet 729 ad 512.
Secunda dicitur semitonium et sumitur in
tali proportione, sicut se habet <256 ad 243>,
et dicitur 13 partiens 243. Tertia dicitur ditonus
cum diapente et sumitur in tali proportione,
<sicut> se habet <486 ad 256>, et vocatur 230
partiens 256. Quarta dicitur semitonium cum
17
minor seventh, the whole tone, and the minor
sixth, and they can be taken indefinitely in the
same way as the concords, namely, semitone plus
octave, whole tone plus octave, tritone plus
octave, and so forth, all the way up to the double
octave and beyond, as much as one may like.
<CHAPTER THE TENTH>
Now follows a discussion of synonymous sounds,
that is to say, which of them are more concordant
and which less, and which are more discordant
and which less.
The first of the concords is called unison,
because it proceeds from equality, and thus ir has
a better quality of concord.
The second is the octave, because it is taken in
a ratio of 2 : 1.
The third is the fifth, because it is taken in a
ratio of 3 : 2.
The fourth is the fourth, because it is taken in
a ratio of 4 : 3.
The fifth is called the major third, because it
has a smaller superparticular than the minor third,
namely 17 : 64.
The sixth is called the minor third, because it
has a smaller superparticular, namely 5 : 27.
Whence the rule: the more they proceed from
equality, the more concordant they are in sound.
they are discordant according to the sense of
hearing.
The first of the discords is called the tritone,
because it is said to be a more complete discord,
because it has a greater superparticular excess,
namely 217 : 512, as it has a ratio of 729 : 512.
The second is called semitone, and it has a
ratio of 256 : 243, and is called 13 : 243.
The third is called the major seventh, and it
has a ratio of 486 : 256, and is called 230 : 256.
The fourth is called the minor sixth and it has
a ratio of 128 : 81, and is called 47 : 81.
diapente et sumitur in tali proportione, sicut se
habet 128 ad 81, et vocatur 47 partiens 81.
Quinta dicitur tonus cum diapente et sumitur in
proportione tali, sicut se habet 54 ad 32, et
appellatur 22 partiens 32. Sexta dicitur
semiditonus cum diapente et sumitur in tali
proportione, sicut se habet <16> ad 9, et dicitur
7 partiens 9. Septima dicitur tonus et sumitur in
sesquioctava proportione ut [74] 9 ad 8. Et hoc
sufficit ad praesens de consonantiis, sive
discordantiis vel concordantiis, in numeris.
Sciendum est, quod omnis discordantia
ante perfectam concordantiam sive mediam
aequipollet concordantiae mediae, et hoc
proprie sumitur ante unisonum vel diapason:
Ante unisonum tonu<s>. Tonus ante diapason.
et sic de singulis. Et improprie sumitur ante
mediam. Sed multum invenitur in multis
partibus organi, ut tonus ante diapente, ut in
hoc exemplo: Semiton<ium> ante diapente.
Tonus ante diapente. Tonus ante diatesseron.
Et sciendum, quod numquam ponitur
discordantia ante imperfectam concordantiam,
nisi sit causa coloris sive pulchritudinis
musicae. Et hoc sufficit de perfectis sive
imperfectis sive mediis ad praesens.
<CAPITULUM UNDECIMUM >
Sequitur de discantu. Habito superius de modo,
scilicet quid sit modus et quot sunt species, de
figuris vel notis, de pausationibus, de
consonantiis modo habendum est de discantu.
Unde DISCANTUS est aliquorum diversorum
cantuum sonantia secundum modum et
secundum aequipollentis sui aequipollentiam
[75] per concordantiam. Et sunt tot species
sicut et in modo a parte AEQUIPOLLENTIS, qui
dicitur SECUNDUS CANTUS, quot a parte
TENORIS, qui dicitur PRIMUS CANTUS. Et sunt
sex species, ut dicitur et caetera.
Et sciendum est, quod a parte primi tria
sunt consideranda, scilicet sonus, ordinatio et
18
The fifth is called the major sixth, and has a
ratio of 54 : 32, and is called 22 : 32.
The sixth is called minor seventh and has a
ratio of 16 : 9, and is called 7 : 9.
The seventh is called the whole tone and has a
ratio of 9 : 8. And this is enough for now about
simultaneous sounds, whether discords or
concords, in numerical terms.
One must know that every discord that comes
before a complete or middling concord has the
same value as a middling concord, and this applies
properly to one before a unison or octave: Whole
tone before unison. Whole tone before octave.
And so forth. And is it not properly applied before
a middling [concord]. But it is often found in
many parts of organum, like: whole tone before a
fifth, as in this example: semitone before fifth.
Whole tone before fifth. Whole tone before fourth.
And one must know that a discord should
never be written before an incomplete concord,
unless it be for the sake of color or of musical
beauty. And this is enough for now about the
complete ones, and the incomplete ones, and the
middling ones.
<CHAPTER THE ELEVENTH>
Now follows a discussion of discant. Having dealt
above with mode, namely, what is mode and how
many kinds there are, and with the figures or
marks, the pausations, and the simultaneous
sounds, we must now deal with discant. Now
DISCANT is the sounding together of certain
diverse songs according to mode and according to
the equivalence of its counterpart through
concord. And there are just as many kinds of
modes in the COUNTERPART , which is called
SECOND SONG, as there are in the TENOR, which is
called FIRST SONG. And there are six kinds, as one
says, and so forth.
And one must know that as regards the first
[song] there are three things to consider, namely,
modus. Sonus sumitur hic pro musica,
ordinatio sumitur pro numero punctorum ante
pausatione m, modus sumitur pro quantitate
brevium vel longarum. Et similiter a parte
secundi ista supradicta, scilicet sonus, ordinatio
et modus, sunt consideranda.
Et sciendum, quod primus et secundus in
tribus simul et semel sunt considerandi, scilicet
in modo, in numero, in concordantia. In modo,
ut sit longa [76] contra longam vel breves
aequipollentes longae. In numero, ut tot sint
puncti secundum aequipollentiam a parte
secundi quot a parte primi vel e converso. In
concordantia, ut debito modo primus bene
concordet secundo et e converso.
Unde regula: omne, quod fit impari,
debet concordari omni illi, quod fit in impari,
si sit in primo vel secundo, et hoc in primo
modo sive secundo vel tertio. Sed duo puncti
sumentur hic pro uno, et aliquando unus eorum
ponitur in concordantia propter colorem
musicae, sit primus, sit secundus. Et hoc bene
permittitur et licentiatur ab auctoribus primis et
invenitur in organo in pluribus locis et
praecipue in motellis et caetera.
Et notandum, quod sunt tres species
discant us: aut rectus modus contra rectum, aut
modus per ultra mensuram contra modum per
ultra mensuram, aut rectus contra per ultra
mensuram.
[77] RECTUS AD RECTUM sumitur
dupliciter: aut eodem ordine, aut ordine
converso. Rectus ad rectum eodem ordine
sumitur dupliciter: aut aliquis rectus ad se
ipsum aut ad reliquum. Ad se ipsum hoc est
tripliciter: aut primus contra primum, aut
secundus contra secundum, aut sextus contra
sextum.
19
sound, arrangement, and mode. Sound is here
taken for music, arrangement for the number of
points before a pausation, and mode for the
quantity of the shorts and longs. And those
abovesaid things, namely, sound, arrangement,
and mode, are also to be considered for the second
[song].
And one must know that the first and second
[songs] are to be considered together at once with
regard to three things, namely with regard to
mode, to number, and to concord. With regard to
mode, whether the long should be against
[another] long or [against] shorts that are
equivalent to a long. With regard to number, that
there should be as many points, according to
equivalence, in the second [song] as there are in
the first, or vice versa. With regard to concord,
whether the first [song] concords well, and in the
correct way, with the second, and vice versa.
Whence the rule: everything that occurs in an
odd [number] must be concordant with everything
that occurs in an odd [number], whether it be in
the first or second [song], and this in the first
mode or the second or third. But two points are
taken here for one, and sometimes one of them is
written in a concord for the sake of color, whether
it be the first or the second [point]. And this is
readily permitted and allowed by the first authors,
and is found in organum in many places and
especially in motets, and so forth.
And it must be noted that there are three kinds
of discant: either right mode against right mode,
or mode beyond measure against mode beyond
measure, or right [mode] against [mode] beyond
measure.
RIGHT AGAINST RIGHT is understood in two
ways: either in the same order or in the opposite
order. Right against right in the same order is
understood in two ways: either a right [mode]
against itself or against another. Against itself is
threefold: either the first against the first, or the
second against the second, or the sixth against the
sixth.
 [78] RECTUS AD RELIQUUM sumitur
dupliciter: aut primus contra sextum, aut secundus
contra sextum. Primus contra sextum sumitur
dupliciter: aut primus loco primi et sextus loco
secundi, aut primus loco secundi et sextus loco
primi.
Secundus contra sextum sumitur dupliciter: aut
secundus loco primi et sextus secundi, aut sextus
loco primi et secundus secundi.
[79] Rectus modus ad rectum ordine converso
sumitur tripliciter: aut primus ad secundum, aut
20
RIGHT AGAINST ANOTHER [RIGHT] is taken
in two ways: either first against sixth, or second
against sixth. The first against sixth is taken in
two ways: either the first [mode] in the place of
the first [song] and the sixth in the place of the
second, or the first [mode] in the place of the
second [song] and the sixth in the place of the
first.
Second against sixth is taken in two ways:
either second [mode] in the place of the first
[song] and sixth of the second, or sixth [mode]
in the place of the first [song] and second of the
second:
Right mode against right in the opposite
order is understood in three ways: first against
primus ad sextum secundum ordinem secundi, aut
secundus ad sextum. Primus secundo sumitur
dupliciter: aut primus loco primi et secundus
secundi, aut e converso, scilicet secundus loco
primi et primus secundi.
Primus sexto secundum ordinem secundi sumitur
dupliciter: aut primus loco primi et sextus
secundi, aut sextus loco primi et primus secundi.
[80] Secundus sexto sumitur dupliciter: aut
secundus loco primi et sextus secundi secundum
ordinem primi, aut sextus loco primi et secundus
secundi.
21
second, or first against sixth, according the
order of the second, or second against sixth.
First against second is taken in two ways: either
first [mode] in the place of the first [song] and
second of the second, or the other way round,
namely, second [mode] in the place of the first
[song] and first of the second.
First against sixth, according to the order of the
second, is understood in two ways: either first
[mode] in the place of the first [song] and sixth
of the second, or sixth [mode] in the place of
the first and first of the second:
Second against sixth is understood in two ways:
either second [mode] in the place of the first
[song] and sixth of the second, according to the
order of the first, or sixth in the place of the
first and second of the second:
Modus per ultra mensuram ad <modum per ultra
mensuram> sumitur dupliciter: aut eodem ordine,
aut ordine converso. Eodem ordine sumitur
dupliciter: aut ad se ipsum aut ad reliquum. Ad se
ipsum dicitur tripliciter: aut tertius ad se ipsum,
aut quartus ad se ipsum, aut quintus ad se ipsum.
[81]
Modus per ultra mensuram ad reliquum in eodem
ordine dicitur dupliciter: aut tertius ad quintum,
aut quartus ad quintum. Tertius ad quintum dicitur
dupliciter: aut tertius loco primi et quintus
secundi, aut e converso, scilicet quintus loco
primi et tertius secundi.
22
Mode beyond measure against mode beyond
measure is taken in two ways: either in the
same order, or in the opposite order. In the
same order is understood in two ways: either
against itself or against another. Against itself
is understood in three ways: either third against
itself, or fourth against itself, or fifth aga inst
itself:
Mode beyond measure against another in the
same order is said in two ways: either third
against fifth, or fourth against fifth. We speak
of third against fifth in two ways: either third
[mode] in the place of the first [song] and fifth
of the second, or the other way round, namely,
fifth in the place of the first and third of the
second:
[82] Quartus ad quintum sumitur dupliciter: aut
quartus loco primi et quintus secundi, aut fit e
converso, scilicet quartus loco secundi et quintus
primi.
Modus per ultra mensuram ad modum per ultra
mensuram ordine converso dicitur tripliciter: aut
tertius quarto, aut tertius quinto secundum
ordinem quarti, aut quartus quinto. Tertius quarto
sumitur dupliciter: aut tertius loco primi et
quartus secundi, aut quartus loco primi et tertius
secundi.
[83] Tertius quinto sumitur dupliciter: aut tertius
loco primi et quintus secundi, aut e converso,
scilicet quintus loco primi et tertius secundi.
23
Fourth against fifth is taken in two ways: either
fourth [mode] in the place of the first [song]
and fifth of the second, or it may be the other
way round, namely, fourth [mode] in the place
of the second [song] and fifth of the first:
Mode beyond measure against mode beyond
measure in the opposite order is said in three
ways: either third against fourth, or third
against fifth, according to the order of the
fourth, or fourth against fifth. Third against
fourth is understood in two ways: either third
[mode] in the place of the first [song] and
fourth in the place of the second, or fourth
[mode] in the place of the first and third of the
second:
Third against fifth is taken in two ways: either
third [mode] in the place of the first [song] and
fifth of the second, or the other way round, that
is, fifth [mode] in the place of the first and third
of the second:
Quartus quinto dicitur dupliciter: aut quartus loco
primi et quintus secundi. aut quintus loco primi et
quartus secundi.
[84] Rectus modus ad modum per ultra mensuram
dicitur dupliciter: aut eodem ordine, aut ordine
converso. Eodem ordine sumitur tripliciter: aut
par contra parem, aut impar contra imparem, aut
par contra imparem. Par contra parem sumitur
dupliciter: aut secundus quarto, aut sextus quarto.
Secundus quarto sumitur dupliciter: aut secundus
loco primi et quartus secundi, aut quartus loco
primi et secundus secundi.
24
Fourth against fifth is said in two ways: either
fourth [mode] in the place of the first [song]
and fifth of the second, or fifth [mode] in the
place of the first and fourth of the second:
Right mode against mode beyond measure is
said in two ways: either according to the same
order or in the opposite order. In the same order
is taken in three ways: either even against even,
or odd against odd. Even against even is taken
in two ways: either second against fourth, or
sixth against fourth. Second against fourth is
taken in two ways: either second [mode] in the
place of the first [song] and fourth of the
second, or fourth [mode] in the place of the
first and second of the second:
Sextus quarto sumitur similiter dupliciter: aut
sextus loco primi et quartus secundi, aut quartus
loco primi et sextus secundi.
Impar contra imparem dicitur dupliciter: aut
primus tertio in tantum quod primus aequipollet
debito ordine sexto et sextus tertio mediante
secundo, et ita sumitur primus tertio, sed non
proprie sed per reductionem dicitur, aut primus
quinto. Primus tertio dicitur dupliciter: aut primus
loco primi et tertius secundi, aut tertius loco primi
et primus secundi.
25
Sixth against fourth is taken in two ways: either
sixth [mode] in the place of the first [song] and
fourth of the second, or fourth [mode] in the
place of the first and sixth of the second.
We speak of odd against odd in two ways:
either first against third in sofar as the first is
equivalent with the sixth in the proper order,
and the sixth with the third by means of the
second, and in this way the first is taken against
the third, but this is not properly said but rather
through a resolving, like first against fifth. We
speak of first against third in two ways: either
first [mode] in the place of the first [song] and
third of the second, or third [mode] in the place
of the first and first of the second:
Primus quinto dicitur dupliciter: aut primus loco
primi et quintus secundi, aut quintus loco primi et
primus secundi.
Par contra imparem sumitur tripliciter: aut
secundus contra aliquem, aut quartus contra
aliquem, aut sextus contra aliquem. Secundus
contra aliquem est dupliciter: aut secundus ad
tertium, aut idem secundus ad quintum. Secundus
ad tertium potest dupliciter combinari: aut
secundus in loco primi et tertius in loco secundi,
ut hic patet:
Aut fiet e converso, scilicet tertius in loco primi et
secundus in loco secundi, ut hic:
26
We speak of first against fifth in two ways:
either first [mode] in the place of the first
[song] and fifth of the second, or fifth [mode]
in the place of the first and first of the second:
Odd against even is understood in three ways:
either second against some other [mode], or
fourth against some other [mode], or sixth
against some other [mode]. Second against
some other is twofold: either second against
third or the same second against fifth. Second
against third can be combined in two ways:
either second [mode] in the place of the first
[song] and third in the place of the second, as is
apparent here:
Or it may be the other way round, namely third
[mode] in the place of the first [song] and
second in the place of the second, as here:
[87] Secundus ad quintum potest accipi dupliciter: Second against fifth can be understood in two
aut secundus loco primi et quintus loco secundi, ways: either second [mode] in the place of the
ut hi<c> patet: first [song] and fifth in the place of the second,
as is apparent here:

Aut e converso, scilicet quintus in loco primi et Or the other way round, namely, fifth [mode] in
secundus in loco secundi, ut hic patet: the place of the first [song] and second in the
place of the second, as is apparent here:

Quartus contra aliquem <est simpliciter, scilicet>
quartus contra primum. <Quartus contra primum
potest dupliciter combinari: aut quartus in loco
primi et primus in loco secundi, aut e converso,
scilicet primus in loco primi et quartus in loco
secundi.> Sextus contra aliquem potest combinari
<dupliciter>: aut sextus contra tertium, aut contra
quintum. Sextus ad tertium dupliciter: aut sextus
in loco primi et tertius loco secundi, ut hic:
Of fourth against some other there is only one,
namely fourth against first. Fourth can be
combined with first in two ways: either fourth
[mode] in the place of the first [song] and first
in the place of the second, or the other way
round, namely, first [mode] in the place of the
first [song] and fourth in the place of the
second. Sixth against another can be combined
in two ways: either sixth against third, or
against fifth. Sixth aga inst third is twofold:
either sixth [mode] in the place of the first
[song] and third in the place of the second, as
here:

Aut fiet e converso, scilicet tertius in loco primi et Or it may be the other way round, namely third
secundus in loco secundi, ut patet in exemplo [mode] in the place of the first [song] and
subsequenti: second in the place of the second, as is apparent
in the following example:

27
Sextus contra quintum dupliciter: aut sextus in
loco primi et quintus in loco secundi, ut hic:
[88] Aut fiet e converso, scilicet quintus in loco
primi et sextus in loco secundi, ut hic:
Et sic de singulis ad invicem secundum
aequipollentiam aliquorum modorum. Expliciunt
omnes combinationes modorum, quantum sufficit
ad discantum.
<CAPITULUM DUODECIMUM >
Dicto de discantu dicendum est de copula, quae
multum valet ad discantum, quia discantus
numquam perfecte scitur nisi mediante copula.
Unde COPULA dicitur esse id, quod est inter
discantum et organum. Alio modo dicitur copula:
copula est id, quod profertur recto modo
aequipollente unisono. Alio modo dicitur: copula
est id, ubicumque fit multitudo punctorum.
PUNCTUS, ut hic sumitur, est, ubicumque fit
multitudo tractuum. Et ista pars dividitur in duo
aequalia. Unde prima pars dicitur antecedens,
secunda vero consequens, et utraque pars continet
multitudinem tractuum.
Unde TRACTUS fit, ubicumque fit multitudo
specierum univoce, ut unisoni aut toni secundum
28
We speak of sixth against fifth in two ways:
either sixth [mode] in the place of the first
[song] and fifth in the place of the second, as
here:
Or it may be the other way round, namely fifth
[mode] in the place of the first [song] and sixth
in the place of the second, as here:
And so forth, mutually with one another,
according to the equivalence of certain modes.
This ends all the combinations of the modes, as
much as suffices as regards discant.
<CHAPTER THE TWELFTH>
Having spoken of discant, we must now speak
of the coupling, which is of great value to
discant, for discant is never fully understood
except with the help of the coupling. And
COUPLING is said to be that which is in between
discant and organum. Another way to define
coupling: coupling is that which is performed
in the right mode with the counterpart being
one-sounding. Defined in another way:
coupling [comes about] wherever there is more
than one point. POINT, as understood here,
means: wherever there is more than one tract.
And this part is divided into two equals. And
the first part is called the one going before, and
the second following after, and each of these
numerum ordinatum ordine debito. Et haec
sufficiant ad <copulam>.
<CAPITULUM TERTIUM DECIMUM >
Organum dicitur multipliciter: generaliter et
specialiter. De organo generaliter dictum est
superius; nunc autem dicendum est de ipso in
speciali. ORGANUM IN SPECIALI dicitur dupliciter:
aut per se aut cum alio.
ORGANUM PER SE dicitur id esse, quidquid
profertur secundum aliquem modum [89] non
rectum, sed non rectum. RECTUS MODUS sumitur
hic ille, per quem discantus profertur. NON
RECTUS dicitur ad differentiam alicuius rectae,
<quia> lo ngae et breves rectae sumuntur debito
modo primo et principaliter. In non recta vero
sumitur longa et brevis non primo modo, sed ex
contingenti.
ORGANUM autem <CUM ALIO> dicitur,
quidquid profertur per <aliquam> rectam
mensuram, ut dictum est superius. Et eius
aequipollentia tantum se tenet in unisono usque
ad finem alicuius puncti, ut secum convenit
secundum aliquam concordantiam. Et hoc sufficit
de organo quantum ad discantum.
Longae et breves in organo tali modo
dinoscuntur, scilicet per <concordantiam>, per
figuram, per paenultimam. Unde regula: omne id,
quod accidit in aliquo secundum virtutem
<concordantiarum>, dicitur longum. Alia regula:
quidquid figuratur longum secundum organa ante
pausationem vel loco <concordantiae> dicitur
longum. Alia regula: quidquid accipitur ante
longam pausationem vel ante perfectam
concordantiam dicitur esse longum.
29
parts contains more than one stroke. And
TRACT means: wherever there is more than one
kind in one sense, like unisons or whole tones,
according to the arranged number in the proper
order. And that is enough about coupling.
<CHAPTER THE THIRTEENTH>
We speak of organum in more than one way:
[namely,] generally and particularly. We have
spoken of organum in the general sense above;
now we must speak of organum in the special
sense. We speak of ORGANUM IN THE SPECIAL
SENSE in two ways: either by itself or with
another.
ORGANUM BY ITSELF is said to be that which
is performed in a certain mode [that is] not a
right [mode], but a not-right one. RIGHT MODE
is that by which discant is performed. We speak
of NOT RIGHT with respect to the difference
from some right longs and right shorts [when
they] are taken properly firstly and chiefly [or:
properly in the first mode and chiefly]. In not-
right [measure], however, the long and short
are not understood in the first mode, but from
what borders on them.
ORGANUM WITH ANOTHER is called
whatever is performed in the right measure, as
was said above. And its counterpart is kept one-
sounding only until the end of some point,
where it agrees with it according to some
concord. And that is enough about organum
relative to discant.
In organum of this kind longs and shorts
are distinguished in this way, namely, through
simultaneous sound, through the figure, and
through the one-but- last [point]. Whence the
rule: everything that falls somewhere according
to the strength of simultaneous sounds is called
long. Another rule: whatever is notated long
according to the organa before a pausation or in
the place of simultaneous sounds is said to be
long. Another rule: whatever is taken before a
long pausation or before a complete concord is
said to be long.
[91] Anhang:
Die nichtauthentischen Kapitel in P (I-II, XIV-
XVI)
<CAPITULUM PRIMUM >
Habito, inquit Iohannes, de cognitione planae
musicae et omnium specierum soni dicendum
est de longitudine et brevitate eorundem, quae
apud nos modus soni appellatur. Unde MODUS
est cognitio soni in acuitate et gravitate
secundum longitudinem temporis et brevitatem.
Et potest dupliciter sumi, aut communiter aut
proprie. M ODUS COMMUNIS est, qui versatur
circa omnem longitudinem et brevitatem
omnium sonorum. MODUS PROPRIUS est, qui
versatur circa sex modos antiquos. Quorum
modorum primus constat longa brevi, longa
brevi et caetera, secundus brevi longa, brevi
longa, tertius longa duabus brevibus, longa
duabus brevibus et caetera, quartus duabus
brevibus longa et caetera, quintus omnibus
longis, sextus omnibus brevibus. Aliqui addunt
modos alios, sed non est necessarium illos
numerare, ut duae longae et brevis, quia per
istos sex sufficientiam possumus habere.
Omnium aliorum sonorum triplex est
modus, unus in plenitudine vocis, alter est sub
voce cassa, tertius sub voce amissa.
Recta brevis est, quae unum tempus
continet. Unum TEMPUS est, quod minimum in
plenitudine vocis est. RECTA LONGA est duas
rectas breves continens tantum. OBLIQUA
LONGA est, quae abundat super rectam longam.
DUPLEX LONGA est, quae plures longas in se
continet. ALIQUA LONGA est, quae circumflectit
se versus acuitatem vel gravitatem; et dicitur
recta et obliqua.
Modorum alius perfectus, alius
imperfectus. PERFECTUS MODUS dicitur, qui
finit per talem quantitatem, per qualem incipit,
30
[Appendix: the inauthentic chapters in P (I-II,
XIV-XVI)]
<CHAPTER THE FIRST>
Having dealt, says John, with the understanding
of plain music and of all the different kinds of
sound, we must now speak of the longness and
shortness of the same [sounds], which we [in
this country] call the mode of the sound. Now
MODE is an understanding of sound, in high as
well as low registers, according to the longness
and shortness of time. And it can be taken in
two ways: either commonly or properly.
COMMON is the manner which is concerned
with any kind of longness and shortness in any
sounds whatsoever. P ROPER is the manner
which is concerned with the six ancient modes.
Of which modes the first consists of long short,
long short, long short, and so on; the second :
short long, short long; the third: long two
shorts, long two shorts, and so on; fourth: two
shorts long, and so on; fifth: all longs ; sixth: all
shorts. There are some who add other modes as
well, such as two longs and short, but there is
no need to list those, for we are sufficiently
equipped with those six modes.
The way of [performing] all other sounds is
threefold: one with full voice, the other with
defective voice, and the third without voice
altogether.
The right short is that which contains one
time unit. ONE TIME UNIT is what is shortest in a
full voice. The RIGHT LONG is that which
contains no more than two right shorts. The
DIVERGING LONG is one that exceeds a right
long [in length]. A TWOFOLD LONG is one that
contains several longs within itself. A
SOMEWHAT- LONG is one that bends around
itself towards higher or lower pitches, and it is
called both right and diverging.
Some of the modes are complete, others
incomplete. We speak of COMPLETE MODE
when it ends with the same quantity as that
ut longa brevis longa. IMPERFECTUS est, qui
terminatur per aliam quam per illam, in qua
incipit. Sic apparet, quod sunt duodecim modi
cum perfectis et imperfectis sine aliis.
Modus rectus est, qui procedit per rectas
longas et rectas breves. Obliquus est, qui
procedit per aliquas longas et ali<qu>as breves.
Regula cognitionis temporum: longa ante
longam valet tria tempora. Secunda regula est:
duae rectae breves valent unam rectam longam.
Tertia regula est: multitudo brevium simul
quanto magis appropinquatur fini, tanto debet
longior proferri. Unde sequitur, quod primus,
secundus, sextus dicuntur modi recti, tertius,
quartus, quintus dicuntur obliqui.
Sed aliqui volunt, quod quintus noster
modus sit primus omnium. Et bona est ratio,
quia per istum modum praecedit [92] omnes
nostros modos. Sed quoad tempora
cognoscenda prius est modus rectus quam
obliquus, et sic non valet, quod dicitur, quod
quintus est primus.
ORDO MODORUM est numerus punctorum
ante pausationem. Iste ordo dividitur in
primum, secundum et tertium et caetera. Ordo
autem procedit ab uno principio, principium a
radice. RADIX est quilibet cantus primo datus.
Exemplum primum primae radicis:
Et notandum, quod principium cuiuslibet modi
caret omni pausatione. Primus ordo primi modi
perfecti.
Modus obliquus habet plures
considerationes, ut patet in tertio, quia tertius
constat ex longa et duabus brevibus, et duae
breves aequipollent longae, et longa ante
longam valet longam et brevem, et sic valet tria
31
with which it began, like: long short long. A
mode is INCOMPLETE when it ends with another
[quantity] than with which it began. Thus it
appears that there are twelve modes, including
all complete and incomplete ones, and not
counting others.
A RIGHT MODE is one that proceeds in right
longs and right shorts. DIVERGING is the mode
that proceeds with somewhat- longs and
somewhat-shorts. [Here follows the] rule for
the determination of time units: a long before a
long is worth three time units. The second rule
is: two right shorts are worth one right long.
The third rule is: [whenever there are] more
than one short, then the closer they are to the
end, the longer they must be performed. Thus it
follows that the first, second, and sixth are
called right modes, and the third, fourth, and
fifth are called diverging [modes].
But there are some who want our fifth
mode to be the first of all. And that is a good
point, for that mode stands at the head of all our
modes. Yet as far as the determination of time
is concerned, it is right mode that must be prior
to the diverging one, and from that point of
view it is not true, as they say, that the fifth is
the first.
The ORDER OF THE MODES is the number of
points before a pausation. This order is divided
into first, second, and third, and so on. But
order proceeds from one [and the same]
beginning, and the beginning [proceeds] from
the root. The ROOT is whatever song is given
first. First example of the first root:
And it must be noted that at the beginning of
any mode there is no pausation of any kind.
First order of the first complete mode.
There are several things to consider about
the diverging mode, as can be seen in the case
of the third [mode], for the third consists of a
long and two shorts, and two shorts are worth a
long, and a long before a long is worth a long
tempora. Quare longa ante duas breves valet
tria tempora, et sic valet longam et brevem vel
brevem et longam. Item duae breves
aequipollent longae, ergo si ponantur ante
longam, valent tria tempora, ergo valent
longam et brevem vel e converso. Unde regula:
si sint plures breves in modis obliquis, quae
magis appropinquatur fini, longior debet
proferri, ergo illae duae valent brevem et
longam, et non longam et brevem. Quare tertius
modus et quartus potius reducuntur ad
secundum quam ad primum.
Sed quintus indifferenter ad primum et
secundum potest reduci. Unde quintus modus
constat ex omnibus longis. Et sic quaelibet
longa est ante aliam longam, quare quaelibet
valet tria tempora confuse et non distincte, et
sic valet longam et brevem vel e converso. Et
sic potest reduci ad primum et secundum
confuse, et mediante secundo potest reduci ad
tertium et ad quartum, quamvis omnes modi et
ad primum et ad secundum possunt reduci. Sed
[93] in isto modo aliter respicimus pausationem
quam in aliis modis, cum in aliis modis quanta
est paenultima, tanta est pausatio. Et hic ex toto
ista regula non observatur, sed in parte, quia est
pausatio longa et aliquotiens brevis, sive fuerit
perfectus sive imperfectus. Sed si fuerit longa,
erit propria sua pausatio brevis accommoda, ut
in sequentibus patebit.
Sextus modus potest reduci ad primum
vel secundum. Sed quando reducitur ad
primum, terminatur in longam et habet
pausationem unius temporis. Quando autem
reducitur ad secundum, tunc finitur per brevem
et habet pausationem duorum temporum. Sed
ad proprium modum totaliter non fit, sed
circulariter soni ultimi et pausationes breves
semper et in ordinibus sive perfectis sive
imperfectis secundum magis et minus ad
modum tertii perfecti et imperfecti erunt.
Habito de modis existunt et de eorum partibus.
32
plus short, and hence it is worth three time
units. For which reason a long before two
shorts is worth three time units, and hence is
worth a long plus short or short plus long. Also,
two shorts are equivalent to a long plus breve,
or the other way round. Whence the rule: if
there is more than one short in divergent
modes, then those which are nearer to the end
must be performed longer, hence those two are
worth short plus long, and not long plus short.
For which reason the third mode and the fourth
are more easily resolved to the second than to
the first.
But the fifth can be resolved equally well
to the first and second. The fifth is made up all
of longs. And thus every long comes before
another long, for which reason every long is
worth three time units without exception, and
thus is worth a long plus short, or the other way
round. And thus it can be resolved to the first
and second equally, and with the help of the
second it can be resolved to the third and
fourth, even though all modes can be resolved
to the first and second. But in this mode we
treat the pausation differently from the other
modes, for in the other modes, the pausation
has the same worth as the one-but- last. And
here the rule is not observed fully but rather
partly, for it is a long pausation plus a little bit
of short, whether it be complete or incomplete.
But if it shall be complete, its proper pausation
shall be fitted to the short, as will become clear
in what follows.
The sixth mode can be resolved to the first
or second. But when it is resolved to the first, it
ends with a long and has a pausation of one
short. But when it is resolved to the second,
then it ends with a short and has a pausation of
two time units. But this does not apply to the
proper mode as a whole, but always regarding
the final sounds and short pausations, and in
orders, whether complete or incomplete,
according to more and less, in the manner of
the third, they shall be complete and
incomplete.
<CAPITULUM SECUNDUM >
Sequitur de figuris et eorum
significationibus. FIGURA , ut hic accipitur,
est signum denotans sonum vel sonos
secundum suum tempus longitudinis atque
brevitatis. Figurarum quaedam simplex,
quaedam composita vel ligata, quod idem est.
Simplicium quaedam dicitur longa, quaedam
brevis. Longarum, quae dicuntur PUNCTA
LONGA , triplex est modus, scilicet recta longa
et superabundans et plica longa. RECTA
LONGA est, cuius latitudo non transit
longitudinem cum tractu descendente a parte
dextra, ut hic: Superabundans sive
duplex longa, quod idem est, cuius latitudo
transit longitudinem cum tractu praedicto, ut
hic declaratur: PLICA duplex est,
ascendens et descendens. Descendens cum
duplici tractu fit, ascendens cum uno tantum
vel duplici, sed semper est longior tractus a
parte dextra, ut hic: Brevium triplex est
modus, scilicet RECTA BREVIS recte posita, et
est, cuius latitudo non transit longitudinem et
sine tractu, ut hic patet: Et est
SEMIBREVIS oblique posita, ut hic apparet:
Est et alia PLICA BREVIS et fit, quando
longior tractus fit a parte sinistra, ut hic:
FIGURA COMPOSITA vel LIGATA est,
quando plura puncta in unum coniunguntur a
puncto ad puncta ascendentes vel
descendentes Figurarum
quaedam dicuntur ascendendo, quaedam
descendendo, et hoc a parte principii vel
finis. Item quaedam dicuntur perfectae, item
quaedam cum proprietate, quaedam sine.
Descendens dicitur figura, quando secundus
punctus inferior est primo, ascendens e
converso.
Cum proprietate descendente dicimus,
quando primus punctus habet tractum
descendentem a latere sinistro. Si tractus
fuerit ascendens, cum proprie tate opposita
dicetur, ut hic: In figura
<CHAPTER THE S ECOND>
Now follows a discussion of the figures and their
meanings. A FIGURE, as it is understood here, is a
sign marking a sound, or sounds, according to the
longness or shortness of its time unit. Some
figures are single, some are composite, or bound
together which amounts to the same thing. Of the
single ones, some are called long, and some short.
The longs, which are called LONG POINTS, are of
three manners, namely right long and overflowing
and folded long. A RIGHT LONG is one whose
width does not exceed the length, with a
downward stem on the right, like this:
OVERFLOWING or TWOFOLD LONG, which is the
same, [is one] whose width exceeds the length,
with the aforesaid stem, as is demonstrated here:
. The FOLD is twofold, moving up and
moving down. The one moving down is [notated]
with two lines, the one moving up either with
only one or with two, but the line on the right-
hand side is always longer, like this: . There
are three manners of short, namely RIGHT SHORT
written straight up, and that is one whose width
does not exceed the length, and without stem, as
is apparent here: . The HALF - SHORT is
written askew, as appears here: . And another
is the FOLDED SHORT , and it comes about when
there is a longer line on the left side, as here:
. A COMPOSITE FIGURE or BINDING is when
several points are joined together in one, from
point to point, moving up or moving down:
. Some figures are called
moving up and some moving down, and this
either at the beginning or the end. Also, some are
called complete, and some with propriety, and
some without. We speak of a figure moving down
when the second point is lower than the first, and
of moving up the other way round. So a figure
moving down is when the second point is lower
than the first, moving up the other way round.
We speak of moving down with propriety
when the first point has a downward tail on the
left- hand side. If the tail shall be upward, it is
called in opposite propriety, as here:
. The propriety of a figure moving
33
ascendente proprietas sua est, quando primus
punctus non habet tractum, ut hic patet:
Sed sine proprietate dicitur, si
habet tractum, ut hic: Et sic
intelligimus de figura descendente ad suum
contrarium, ut hic: . is called complete at the ending when the line
Figura perfecta in fine dicitur, quando tractus
a paenultima ad ultimam fuerit descendens
perpendiculariter, et hoc in figura
descendente in fine. Et hoc [94] est, quando
ultima fuerit inferior paenultima, ut hic:
Sed in figura ascendente in
fine est perfectio, cuius ultimus punctus recte
iacet supra paenultimum:
Imperfecta vero dicitur, sive fuerit ascendens
sive descendens, si ultimus punctus fuerit
obliquus ad paenultimam, ut hic patet:
<CAPITULUM QUARTUM DECIMUM >
Sequitur de triplicibus. TRIPLUM est commixtio
trium sonorum secundum habitudinem sex
concordantiarum, scilicet unisonus, diapason et
caetera, et hoc in eodem tempore. Et ista est
communis descriptio. Specialiter autem sic
describitur: triplum est cantus proportionatus
aliquis conveniens et concordans cum discantu.
Et sic est TERTIUS CANTUS adiunctus duobus.
Unde prima regula: triplum specialiter
sumptum debet ex remoto concordare primo et
secundo cantui, nisi fuerit concordantia insimul
per sonum reductum, quod sibi aequipollet.
Proprium est diapason et infra, remotum est
duplex diapason et infra usque ad diapason,
remotissimum est triplex diapason et infra
usque ad duplex diapason. Diapason dicitur
dupla, diapente cum diapason dicitur tripla, bis
diapason quadrupla, diapente cum bis diapason
sextupla, triplex diapason, quod vix reperitur
nisi instrumentis a flatu, dicitur octupla. Et ista
probantur maxime per magnam figuram
musicalem.
up is that it has no tail, as is apparent here:
. But we say without propriety
when it does have a tail, as here: .
And thus we understand a figure moving down
with its opposite, as here: . A figure
from the one-but-last to the last shall be
perpendicular, and this in a figure moving down
at the end. And that is when the last shall be
lower than the one-but- last, like here:
. But in a figure moving up
there is completeness at the end when the last
point lies directly above of the one-but- last:
. But it is called incomplete,
whether moving up or moving down, when the
last point shall be sideways from the one-but- last,
as is shown here: .
<CHAPTER THE FOURTEENTH>
Now follows a discussion of trebles. TREBLE is
a mixing together of three sounds in accordance
with the properties of the six concords, that is,
unison, octave, and so on, and this in the same
time unit. And this is the general description. In
a special sense, however, it is described thus: a
treble is some proportioned song that goes
together and concords with the discant. And
thus a THIRD SONG is joined with the two.
Whence the first rule: the treble in the
special sense must concord from afar with the
first and second songs, unless there shall be a
shared concord through resolution, which has
the same value. An octave and beneath are
nearby, the double octave and beneath are
removed, and triple octave and beneath, up to
the double octave, are furthest removed. We
call the octave a double, the fifth plus octave a
triple, the double octave a quadruple, the fifth
plus double octave a sextuple, and the triple
octave, which is hardly ever found except in
wind instruments, is called an octuple. And this
is demonstrated most of all through large
musical notation.
34
<CAPITULUM QUINTUM DECIMUM >
Multa in praedictis dimisimus, quae partim
continentur in triplicibus nunc praepositis et
partim in quadruplicibus postpositis. Primum
est de errore, secundum de eorundem colore,
tertium est <de> positione brevium in propriis
locis, quartum est de nobilitat<ione> soni,
quintum est de dissonantia, ut sit concordantia,
sextum est de copulatione soni.
Error tertii soni, quando ordinamus sonos
male convenientes, quod per quatuor regulas
cognoscimus, quarum prima talis est: quotiens
ascendimus per tonos integros et postea
iungendo semitonium, in tonum convertitur et
ultimus tonus in semitonium, quod fit mediante
synemenon, ut patet in exemplo:
[95] Alia regula de eodem est hic: si
descendimus tonum et iterum tonum
ascendimus, ibi similiter per synemenon fiet
subtractio toni vel soni, ut hic:
Alia regula de eodem: quotiens ascendimus et
iterum descendimus, ascensus largiatur. Et hoc
fit aliquotiens per synemenon, aliquotiens
autem non, ut hic:
Quarta regula est: continuatio sonorum si post
semitonium fit vel tonus et conveniens fit super
quietem, paenultima proportio minuitur, sive
35
<CHAPTER THE FIFTEENTH>
In the above we have left off many things
which are partly contained in the trebles just
discussed, and partly in the quadruples to be
discussed. The first thing concerns an error, the
second the color of the same, the third
[concerns] the notation of short in the proper
places, the fourth [concerns] the heightening of
sound, the fifth [concerns] discord, as it be
concord, and the sixth [concerns] the coupling
of sound.
The error of the third sound is when we
arrange sounds that do not agree very well,
which we can recognize by four rules, of which
the first is thus: whenever we move up in whole
tones, and thereafter add a semitone, [the latter]
is changed into a whole tone, and the last whole
tone into a semitone, which comes about with
the help of the synemmenon, as appears from
the example.
Another rule concerning the same is this:
when we move down by a tone and then move
up by a tone, there will also be a taking away
from the tone or sound by synemmenon, as
here:
Another rule concerning the same: whenever
we move up and then move down, the upward
progression is lavishly treated. And this comes
about sometimes by synemmenon but
sometimes not, like this:
The fourth rule is: if the continuation of the
sounds goes beyond the semitone or whole
tone, and ends up above a rest, then the one-
fuerit semitonium vel tonus:
Istae regulae tenentur in cantu plano, sed
aliquotiens restringuntur in discantu propter
habitudinem concordantiae ipsius discantus,
quia subtilis debet cantum suum conformare
respectu superioris cantus vel inclinare vel
acuere, ut melius conforme<n>tur
concordantiae, inquantum poterit supradictas
regulas observando.
Color est pulchritudo soni vel obiectum
auditus, per quod auditus suscipit placentiam.
Et fit multis modis: aut sono ordinato, aut in
florificatione soni, aut in repetitione eiusdem
vocis vel diversae. In sono ordinato fit
dupliciter: aut respectu unius secundum
proportionem infra diapente, ut hic:
aut respectu plurium infra diapason proprie, ut
patet in exemplo, et per abundantiam usque ad
triplum. Et tali ordinatione utimur in
instrumentis triplicibus et quadruplicibus. In
florificatione vocis fit color, ut commixtio in
conductis simplicibus. Et fit semper ista
commixtio in sonis coniunctis et non disiunctis,
ut hic apparet:
Repetitio eiusdem vocis est color faciens
ignotum sonum esse notum, per quam notitiam
auditus suscipit placentiam. Et isto modo
utimur in rondellis et cantilenis vulgaribus.
Repetitio diversae vocis est idem sonus
repetitus in tempore diverso a diversis vocibus.
Et iste modus reperitur in triplicibus,
36
but- last proportion is diminished, whether it
shall be a semitone or a whole tone.
These rules are maintained in plainchant, but in
discant their application is sometimes restricted
because of the property of the concords of that
discant, for the subtle [musician] must adapt his
song with respect to the higher song, either
bending or sharpening, in order that the
concords are more in agreement, observing, as
much as he shall be able to, the abovesaid rules.
COLOR is beauty of the sound, or the object
of the hearing, by which the hearing takes
pleasure. And it is of many kinds: through the
arranging of sound, or by the florification of
sound, or by the repetition of the same pitch or
of different ones. The arranging of sound can
be done in two ways: either with regard to one
according to a proportion within the fifth, as
here:
or with regard to more within the octave, as
appears in the example, and by overflowing up
to the treble. And such arranging is applied in
treble instruments, triples, and quadruples. In
florication there can be such color as mixing
together in one-voice conducti. And this mixing
together always comes about in connected
sounds and not disconnected ones, as appears
here:
The repetition of the same pitch is a color
by which an inconspicuous sound becomes
conspicuous, so that the notice of the hearing
takes pleasure. And this manner is used in
rondeaus and vernacular ditties. The repetition
of different pitches is the same sound repeated
in different time units at different pitches. And
quadruplicibus et conductis et multis aliis, ut
patet in exemplo subposito:
[96] Positio brevium in primo modo est,
quod ipsa brevis debet sic poni in concordantia
sive discordantia, ut habeat ordinationem suam
cum sono anteposito et postposito et per viam
alicuius coloris, sive fuerit in eadem voce sive
in diversis. Et sic intellige de partibus vocis in
aliis modis.
Nobilitatio soni est augmentatio eiusdem
vel diminutio per modum superbiae, in
augmentatione, ut melius videatur, in
grossitudine, ut bene audiatur, in fictione, ut
melius appetatur, in dimissione, ut spiritus
recurventur.
Dissonantia, ut <sit> concordantia, est inter
duplex diapason et diapente et diapason una
dissonantia vel duplex, bene concordat, ut hic:
Copula duplex est, una, quae est medium
inter organum purum et discantum, altera est,
quae fit in abscisione sonorum aut sumendo
tempus post tempus et tempora post tempora.
Et iste modus sumitur flaiolis. Et aliqui vocant
oquetum modum istum.
<CAPITULUM SEXTUM DECIMUM >
Sequitur de quadruplicibus. Sonis praepositis et
praeparatis quartus superveniens in debita
37
this manner is found in trebles, quadruples, and
conducti and many others, as appears in the
example written below:
The notation of shorts in the first mode is
that this short must be notated in concord or
discord in such a way that it has its
arrangement with the sound notated before and
notated after, and by way of some color,
whether it be at the same pitch or in different
ones. And likewise you must understand about
the parts of the voice in other modes.
The heightening of sound is the enlarging
or diminishing of the same in a prideful way, in
enlarging in order that it will seem better, in
thickness, in order that it be heard well, in
feigning, in order that it have a better savor, in
leaving off, in order that the spirits may return
back to normal.
Dissonance as concord: between the double
octave and the fifth plus octave there is one
dissonance, or two, that concords well, as here:
Coupling is twofold: one, which is the
middle between pure organum and discant, and
the other comes about through the cutting off of
sounds or by taking off a time unit after a time
unit, and time units after time units. And this
manner is understood to be of the flageol.
And some call this mode hocket.
<CHAPTER THE SIXTEENTH>
Now follows a discussion of quadruples. Above
the sounds mentioned before there is a fourth
quantitate ordinatus, et isto modo quadruplum
nuncupatur. Et sciendum, quod duplex est via
quadrupli: una est secundum viam propriam,
alia secundum viam communem. Et ad hoc
bene percipiendum talis est noster processus.
Proprius situs primi dicitur diapason et
infra, proprius situs secundi est in duplici
diapason et infra, proprius situs tertii est in
duplici diapason et infra cum commixtione sex
concordantiarum, sive in simplicitate sive in
compositione ad utrumque, situs proprius
quadrupli in triplici diapason et infra, quod vix
in opere ponitur nisi in instrumentis, ita quod
longae in primo modo concordant cum
omnibus praedictis, scilicet tribus cantibus
praepositis, sive in concordantia simplici sive
composita. Sed proprietas praedicta vix tenetur
in aliquibus, quod patet in quadruplicibus
magistri Perrotini per totum in principio magni
voluminis, quae quadrupla optima reperiuntur
et proportionata et in colore conservata, ut
manifeste ibidem patet.
Sed quadruplum communiter sumptum, de
quo ad praesens intendimus, modum tripli in
altitudine et gravitate recipit, quamvis
aliquantum excedat in aliquibus locis. Et sic
tale quadruplum cum tribus sibi associatis ab
aliquibus [97] duplex cantus nuncupatur, quia
duo invicem nunc cum uno, nunc cum reliquo
audientibus tamquam esse<n>t duplex
discantus. Percipitur tamen in instrumentis
maxime completis.
Situs proprius primi infra diapason, ut
superius, situs vero secundi est infra duplex
diapason et simplex diapason, tertius in triplici
usque in duplici, quartus in quadruplici et infra
usque in triplici, et tamen in Adiutorio. Si enim
aliquis cantus transcendat per acutum et grave
suum diapason respectu soni infimi, unus intrat
alium per viam accommodationis secundum
quod necesse fuerit. Sed quia vox humana ad
talia non ascendit, ideo quiescamus infra
38
on top of them, arranged in proper quantity,
and in this manner we speak of quadruple. And
one must know that the way of the quadruple is
twofold: one is according to its proper way,
another according to the common way. And in
order that this may be well understood, we
proceed as follows.
The proper range of the first [song] is
called octave and less, the proper range of the
second is in the double octave and less, the
proper range of the third is in the double octave
and less, with the mixing together of the six
concords, whether singly or put together with
either, the proper range of the quadruple is in
the triple octave and beneath, which is rarely
written in any work, except for instruments,
such that the longs in the first mode concord
with all the aforesaid, namely the three songs
placed before, whether in simple or composite
concord. Yet the aforesaid condition is rarely
maintained in some, as appears throughout the
quadruples of master Perrotin at the beginning
of the Great Volume, which quadruples are
considered the best and proportioned and
maintained in color, as clearly appears in the
same place.
But quadruple taken in the common way,
to which we are turning now, receives the mode
of the treble in height and depth, even though it
goes a little beyond in some places. And thus
such a quadruple with three joined along with it
is called double song by some, because two
that agree now with one, then with the other,
are somewhat like a double discant. But it is
fulfilled especially in instruments.
The proper range of the first [is] beneath
the octave, as above, but the range of the
second is beneath the double octave and single
octave, third in the triple up to double, the
fourth in the quadruple and beneath down to
the triple, and however in Adiutorio. But if
some song exceeds its octave above or below
relative to the lowest sound, one enters the
other by way of accommodation according to
what shall be necessary. But because the
duplex <diapason>, si possibilitas sit in voce, et human voice does not climb up to such
procedamus in praedicta quadrupla per eius [heights], therefore we must dwell beneath the
regulas. double octave, if the voice has the capability,
and proceed in the aforesaid quadruple by its
rules.
Unde prima regula est: quod si sit de primo And the first rule is: that if it be in the first
modo, ponendae sunt omnes longae in mode, all longs are to be notated in concord
concordantia cum omnibus longis trium with all longs of the three [parts] notated
subpositorum, ut diximus, suo modo. Alia below, as we said, in its own way. Another
regula: si ascendis cum uno vel descendis una rule: if you move up by one or move down by
proportione vel du<abus>, ascende postea vel one proportion or two, then thereafter you must
descende cum reliquo, et sic mutando move up or move down with the rest, and thus
descensionem vel ascensionem nunc cum uno changing the downward motion or upward
nunc cum reliquo, donec veniat ad finem. Et motion now with one and then with another,
eodem modo intellige de omnibus aliis. Tertia until one reaches the end. And in the same way
regula est: pone colores loco sonorum you must understand about all the others. The
proportionator<um> ignotorum, et quanto third rule is: you must notate colors in the place
magis colores, tanto sonus erit magis notus, et of inconspicuous proportioned sounds, and the
si fuerit notus, erit placens. Item loco coloris in greater the colors, the more notable shall be the
regione cuiuslibet pone cantilenam notam sound, and if it shall be notable, then it shall be
copulam vel punctum vel descensum vel pleasing. Also, in the place of the color in the
ascensum alicuius instrumenti vel clausam lay. region of anyone notate a well-known ditty,
coupling or point or descent or ascent of some
instrument of closed lay.

Haec positio Iohannis dicti de Garlandia de This is the statement concerning measurable
musica mensurabili. music of Johannes, called of Garland.

39