The Evolution of Music Notation: Squares and Diamonds

Square notation (circa 12th century)

Neumes and the staff system, created by Guido D’Arezzo, remained largely unchanged for over 200 years. But eventually, neumes evolved into square notation. Though visually clearer than neumes, square notation still did not indicate rhythm or note duration.

The late 12th century through the 13th century resolved this by creating rhythmic modes, allowing the notation of both melody and rhythm to be expressed. Developed in France, this was actually based on ancient Greek poetic meters. Individual notes were assigned independent rhythmic value, called mensural notation. This notation was used throughout the Renaissance period until the beginning of the 17th century.

Bar lines (for measures) and tempo indications (adagio, andante, presto, etc.) came in the 17th century, as did dynamic markings (f, p, mp, mf). The staccato, crescendo, phrase markings, etc., appeared afterwards in the 18th century.

Written notations are also found in other musical cultures with distinct differences in signs and symbols. We will explore these varying global notations next in our music study.

Mensural notation (circa 17th century)