Notes department

The story

Musical notation has an ancient history dating back over a thousand years, evolving as a system for transcribing and preserving music. The first forms of musical notation appeared in ancient Greece, with rudimentary symbols to indicate the pitch of notes. However, it was in the Middle Ages, with the birth of Gregorian chant, that a more structured system emerged. The monks used signs called neumi to note sacred melodies, but these marks only indicated the general course of the song, not the precise notes.

Over the centuries, musical notation was perfected, mainly thanks to the work of Guido d'Arezzo, an Italian monk of the eleventh century, who introduced the tetragramme, a reference line for notes, and the names of the notes of the scale. This system evolved into the modern staff, which we still use today.

Today, despite the spread of digital technology, paper music books remain of fundamental importance. They not only pass on the musical tradition and offer a tangible access to works, but also allow a more in-depth and concentrated study, away from digital distractions. Furthermore, for many musicians and scholars, the paper book represents a direct and physical connection with the history of music, an irreplaceable means for learning and practicing music.

The Notes team