CHAP. I. Of the Scale of MUSICK, called the Gam-ut.

THe GAM-UT is the Ground and Foundation of Musick both Vo­call and Instrumentall, and as Ornithop [...]chus reporteth, it was composed by Guido Aretinus a­bout the yeare 960. who also in six syllables, which hee found in the first Saphick of the Hymne of S. Johannis Baptista.

It is supposed he drew the six names of the Notes, viz. UT, RE, MI, FA, SOL, LA, which were so generally taught and practised in the same order, ascending, and descending: but in these latter times foure of them are onely in use, which are SOL, LA, MI, FA; so that UT and RE are changed into SOL LA, and these foure being found to be sufficient for [Page 2] the expressing of the severall sounds, and lesse bur­thensome to the memory.

Besides these names of the Notes there is used in the GAM-UT seven Letters of the Alphabet, which are set at the beginning of each Rule and Space, as G. A. B. C. D. E. F. and of these there are three Septenaries ascending one above the other, G. being put first, which is according to the third Letter in the Greeke Alphabet called Gamma, and is made thus r, in token that the first derivation thereof was from the ancient Greeks.

These seven Letters of the Alphabet are called the 7 Cliffs, or more properly Cleaves, the other names or sylables adjoyned to them, the Notes: And by these three Septenaries are distinguished the severall tones or sounds, which the Scale is divided into: First the Basse, which is the lowest part; the second the Meane, or middle part; the third, the Treble, or highest part, so that according to these three Sep­tenaries, Gam-ut is the lowest Note, and Ela the highest: And this the usuall Gam-uts in Mr. Mor­ley and others, do not exceed; but it is well known that there are many Notes in use, both above and below exceed that compass, both in Vocall and In­strumentall Musick, and therefore ought not to bee omitted; for the Compass of Musick ought not to be confin'd: for though there be but three Septena­ries in the Gam ut of the Alphabet, which expresse the severall sounds, yet if occasion requires, you may ascend one more higher, for it is but the same again, [Page 3] onely eight Notes higher; or if occasion require, you may descend lower then Gam-ut another Sep­tenarie, they will be the same to those above, onely eight Notes lower, and it is usuall to distinguish them thus:

Those above Ela are called Notes in Alt, as F fa ut, and G sol re ut, &c. in Alt: And those below Gam-ut are called double Notes, as Double F fa ut, E la mi, &c. as being Eights, or Diapasons to those above Gam-ut, I have therefore in the Gam-ut of this Booke expressed them in their right places: The Gam-ut is drawne upon foureteene Rules, and their Spaces, which comprehend all Notes or sounds usuall in Musicks either Vocall or Instrumentall, though when any of these parts which it is divided into, come to be prickt out by it selfe, five lines is onely usuall, as being sufficient to containe the com­pass of Notes thereto belonging, if there be a Note that extends higher, it is usuall to adde a line in that place with a pen. But for Lessons for the Organ, Virginalls, or Harp two staves of six lines together are required, one for the left hand or lower Keyes, the other for the right or upper Keyes.

Therefore he that means to understand what hee sings or plays, must study to be perfect in the know­ledge of the Gam-ut, and to have it perfectly in his memory without booke, both forwards and backe, and to distinguish Cliffs and Notes, in Rule and in Space; for by knowing their places, their names are easily known.

[Page 4]This Scale or Gam-ut hath three Columns which shew the names of the Notes ascending and descen­ding in their severall Keyes: the first Columne is called B Duralis or B sharp, as having no flat in B mi: the second is B proper, or B Naturalis which hath a B flat in B mi onely: the third is called B fa or B Moralis, having two B flats, the one in B mi the other in E la mi, and in these three observe that that what name the Note of any Cliffe hath, the same name properly hath his eight above or below him, be it either in Treble, Meane, or Basse.

There is an old Meeter, though not very common, yet it containes in it many pithy Rules of the Theo­rick part of Musick, which are to be observed of those who are yong beginners, and as it falls in our severall Chapters I shall insert it; it begins thus:

CHAP. II. Of the Cliffs or Cleaves.

IN the Gam-ut (as I said before) is contained three Septenaries of Letters, which are, G.A.B.C.D.E.F. these 7 Letters are set at the beginning of each Rule and Space, and are called the seven Cleaves; of these seven, foure is onely usuall: the first is the F fa ut Cleave, which is only proper to the Basse, or lowest part, and is thus signed or marked 𝄢 The second is the C sol fa ut, which is proper to the middle, or in­ner parts, as Tenor, Counter-Tenor, or Meane, and he is thus signed or marked 𝄡 The third is the G sol re ut Cleave, which is only proper to the Treble, or highest, and is signed or marked thus 𝄞

These three Cleaves are called the three signed Cleaves, because they are alwayes set at the begin­ning of every line of a Song, or Lesson; for Cleave is derived from Clavis, which signifies a Key, for by this Key the places of all the Notes in the Song are known.

The fourth is the B Cleaves, which is proper to all parts, as being of two natures or pro­perties, that is to say, Flat and Sharp, and doth onely serve for that purpose for the flatting and sharping of Notes, and therefore he is called B fa, B mi: the B fa signifies Flat, the B mi Sharp, The [Page 8] B fa or B flat, is known by this marke ♭ and the B mi, which is sharp by this ♯.

But these Rules observe of them both: First the B fa or B flat doth alter both the name and proper­ty of the Notes before which he is placed, and they are called Fa, making them halfe a tone or found, lower then they were before.

Secondly, the B mi or B sharp alters the proper­ty of the Notes before which he is placed, but not their names; for he is usually placed either before fa or sol, and they retaine their names still, but their sound is raised halfe a tone or sound higher.

CHAP. III. A briefe Rule for the proving the Notes in any Song or Lesson.

FIrst observe with what Cleave your Song or Lesson is signed with at the beginning, if it bee the G sol re ut, then if the Note be above, you must begin at G sol re ut, and assigne to every Space and Rule a Key according to your Gam-ut, ascending till you come to the Rule or Space where he is set: If a Note below your Cleave, then you must prove downwards to him, saying your Gam ut backward, assigning to each Rule and Space a Key, till you come to his place.

CHAP. IV. Containing a plain and easie Rule for the naming your Notes in any Cleave.

HAving observed the fore-going Rule of proo­ving your Notes to know their places, you may easily know the names also, if you follow this Rule: First observe that Mi is the principall or ma­ster Note, which leads you to know all the other; for having found out him, the other followes upon course, and this Mi has his being in foure severall places, but he is but in one of them at a time; his proper place is in B mi: But if a B fa, which as a B flat (as is mentioned in chap. 2.) be put in his place, then he is removed into Ela mi, which is his second; but if a B flat bee placed there also, then he is in his third place, which is A la mi re; if a B flat come there also, then he is removed into his fourth place, which is D la sol re, so that in which of these he is, the next Notes above him ascending, are Fa sol la, Fa sol la twice, and then you meet with your Mi againe, for he is found but once in eight Notes: In like manner, the Notes next below him descending, are La sol fa, La sol fa, and then you have your Mi againe: I shall here insert the old Meeter, with examples of the Notes, for the more easie under­standing thereof in the severall places.

Example. [...] Sol la Mi fa Sol la fa Sol.

Example. [...] Sol la fa Sol la Mi fa Sol.

Example. [...] La Mi fa sol la fa sol la.

Example. [...] La fa sol la Mi fa sol la.

Example. [...] Sol la Mi fa sol la fa sol fa la sol fa Mi la sol fa.

Example. Sol la fa Sol Sol fa la sol. [...] Sol la fa sol Sol fa la sol.

CHAP. V. Of Tones, or Tunes of Notes.

OBserve that the 2 B. Cleaves before mentioned are used in Song for the altering of the tone or tune of Notes. the B flat changeth mi into fa, making him a semitone or half a note lower: and the B sharp raiseth the Note before which he is set halfe a Tone higher, but alters not their names, so that from Mi to fa, and likewise from la to fa is but halfe a tone, between any two other Notes is a whole tone, as [Page 12] from fa to sol, from sol to la, and from la to Mi are whole Tones, and this may be easily distinguished if you trye it on the Frets of a Viol, you shal perceive plainly that there goes two frets to the stopping of a whole Note, and but one fret to a halfe Note; so that is observed that Mi and fa doe serve for the flatting or sharping the other ordinary Notes in the Scale, and they being rightly understood, the other Notes are easily applied to them; for if G sol re ut have a sharp set before him, it is A la mi re flat, and B mi flat is A re sharp, and C. fa ut sharp is D sol. re flat, &c. as being of one and the same sound. And it is observed that a Diapason or perfect eight contains five whole tones and two halfe tones, that is in all the seven naturall sounds, or Notes besides the ground, what flats or sharps soere there be. But for this I shall referre you to Doctor Campions ex­cellent discourse or Preface which is added at the end of this Booke.

CHAP. VI. The Notes, their names, proportions, and their Rest or pauses, with directions for keeping Time.

IT is to be observed, that Notes have two names, one for Tune, as Sol la mi fa; the other for Time, or prolongation of sounds, as first the Large, 2. the Long, 3. the Briefe, 4. the Semibriefe, 5. the Minim, 6. the Crochet, 7. the Quaver, 8. the Semiquaver: and these eight Notes are thus distinguished, the Large being the first and longest sound, the rest as they follow one another are halfe the proportion of the Note before him. The Semibriefe being the Master Note; for in Songs or Lessons all Times are kept to his value, which is the hand up and downe: If it be a Long (which is a Note of Augmentation) 'tis foure Semibriefs, which is the hand foure times up and down: If Notes of Diminutions as Minims and Crochets, then such a proportion of them as a­mount [Page 14] to the value of one Semibrief is a Time, which is the hand up at one Minim and downe at the o­ther.

These Notes have often times an augmentation or addition of a prick which followes them, which is for the continuing or prolonging of the sound of that Note it follows, and the prick is halfe as much as the note which it follows: for example, if a prick be set after a Sembriefe, that prick addes a Minim more to him, and the Semibriefe which before but two Minims is now made to contain three Minims▪ the like is to the other Notes.

CHAP. VII. Of the Moods or Proportions of the Time, or measure of Notes.

THere are foure Moods, that is to say, The Perfect of the More, The Perfect of the lesse, Th [...] [Page 15] Imperfect of the More, The Imperfect of the Lesse: all these four have been of much use in former times. but what our late Masters of Musick have composed either for Voice or Instrument, make use onely of the two latter; that is to say, the Imperfect of the More, the Imperfect of the Lesse, one being called the Triple Time, the other the duple, or Common Time: however I will give you the definition of all foure in their order, and be more large upon the two latter, because of most use to all yong Practitioners.

The Perfect of the More is when all go by three, as three Longs to a Large, three Briefs to a Long, three Sembriefs to a Brief, three Minums to a Sem­brief, and his signe or mark is thus 𝇇3.

𝆶

𝆷𝆷𝆷

𝆷

𝆸𝆸𝆸

𝆸

𝆹𝆹𝆹

𝆹

톹텥톹텥톹텥

톹텥

톺텥톺텥

톺텥

톼텮톼텮

톼텮

톼텯톼텯

The Perfect of the Lesse is when all goe by two, except the Sembriefs, as two Longs to a Large, two Briefs to a Long, three Sembriefs to a Briefe, two Minims to a Sembriefe, &c. and his signe or marke is made thus (timeperf-prolatimperf-str)3.

𝆶

𝆷𝆷

𝆷

𝆸𝆸

𝆸

𝆹𝆹𝆹

𝆹

톹텥톹텥

톹텥

톺텥

톺텥

톼텮톼텮

톼텮

톼텯톼텯

[Page 16] The Imperfect of the More, is when all goes by two, except the Minims, which goes by three, as two Longs to a Large, two Briefs to a Long, two Sembriefs to a Briefe, three Minims to a Sembriefe, with a prick of Augmentation (else it would not beare the proportion of three Minims, which is cal­led a Time) and two Crochets to a Minim, &c. his Mood is thus signed 𝇊 and this is called the Triple Time.

𝆶

𝆷𝆷

𝆷

𝆸𝆸

𝆸

𝆹𝆹

𝆹·

톹텥톹텥톹텥

톹텥

톺텥톺텥

톺텥

톼텮톼텮

톼텮

톼텯톼텯

This Mood is much used in Ayery songs and Galliards, and is usually called Galliard or Triple time, and this Triple time is in some Lessons, as Co­ranto's, Sarabands, and Jigs brought into a Measure, as swift againe, for as before three Minims or Sem­briefs with a prick made a Time, in this three Cro­chets makes a Time, or one Minim with a prick, and this measure is knowne by this signe or mark 3j, which is usually called Three to one.

톹텥·

톹텥톺텥

톹텥·

톺텥톺텥톺텥

톹텥·

톺텥·톼텮톺텥

톹텥·

톺텥·톼텮톼텮톼텮

톹텥·

톼텮톼텮톼텮톼텮톼텮톼텮

[Page 17]The fourth and last Mood, which is the Imperfect of the Lesse, is when all goes by two, as two Longs to a Large, two Briefs to a Long, two Sembriefs to a Briefe, two Minims to a Sembriefe, two Crochets to a Minim, &c. and this is called the Duple or Sem­brief Time, and this Mood is thus marked 𝇍, and is usuall in Songs, Fantasies, Pavins and Almans, and the like.

𝆶

𝆷𝆷

𝆷

𝆸𝆸

𝆸

𝆹𝆹

𝆹

톹텥톹텥

톹텥

톺텥톺텥

톺텥

톼텮톼텮

톼텮

톼텯톼텯

Having in this Chapter given you the Definition of the foure Moods now used and their proportions, I think it not amiss to give you a short account of the five Moods used by the ancient Graecians in their severall varieties of their Musick, out of Mr. Butlers learned Treatise of Musick.

CHAP. VIII. The five Graecian Moods their Names. 1. The Dorick, 2. the Lydian, 3. the Aeolick, 4. the Phrygian, 5. the Ionick.

1. THe Dorick Mood consists of sober slow ti­med Notes (or counterpoint) which in com­position [Page 18] of parts goes Note for Note, be they of two, three, or four parts, as is usuall in Church Tunes to the usuall Psalms, by Mr. Ravenscroft and others in foure parts, and other pious Canticles in Meeter; and this Dorick had his name from Doria, a civill part in Greece neare Athens.

2. The Lydian Mood was used to grave, full, so­lemn Musick, the Descant or Composition being of slow time fitted to sacred Hymnes, as Anthems, or spirituall Songs in prose, sometimes in verses alone, and sometimes in a full Chorus of foure or five parts. This Mood had its derivation from the famous Ri­ver in Lydia called Pactolus, and the winding retro­grade Meander, representing thereby the admira­rable varieties of sounds in Musick in its passing by the chiefe Cities of Philadelphia and Sardis, being the Royall seat of the Rich Croesus.

3. The Aeolick Mood was that which was of a more Ayery and soft pleasing sounds, as your Ma­drigals, or Fa la's of five and six parts, which were composed for Viols and Voyces by many of our Ex­cellent English Authours, as Mr. Morley, Wilkes, Wilbey, Ward, and others, and had his derivation from Aeolia (a Kingdome of Aeolus) whence hee is faigned to send his rushing windes, the which do resemble this Mood, that is so commixt with fancy and Ayery sounds.

4. The Phrygian Mood was a more warlike and couragious kinde of Musick, expressing the Musick of Trumpets and other Instruments used of old, ex­citing [Page 19] to Arms and activity, as Almans, and the like. This Mood had it derivation from Phrygia (a region bordering upon Lydia and Caria) in which is Cios that martiall Mare Towne, and the most high hill Ida famous for the Trojan war: and many Histori­ans have written of its rare effects in warlike prepa­rations. (Suidas in litera T.) writes of Timotheus a skilfull Musitian, that when Alexander the Great was much dejected in his minde, and loath to take up Armes, hee with his Phrygian Flute expressed such excellent sounds and varieties of Musick that the Kings passions were immediatly stirred to war, and ran presently and took up Arms But the story of Ericus Musitian, passes all, who had given forth that by his Musick he could drive men into what af­fections he listed, being required by Bonus King of Denmarks to put his skill in practice, hee with his Harp or Polycord Lyra expressed such effectuall melody and harmony in the variety of changes in severall Keyes, and in such excellent Fugg's and sprightly Ayres, that his Auditors began first to be moved with some strange passions; but ending his excellent voluntary with some choice Fancy upon this Phrygian Mood, the Kings passions were altred and excited to that height, that he fell upon his most trusty friends which were neare him, and slew some of them with his fist for lacke of another weapon, which our Musitian perceiving ended with the so­ber Dorick: the King came to himselfe and much lamented what he had done. This is recorded at [Page 20] large by Kranzius lib. 5. Dania cap. 3. and by Saxo Grammaticus lib. 12. Hist. Daniae and others.

5. The Ionick Mood was for more light and effe­minate Musick, as pleasant, amorous Songs, Coran­to's, Sarabands and Jigs, used for honest mirth and delight in Feasts and other merriments. This Mood had its derivation from the Ionian of Ionia, which lies between Aeolia and Caria a situation full of all pleasure, whose plenty and idleness turned their ho­nest mirth into lasciviousness. By this Mood was the Pythagoreans Huntsup or morning Musick, which wakened and roused their dull spirits to study and action. The abuse of this Mood is soone reformed by the sober Doricke, for what this excites above moderation, the other draws into a true Decorum.

Heere followeth some plaine Directions for the Basse Violl, or Violl de Gambo.

THe Basse Violl is that which usually playes the ground or lowest part, which is called the Basse, and hath six strings, which are usually named thus: The first is called the Treble, the second the Small Meane, the third the Great Meane, the fourth the Countertenor, the fifth the Tenor or Gam-ut, the sixth the Basse: Or they may be called by the Notes they are tuned in; the first or Treble is D la sol re, the second A la mi re, the third E la mi, the fourth C fa ut, the fifth Gam-ut, the sixth Dou­ble DD sol re; and these six strings have seven frets, on which are stopt all Notes either flat or sharp, as appears by the following Table,

For the tuning thereof I shall give you two Rules, the first is by the Notes, the second by Letters. By Notes thus: first raise your Treble or first string as high as you conceive it will hold without breaking, then tune your second to be four Notes lower, and the third foure Notes lower then the second, and the fourth three Notes lower then the third, and the fifth foure Notes lower then the fourth, and the sixth foure Notes lower then the fifth, and sometimes it is tuned five Notes lower then the fifth, as being an eight or Diapason to the fourth string.

[Page 30]The second Rule for tuning is by eight Letters, which are A. B. C. D. E. F. G. H. and they are thus known, A is the string open, the other seven Letters are assigned to the seven Frets on the Neck of the Violl, B. being the first Fret, C the second, &c. First raise your Treble as high as it will beare, and then stop your second string in F. and tune it till it agree in sound with the Treble, then stop your third in F. and make it agree in sound with your second, then stop your fourth in E. and make it agree in sound with your third, then stop your fifth in F. and make it agree in sound with your fourth, then stop your sixth string in F. and make it agree in sound with your fifth: This being exactly done, your Violl will be perfectly in Tune. The next thing to be known is your Notes according to the Gamut on the 6 strings of your Violl, for which followeth an easie Rule.

Two short Lessons to begin on the Bass Viol.

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