E-text prepared by David Newman, Linda Cantoni,
and the Project Gutenberg Online Distributed Proofreading Team
(/).
Thanks to Alex Guzman for the realization of the figured bass in Figure 67,
and to Bunji Hisamori and the Classical Midi Connection
(http://www.classicalmidiconnection.com)
for the MIDI sequence of the Beethoven Sonata Op. 31, No. 3.
Transcriber's Note: This e-text containsUnicode characters representing music symbols (sharp, flat, and natural)that may not display properly in your browser or font. A mouse-hoverdescription of these symbols has been provided, e.g.:A♭G♯C♮.
MUSIC NOTATION
AND TERMINOLOGY
By KARL W. GEHRKENS, A.M.
ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF SCHOOL MUSIC
OBERLIN CONSERVATORY OF MUSIC
THE A. S. BARNES COMPANY
NEW YORK 1914
Copyright, 1914, by
THE A. S. BARNES COMPANY
PREFACE
The study of music notation and terminology by classes inconservatories and in music departments of colleges and normal schoolsis a comparative innovation, one reason for the non-existence of suchcourses in the past being the lack of a suitable text-book, in whichmight be found in related groups clear and accurate definitions of thereally essential terms. But with the constantly increasing interest inmusic study (both private and in the public schools), and with thepresent persistent demand that music teaching shall become moresystematic and therefore more efficient in turning out a moreintelligent class of pupils, it has become increasingly necessary toestablish courses in which the prospective teacher of music (afterhaving had considerable experience with music itself) might acquire aconcise and accurate knowledge of a fairly large number of terms, mostof which he has probably already encountered as a student, and many ofwhich he knows the general meaning of, but none of which he perhapsknows accurately enough to enable him to impart his knowledge clearlyand economically to others.
To meet the need of a text-book for this purpose in his own classes theauthor has been for several years gathering material from all availablesources, and it is hoped that the arrangement of this material inrelated groups as here presented will serve to give the student not onlysome insight into the present meaning of a goodly number of terms, butwill also enable him to see more clearly why certain terms have themeaning which at present attaches to them. To this latter end the[Pg iv]derivations of many of the terms are given in connection with theirdefinition.
The aim has not been to present an exhaustive list, and the selection ofterms has of course been influenced largely by the author's ownindividual experience, hence many teachers will probably feel thatimportant terms have been omitted that should have been included. Forthis state of affairs no apology is offered except that it wouldprobably be impossible to write a book on this subject which wouldsatisfy everyone in either the selection o