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The History and Uses of the Sol-Fa Syllables

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 January 2020

W. G. McNaught
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Extract

The object of this paper is to draw attention to a bye-path of musical history. The Sol-fa syllables now play an important part in elementary musical education. It may, therefore, be worth while to give a brief account of their birth and adventures.

Type
Research Article
Information
Proceedings of the Musical Association , Volume 19 , 1892 , pp. 35 - 51
Copyright
Copyright © Royal Musical Association, 1892

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References

∗ This “e” in the super-acute part of the scale is an addition made in the fourteenth century.Google Scholar

∗ Sir William Hunter, in his “The Indian Empire: Its People's History and Products” (pub. W. H. Allen, 1893), says, p. 152; “The Indian art of music (gándharva-veda) was destined to exercise a wider influence. A regular system of notation had been worked out before the age of Pánini (350 B c.) and the seven notes were designated by their initial letters. This notation passed from the Bráhmans through the Persians to Arabia, and was thence introduced into European music by Guido d'Arezzo at the beginning of the eleventh century. (Von Bohlen,” Das Alte Indien.” II., 195 (1830); Benfey's” Indien “(Erche & Gruber's Encyclop., XVII., 1840); quoted by Weber,” Hist. Ind. Lit.,” p. 172, footnote 315 (1878)]. Some indeed suppose that our modern word gamut comes, not from the Greek letter gamma, but from the Indian gáma (in Prákit, in Sanskrit, gráma), literally ‘a musical scale.’”Google Scholar

∗ See extract from Sir William Hunter's “The Indian Empire,” quoted on p. 38.Google Scholar

∗ The statement that Mr. Curwen invented the name Te was made in error, and was afterwards privately withdrawn by the gentleman who made it at the meeting.Google Scholar