Andreas Ornithoparcus his Micrologus, or Introduction: containing the art of singing Digested into foure bookes. Not onely profitable, but also necessary for all that are studious of musicke. Also the dimension and perfect vse of the monochord, according to Guido Aretinus. By Iohn Douland lutenist, lute-player, and Bachelor of Musicke in both the Vniuersities. 1609.

THE ELEVENTH CHAPTER.

Of Song and Transposition.

WHerfore a Song is a melody formed of a Sound, Mood, & Tone, by a liuely Voice. I say by a sound, because of the writing of the Notes, which improperly we call a Song: By the moode, I vnderstand rising and falling, because of the prayers which are read in an Vnison. By the Tone, because of the chirping of birds, which is comprehen∣ded within no Tone. For within a Syllogisme is moode and figure, that in a Song is the Tone and Scale. I say a liuely Voyce, because of Musicall Instruments. Or otherwise: A Song is the fitting of a liuely Voyce according to rising, and falling, Or (as Gafforus writeth in his Theoricks lib. 5. cap. 6.) it is the de∣duction of many Voyces from the same beginning. And this description doth properly agree to this progression of syllables, because it is not a Song.

Of the number of Deductions.

THere are therefore three Deductions of this kinde: the first is called ♮ durall, to be sung sharpely, because it requires mi in b fa ♮ mi, and in his Eights.

The second is b flat, which runneth with a sweet and flattering Harmo∣nie, and requires fa in b fa ♮ mi.

The third is neutrall, and is called naturall. For it receiueth in b fa ♮ mi, neither mi, nor fa: because it comes not to such places.

Rules for Deductions.

FIrst, Wheresoeuer Vt is put in the Scale, there is the beginning of some Deduction: where fa is put, there the middle: where la, there the end: as appeareth in the figure following.

In	C	Naturall,	F	b Moll	b	and ♮ dure	the beginning,
F	b	c	middle,
d	d	e	end.

The second Rule. Of which Deductions this or that rule is, you shall thus easily know. Consider the voice that is there to be sung, with which it descends to his foundation, I say to Vt: and where you find any such, see what Deduction begins so: for it will be of that Note which you seeke.

Of Transposition.

WHereupon Transposition is the remouing of a Song, or a Key from his proper place. For to transpose is to remoue a song, or a Key from the proper place. And Transposition is two-fold, viz. Of the Song and of the Key.

Of Transposition of a Song.

IT is the avoiding of Coniuncts, for whilst we striue to avoide Coniuncts, (because they marre the Song) we doe eleuate the Song from the proper place of his end, aboue to a Fift, as directly appeareth in the Responsorie, Ite in Orbem. 〈♫〉〈♫〉 I te in Orbem I te in or bem

Of the Affinall Keyes of Tones.

THe Keyes (which we call Affinall) be the Letters, which end irregular Songs: whereof according to Guido, Berno, and Saint Gregory, there be three: Although the Ambrosians make more.

Viz.	alamire	wherein ends	First	and	Second	transposed Tone.
b fa ♮ mi	euery Song	Third	Fourth
c solfaut	of the	Fift	Sixt

Now this irregularnesse of Songs (as writeth Pontifex 14. chapter of his Musicke) comes sometime by licence, sometime by the negligence of the Cantors, sometimes by reason of ancientnesse, which cannot be gainesaid, sometimes because of the Counterpoint, that the Base may haue place to descend.

Of the Transposition of a Rule.

FIrst, A Song of the seuenth and eight Tones is not transposed. Not vp∣ward to Dlasolre, as the Ambrosians are of opinion, because an Authen∣tick Tone hath no place of rising to the tenth, neither down to Cfaut, because a Plagall hath no place of falling to a fift: neither must you clime aboue eela, nor descend vnder Γ vt, as before hath been declared. Wherfore (saith Ioan. Pontif.) It is fit, that he which cannot haue a Vicar, doe administer his busi∣nesse himselfe.

2 A Song ending in Dlasolre, or in Cfaut, is either an Ambrosian Song, or corrupted with the ignorance of Cantors, as Pontifex saith; Whensoeuer in a Song of the fourth Tone, there fals any missing, let vs say, that it proceeds from the vnskilfulnesse of the Cantors, and is to be corrected with the cun∣ning of the Musitians. But the authoritie of the Gregorians admits no such Song.

3 The placing of one strange Voice in any Key, is a cause, why the whole Song is transposed.

4 Transposition is an helpe and excuse of the Coniuncts.

5 Let euery transposition be from a Finall, to a fift the proper Affinall:

vnlesse necessitie compell, that it be to be made to a fourth. For then are we forced to transpose it to a fourth, when after the Transposition to a fift more Coniuncts rise than were before: as in the answere, Quae est ista, vnder the third Tone may appeare. 〈♫〉〈♫〉 Quae est ista regu∣lariter. Transpositio quin∣taria non valens. Transpositio quar∣tariae bene valens.

6 The same Voices after Transposition are to be sung, which were sung before.

7 In irregular Songs transposed to a fift, you must sing Mi in b fa Γ mi in euery Tone, vnlesse it bespecially marked with fa.

8 In Songs transposed to a fourth, fa is alwaies sounded in b fa Γ mi: vn∣lesse Mi bespecially noted.

9 Transposition to a fourth is knowne, when a Song is ended by a voice which agrees not to his Scale. Or when in the beginning of a transposed Song, fa is found. To which transposition Saint Bernard seemes to be oppo∣site, in saying this: It is fit that they which propound to themselues an or∣derly course of life, haue also the Art of Singing; and restraine from the li∣berty * 1.1 of those men, which regarding rather likenesse than nature in Songs, disioyne those things which are ioyned together, and ioyne together those things which are disioyned, begin and end, make low and high, order and compose a Song, not as they should, but as they list: for by the foolish trans∣position that such men vse, there is growne such confusion in Songs, that most are thought to be of a contrary fashion.

10 A Song ending in Gsolreut, marking fa in b fa Γ mi is of the first or second Tone transposed to the fourth. And that which is in alamire, is of the third or fourth, as Quae est ista, and so of others.

Of the Transposition of Keyes.

THe Transposition of a Key is the raising or low carying of a marked Key for want of lines, of which there are these Rules giuen.

1 The transposition of Keyes doth not make the Song irregular, because it varies not the regular end.

2 By how much a transposed Key doth descend from the former going before; so much doth the following Note ascend aboue that transposed Key: and contrarily; as in the examples following is manifest. 〈♫〉〈♫〉 Haec sunt cōuiuia quātibi placēt ô patris sa pi en tia

Notes

• * 1.1

  Note.