Neume facts for kids
A neume is a special way to write down music. People used neumes mainly in the Middle Ages, which was a long time ago, before we had the modern way of writing music notes. Sometimes, you might hear them called "neum" too.
How Neumes are Different
Neumes are quite different from the music notes you see today. Here are some key differences:
- Neumes do not show the exact height or depth of a tune. They only give a general idea of whether the music should go up or down.
- Neumes do not show the rhythm of the music. Special extra symbols were sometimes used to show rhythm or how the voice should rise and fall (called intonation).
Where Neumes are Used Today
Even though they are very old, neumes are still used today! You can find them in some chants in Christian Churches. They are especially common in the Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches.
Images for kids
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"Iubilate deo universa terra" shows psalm verses in unheightened cheironomic neumes.
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Digraphic neumes in an 11th-century manuscript from Dijon. Letter names for individual notes in the neume are provided
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Cistercian neumes, St. Denis/St. Evrault, North France, 12th century. (Quon)iam prevenisti eum in benedictione and Offertorium. In omnem terram exivit sonus. Variation of the letter F to the left of each line.
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"Gaudeamus omnes", from the Graduale Aboense, was scripted using square notation.
See also
In Spanish: Notación neumática para niños
