Neume facts for kids

A sample of the Kýrie Eléison (Orbis Factor) from the Liber Usualis.

A Neume is a way to write music. Neumes were mainly in the Middle Ages before the modern system of musical notation was developed. Sometimes they are also called neum in English. Neumes are different from modern notation:

• There is no exact idea of how high or low tune should be sung; there are only indications.
• Neumes do not show rhythm, extra symbols are used to show rhythm or intonation

Today, neumes are still used for some chants in Christian Churches, especially Catholic and Eastern Orthodox ones

Images for kids

• 

  "Iubilate deo universa terra" shows psalm verses in unheightened cheironomic neumes.

• 

  Digraphic neumes in an 11th-century manuscript from Dijon. Letter names for individual notes in the neume are provided

• 

  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.

• 

  "Gaudeamus omnes", from the Graduale Aboense, was scripted using square notation.

See also

In Spanish: Notación neumática para niños