Guido D Arezzo Research Paper

Guido d’Arezzo was alive during the 13th century, or medieval era, and is best known for changing the way music was notated. He invented modern musical notation in Italy with a four line staff system where the lines were colored to make it easier to recognize different note names. For example, the second line was usually red to show the note F, whereas the fourth (or top) line was colored yellow to indicate a C. His new way of notating music made it far easier for musicians to read and identify different intervals and notes throughout music. Guido d’Arezzo is thought to be the originator of solfege because d’Arezzo gave each note a name and notated pitches based on the name and where they fall on the horizontal line staff. Before this system, it
Guido d’Arezzo’s musical staff has been adapted over the years so music can be more accurately played and read. Our modern musical staff now has five lines and four spaces and more circular noteheads in comparison to d’Arezzo’s rectangular neumes. Guido d’Arezzo is also well known for the Guidonian hand, which was considered a mnemonic device he may have used to help people learn to sight sing. He would point to a different part of his hand which specified which note the singer was supposed to