Keyboard tablature


A keyboard tablature is a form of musical notation for keyboard instruments. Widely used is some parts of Europe from the 15th century, it co-existed with, and was eventually replaced by modern staff notation in the 18th century. The defining characteristic of the notation type is the use of letters to indicate pitch as well as other symbols for rhythm and other required precisions.

Historical details

The earliest extant music manuscripts written in tablature notation date from the first half of the 15th century, with the oldest example, a German manuscript dating from 1432, containing the earliest known setting of a partial organ mass as well as a piece based on a cantus firmus. These manuscripts used letters to identify pitch, with the upper voice typically written in mensural notation. This style was also present in other German-speaking areas, such as Austria. These manuscripts contain valuable information as to the evolution of the music from the period, with extensive evidence of the influence of vocal, and later dance music, on early instrumental music. This practice which could still be seen in collections from the 16th century eventually led to the full fledged Baroque dance suites of later centuries. Tablature was also featured in some early printed music books, with an example dating from 1512.
Differences with later notation include that the upper voice would eventually come to be written using letters as well, a practice which was popularised in the latter part of the 16th century, and contemporary examples of musical notation, such as Samuel Scheidt's Tablatura Nova, may initially have been written in the so-called "new German organ tablature", favored by organists for reading contrapuntal works since the voices were strictly aligned vertically. This style of notation would remain in use in Germany up until the time of Bach, and the music of some composers of the period remains available only in manuscript tablature. format
In other countries, such as France, England or Italy, keyboard notation was similar to its modern day form, and while there are isolated examples of tablature from England, there is no evidence that such use was as widespread as in Germany or Spain.

Notation

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Citations