Mensural notation grew out of an earlier, more limited method of notating rhythms in terms of fixed repetitive patterns, the so-called rhythmic modes, which were developed in France around 1200. Besides these, some purely instrumental music could be written in various forms of instrument-specific tablature notation. Mensural notation was employed principally for compositions in the tradition of vocal polyphony, whereas plainchant retained its own, older system of neume notation throughout the period. Its modern name is inspired by the terminology of medieval theorists, who used terms like musica mensurata ('measured music') or cantus mensurabilis ('measurable song') to refer to the rhythmically defined polyphonic music of their age, as opposed to musica plana or musica choralis, i.e., Gregorian plainchant. The term 'mensural' refers to the ability of this system to describe precisely measured rhythmic durations in terms of numerical proportions between note values. Mensural notation is the musical notation system used for polyphonic European vocal music from the late 13th century until the early 17th century. lines 4–6 in the manuscript), in mensural notation and modern transcription. Upper voice of the 'Christe eleison' part of Barbireau's Kyrie (cf. For mensural level, see Beat (music).Įarly 16th-century manuscript in mensural notation, containing a Kyrie by J.

Flat io clef middle of measure