Re: Ancient notation?

[Owen Davidson <owend...>]

There is an old system of numic notation used in southeastern Europe.  I've
seen it, but don't know it.  The shape of the melody is described by a
series of squiggles resembling Arabic calligraphy.  There is no absolute
tonal reference, so the same marks can be used in any key.  The numes tell
you where the music goes, but not where it is.  They refer only to where you
were before, and if you lose your place, all you can do is go back to the
beginning and retrace your path.  The system seems similar to Torah trope,
but I'll leave that matter to someone else on the list who knows more about it.

Apropos of the model of music as pathway, the Greeks call their melodic
modes "dhromi," or "roads."

OBD

At 03:55 PM 3/15/98 EST, you wrote:
>Given the enormous antiquity of Jewish music, it occurs to me that there may
>be (or may have been) a writen version of tone/tune recording antedating the
>modern staff convention that began to emerge, I suppose, around the Dark Ages.
>Does anyone know?
>
>Stan Thompson
>
_________________________________________________________________________
        Owen Davidson, Amherst, Mass.
        The Wholesale Klezmer Band

        The Angel that presided o'er my birth
        Said Little creature formd of Joy and Mirth,
        Go love without the help of any King on Earth. 

                                Wm. Blake