TEXTS ON MUSIC IN ENGLISH
School of Music
University of Nebraska--Lincoln
Lincoln, NE 68588-0100
(phone: [402] 472-2507; Internet: plefferts1@unl.edu)

Data entry: Peter M. Lefferts
Checked by: Peter Slemon
Approved by: Peter M. Lefferts

Fn and Ft: ITESTO1_MLBL2145
Author: Anonymous
Title: It es to myte
Source: London, British Library, Additional 21455, f. 9r.

[-f.9r-] It es to wyte that ther are. iij degres of discant. out of all this togeder es gaderd a contretenor. The first degre begenyth with acord that es cald vnisoune. the secud tone es the thredd. the thridd tone es the fyft. the iiij tone is the sext the fyft tone es the viij [and del.] and for nede he may take a tentt. Of thise v. acordes iij ere perfyte and two inperfite. The perfite ere vnisone and the fyfte that es diapente and the viij that es diapasoun. The inperfite tones ere thise the iij and the sext that es ditonus. It es to wyte that a man may noght with two perfyte tones of one acord as viij and viij. and v. and v. nouther assend no dessend with the playne song. Bot with the inperfyte tones he may.

It es to wyte that a man in the syngyng of the first degre bus haue a ymaginacion hym must ymagyn as thus unisoun v. notes beneth the playne song. the iijd. iij notes benethyn the pleine song. the fyft with the pleine song. With thise iij. tones ye sall sett rewell for rewell and space for space. As if the plein song be in the reuell ye sall sett unisoun in the iijd reuell beneth hym and the iijd. the ijd reuell beneth hym And on the same wyse if the plain song be in the space the sext the next note abouue the plain song the viij. iiij notes abouue the plain song.

Triplex. It es to wite that the secund degre has v. acordes of hymself and for ned he may take one of the first degre and another of the iijd degre. as the fyft of the first degre and the xiij [xvj?] of the iijd degre.

Of thise v acordes iij ere perfyte and two inperfite The perfite are thise viij and xii. xv. Inperfite ere. x and xiij. and of [hyse del. ms.] his rysyng and his assendyng as in first degre And it es to wite that the mo inperfite tones that a man synges in the trebull the meriere it es. A man sall imagyn v notes benene the pleine song the tent. the iij note beneth. the xij ewen with the xiij the next note abouue the pleine song the xv iiij notes abouue the plein song the xvij the sext note abouue the plein song. It es to wite that a man sall not begin nor ende in none inperfite tone nor two perfites togeder nor a man sall neuer syng a xiij bot ther felow a xv. To the quatrebull