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: Jonathan Haupt
Checked by: Peter Slemon
Approved by: Peter M. Lefferts

Fn and Ft: ITESTO3_TEXT
Author: Anonymous
Title: It es to wyte
Source: Thrasybulos Georgiades, Englische Diskanttraktate aus der ersten Hälfte des 15. Jahrhunderts: Untersuchungen zur Entwicklung der Mehrstimmigkeit im Mittelalter, Schriftenreihe des Musikwissenschaftlichen Seminars der Universität München, Band 3 (Selbstverlag und Auslieferung: Musikwissenschaftliches Seminar der Universität München, 1937), 27-28.

[-27-] It es to wyte that ther are III degres of discant. Out of all this togeder es gaderd a contretenor. The first degre begenyth with acord that es cald vnisoune; the second tone es the thredd; the thridd tone es the fyft; the IIII tone is the sext; the fyft tone es the VIII and for nede he may take a tenth. Of thise V acordes III are perfyte and two inperfite. The perfite are vnisone and the fyfte, that es diapente and the VIII, that es diapason. [-28-] The inperfite tones are thise: the III and the sext, that es ditonus. It es to wite that a man may noght with two perfyte tones of one acord, as VIII and VIII and V and V nonther assend no dessend with the playnesong. Bot with the inperfyte tones he may. Is es to wyte that a man in the syngyng of the first degre bus haue a ymaginacon hym must ymagyn as thus: vnison V notes beneth the playnesong; the IIId, III notes benethyn the pleinesong; the fyft with the plainesong. With thise III tones ye sall sett rewell for rewell and space for space; as if the pleinsong be in the reuell ye sall sett vnison in the IIId rewell beneth hym and the IIId, the IId reuell beneth hym and on the same wyse if the plainsong be in the space. The sext the next note abouue the plainsong; the VIII IIII notes abouue the plainsong.

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 IIId degre,as the fyft of the first degre and the XVII of the IIId degre. Of thise V acordes III are perfyte and two inperfite. The perfite are thise: VIII and XII, XV. Inperfite are X and XIII and of 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 [the VIII] V notes beneue the pleinesong; the tent, the III note beneth; the XII ewen with; the XIII, the next note abou the pleinesong; the XV, IIII notes abouu the plainsong; the XVII the sext note abouue the plainsong. It es to wite that a man sall not begin nore ende in none inperfite tone nore two perfites togeder and a man sall neuer syng a XIII bot ther folow a XV.

To the quatrebull.