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: POWERTR3_TEXT
Author: Power, Leonel
Title: Treatise upon the Gamme
Source: Manfred Bukofzer, Geschichte des englischen Diskants und des Fauxbourdons nach den theoretischen Quellen, Sammlung musikwissenschaftlicher Abhandlungen, Band 21 (Strassbourg: Heitz, 1936), 132-136.
Graphics: POWERTR3 01GF-POWERTR3 12GF

[-132-] This Tretis is continuid upon the Gamme for hem that wil be singers or makers or techers. For the ferst thing of alle they must know how many cordis of discant ther be.

[-133-] As olde men seyen and as men sing now adayes ther be 9. But whoso wil sing manerli and musikli he may not lepe to the 15 in no maner of discant. for it longith for no mannys voys, and so ther be but 8 acordis aftir the discant now usid. And whoso ever wil be a maker he may use no mo[re] than 8. And so ther be but 8 fro unisoun unto the 13. But for the Quatrebil syghte ther be 9 acordis of discant: the unisoun, 3, 5, 6, 8, 10, 12, 13 and 15. Of the whech 9 acordis 5 be perfite and 4 imperfite. the 5 perfite be the unisoun, 5, 8, 12 and 15. the 4 imperfite be the 3, 6, 10 and 13. Also thou maist ascende and descende with al maner of cordis excepte 2 acordis perfite of one kinde as: 2 unisouns, 2 fifts, 2 eyghts, 2 twelfthis, 2 fiftenthis. with none of these thou maist neyther ascend neyther descende.

But thou must cun sette thes acordis togeder and medele hem wel, as I shal enforme ye. Ferst thou shal medle with a 3 a 5, with a 6 a 8, with a 10 a 12, with a 13 a 15. Undir the whech 9 acordis 3 syghtis be conteynyd: the Mene sight, the Trebil sight, the Quatrebil sight, and other also of thi 9 acordis, how thou shalt imageyn betwene the plainsong and thi discant here folnithe ensample.

Ferst to enforme a childe in his counterpoint he most imagine his unisoun the 8 note fro the plainsong benethe, his 3 the 6 note benethe, his 5 the 4 note benethe, his 6 the 3 note benethe, his 8 evyn with the plainsong, his 10 the 3 note aboue, his 12 the 5 note above, his 13 the 6 note above, his 15 the 8 note above the plainsong.

The Quatreble sighte:

[Power, TreatiseBu, 133] [Notenbeispiel No. 1] [POWERTR3 01GF]

Of the Quatrebil sighte nedith no ferther to imagine. For thou maist imagine fro C sol fa ut unto A la as thou hast do fro C fa ut unto C sol fa ut.

[-134-] The Treble sighte:

[Power, TreatiseBu, 134,1] [Notenbeispiel No. 2] [POWERTR3 01GF]

Of these 2 sightis nedith no ferther more to imagine. But here folwith ensamplis of diverse plainsongs, how thou shalt discant hem by diverse wise and how thou shalt discant betwene la and ut and ut and la, and how thou shalt imagine in singing thyne acordis. And also to soune wel the imaginacion of thi discant.

1. First for Thirde and Fifte. thou shalt have thi plainsong: re, ut, mi, re, fa, mi, sol, fa, la, sol. Anto the same plainsong thou maist discant a 6 with an 8, a 10 with a 12, a 13 with a 15.

[Power, TreatiseBu, 134,2; text: 3, 5, 8, 10] [Notenbeispiel No. 3, 1] [POWERTR3 01GF]

2. For 2 Thirdis with a 5 than re, mi, ut, fa, mi, re, sol, fa, mi, la, sol, fa shal be thi plainsong. 2 sextis with a 8, 2 tenthis with a 12, 2 thirtenthis with a 15,

[Power, TreatiseBu, 134,3] [Notenbeispiel No. 3, 2] [POWERTR3 02GF]

3. For 3 thirdis with a 5 than fa, mi, re, ut, sol, fa, mi, re, la, sol, fa, mi is thi plainsong. And to the same plainsong thou maist discant 3 sextis with a 8, 3 tenthis with a 12, 3 thirtenthis with a 15.

[Power, TreatiseBu, 134,4] [Notenbeispiel No. 3, 3] [POWERTR3 02GF]

Now thou knowist how thou shal discant a 3 with a 5, 2 thirdis with a 5, 3 thirdis with a 5 to these plainsongs. Now must thou know how thou shal discant thi 3 with a 6, thi 3 with a 8, thi 5 with a 6, thi 5 with a 8, thi 5 with a 10, thi 5 with a 12, thi 6 with a 3, thi 6 with a 5, thi 6 with a 8, thi 6 with a 10, thi 6 with a 12, thi 8 with a 10, thi 8 with a 12, thi 10 with a 5, thi 10 with a 6, thi 12 with a 10, thi 12 with a 13, thi 12 with a 15, thi 13 with a 12, thi 13 with a 15, thi 15 with a 10, thi 15 with a 12.

These acordis must thou kun sette togeder as I have here enformid the[e] if thou wilt medle well thi counterpoint.

[-135-] Third and Sixte and Eighte.

[Power, TreatiseBu, 135,1] [Notenbeispiel No. 3, 4-6] [POWERTR3 02GF]

Third with a 8.

[Power, TreatiseBu, 135,2] [Notenbeispiel No. 3, 7-9] [POWERTR3 03GF]

Fift and Sixte.

[Power, TreatiseBu, 135,3] [Notenbeispiel No. 3, 10] [POWERTR3 03GF]

Fift and Eighte.

[Power, TreatiseBu, 135,4] [Notenbeispiel No. 3, 11] [POWERTR3 03GF]

Fift and Tenth.

[Power, TreatiseBu, 135,5] [Notenbeispiel No. 3, 12] [POWERTR3 03GF]

Fift and 12.

[Power, TreatiseBu, 135,6] [Notenbeispiel No. 3, 13] [POWERTR3 03GF]

Sixte and 3.

[Power, TreatiseBu, 135,7] [Notenbeispiel No. 3, 14-16] [POWERTR3 04GF]

Sexte and Fift.

[Power, TreatiseBu, 135,8] [Notenbeispiel No. 3, 17] [POWERTR3 04GF]

Sixte and 8.

[Power, TreatiseBu, 135,9] [Notenbeispiel No. 3, 18] [POWERTR3 05GF]

Sixte and 10.

[Power, TreatiseBu, 135,10] [Notenbeispiel No. 3, 19-21] [POWERTR3 05GF]

Also ther is a rwle [rule] that descanteris may sette and sing 3 imperfite acordis togeder and it is treu bothe of one keende and of diverse kendis. Exemplum: of one keende as: 3 thirdis, 3 sextis, 3 tenthis, 3 thirtenthis. Exemplum of diverse keendis as: a imperfite of one keende with a imperfite oft another keende as: a 3 with a 6. So we may sette and sing in diverse keendis 6 imperfits, in one keende as 3 imperfits and no more.

Also Sixte and 10.

[Power, TreatiseBu, 135,11] [Notenbeispiel No. 3, 22] [POWERTR3 06GF]

For a Sixte and 12.

[Power, TreatiseBu, 135,12] [Notenbeispiel No. 3, 23-25] [POWERTR3 06GF]

For a Eyghte and a 10.

[Power, TreatiseBu, 135,13] [Notenbeispiel No. 3, 26-28] [POWERTR3 07GF]

For a Eyghte and 12.

[Power, TreatiseBu, 135,14] [Notenbeispiel No. 3, 29] [POWERTR3 07GF]

For Tenthe and 12.

[Power, TreatiseBu, 135,15] [Notenbeispiel No. 3, 30-31] [POWERTR3 07GF]

For Tenthe and 6.

[Power, TreatiseBu, 135,16] [Notenbeispiel No. 3, 32-34] [POWERTR3 08GF]

For Tenthe and tenthe.

[Power, TreatiseBu, 135,17] [Notenbeispiel No. 3, 35] [POWERTR3 08GF]

For a Tenthe and a 12.

[Power, TreatiseBu, 135,18] [Notenbeispiel No. 3, 36] [POWERTR3 08GF]

For a Tenthe with a 13.

[Power, TreatiseBu, 135,19] [Notenbeispiel No. 3, 37] [POWERTR3 09GF]

For a Tenthe with a 15.

[Power, TreatiseBu, 135,20] [Notenbeispiel No. 3, 38-40] [POWERTR3 09GF]

For a Twelfe with 5 or 6.

[Power, TreatiseBu, 135,21] [Notenbeispiel No. 3, 41-44] [POWERTR3 10GF]

For Twelfe and 10.

[Power, TreatiseBu, 135,22] [Notenbeispiel No. 3, 45] [POWERTR3 10GF]

For Twelfe, Tenthe and Fiftenthe.

[Power, TreatiseBu, 135,23] [Notenbeispiel No. 3, 46] [POWERTR3 10GF]

[-136-] For Twelfe and Thirtenthe.

[Power, TreatiseBu, 136,1] [Notenbeispiel No. 3, 47] [POWERTR3 11GF]

For Twelfe and Fiftenthe.

[Power, TreatiseBu, 136,2] [Notenbeispiel No. 3, 48] [POWERTR3 11GF]

For a Thirtenthe betwene 2 Twelfes with a 10.

[Power, TreatiseBu, 136,3] [Notenbeispiel No. 3, 49] [POWERTR3 11GF]

For a Thirtenthe with a Fiftenthe.

[Power, TreatiseBu, 136,4] [Notenbeispiel No. 3, 50] [POWERTR3 12GF]

For a Fiftenthe with a 10.

[Power, TreatiseBu, 136,5] [Notenbeispiel No. 3, 51] [POWERTR3 12GF]

For a Fiftenthe with a 12.

[Power, TreatiseBu, 136,6] [Notenbeispiel No. 3, 52] [POWERTR3 12GF]

And here an Ende. But who wil kunne this Gamme wel and the ymaginacions ther of and of his acordis and sette his perfite acordis with his imperfite acordis, as I have rehersid in this Tretise afore, he may not faile of his Countirpoint in short tyme. Quod Lyonel Power.