Ancient ‘Solmisation’ and the Meaning of Notes

Abstract

When contextualising the ancient Greek solmisation system, known from Aristides Quintilianus and one of Bellermann’s Anonymi, within its musical and linguistic environment, it emerges that it hardly predates the Roman Imperial period, an important part of whose musical schooling it appears to have formed. The system seems based on a combination of the various vowels’ intrinsic F2 pitch and intensity and reflects the harmonic hierarchies of contemporary music, shedding a much more favourable light on the music-psychological relevance of Aristides’ gendered musical notes than is conventionally assumed.