The horizontal spacing of musical symbols: a brief historical overview

Abstract

Over the last 350 years or so the horizontal spacing of notes and rests has moved from a situation where the principle of equidistance between symbols (the most economical of space) is dominant to one in which the precise vertical alignment of musically coincident symbols and, to a smaller extent, the translation of temporal duration into horizontal distance is observed. The paper examines the reason for the change and some of its effects.

Keywords

• notation
• musical time
• perception / conception of music