We still call our scale degrees _ut_ (frequently changed to _do_), _re_, _mi_, _fa_, _sol_, _la_. The French today use these syllables instead of the letters of the alphabet, and Guido is known as the man who originated this solmization (the word taken from the syllables _sol_ and _mi_). Where did the syllable _si_, the seventh degree of the scale, come from? This hymn was written to St. John and in Latin his name is _Sancte Ioannes_, the initials of which form the syllable _si_ which came into use long after Guido’s time. This system was very difficult for the singers to learn as it was quite new to them, so Guido used his hand as a guide to the singers. Each joint represented a different syllable and tone, and a new scale began on every fourth tone. Look at the Guidonian hand on the next page. Guido was so great a teacher and musician that he was given credit for inventing much that already existed. He gathered all the knowledge he could find into a book, that was sent to the monasteries and music schools. He put in much that never before had been written down, explained many things that had never been clear, and added much that was new and useful. Sometimes his name was written Gui or Guion. When he lived people had no last names but were called by the name of their native towns; as Guido was born in Arezzo, a town of Tuscany, he was called Guido d’Arezzo; Leonardo da Vinci, the great painter, was born in the village of Vinci; and the great Italian composer Pierluigi da Palestrina came from Palestrina. Guido’s work was considered revolutionary and not in accord with the old ways which the church fathers reverenced. Because of plots against him, he was cast into prison. But the Pope, realizing his greatness and value, saved him. The inventors of new ideas always suffer! [Illustration: Hand] MENSURAL MUSIC OR TIMED MUSIC Before Guido invented it, there had been no system of counting time. If you are studying music, you know all about time signatures and what metre a piece is in, from the ¾, ⁶⁄₈, ⁹⁄₈, ²⁄₄, ⁴⁄₄ or sign Ⅽ at the beginning of the composition, but you probably do not know how or when these signs came into use. In the Gregorian plain song and in Organum, there was practically no variety of rhythm and no need for showing time or marking off the music into measures. The accents fell quite naturally according to the words that were sung, much as you would recite poetry. But as music grew up and became more difficult, it was necessary for a chorus singing in three or four different parts, to sing in time as well as in tune, in order, at least, to start and finish together!