Franconian mensural notation
Notación mensural franconiana
- Date
- c. 1280 · confidence medium
- Place
- Paris, Île-de-France, France
- Credited to
- Franco of Cologne (or of Paris)
- Field
- Knowledge & symbols
⚠️ Disputed: the sources disagree.
What it is
A system giving each note shape a fixed duration value (longa, breve, semibreve), set out in the Ars cantus mensurabilis. It made it possible to write polyphonic rhythm precisely.
The author's identity (Franco of Cologne or of Paris) and the date (c. 1260-1280) are debated.
What it led to
- written rhythm in Ars nova polyphony
- modern bar lines and note values
- music printed with movable type