Author: Furio, Angelo

Title: Harmonic Culture of the Divine Office, for the benefit of Secular and Regular Clergy, written and organised by Brother Angelo Furio from Todi, Minor Conventual and Doctor of Sacred Theology. Second Booklet. A complete instruction on the intavolatura in relation to the keyboard, with the aim of teaching how to play the Organ, Spinet or other similar keyboard instrument.

Translated by: Massimo Redaelli

Source: Bologna, Museo Internazionale e Biblioteca della Musica, MS D.52, f.1r-15v

[-f.1r-] Second Booklet

A complete instruction on the intavolatura in relation to the keyboard, with the aim of teaching how to play the Organ, Spinet or other similar keyboard instrument.

On the names of they keys and their order.

Chapter 1.

The keyboard contains sequence the first seven letters of the alphabet, A, B, C, D, E, F, G, which are read according to the following musical terms: A la mi re, B fa b mi, C sol fa ut, D la sol re, E la mi, F fa ut, G sol re ut. Such sequence is repeated from the beginning ascending to the higher extremity of the keyboard. The series of these seven letters begins and ends in two ways on the keyboard, since it starts sometimes from C and sometimes from F. When it starts on C, it is followed in second place by the first black key, D, and by the second black key E. Beyond these first three keys, the sequence of the letters F G A B is read in the last four keys. The following white key is a C, which is an octave higher than the first key from the beginning. [-f.1v-] Thus, the same sequence is always maintained in the following white key, disregarding any intervening black key. If the first key of the keyboard is F, one continues to read the other letters in the following white keys, always continuing with the ottava stesa. There are, therefore, two types of keyboards in the so-called perfetti Istromenti, namely, one that starts on C and another one that starts on F. The difference between them consists in the fact that in the former, the C is followed immediately by the first two black keys, D and E, and, leaving aside the third black key, one continues by reading F on the second white key, albeit it is placed a little behind those black keys; in the latter, that starts on F, this key is followed immediately by two white keys, namely G and A, followed by a third black key called b molle. It has to be noted that the first three keys (C, D and E) are called, in one word, Mireut, because these three syllables identify the three notes within the scale of the proceeding from the C sol fa ut, so that a keyboard beginning on C will have the Mireut, but not one beginning on F.

As to the black keys that come after the first two of the aforesaid Mireut, one has to start by saying that the letter B is of two kinds, one called round b, which, as it is less harsh to the ear, is called b molle, and another one, opposite to the former, that is called [sbq] or b duro. Hence, it follows that said letter [-f.2r-] encompasses two notes and their two keys. We read the letter of the b molle in the black key, and the one of the [sbq] duro in the adjacent white key. We do this in every one of their octaves. The first of the other following black keys, is called c major, and the second one d major. The first of the group of three occurring after the Mireut is called f major, the second one g magior and the third one b minor or b molle. Thus, the letter note that can be major or minor, is indicated as major when it has a diesis, and as minor when it is without it. In every note the black key is employed to indicate a major letter, except in the case of b and e, in which case the white key is used for the major letter and the black one for the minor one. This is what pertains to the practical knowledge of the keyboard, but, as it must be related to the intavolatura, one must acquire first the notion of the musical clefs, note values, time signatures and proportions that have to be applied under the beat. On this basis, one will have to observe the scale that is shared by the keyboard and the intavolatura, which consists of the staff lines, the clefs and the notes for both hands, noting that such a scale contains only white keys, except for the key of b molle, which is black. The other black keys correspond to the same note letters, clefs and notes of the white ones, with the division of each into major and minor, as shown above.

[-f.2v-] [Furio, A complete instruction, f.2v; text: Scale of the keyboard corresponding to the intavolatura, c, d, e, f, g, a, C, D, E, F, G, A]

The upper of the two staffs applies to the right hand. It contains two clefs, namely the one of C sol fa ut on the first line and the one of the G sol re ut on the third one. The lower staff is used for the left hand. It also contains two clefs, namely, the one of F fa ut on the fourth line and the one of C sol fa ut on the sixth one. Moreover, the upper staff of the intavolatura consists of six lines at the most. Here, however, two other lines have been added towards the end to accommodate the very highest notes. Similarly, the lower staff consists of a maximum of eight lines, but two extra lines have been added at the beginning to indicated the very lowest notes, so that such supplementary lines for the right and for the left hand are added to each stuff to indicate exceptionally high and low notes, but they do not for essential part of the intavolatura.

[-f.3r.-] On the variety of the sounds of the keys.

Chapter 2.

The previous chapter provided a general overview of the keyboard in relation to the intavolatura, purely with regard to the names of the keys and to their sequence. In this chapter, I shall examine the different sounds contained in the different intervals of the notes or letters corresponding to the keys. It has to be understood, therefore, that the variety of the sounds of the keyboard is contained within the span of the octave, in which we count eight species of intervals, which can be divided into seventeen species. As to their genre, the intervals are the unison, the second, the third, the fourth, the fifth, the sixth, the seventh and the octave. Each of them, except for the unison and the octave, can be divided into several species. The unison is a sound consisting of several notes evened out in a single undivided letter. It is only accidentally different from the octave, namely as to its high or low pitch, while the following intervals differ one from the other in essence, and they create different species of sound. One must note that the unison is placed in music as the first interval in the same way as the number one is the first number in arithmetic, namely, as the origin of the other numbers, despite not being a number itself. Similarly, the unison is not actually an interval, as it does not concern any difference or distance between a note and another one, as it proper of other intervals and required of them.
The interval of the second is the distance between two different and adjacent sounds. It is divided into three species, namely, one tone, and two semitones. The tone consists of nine commas or diastemata, namely, portions, that are the smallest particles of sound within each interval. [-f.3v-] interuallo le minime particelle del suono. The larger of the two semitones, the major semitone, consists of five commas, and it occurs between two adjacent and different letters. The minor semitone amounts to four commas, and it occurs within a single letter divided into a hard and soft sound.

The third is the span of two intervals that occurs between three letters or notes, and it is divided into major and minor third. The former is called ditone, as it consists of two tones; the latter is called semiditone, which amounts to one tone and one semitone.

The fifth is the distance of four intervals between five letters. It is divided into three species, namely, one major and two minor. The major is called false by excess and consists of four tones. One of the two minor fifths is true and good, it consists of three tones and a semitone, and it is called diapente, while the other one is called false by defect, it consists of two tones and two semitones, and it is called semidiapente.

The sixth is the distance of five intervals contained within six letters and called hexachord. It is divided into major and minor. The former consists of four tones and a semitone; the latter of three tones and two semitones.

The seventh is the distance of six intervals comprised between seven letters. It is called heptachord, and it is also divided into major seventh and minor seventh. [-f.4r-] The former consists of five tones and a semitone, while the latter of two tones and two semitones.

The octave is the span of seven intervals contained within eight notes. It is called diapason, it consists of five tones and two semitones, and it contains all the other intervals within itself.

If we add together the unison, three seconds, two thirds, three fourths, three fifths, two sixths, two sevenths and one octave, the total amounts to seventeen intervals, which number corresponds to the different intervals occurring between the keys.

On the consonant or dissonant intervals

Chapter 3.

The consonant intervals within the octave are, as to their genus, the unison, the third, the fourth, the fifth, the sixth and the octave. As to their species, we regard as consonant intervals, as for the third, both the major and the minor one, as to the fourth, the diatessaron, as to the fifth the diapente, and as to the sixth, both the major and the minor one, as in the case of the third. All of these are simple consonances, namely, they are not generated by previous ones. The consonances produced by these are, consequently, called compound consonances. Thus, just as the octave derives from the unison, so do all the others that are reproduced an octave higher, such as the tenth, the eleventh, the twelth and the thirteenth. Again, the fifteenth derives from the octave, the seventeenth from the tenth, the nineteenth from the twelfth, the twentieth from the thirteenth, and, again, the twenty-second from the fifteenth, and so on, with the addition of the number seven ad infinitum. Moreover, some of those consonances, and some of their compound ones, [-f.4v-] are perfect, while others are imperfect. The perfect ones are the unison, the fifth and the octave. The imperfect are the third and the sixth. The fourth, with its compound ones, is placed cautiously among the consonances, as it is in itself an interval of a certain indifference, not only among the perfect and imperfect consonances, but also between consonant and dissonant sounds. Thus, when it is employed alone without the accompaniment of another interval, it is neither completely consonant or dissonant, but a kind of insipid sound that is useless in several parts, except for certain attractive passages and suspensions, when it is resolved by a consonance according to well-devised rules, as composers know well. When said fourth is accompanied at the same time with a fifth underneath it, it becomes a perfect consonance. Similarly, if it is accompanied by a third underneath it, it becomes an imperfect consonance. The dissonances are also divided into simple and compound, and they are the second and the seventh together with the others that derive from them. In particular, the dissonances consists of the tone, the two semitones, the tritone, the semidiatessaron, the major fifth, which is named false by excess, the minor fifth, called false semidiapente by defect, and, finally, the two sevenths, major and minor, which altogether add up to nine dissonances. One must be aware that the two semitones, major and minor, are always indicated by these two signs, # and b, commonly know as sharp and flat sign, since the sharp sign raises the note by a minor semitone consisting of four commas (indicated by the four criss-crossing lines), while the flat sign lowers the sound by a major semitone, which consists of five commas. Thus, if one ascends from mi to fa or descends from fa to mi [-f.5r-] across two adjacent letters, the major semitone is created, which occurs between the letters e and f when one proceeds in the natural system, between a and b in the flat system, and between the two notes [sbq] and c in the sharp system. However, since the natural system can be transposed one tone downwards, in the same way as the sharp and the flat one are transposed, in which case we read mi fa between the two letters d and minor e, corresponding to a black key on the keyboard, it follows that the major semitone occurs also between those two letters. Thus, the minor semitone is banished from all the aforementioned intervals. Moreover, since every letter, except those that include mi, can be divided into major and minor, we conclude that the minor semitone is excluded in every interval that comprises mi, while the major semitone occurs only in the interval between mi and fa. Here follows an illustration of said semitones in all three systems. Note that the minor semitone is indicated with the sharp sign when ascending, and it is cancelled with the flat sign when descending. The same occurs in the case of the major semitone, with this difference: just as the major semitone becomes a tone in ascending with the addition of the sharp sign, equally, it becomes a tone in descending with the addition of the flat sign, while the minor semitone remains always a semitone with the addition of those signs.

[Furio, A complete instruction, f.5r; text: Esempio, Semituono maggiore, Tuono]

[-f.5v-] In this example, it is possible to observe that the interval between the second note of the minor semitone and the following one form a major semitone. However, those two notes are equivalent to mi fa in transposition. Moreover, in such transpositions we must employ the minor semitone instead of the major one, particularly when, in a cadence, one has to finish on one of those notes that are flanked by the two semitones on either side, of which the preceding one is the minor semitone and the following one the major one. These notes are E la mi and [sbq] mi on the white keys, and minor C sol fa ut, F fa ut, e G sol re ut on the black keys. The reason for this is that the preceding semitone lacks a comma to produce the cadence correctly. This can be seen clearly in every cadence where [-f.6r-] the aforesaid semitones are placed in reverse order, with the minor semitone following the note that resolves the cadence. In fact, since the preceding semitone contains five commas and it is not too small, the cadence turns out correct and pleasant to the ear. For this reason, many makers add to the instruments other notes with split keys wherever the minor semitones are found on the keyboard, and they compensate to the aforesaid inconvenience through these split keys, instead of the ordinary ones. Again, one must consider that the two signs, sharp and flat, can be natural or accidental. They are natural when they are placed, in some vocal and instrumental pieces, at the beginning of the staff, after the clef and on the corresponding position of particular notes. In this case, they must be applied to all the notes occurring in those positions until the end of the piece without the need for them to be repeated, unless they are negated by other signs. Conversely, we call such signs accidental, when they are not placed, as previously said, at the top of the staff, as in the previous case, but within the staff itself and among the notes. In the intavolatura, such signs are placed underneath the relevant notes, as a rule.

[Furio, A full instruction, f.6r]

[-f.6v-] On the tones or modes of music.

Chapter 4.

An integral skill for those who play from the intavolatura is the ability to respond, on the organ, to the tones of the choral plainchant sung by the clergy in church. The aforesaid tones or modes are of twelve kinds, as it was shown in the previous booklet on plainchant. However, so that players of intavolatura may acquire sufficient knowledge of them, we shall illustrate them again. In music, a tone or mode is a harmonious enclosure that contains the species of the first three and principal consonances, namely, the fourth, the fifth and the octave, which are called in Greek Diatessaron, Diapente and Diapason, respectively. Since said species can be combined with each other in twelve ways, for this reason they form the aforementioned twelve tones or modes. Thus, there are seven species of the octave, each consisting of five tones and two semitones. The first one is contained within the first and second A la mi re; the second by the first and second [sbq] fa b mi; the third by the first and second C sol fa ut; the fourth by the first and second D la sol re; the fifth by the first and second E la mi; the sixth by the first and second F fa ut; the seventh by the first and second G sol re ut.

[Furio, A complete instruction, f.6v; text: Esempio, A, a, [sqb], C, c, D, d, E, e, F, f, G, g]

[-f.7r-] The species of the fifth are four, and each consists of three tones and a semitone. The first species is Re la, the second one is Mi mi, the third is Fa Fa, and the fourth is Ut Sol. The species of the fourth are three, and each consists of two tones and a semitone. The first one is Re Sol, the second one is Mi La, and the third one is Ut Fa.

[Furio, A complete instruction, f.7r; text: Esempio, Specie della Quinta, Quarta, d, a, e, [sbq], f, c, g, d]

Let us come now to the composition of the tones. The first one is formed of the first species of the fifth upwards, Re La, and by the first species of the fourth, Re Sol, and it is contained within the fourth species of the octave. The second tone is formed of the same species downwards, Re la and Sol re, and it is contained within the first species of the octave. The third tone consists of the second species of the fifth Mi mi going up and of the second species of the fourth, Mi La. It is contained within the fifth species of the octave. The fourth tone comprises the same species downwards, namely, Mi Mi and La Mi, and it is contained within the second species of the octave. The fifth tone consists of the third species of the fifth upwards, Fa Fa, and of the third of the fourth, Ut Fa, being contained in the sixth species of the octave. The sixth tone is formed of the same species going downwards, namely, Fa fa and Fa Ut, and it is contained within the third species of the octave. The seventh tone is created by the fourth species of the fifth going up, Ut Sol, and by the first of the fourth, Re Sol, and it is contained within the seventh species of the octave. The eighth tone consists of the same species taken downwards, namely, Sol Ut and Sol Re. It is contained within the fourth species of the octave. The ninth [-f.7v-] tone is formed of the first species of the fifth upwards, Re La, and of the second species of the fourth, Mi La, and it is contained within the first species of the Octave on the second A la mi re. The tenth tone is formed of the same species going downwards, namely La Re and La Mi, being contained within the fourth species of the octave. The eleventh tone consists of the fourth species of the fifth upwards, Ut Sol, and of the third of the fourth, Ut Fa, and it is contained in the third species of the octave on the second C Sol fa ut. The twelfth tone is composed of the same species going downwards, namely, Sol Ut and Fa Ut. It is contained within the seventh species of the octave. Six of these twelve tones are called authentic, which means primary, and the other six are called plagal, or collateral. The authentic ones have the fourth above the fifth, while the plagal ones have it beneath. Each authentic tone and its plagal form a couple, where the first tone is always authentic and the second one is always plagal. Both end on the same final note, which is also the first of the shared fifth.

[Furio, A complete instruction, f.7v; text: Esempio, Autentici, Plagali, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12]

[-f.8r-] The organist must be able to distinguish the regular and irregular cadences in every tone, always employing the regular ones and avoiding the others, especially at the beginning, in the middle, and at the end of his playing. Regular cadences are called the ones that occur in the specific species of the tones, and also in the notes contained within said species. The irregular ones, conversely, are the ones that occur on other notes and outside of the specific species.

[Furio, A complete instruction, f.8r; text: Esempio, Cadenze regolari sopra gl'Autentici, 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, Plagali, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12]

[-f.8v-] On the transposition of the tones.

Chapter 5.

The organist will also have to be prepared to make a diversion in this playing in order to accommodate the choir by answering in tones transposed upwards or downwards. He must take care, however, to reproduce the intervals of the natural tones when transposition is required. If they are not found, they will be procured by the addition of sharps and flats. After removing, first of all, their own final notes, it will be possible to transpose them onto these other notes G A b C D E F. In other words, it will be possible to conclude the first and second tone on G, the third and fourth one on A, the fifth and sixth one on b, the seventh and eighth one on C, the ninth and tenth on D, and the eleventh and twelfth on F. Thus, the first, second, third, fourth, sixth, eighth and tenth tone will be transposed a fourth higher, while the seventh, ninth, eleventh and twelfth tone will be transposed a fifth lower.

[Furio, A complete instruction, f.9r; text: Esempio, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12]

Nevertheless, one must be consider that some tones, such as the first, fourth and sixth, have a medium range, and, therefore, must not be transposed, as a rule. Others, such as the third, fifth, seventh, eight and the following four, are lay considerably high. Of these, the third may be transposed a tone lower, the fifth a third or fourth lower, the seventh to the fourth [-f.9v-] lower, the eighth a tone lower or a fourth lower, and the last four either a fourth or a fifth lower. Only the second lays particularly low, and thus may be transposed a tone or a fourth higher. Said tones can also be transposed by smaller or larger intervals, but not without inconveniencing who sings and plays.

[Furio, A complete instruction, f.9v; text: Esempio, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, Un tuono basso. terza bassa, quarta, quinta, alto]

Moreover, the organist, when answering to the plainchant according to the rules, must be acquainted with the beginning and the end of every chant, so that he may know of what tone it is and he may imitate it assuredly. [-f.10r-] Now, leaving aside all others, we shall talk about the tones of some of the most important chants and about the notes that they require.

The hymn Te Deum laudamus is of the twelfth tone. The organist answers it at the fifth lower, namely, in F fa ut, always with the b flat, and proportionally on other notes in some verses that vary the cadence.

The Marian antiphons sung at the end of compline have their tones in the following way. Alma Redemptoris Mater is of the eleventh tone and it must be sung on the natural notes of C sol fa ut. Ave Regina caelorum and Regina caeli are both of the twelfth tone and are transposed to the fifth below, F fa ut. Salue Regina is of the first tone and must be played on on the natural notes of D la sol re.

In the masses of double feast days, the Kyries are of the first tone and end on D la sol re. The Gloria is of the fourth tone, and its verses all end on E la mi. The Sanctus is of the eighth toe, but it is transposed a tone lower, namely, to F fa ut. The Agnus Dei is in a mixed tone, and is played on F fa ut. In the Sunday mass and of the semi-double masses, the Kyrie is of the first tone and ends on D la sol re. The Gloria is also fo the first tone, and its verses have to be organised in this way. The first one must be played in D la sol re, the second one in C sol fa ut, the third one in E la mi and the remaining one in D la sol re.

In the mass of the Virgin, the Kyrie is of the first tone, which ends on D la sol re. The Gloria is of the seventh tone, which has to be transposed to the lower fifth, namely, C sol fa ut, except for [-f.10v-] verses eight, nine and ten, which are Domine Fili, Domine Deus and Qui tollis, which must conclude on G sol re ut interspersed with the minor third, which becomes major at the end. The Sanctus and the Agnus Dei are of the eleventh tone, and they conclude on the natural note of C sol fa ut.

Finally, if the organist has to play a fantasy, a fuga, or any other similar piece not based on a plainchant, but on his own invention, he will always have to pay attention to the particular species of the chosen tone, especially at the beginning, in the middle section and at the end. For instance, if a fuga has to begin in the first tone, whose species are re la and re sol, which are contained within D sol re, a la mi re and d la sol re, if one hand starts the fuga in the tenor or in the soprano in D la sol re, so that it sings re la, the other hand must start with the bass or the contralto in A la mi re, so that it sings re sol. In fact, if he wanted to imitate re la with the fifth from A la mi re to E la mi, he would make a mistake, as such fifth does not belong to the first tone, but to the ninth. Similarly, if the organist wanted to imitate the re sol, with the fourth from D la sol re to G sol re ut, he would make a mistake, because such fourth belongs to the seventh tone, and so on with regard to the other tones. Sometimes it happens, because of negligence, that, while the organist must play in the fourth tone, he abandons its particular notes to use the notes of the third tone. Similarly, the fifth and sixth tone, which must be played in the natural system, are played as in the flat system. The organist believes to avoid the error by supplying the lower F fa ut with a perfect fourth, but he is wrong, because in the natural system the flat must be used only accidentally in order to avoid the tritone between F faut and [sbq] mi, as in the first tone, but not as it were part of the natural system.

How to reduce a composition to intavolatura.

Chapter 6.

If one wants to intavolare a piece written in separate parts or in score, be it in two, three, four or more voice, it will be necessary to place the soprano part in the upper stave, with each bar containing two beats. Then, the bass part will be written in the lower stave, taking care that its notes are aligned with those of the soprano. The beams of the notes of the bass will be drawn downwards, while those of the notes of the soprano will be drawn upwards to provide more space to accommodate the inner parts. Once this has been done, the tenor will be added to the lower stave above the bass. It will form with it one of the following consonances: Unison, third, fifth, sixth or octave. If the interval that it forms with the bass is greater than an octave, it will have to be placed in the upper stave under the soprano. The contralto will be placed either under or above the tenor, but never under the bass. If it forms a larger interval than an octave with the tenor, it will be written in the upper stave under or above the soprano. It is important to note that the tenor at times is lower than the bass. In that case, both the tenor and the contralto will have to be placed in the lower or upper stave, as it is better in order to write out the diminutions. When one part forms an unison with another one, and both introduce a subject or an answer or an imitation, one must play the unison with the hand that can sustain the sound more comfortably, while the other one proceeds in its journey. Similarly, when an imitation starts from the unison, it is necessary to allow it to sound by striking the unison in the first or second part of the beat. When the lines or [-f.11v-] spaces of either stave are occupied by another part, one must avoid to write the corresponding rests, to avoid to complicate the notation. However, the crotchet or quaver rests are sometimes indicated, in order to clarify the entry of particular parts. When one reduces to intavolatura compositions for more than four parts, since there are many similar parts in such works, such as, for instance, two basses, two tenors, etcetera, one must be careful never to leave out the part that has the imitation, while ensuring that the imitation stands out as much as possible. Moreover, sometimes the soprano and the bass are so far apart and distant, that one cannot play the consonances with either hand. In this case, if one of the parts imitates, it must not be omitted at all, but, when some parts play an consonant accompaniment, one will be allowed to rearrange them in the best possible way, so that the harmony may not lack any of said consonances. For instance, if the soprano is so far removed from the bass that the hands cannot reach the inner parts, one may play other accompaniments. Similarly, when the imitation is in the inner parts, or when one of the inner parts does so, if one wants to transpose the bass an octave higher, one must be careful that the tenor part produces a fourth under the bass, while it is also possible that a soprano part transposed an octave lower might muddle the inner parts. If this occurs, it will be possible to transpose the soprano a third, or fourth or fifth lower, as long as it works well with the other parts and it does not produce two fifths or two octaves. [-f.12r-] With regard to diminutions in the intavolatura, when the ornamented part starts, one must take care to strike the beginning of the consonances as much as possible, in order to allow all the parts to be heard, while ensuring that the first and last note coincide with the part that is embellished, and that the embellished part proceeds to seek out the following note, whether by stepwise motion or by leap. If it moves by step, the last note of the embellished part can leap an octave higher or lower, as long as it reaches the following note. This will produce no ill effect at all. When diminutions are applied to an imitative entry, all the following entries must display the same diminution. Find herewith the diminutions on each of the four parts of the same passage.

[Furio, A complete instruction, f.12r; text: Esempio, Sogetto, Soprano, In altra maniera, Contralto, Tenore, Basso]

[-f.13r-] Of the movement of the fingers on the keys.

Chapter 7.

There are many ways that fingers can move around on the keyboard. For instance, they can touch one key at a time or several together, one can play with just one of the hands, or with both of them together, or one can ascend towards the right hand-side of the keyboard, or one can descend towards the left hand-side of it. Thus, [-f.13v-] if one has to touch a key at a time with the right hand, in ascending by step-wise motion one starts with the index finger, following on with the middle finger and the ring finger alternating them without employing the index finger again. If one ascends by the interval of a third, a fourth and a fifth, one has to employ first the index finger followed by the ring finger, if one returns to the previous note, but, if one continues moving upwards, one must use the index finger again after the leap, continuing the subsequent movements with the most comfortable fingers. In descending by step, we start from the ring finger, followed by the middle finger and the index finger alternatively without using the ring finger again. If one descends by a third, a fourth and a fifth, we use the ring finger first, followed by the index finger, in turn followed always by the fingers that feel more comfortable. If one has to play a key at a time with the left hand, the step-wise ascending motion begins with the ring finger, followed by the middle finger and the index finger alternating, without using the ring finger again. If the movement is by the interval of a third upwards, if one has to go back down, one uses first the ring finger, and then the index finger. The other keys are played following the sequence of the three central fingers. However, if one ascends by a larger leap than a third and and then descends again, one uses the ring finger followed by the thumb, carrying on, as we said above, following the sequence of the three centra fingers. If the passage continues to rise after the leap, we shall follow the rule of ascending by step and by leap.

In a passage that descends by stepwise motion, one starts with the index finger or with the thumb, especially after a short rest. The other fingers then follow one after the other. When one descends by the leap of a third, but then one has to move back upwards, [-f.14r-] the thumb is used first, then the ring finger. However, if the passage progresses downwards, one shall use the thumb, followed by the index finger and the ring finger. When the descent is by a leap of a third, fourth or fifth, if the passage then moves again upwards, one will use the index finger followed by the middle finger. However, if the descent continues, one shall employ the thumb first, followed by the index finger or by another more comfortable finger. The small finger is used only extremely rarely in some leaps that cannot be reached with ease by another finger. When two notes are played at once with the right hand, the keys that form the interval of a third or of a fourth are played with the index finger and the ring finger together, while the keys that form the interval of a fifth or a sixth are played with the index finger or with the little finger. In the left hand, the keys forming an interval of a third or of a fourth are played with the ring finger and with the index finger, while those forming the interval of a fifth or of a sixth are played with the ring finger and the thumb or with the little finger and the index finger, according to what proves easier. If one of the hands has to play three keys at once, for instance, when the left hand plays a full octave, a full fifth or a full sixth in either hand, the fingers will have to be organised in the following way. When the left hand plays an octave intersected by another key in the middle, the fifth will be at the bottom, and the fourth at the top. In this case, the little finger will be placed at the bottom, the index finger on the second and middle key, and the thumb on the third and top key. The intersected fifth will have a third either side of the middle key. If, after having played said fifth, the hand will proceed upwards, the first of the three keys shall be played with the little finger, the middle one with the ring finger, and the third one, at the top, with the index finger. However, if the hand proceeds downwards, one shall use the thumb, the index finger and the ring ginger. In the right hand, [-f.14v-] regardless of the subsequent motion, one must always use the index finger, the ring finger and the little finger. We shall come now to the intersected sixth, which is divided into a third and a fourth. When the third occurs above, one will use the little finger, the middle finger and the index finger in the left hand. Conversely, if the third is located beneath the fourth, the thumb, the index finger and the ring finger shall be used. In the right hand, if the third is located above, we shall use the index finger, the ring finger and the little finger, but, if it is located beneath the fourth, we shall use the index finger, the middle finger and the little finger.

In the suspensions of the fourth, second and seventh, the fingers will be laid in the following way. In the right hand, the second must be played with the index finger and the ring finger, or with the middle finger and the ring finger, according to how it proves more comfortable. The resolution shall be played always with the index finger, while the other finger remains still. The fourth shall be played alone or sometimes together with the fifth, and sometimes with the sixth. When it is alone, the index finger shall be employed with the ring finger, with the resolution played with the ring finger itself. When it is played together with the fifth or with the sixth, we shall always use the index finger, the ring finger and the little finger, and it shall be resolved with the middle finger. As for the seventh, we shall use the index finger and the little finger, which finger will also play the resolution. In the left hand, the second will be played with the index finger and the thumb, or with the middle finger and the index finger. If it is played in the first manner, it will be resolved with the middle finger, while, when it is played in the second way, it will be resolved with the ring finger. The fourth will always be played with the ring finger and the index finger, or with the ring finger and and the thumb. In either case, it shall always be resolved with the index finger. The seventh will be played with the little finger and the index finger, or with the index finger and the thumb, and it will be resolved by the index finger.

[-f.15r-] On the rule to observe when tuning the instrument.

Della regola da osseruarsi nell'accordare l'Instrumento.

Last chapter.

When, at the beginning of this little book, the seven notes, namely, A, B, C, D, E, F, G, were mentioned, it was presumed that the Reader would be familiar with the monochord connected to Guido's six notes, Ut, Re, Mi, Fa, Sol, La. Said monochord begins on Gamma ut, which, on our instrument, consists of the third white key. Hence, when one begins to tune, one must leave aside the lowest notes, which occur beneath the second C, consisting in the first eight notes, if they include the Mi re ut. If they do not, we leave aside only five notes, and we begin to tune from the aforementioned second C, which corresponds to C fa ut on the monochord. It will be tuned at an appropriate pitch, together with its lower and higher octave, according to the qualities and character of the instrument. A larger harpsichord with a full tail and strung with silver or brass strings needs to be tuned at a lower pitch than a smaller instrument without a full tail, or a rectangular spinet strung with steel strings. Otherwise, the sound will prove dead and unattractive, or the strings will break after a short time. Once the first octave of the note C are tuned together and well balanced, the major third above it will be tuned, namely, the E la mi, together with its collateral octaves. The third will have to be resonant and pleasant to the year. One should apply this instruction of tuning the octaves above and below to all the following fifths and sixths. After the notes c and e have been tuned, one will tune the fifth above C fa ut, namely, G sol re ut, [-f.15v-] but not completely perfect. Next, it will be the time to tune the other fifths above it, namely, d la sol re with g sol re ut, a la mi re with d la sol re beneath it, e la mi with a la mi re beneath it, and [sbq] mi with E la mi beneath it.

All these fifths must be a little wide, as it was said earlier about the one between g sol re ut and c sol fa ut beneath it. After these intervals are tuned, one must tune the fifth of F fa ut with the c sol fa ut above it, making it a little narrower than perfect, and sharper, contrary to the other fifths listed above. Then, in the same way, the lower b fa with the f fa ut above it, and the black e la mi with the b fa above it, remembering, as we said earlier, to tune with them the octaves below and above them.

Finally, we shall tune the minor semitones between their thirds, in this way. The semitone of C sol fa ut must for a major third with the lower a la mi re, and a minor third with e la mi above it. The same will be done for the minor semitone of F fa ut and the one of g sol re ut, in such a way that it will be placed between two thirds, the lower of which is major and the one above it is minor. The same will be repeated throughout all of their octaves. One has to know that, the designated reductions of the fifths of g sol re ut with the lower c sol fa ut, of d la sol re with the lower g sol re ut, of a la mi re with the lower d la sol re, of e la mi with the lower a la mi re, and of [sbq] mi with the lower e la mi, as well as, conversely, of the widening of the fifth of F fa ut with the c sol fa ut above it, all contribute to the correct tuning, because the participation that crops the thirds and the sixth derives from them.