The Writing of Music (Panel 1)

This panel starts (in the upper left corner) with singing using letters of the alphabet (9th-12th century AD). The Boethian system (German) was able to indicate two octaves, using the letters A-P. The Dasian (bottom left) was a medieval imitation of an ancient Greek system in which the syllables are indicated in the spaces, and the pitch is indicated to the left of the syllables on a staff. This example is for two voices.

By the 14th century in Italy, notes were written on a four-line staff (top center). The example below it is from the Plainchant style used by the Roman Catholic Church.

To the right are other notations, including music written on 5 and 6-line staves for the lute in the 16th century.