How Medieval Monks Invented the Way We Write Music Today episode artwork

EPISODE · May 5, 2025 · 1 MIN

How Medieval Monks Invented the Way We Write Music Today

from The Classical Music Minute · host Steven Hobé, Composer & Host

Send us Fan MailDescriptionHow Medieval Monks Invented the Way We Write Music Today in 60 Seconds. Take a minute to get the scoop!Fun FactBefore musical notation, music was passed down by memory! Around the 9th century, monks created neumes—squiggly symbols above lyrics—to guide melodies. Guido of Arezzo later added the staff and pitch names. His system was so effective, it’s still the basis for how we read and write music today!__________________________________________________________________About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer & actor living in Toronto. Through his music, he creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his music website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.__________________________________________________________________You can FOLLOW ME on Instagram. 👋Please Buy Me A Coffee 🤓☕️Love classical music? There's more to discover.If you enjoyed this episode, you can read the companion article and subscribe on Substack at The Classical Music Minute. And for a brand-new narrated classical music story every day, download the Classical Minute app for iPhone.Until next time, I'm Steven Hobé. Thanks for listening to The Classical Music Minute.

Episode metadata supplied by the publisher feed · Published May 5, 2025

Embed this episode

Send us Fan Mail Description How Medieval Monks Invented the Way We Write Music Today in 60 Seconds. Take a minute to get the scoop! Fun Fact Before musical notation, music was passed down by memory! Around the 9th century, monks created neumes—squiggly symbols above lyrics—to guide melodies. Guido of Arezzo later added the staff and pitch names. His system was so effective, it’s still the basis for how we read and write music today! ___________________________________________________________...

Distinct summary based on available episode metadata or transcript content.

Ready to play

How Medieval Monks Invented the Way We Write Music Today

0:00 1:00

No transcript for this episode yet

We transcribe on demand. Request one and we'll notify you when it's ready — usually under 10 minutes.

No similar episodes found.

No similar podcasts found.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is this episode of The Classical Music Minute?

This episode is 1 minute long.

When was this The Classical Music Minute episode published?

This episode was published on May 5, 2025.

Can I download this The Classical Music Minute episode?

Yes. Use the download control on the episode player to save the publisher-provided media file.
URL copied to clipboard!