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Abstract

New things are often viewed as being better and more advanced than older counterparts; however, new does not denote superior. Music notation serves as one example of an innovation that is both lauded and derided. Early forms of music notation appear vague and ambiguous according to modern standards. But when combined with oral traditions, early music notation contained all the information required for a successful performance. Most facts pertaining to the notation of each period are clear, but multiple interpretations of early notation exist. The objective of this research is to critically analyze key periods of Western music notation to formulate a model for the evaluation of early notation. The research methodology consists of engaging primary and secondary sources from historical documents. These sources include scores, early musical treatises, and contemporary interpretations. The concluded model asserts that early music notation seems insufficient, imprecise, and indefinite when compared to contemporary forms, but early notation cannot be removed from the context it served and evaluated through the scope of modern requirements. From the origin of neumes in the ninth century to the rhythmic developments of the Ars Nova period in the fourteenth century, the evolution of music notation progressed as series of innovations that worked alongside oral traditions to meet the musical demands of each period.