m-MUSIC CLEF ORIGINS

Music Clefsverythin-blue-strip-1024x10SCROLL-CLEFS-Carpet

While researching music in libraries around the world, I took pictures of some early versions of Clefs. They are shown next to modern-day Clefs on my music-staff carpet.

verythin-blue-strip-1024x10

Clefs are music symbols found at the very beginning of the staff. 

In French “CLEF” means KEY.”

verythin-blue-strip-1024x10

Clefs are much like latitude/longitude lines on a map, in that they give you a fixed pitch location on the scale from which you can move to other pitches.
Clefs assign music-pitches to specific notated locations on the staff.  Clefs commonly used today, evolved and have an interesting history.

verythin-blue-strip-1024x10

What follows, is a ‘tale.’ Poetic license has been taken.
Remember, Q — our Maestro, asked me to ‘get’ creative and entertain too!
Please use your best imagination.
The year is 1581, and we have just arrived at the castle-home of Count Giovanni de’ Bardi, in the town of Vernio, north of Florence, Italy. 
Enjoy the Tale
UWminimenu