Wire mesh is widely used to create temporary and permanent fences in summer cottages, it is used to strengthen concrete building structures, and cages and enclosures for livestock and poultry farms are also made from chain-link. In addition to those listed, there are many other areas of application of this material.
Various types of chain-link mesh are widely available on the market, however, in some cases it makes sense to make it yourself. Moreover, the technology and production conditions are not particularly complex. If you have minimal equipment, you can weave mesh in small quantities for your own needs, for example, to make cages for rabbits or a temporary fence in a country area. Some acquire automated equipment and begin production on an industrial scale with the aim of further marketing chain-link rolls.
Wire and decorations
Wire is the most important material that you can find in craft stores. It comes in different colors and textures, but as a rule, the base copper color is the most affordable.
This is what we recommend using for your first works, and only then moving on to more expensive color ones. Also, keep in mind that you can complement your crafts with any decorations, for example, beads, beads and any other material.
In addition to regular wire, you can find flat wire of various widths, twisted and even plastic threads. Usually preference is given to copper, since it is an extremely malleable, soft metal. Children and toddlers will enjoy fiddling with chenille wire because of its slight frills.
Manufacturing and installation
You can make a fireplace grate to order. Then this decorative element, made according to an original design, will reflect your taste preferences. It will be possible to weave a family coat of arms or initials into the ornament.
You can make a ventilation grille or any other one yourself. The main thing is to choose the material. Since we are talking about high temperatures, plastic cannot be used in this work.
When installing the ventilation grille, clearly calculate the location and direction of all elements. To do this, you need to know exactly where the warm currents are moving. Ideally, they should move indoors and only there. It is better to entrust the installation to a specialist.
Let's get started
In order to understand the principle of making crafts and feel how metal behaves in your hands, we recommend trying something simple first. Three-dimensional figures require a lot of skill and preparation, as well as high material consumption.
Types of gratings
There are several types of fireplace grates.
- Built-in. They are installed in the fireplace close to the fire.
- Separate. They are placed vertically, at some distance from the fire, on a support.
- Decorative grates for the fireplace. They are installed only when there is no fire. Made from ordinary non-fireproof metal. Such products have their own advantages - they can be decorated with almost all materials - from decorative stones and glass to gilding. And there is absolutely no risk that the flame will melt or ruin the pattern, since this is simply excluded.
Grilles do not have any restrictions in appearance and style, which is why there are a huge variety of them. But for greater chic, forged fireplace grates are installed. They come in two types:
- finished products, pre-made in the workshop. Typically, this is the pattern set that is most in demand in the market;
- forged gratings, made individually, to order. These are elite and especially elegant products, each of which is a unique creation of a master. You can choose a pattern for them yourself or use the services of professional designers.
Christmas tree
To create this decoration, which can serve as a unique gift, you will need very little effort. Make a base from copper wire by twisting it in a spiral. To prevent it from “walking” in different directions, help yourself with pliers, starting from the outer radius and moving towards the center. The more turns you make, the more stable your structure will be.
Next, make a trunk extending from the center two centimeters in height and begin to make volumetric turns, reducing their radius towards the top. The New Year tree can be decorated with tinsel and other decorations, giving it a festive look.
Ideas for framing and decorating the fireplace and adjacent wall
To ensure that the fireplace does not become an awkward spot, but fits harmoniously into the interior, it is necessary that it matches the overall style of the room. For example, an artificially aged vintage fireplace is ideal for a classic style.
A white false fireplace made of cardboard boxes against a background of white brickwork will be the ideal solution to liven up your apartment for the New Year holidays. This design can be decorated with candles, garlands, and Christmas tree decorations.
Decorative grates are equally good for a fake fireplace or a real one. For a false fireplace, they are made of wire and painted in the appropriate color. In a real fireplace, the grates are made of iron.
A grate can give your fireplace a special look. The imitation of the coat of arms makes it look like it came out of medieval paintings. A floral pattern, on the contrary, gives lightness and grace.
Ventilation grilles in the fireplace improve the air circulation process in the box. But in order for the much-needed element to have an aesthetic appearance, it is also decorated with various patterns and ornaments.
The walls adjacent to the fireplace can be decorated with family photographs, mirrors, all kinds of shelves and niches with souvenirs or books.
For the wedding
A wedding is a solemn event. Flowers, candles, white attributes - all this will add comfort and will look great. Delicate white flowers and a garland of paper hearts will look great against the backdrop of a large stone fireplace.
A white fireplace will sparkle with new colors if you place bouquets of roses on its shelf, alternating them with bright greenery. An interesting decorative element are panels with inscriptions, names and photographs of the heroes of the occasion.
For spring
After a long winter, I want my apartment to be filled with the freshness and aromas of spring. And if there is a fireplace in the room, then it should play a major role in this.
Decorating a spring fireplace is easy. To do this, you will need primroses, greenery and transparent vases (ordinary jars will do for lack of availability), which look light without overloading the interior. An imitation birdhouse made from a cardboard box would be very appropriate. This entire set is placed on the mantelpiece. You can hang a wreath of herbs on a colorful ribbon.
If you put several white ceramic jugs, a flowerpot with a bright sprig of parsley, and gardening tools on the mantelpiece, you will get a magnificent spring composition in a rustic style.
For Christmas
To decorate the fireplace for Christmas, the paws of coniferous trees are used, which are scattered in a chaotic manner on the mantelpiece. They are also used to make wreaths. The sparkle and extravaganza of the holiday is provided by bright toys, tinsel, electric garlands, candles, and citrus fruits.
A fireplace grate is a special accessory that prevents fire from escaping and spilling firewood from the open firebox of the stove.
However, the functionality of the grille or, as it is also called, the screen, is much wider.
Let's figure out what the benefits of this invention are.
Chameleon
The advantage of chenille wire is that even the simplest designs take on an unusual and intricate look. The chameleon will be made of several parts, one of which is the head.
Take a knitting needle and use the sharp end to make a small number of turns. From the head there should be a straight part of the wire equal to the future length of the body.
Next, make two pairs of legs and start making the body, similar to how it was for the caterpillar, leaving a small piece for the curved tail.
The next step is to pass the legs through the coils of the body and bend them, then insert the head into the body and secure a straight wire at the base of the tail - the chameleon is ready.
Types of epoxy handle decoration
Decorating a handle made of epoxy resin is called reinforcement. There are quite a lot of such options, depending on your imagination. But such a decorative element also carries a useful load, so the handle becomes stronger. Here are some simple reinforcement methods:
Beautiful flower
Beautiful works are not always difficult to make; for example, a flower is an ideal compromise of simplicity and an attractive image. There can be a lot of design options, and almost all of them relate to the design of the petals.
The stem is made of three parts - the base, on top of which there may be a bead, and leaves. For the petals, cut small pieces of metal thread and secure them at the base to give the future flower a colorful look.
Why do you need fireplace grates?
When installing a fireplace indoors, you must purchase high-quality grates for it. They will help bring a certain coziness, and also make gatherings by the fire safer.
With the help of this sophistication, you can add to your hearth the effect of lightness, grace and unique elegance and will make this symbol of family comfort even more attractive, and the overall appearance of the room - harmonious and complete.
You should also remember the practical side of their use. Fireplace grates keep logs and hot coals in the hearth and ensure its safe use indoors. In addition, they will not allow small children or animals close to the fire.
Butterfly
Butterfly is also a simple work, which can be complicated with experience using beads, seed beads and more ornate shapes. The wings can be either hollow or contain elements of the ganutel technique.
First, make the body of a butterfly, onto which you already string a head with antennae and wings, or prepare two identical halves, subsequently fastening them with a piece of wire.
Rules for using products
It should be remembered that epoxy resin is not a particularly durable material. It's more of a design raw material. It is necessary to take into account the loads that such a blade can withstand. Some operating rules must be followed. Here they are:
- do not leave the product dirty, rinse it with water after use;
- Direct sunlight is harmful to the material; do not leave the knife in such conditions;
- such a handle is afraid of falls and impacts, after which chips and cracks may form on the handle;
- It is not recommended to wash the product with cleaning agents; use only clean running water.
And so epoxy resin in everyday life does not cause any harm to humans and the environment. The material is considered environmentally friendly and harmless. But mainly such handles are used as souvenirs.
Toy soldiers
To entertain your child, you can try making a soldier with him. Having understood the principle of work, he will subsequently be able to independently engage in creativity.
For this craft you will need plastic wire of various shades. Using white, prepare the frame by sketching out the arms, legs and head.
There is no need to achieve an exact match to the original. Think about what position your soldier will be in; he may be on the move, in combat readiness, or drawing a weapon from a holster.
Use different colors to indicate items of clothing - pants, jacket, helmet and boots. The final touch will be the manufacture of weapons, which must also be done schematically.
Twisted epoxy resin micarta
The best experience would be to make micarta from epoxy glue. Craftsmen have been using this production method for a long time. The method involves coating multiple layers of fabric with epoxy glue. Suitable for these purposes: old pants, T-shirts or jeans.
The result depends little on the quality of materials. The most important thing is to saturate them well. To get a unique product and an interesting color scheme, you should dream up your own imagination. In general the process looks like this:
- Have you tried making your own micarta?
Not really
First you need to make a special pencil case from wood. It will contain fabric impregnated with epoxy resin. The pencil case must be made with a lid; it will need to be clamped with clamps to compress the workpiece. You should also prepare cling film and cover the insides of the pencil case with it. This is required to prevent the workpiece from sticking to the walls of the box.
- Work should be carried out in a well-ventilated area or forced exhaust is required. Chemical poisoning has not been canceled; impregnation of the fabric will take some time. It is better to carry out all work in a respirator. Choose a suitable location and begin to saturate the layers of fabric with epoxy resin. To make the final product more attractive, it is recommended to alternate colors.
- We put on gloves, take the resulting fabric pie in our hands and twist it thoroughly as much as we can. This way, it will be possible to expel all small air bubbles from the workpiece. Place the folded fabric in a pre-prepared pencil case. We close the lid on top and press it all down with clamps.
After 24 hours, the product should be ready. The material should be removed from the pencil case. Next, work is done with it as with regular micarta. You can cut it in all available ways lengthwise and crosswise, drill holes and generally do whatever your heart desires. Of course, everything will depend on the intended handle.
Twisted micarta handles.
Heart on a stand
Take children's wooden cubes for the base of our future craft, and then think about what shape will stand on it - it could be a heart or letters that form one word.
Make a long base with a simple curve at the top. Drill a small hole and insert our work there.
Features of forged fireplace grates
- It is best to choose fireplace grates in the same spirit as the rest of the interior. For example, when choosing a classic English style, you can get a laconic design without any pretentiousness. And Art Nouveau or Rococo allow the use of more artistic elements - curls, intricate complex patterns that you want to look at for hours. Adherents of the classics can choose simple symmetrical designs. But this does not mean that they will be uninteresting or ugly.
- If desired, you can engrave your initials or family emblem, which is prestigious in high circles. This requires painstaking and very delicate work.
When installing metal fireplace grates, you will forever get rid of worries about this part of the room. They are quite strong, resistant to high temperatures and are not damaged. But when choosing among them, do not forget to pay attention to the material from which the described interior decoration is made, as well as its service life. All material that is used to make these products must pass all necessary tests and have certain safety certificates.
Tree
Crafting a tree from wire is extremely easy to make, but it will require a considerable amount of material and time from you. The base can be placed in a decorative vase or in any other place. The trunk is made by twisting a large number of metal threads into a single whole, into which branches are subsequently woven.
Instead of leaves, use beads or decorative stones. Although this work does not seem difficult, practice on simpler things before making it.
Making your own grating
Making your own smoking net is quite simple.
This will require a minimum number of tools and materials that can be found in any home without any problems. It is enough to follow the simple instructions for assembling the grille and take all the necessary measurements correctly.
Which material to choose
You can choose different materials for the manufacture of this structural element, but it is best to give preference to reliable metals that will not be afraid of high temperatures during the smoking process.
Classification of materials and their properties
Each of the materials has certain properties, so you need to familiarize yourself with them in advance in order to choose the most suitable option in each individual case.
Cast iron product for grilling and grilling
This metal, which is heavy, will be an ideal material for making a grate that will be installed in a stationary smokehouse or barbecue. Cast iron is also used for large portable devices. Cast iron is not afraid of corrosion; if you use ready-made grates correctly, you practically do not need to care for them. The surface of this material can absorb fat. If after use you just rinse the grate and remove burnt-on food particles, a protective film will soon appear on the cast iron. In the future, there will be practically no residue left after smoking.
Made of stainless steel
This material is considered optimal for use in smokehouses. Stainless steel has high strength and is not afraid of moisture. It is easy to wash after use, but some products may burn during smoking, so in addition, stainless steel grates should be cleaned with a hard sponge and sometimes use special chemicals.
From iron
The material is considered the cheapest. Can easily withstand high temperatures, but will fade over time and may begin to rust. Iron bars need to be carefully maintained at all times. It must be perfectly clean and dried. In some situations, it is additionally worth using an sanding sheet.
Requirements for gratings
A grate that can be used in a smokehouse must meet certain requirements.
- Manufacturing should be fairly simple.
- The element should be installed as easily as possible in a particular smokehouse.
- The material should not be afraid of high temperatures, so that during heating it does not start to melt.
- Should be easy to wash.
- The material should not enter into chemical reactions with smoked products, nor should it rust or release substances hazardous to human health.
Traditional
Traditional grates, which are made by skilled craftsmen, are usually rectangular in shape. To manufacture a product of this type, it is customary to use corners that are welded together. A wire is attached to the top of them, the distance between which is on average 2-3 centimeters. Also, small holes can be drilled in the frame through which the wire used is passed.
On the body, it is necessary to weld special supports on the inside, with the help of which this smoking element will be installed.
It is enough to make 1-2 rows. In this case, you need to take into account what size the smokehouse chamber will be. You don’t have to make supports, but replace them with a regular welded frame.
A traditional grille can be made without corners. In this case, a fairly thick wire is taken or metal rods can be used.
Round elements
Round grates for smokehouses are made taking into account the circumference of the chamber. Making them is not as easy as traditional ones. You need to use a very thick wire that bends into a ring. It is very important to choose the correct element size. Then, a wire should be welded to the resulting ring, which should be parallel to each other. The distance between the wires should be no more than three centimeters.
Instead of rods, you can use special electrodes for welding, but they should be cleaned first. If you have a ready-made stainless steel grate, then you can carefully cut a circle out of it. It will have the required shape and will not have to be additionally welded to a special ring.
In order to install the grate in the smokehouse, it is necessary to make special supports on the inside of the smoking chamber. The most common hooks can be used for this. High legs can also be welded directly to the grill itself.
Simple element without welding
In order to avoid welding, you can use a mesh from an electric or gas stove, from a microwave oven, or from a shelf from an old refrigerator. Another option is to use a metal tray, in which a huge number of holes are made. For smoking, a barbecue grill or cast iron grates, which are usually installed in stoves, are suitable.
Specialized devices
In stationary brick smokehouses, specialized grates are installed. In such designs, the grilles cannot be removed after each use. The reason for this is the fairly large weight of the element. In some situations, the grate can be mounted directly into the walls of the smokehouse. A variety of methods can be used to produce such a lattice.
- Installation on ledges. The element will only hold on due to its weight.
- Attached using special fasteners. This will allow you to install it as securely as possible.
- Some barbecues may have folding grates.
- The fully integrated grate is installed during the assembly of the smokehouse.
Choosing the size, type and shape
It is necessary to select the size, type and shape taking into account the parameters of the smokehouse used. It is necessary to take accurate measurements to ensure that the product fits and is comfortable to use.
Making a frame
First you need to make a lattice frame.
For this, rods with a thickness of up to 5 mm can be used. The contour can be smooth or made in the form of a snake. Stainless steel sheets can be used for the frame, which makes it more durable. Another good option would be a steel pipe. Once the frame is ready, it’s time to start assembling the structure. The rods are positioned so that food does not fall into the holes between them. The optimal cell size is considered to be 1-2 centimeters. The frame must be fastened to the mesh using welding. You can also attach the wire using special clamps.
Making and attaching the handle
The handle can be used with a different design or made independently. Attaches to the grill using regular bolts.
Pendant
Any stone wrapped in an ornate wire frame turns into a beautiful handmade pendant. Just look at the photo below and understand how beautiful it can be with the right approach.
Polyurethane fireplace
If you are looking for the easiest and fastest method of creating a fireplace, you have come to the right place. All you need is to purchase a polyurethane fireplace portal. All that remains is to choose the style and size that will fit into the room, and the rest is a matter of technique. The body of such a fireplace is lightweight, and installation does not take much time. The photo shows what results can be obtained.
What will you need for the job?
That's all. All that remains is step-by-step instructions that will help you cope with the task. In fact, you don’t need to build anything, since you purchased a ready-made portal, which just needs to be fixed in place to the wall. Dust-free work:
You can make a fireplace out of wood using exactly the same principle. But it should be noted that the wooden portals that are on sale have a high cost. However, outwardly everything looks much more noble. Look at the photo to see what effect you can achieve if you put in the effort.
Tips for work
Looking at the photos of wire crafts, you may notice that there are one or two techniques per job. This decision is made by the masters for a reason and allows them not to overload the final result.
Do not combine chenille and copper wires in your crafts, as almost always the result will not be what you expect. If you have such a desire, or have unused material left, resort to the help of works presented on the Internet.
Use a soldering iron only when it is rational to use it, for example, it can be used to divide a thick wire into two parts or connect a piece of metal thread if it is impossible to attach it to a craft in any other way.
What types of barbecues are there?
There are many projects for creating a metal barbecue on your own.
Important! The height of the sides of the roasting pan must be sufficient (at least 15 cm), otherwise the meat will burn. Too high sides, on the contrary, will lead to excessive consumption of coals and increased cooking time.
Approximate dimensions of the barbecue
The remaining parameters of the barbecue can be chosen to your taste and depending on the length of the skewers. The height of the legs is also a personal matter for everyone, as is the thickness of the metal. The thicker the reinforcement, the more reliable the grill will be, but it will be more difficult to build.
What raw materials are needed for the work?
Different designs may require a different set of consumables and tools. As for the fittings, even rusty, old rods are quite suitable, because they will still remain strong and wear-resistant. Even scraps and remnants of rods used for construction and pouring the foundation are suitable.
Photos of wire crafts
Universal devices
The variety of oven grates is explained by the features and implementation of the necessary functions when used in different conditions. The main type according to purpose are independent universal devices. They can be used in many devices: a small prefabricated grill, a stationary or portable barbecue oven, a grill, if the design allows it, on a fire. A prominent feature of such gratings is the presence of handles for carrying. They are performed:
- Side - 2 short (used when there are no side walls in the cooking area, as in stationary stoves with a chimney).
- There is 1 long handle on the front (for small grilles).
- There are 2 long handles on the front (for large grilles for easy removal).
Universal grill oven accessories are made lightweight to reduce the weight of the grate loaded with food. For this purpose, wire or tubes are used as the material.
There are two- and single-plane universal grates for ovens. Only they have such a gradation. Representatives of the first variety consist of two meshes fastened to each other. Meat, fish, and vegetables are placed between them. Containing food in the oven grid allows you to turn all the food over the fire at once, saving time. Accordingly, a single-plane grill does not provide for this, and each part of the dish must be turned over separately using spatulas or forks.
At the same time, the disadvantage of a two-plane grill grate is that it is not possible to control the preparation of each piece of food. This may be associated with cases of uneven roasting of thick meat or burning of small pieces.
The shape of the universal device can be different:
- round,
- oval,
- rectangular.
Mesh sizes are not limited by any standards. Therefore, you can choose a specific option based on your individual needs.
Instead of a preface
The surprising thing is that, in fact, sheet music has evolved to make it as convenient as possible to sight-read. At the same time, to an unprepared person all this seems like Chinese literacy.
By the way, about Chinese literacy. There is a magnificent book with the ornate title “The Path of the Tailless Bird or Hieroglyphics According to the Method of Sherlock Holmes” authored by Adil Talyshkhanov. In the book, the author uses an original approach to teaching hieroglyphs, which turns out to be so productive that the first hundred hieroglyphs are memorized even before the reader has time to realize it. By the end of the book, the reader will confidently and without any problems master over a thousand hieroglyphs (tested on himself).
At the same time, the author writes that Japanese schoolchildren spend a whole year trying to master their first hundred characters (and the entire set is given six long years). But instead of a mnemonic approach, poor children cram the material in the traditional way. Hence the difference in time and efficiency.
In this article I will try to describe my approach to memorization, which notes correspond to which lines on the staff, and how you can make the memorization process natural and enjoyable.
What does time signature mean and what is a beat?
Every piece of music has a meter. But what is it? To understand this, we will have to become familiar with the concepts of pulsation, beat and meter.
You've probably been to concerts where the audience began to applaud the artist during his performance. At first the claps may sound discordant, but after a few seconds they still begin to sound simultaneously. People feel the pulsation, so they clap their hands evenly and synchronously. The uniformity that characterizes musical movement is PULSATION.
The pulse has its own unit of measurement, and it is called a HALT. The shares are uniform, but not equal in strength. There are strong beats and weak ones. The first beat is always strong, shown in red in the picture. Weak lobes are shown in blue.
The sequence of strong and weak beats creates the METER of the work. In this example we see three beats, but this is only one of the possible options.
The distance from one strong beat to the next strong beat is called TACT. In writing, measures are separated by bar lines.
Now we know what meter, beat, beat are, and we can talk about size.
The size of the product looks like a mathematical fraction, but without a dividing line. Here are some examples:
The top number tells how many beats one measure contains.
The bottom number indicates the duration of each beat.
The number located at the top indicates how many you need to count to in each measure (2, 4, 3, 6, etc.).
The number located at the bottom tells what durations you need to beat the pulse (quarters, eighths, etc.).
Despite the fact that the beats are uniform, the measures can be filled with notes of different lengths. So eighth notes, sixteenth notes, quarter notes and other durations can be combined in one measure.
Sizes can be simple or complex, but you can learn more about this in the article “Musical Size.”
Alterations - sharp, flat, becar
Music notation is full of various signs and some resemble hieroglyphs, which we will talk about.
Alteration in music is a change in the main degrees of a scale. These steps are represented by notes (Do, Re, Mi, Fa, Sol, La, Si). You can change the sound of the stage up or down. To indicate these changes, special signs were invented:
Sharp – raises the sound of a note by a semitone.
Flat – lowers the sound of a note by a semitone.
A semitone is the distance from one key to the nearest adjacent key.
In the picture below you can see the arrangement of sharps on a piano keyboard.
Please note that E sharp occupies the key of F. This happens because the distance between the E and F keys is only half a tone. As I said, sharp raises the note by a semitone, so it turns out that E sharp is F. The same will happen with B sharp, F flat and C flat.
And this picture shows the location of the flats:
Have you noticed that sharps and flats occupy the same keys? It turns out that D sharp is E flat? In part, you are right - the sound of these keys is absolutely the same, but they will have to be written down on paper in accordance with the rules that dictate tonality. Read more about tones in this article.
How to write sharps and flats correctly
Despite the fact that we first pronounce the name of the note and then the name of the accidental sign, when recording everything is done the other way around. First the sign, then the note. Take a look:
Bekar occupies an important place among the signs of alteration.
Bekar is a sign that cancels the effect of both flat and sharp. If you see such a sign before a note, it means that you need to play a regular white key. That is, a note without alteration. The bekar looks like this:
There is also a double-sharp:
and double-flat:
The first one looks like a cross and raises the pitch by two semitones (that is, a whole tone). The second looks like two flats in a row and lowers the degree by two semitones. Conventionally, if the note contains the note F double-sharp, then we will play the note G on the instrument.
This may seem strange, because why such difficulties when you could simply write the note G? It turns out that music has a lot in common with mathematics and it also has laws that cannot be broken. It was because of them that such signs as double-sharp and double-flat appeared. If you are interested in learning more about accidental signs, welcome to the article “Alteration Signs”.
For those who prefer to watch rather than read, I can recommend the YouTube channel of Irina Mashkovskaya, a teacher with many years of experience. Her lessons will not let you get bored, and the information is understandable even for children! Here is one of her many lessons.
What to do?
In order not to waste time, we must correctly orient our consciousness and initially operate with the correct abstractions. It is necessary to find an invariant that will not break when the key is changed. Even better if you can find a symmetry that allows you to learn less.
Both mathematicians and physicists unanimously say that a symmetrical object is easier to study. Laws and equations that use symmetry principles turn out to be significantly simpler than asymmetric alternatives.
Tycho Brahe devoted his entire life to astronomical observations and compiled detailed tables, on the basis of which Johannes Kepler derived his famous laws of motion of celestial bodies. Before Kepler, astronomers tried to predict the movements of the planets, but nothing useful came of it due to the excessive complexity of the trajectories when viewed from Earth.
So symmetry is the key to understanding.
Pauses
Pauses are measured according to the same principle as note durations. A pause can just as well be whole, half, etc. However, a pause can last longer than a whole note, and special names have been invented for such cases. So, if a pause lasts 2 times longer than a whole note, it is called a brevis; if it is 4 times longer, it is a longa; if it is 8 times longer, it is a maxima. A complete list of names with designations can be seen in the table below:
So, in today’s lesson you got acquainted with musical notation “from scratch”, got an idea of accidental signs, writing notes, marking pauses and other concepts related to this topic. We think that this is more than enough for one task. Now it remains to consolidate the key points of the lesson with the help of a verification test.
Who invented the notes
Let's start with a short historical excursion. It is believed that the first person who came up with the idea of denoting the pitch of sounds with signs was the Florentine monk and composer Guido d'Arezzo. This happened in the first half of the 11th century. Guido taught the monastery singers various church chants, and in order to achieve a harmonious sound of the choir, he came up with a system of signs indicating the pitch of the sound.
These were squares located on four parallel lines. The higher the sound needed to be made, the higher the square was located. There were only 6 notes in his notation, and they received their names from the initial syllables of the lines of the Hymn praising John the Baptist: Ut, Resonare, Mira, Famuli, Solve, Labii. It is easy to notice that 5 of them - “re”, “mi”, “fa”, “sol”, “la” - are still used today. By the way, the music for the anthem was written by Guido d'Arezzo himself.
Later, the note “B” was added to the musical series, the fifth line, treble and bass clefs, accidental signs, which we will study today, were added to the musical staff. In the Middle Ages, when letter notation was born, it was customary to start the scale with the note “A”, which was assigned the designation in the form of the first letter of the Latin alphabet A. Accordingly, the next note “B” received the second letter of the alphabet B.
Since the process of forming methods for recording sounds developed in different countries in parallel courses, different versions of notations arose. Thus, in the German musical tradition, the additional note “B” was assigned the letter H, following the letter G. This is due to the fact that among the Germans, the letter B was already occupied by the note “B-flat”, which was located immediately after the note “A”.
The modern understanding of the scale and its main steps developed in the 17th century, and the sound corresponding in pitch to “B-flat” was for a long time considered the basic element of the musical system, i.e. neither decreased nor increased. Today, the notation system in the form C, D, E, F, G, A, B is considered generally accepted. Although the designation of the note “B” in the form H can also be found. We have already begun and will continue to study the systems of notation and recording of notes on the stave, adopted in the modern world of music.
