General Info: Guido was a monk of the Benedictine order from the Italian city-state of Arezzo. He stated in a letter that he as 34, it is assumed that his birthdate could be around 991 or 992. He has been known as the father of modern music. Of his life little is known and that little is derived from the dedicatory letters to two his treatises and addressed to Bishop Theodald of Arezzo and Michael, a monk of Pomposa and Guido's pupil
Background
Guido was born in c. 990 in Italy. He was a composer, music theorist, teacher, choirmaster and monk whose inventions became the foundation for Western music notation. He came up withw new techniques of teaching the learn chants in a short time. He created a Guidonian hand which was a widely used mnemonic system where note names are mapped to parts of the human hand. In 1030, he received an invitation to Rone from Pope John XIV. He obeyed the summons and pope became his first and proficient pupil.Guido's fame was great and his ideas had a lasting influence on musical notation, musi teaching and musicianship. In this field he was one of the most outstanding men in all of Western music. It is only known that he died on 17th May, 1050
Education
Guido d' Arezzo at Benedictine Abbey of Pomposa, Italy, on the northeast coast, near Ferrara and Ravenna received his education and training as a monk. His many details of life are lost to history.
Career
Guido d' Arezzo studies at Benedictine Abbey of Pomposa and then taught singing there. He left Abbey in about 1025 beacuse his ideas did not meet with understanding of other monks. Then Theobald, bishop of Arezzo invited him to teach in the Cathedral school and commissioned to write the Micrologus de disciplina artis musicae. At Pomposa, Guido developed a new way of writing Gregorian chant, adopting a four-line staff and clefs. With his widespread dissemination of his various ideas and teaching methods, Guido gained high reputation as a pedagogue leading to an invitation to visit Rome in 1028. In the same year he wrote out the Micrologus and included example of his new notation thus creating a "textbook" form for educational purpose.
He showed his new methods to Pope XIX, who was greatly impressed. The fundamentals of the new method consisted in the construction by thirds of a system of four lines, or staff, and the use of letters as clefs. The red F-line and the tellow C-line were already in use but Guido added a black line between the F and C and a vlack line above the C. So neumes could be placed on the lines and spaces between and a definite pitch relationship established. So Guido declared that this system reduced the 10 years normally required to become a ecclesiastical singer to a year.
While at Arezzo, he developed new technique for teaching such as staff notation and the use of the "ut-re-mi-fa-so-la" also known as solmization. He also invented Guidonian hand a widely used mnemonic system where notes names are mapped to parts of the human hand. It is no doubt tgat Guido's methods show progress in the evolution of modern notation.
Guido d' Arezzo a Benedictine monk, he invented the musical staff from which the modern form is descended, using a four line staff with F and C marked by clefs or by coloring of the line or both. He noted a complete antiphonal in this way and was invited to Rome to show it to Pope John XIX. Guido also taught the aural analysis of melodies on terms of the "hexachord". The staff and the hexachord facilitated both the singing of melodies from notation and the notation of melodies from hearing them, and was incalculable benefit for the teaching and learning of Gregorian chant.
Guido's treatise Micrologus explained how to sing a second voice accompanying a plainchant melody, creating two part organum. He also invented teaching ais known as Guidonian hand showing the notes of the scale and their solemnization syllables at specific points on human hand. As a whole, Guido’s developments in the hexachord system, solemnization syllable and music notation revolutionized the music learning method of his day.
Religion
Guido d'Arezzo was a monk was born in Italy. His religious belief was nothing but his religion was only towards his work. He was not attached to any of the religious activities. He made innovations for mainly western music and was known as the father of western music.
Politics
He had no view about politics. He never spoke or discussed anything about politics. He only focused on his interest in music , his innovations and making simpler ways to learn and teach music to singers. He did not had any political attachment in his life.
Views
Guido d'Arezzo went to Rome this shows that he had a broad world outlook. He extended his approach went to may areas for his innovations. This showed that he was determined towards his innovation and work nevertheless he has to go to various places or areas. Nothing much is described about his views related to his life stance. It was just his innovations, his dedication towards his work which made him popular innovator, a teacher and a monk whose innovations became the foundation foe Western music notation.
Personality
Guido d'Arezzo a monk born in Italy. Not much has been given in the history about his life. His innovations show that he was a one of the most outstanding in his field and an outstanding men in all of Western music. An innovative person and dedicated towards his work. His adaptions were sufficient to ensure that as, Smits von Waesberghe wrote, " We are still in the age of Guido".
Physical Characteristics:
As nothing much is shown in the histroy about Guido's his appearwnce is also not described. Even there is a question mark about his inventiona that whether thwy were invented by him or not. Guido's interest was into music. He did many inventions related to music.He was not only a composer but a music theorist, a teacher, a choirmaster and an innovator in this field.
Connections
Nothing is described about his family in the history. Guido's was born in Italy even his birth place is not confirmed and not his death place. No information is provided in any of the sources about Guido. No relatives are found but his colleagues were Pope John XIX who called him to Rome to show his work. He wrote Micrologus Guidonis de disciplina artis musicae, dedicated to Bishop Theodald of Arezzo and comprising a complete theory of music in 20 chapters.
