Scale mark

Beginning of the motet "Domine, ne in furore" by Josquin des Prez in modern notation with scale lines. Dotted halftones and whole notes extend in some places over the scale lines ( overall score )

Scale lines are a modern notation used to identify sections of equal length in musical scores that were originally notated without bar lines .

Mensurstriche were introduced in the 1920s by German musicologists for the publication of medieval music to in mensural make listed compositions available for modern performance practice.

Mensurstriche be in scores with several staves usually listed as lines between the lines. In the case of single-line scores, they are generally notated as half barlines that only span the two middle spaces; sometimes short lines are noted above and below the staff instead.

In both cases, it is acceptable and common for a note value reaches beyond a Mensurstrich - it is therefore in such cases no tie used. For the sake of readability, notes are divided up at line breaks as in the usual notation and connected by ties.

In rare cases, scale lines are also used in the notation of more recent compositions. Thus Hugo Distler in his Totentanz applied this notation.

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Helga Lühning (ed.): Music Edition: Mediator between science and musical practice. Max Niemeyer Verlag, Tübingen 2002, ISBN 3-484-29517-1 , p. 265.
2. ↑ Helga Lühning (ed.): Music Edition: mediator between science and musical practice. Max Niemeyer Verlag, Tübingen 2002, ISBN 3-484-29517-1 , p. 268.