in music, are characters used in writing or printing, to mark the pitch and the duration of the sounds of any musical composition. These characters or signs of notation have varied much at different times. Many alterations of those now generally received have been proposed, but not adopted. Numerical and literal methods of expressing musical sounds have been repeatedly proposed; but it seems that these are even more complicated than the method in common use. A musical shorthand, constructed of alphabetical letters, was proposed in 1805 in France, but rejected; although in numerous cases of simple melody and harmony it might be very useful in saving space to publishers of books. (As to the notation of music in ancient and modern times, see Padre Martini, Hawkins, and Burney, and especially Mersenne and Mace regarding the entablature of some musical instruments now disused.)

(g. f. g.)