Show I 1 WRITTEN MUSIC IS NOT NEW 0 custom of preserving melodies in tangible form was first ob served by the greeks there were a great many steps in the development of the present form of writing music the custom of writing melodies rather than trusting to the uncertain help of memory for their preservation was first observed by the greeks indeed at one time the preserving of music in a tangible visible form was deemed so necessary as to be the subject of a special papal bull the writing out of music was mas accomplished complis hed by the use of many different sets of signs and symbols in the various countries nothing really definite tand and lasting though was done in this direction until the fifteenth century when the first real printing of melodies and harmonies was mas accomplished tn in germany this was made possible by the invention of the movable metal types the prints thus produced were remarkably mar kably clear and neat at tit first bu but t they later became gradually more and more imperfect which degeneration finally led to the invention of copperplate printing in n 1532 by simon ve bovio an italian new york globe |