musica recta

music

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July 17, 2026

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Musica recta refers to the notes that were part of the original musical scale authorized by Guido d'Arezzo in the 11th century. It is the opposite of musica ficta, which involved notes outside this authorized scale.1

While musica ficta was sometimes used in sacred music like Gregorian chant, it was more common in secular monophony and polyphony, particularly from the 13th century onward. Performers often added accidentals (flats, sharps, or natural signs) not notated in the original music for reasons of euphony or to create a stronger sense of musical motion. This practice influenced the development of Western art music and the later system of tonality.12

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musica ficta
…opposite of musica ficta was musica recta, which included only the recognized notes. The original sense of musica ficta is now used infrequently. The term later came to mean pitch alterations that were necessary in performance but not notated.
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…opposite of musica ficta was musica recta, which included only the recognized notes. The original sense of musica ficta is now used infrequently. The term later came to mean pitch alterations that were necessary in performance but not notated.
Read More