Ars cantus mensurabilis

work by Franco of Cologne

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June 18, 2026

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Ars cantus mensurabilis, meaning "The Art of Measured Song," is a treatise by Franco of Cologne from the mid-13th century. This work codified the mensural system, a significant advancement in musical notation. Mensural notation allowed for the precise indication of rhythmic values, moving beyond the earlier rhythmic modes. It established a system where individual notes and ligatures had definite relative time values, replacing older forms of notation and paving the way for modern musical notation. This system was crucial for notating complex rhythms and was used in European music from approximately 1260 to 1600.1234

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Ars Antiqua
…mid-13th century), a theorist, whose Ars cantus mensurabilis (“The Art of Measured Song”) served to organize and codify the newly formed mensural system (a more precise system of rhythmic notation, the direct ancestor of modern notation); and Pierre de la Croix (flourished last half of 13th century), whose works anticipate…
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…mid-13th century), a theorist, whose Ars cantus mensurabilis (“The Art of Measured Song”) served to organize and codify the newly formed mensural system (a more precise system of rhythmic notation, the direct ancestor of modern notation); and Pierre de la Croix (flourished last half of 13th century), whose works anticipate…
Read More