... innovated techniques which are present even now in modern day notation. The main developments in technique were within the fields of rhythm and metre, although maturity in harmonic structure is also evident. In the case of metre, the most commonly used note values had been diminishing in duration during the preceding centuries, for example, longs had given way to breves, which had in turn been divided up in to semibreves, to minims and so forth. The dissection of the semibreve was of imperative importance to the composers of the Ars nova, and this division could occur in a number of ways, for example; 1. Taking the imperfect time of two semibreves and dividing them into four or six minims, or 2. In triple or trochai time where the relationship between minims and semibreves was thus that the prolation could result in six or nine minims. This example of trochai time subjugated the ...

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