Genevan Psalter - Musical Characteristics

Musical Characteristics

The Genevan Melodies form a strikingly homogeneous collection. Besides the fact that the melodies were written in a relatively short time span by a small number of composers, they have a number of characteristics in common.

• They are based on the so-called church modes
• The melodic range is generally within one octave
• The note values are restricted to half notes and quarter notes (with exception of the final note)
• Every melody starts with a half-note and ends on a breve (also known as double whole note)
• Regular meter and bar-lines are absent
• There are very few melismas (only Psalm 2, 6, 10, 13, 91, 138)