Modus (medieval music) "tempus" (corresponding to the modern concept of a measure or bar and referring to the division of "breves" into two or three "semibreves") and "prolatio" (the division of "semibreves" into two or three "minims"). The "modus longarum" was applied primarily to pieces based on a cantus firmus tenor part in long note values. An even longer temporal unit was the "modus maximarum", but it is of little practical importance outside of the 13th century . Modus (medieval music) In medieval music theory, the Latin term modus (meaning "a measure", "standard of measurement", "quantity", "size", "length", or, rendered in English, mode)
Note value of the 18th century and earlier the amount by which the dot augmented the note varied: it could be more or less than the modern interpretation, to fit into the context. To divide a note value to three equal parts, or some other value than two, tuplets may be used. However, see swung note and notes inégales. Although note heads of various shapes, and notes with and without stems appear in early Gregorian chant manuscripts, many scholars agree that these symbols do not indicate different durations, although the dot is used for augmentation. See neume. In the 13th century, chant