Making Music Type
Development Of Music Fonts
Music fonts were developed by shaping metal into the shapes necessary to produce a metal punch. The punch was tempered and used to make a matrix in which molten metal was poured to produce the type. The type included notes, staff lines, and other music symbols. The following examples are taken from Grande Musicque by Hendrik van den Keere (1577).
Music Staff Steel Punch
A steel punch is made in order to create a music matrix with staff lines.
Music Staff Matrix
A music staff matrix is punched with the steel punch into copper or another metal. Molten metal is poured onto the matrix.
Music Staff Type
When the metal cools, the type is removed, polished, and ready for use.
Assembling The Music Type
Pieces of other music type were added to place the notes on different parts of the music staff.
Music Moveable Type
Examples of music moveable type that were pieced together in order to print music on paper.