ambitus.se

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Ambitus in Medieval Latin means the "course" of a melodic line, most usually referring to the range of scale degrees attributed to a given mode, particularly in Gregorian chant. It may also refer to the range of a voice, instrument, or piece generally. In Gregorian chant specifically, the ambitus is the range, or the distance between the highest and lowest note. From the late fifteenth century onward "perfect ambitus" usually meant one octave.