| [ << Musical terms A-Z ] | [Top][Contents] | [ Duration names notes and rests >> ] |
| [ < major interval ] | [ Up : Musical terms A-Z ] | [ meantone temperament > ] |
1.188 maxima
ES: máxima, I: maxima, F: maxima, maxime, D: Maxima, NL: ?, DK: ?, S: ?, FI: maxima.
Note value: twice the length of a longa.
The maxima is the largest duration in use during the 15th and 16th centuries. Like the longa, the maxima can be either two or three times as long as the longa (called binary and ternary, respectively). By the late 15th century, most composers used the smaller proportion by default.