ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Semiology (Gregorian chant)

Semiology is like a secret code that helps us understand how music was written a really long time ago, like when your great-great-great-great-great-grandparents were alive.

Now, Gregorian Chant is a special type of music that was created by some really important people in the Catholic Church a really, really long time ago (like a thousand years ago!). It was sung in Latin (which is a special language that the church used to use) and it was really important because it helped people feel calm and happy during church services.

But sometimes, the people who wrote down the music didn't use the same kind of notes and symbols that we use today. So, it can be hard for us to figure out how the music was supposed to sound and what it all means.

This is where Semiology comes in. Experts who understand Semiology can look at the old music books and see tiny details in the way the notes and symbols are written. They can figure out things like if a note should be high or low, or if it should be sung strongly or softly.

It's kind of like solving a puzzle or cracking a code to figure out how the music was meant to be sung. And then, they can use this knowledge to help us hear the beautiful music the way it was supposed to sound, just like people did a long, long time ago. Isn't that amazing?