Neumes are graphic symbols used to indicate the rises and falls in melodies and were a precursor to the modern five-line staff system.
The use of neumatic notation in European music emerged around the ninth century, likely from Greek and Roman traditions, as a mnemonic device for to aid singers in the oral transmission of chant melodies, particularly Gregorian chant. Early neumes were simple marks that indicated pitch direction and did not specify exact pitches or rhythms. However, they evolved to indicate relative pitches by their heights above the text.
The introduction of a four-line staff around the year 1000 marked a transition for neumes from purely mnemonic symbols to a more precise representation of pitches. By the 13th century, they had largely acquired the square shapes that are still used in modern editions of Gregorian chants.
Forms of neumatic notation are still commonly used today in traditional Eastern music, especially that in China, Japan, India and Tibet which was associated with Buddhist culture. The origins of these systems are unknown, but they may have been influenced by early Western neumes.