That is the fascinating thing about Gregorian chant. C atching your note is not that difficult in Gregorian chant, actually. The rhythm is far more complicated. Each piece has its proper rhythmic problems, based on the natural speech pattern of the text. That is why the accents are always indicated in chant books.
Tension is built up gradually towards the accent and decreased afterwards.
On a higher level, there is the general pattern of the whole sentence and its parts. All these elements combine into an incredibly complex set of rhythms, supporting each other and eventually defining the outlook of the piece as a whole. D uring the golden age of Gregorian chant , singers not only knew the chants' melodies by heart, they had also picked up the subtle rhythmic details from previous generations. When decay set in around the 10th century, monks were just in time to write down the pieces and preserve them for future generations. Although the neumatic system has its flaws, especially when it concerns the indication of pitch and melody, the rhythmic aspect of it was incredibly refined.