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My rabbit bought crimson red nails Monday. Medieval Music. 11 th , 12 th and 13 th Centuries. Medieval Music. Music was an important part of people’s lives from the very earliest times – ritual, worship, entertainment etc
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Medieval Music 11th, 12th and 13th Centuries
Medieval Music • Music was an important part of people’s lives from the very earliest times – ritual, worship, entertainment etc • Very few pieces of entertainment music (songs and dances) have come down to us as they were never written down. • The first people to write down music were the Monks of medieval times.
Medieval Church Music • Most music that survived from those times was for the various services of the Church. • Early church music was known as plainsong/plainchant.
What do you need to know? • Plainsong/Plainchant • Church Music • Medieval Songs • Medieval Dance Music – Estampie and Saltarello • Medieval Instruments • Monophonic Texture, Call and Response, Modes, a capella
Plainsong/Plainchant • Sung without accompaniment (a capella) • Special system of scales called MODES were used. • Two most common: Aeolian and Dorian modes. • Sung in unison. • Monophonic Texture – one line of unaccompanied singing. • No fixed rhythm – follows the natural stresses of words. • Call and Response • Melody moves mainly in steps.
Medieval Songs • The earliest songs were composed by troubadours and minstrels. • They were wandering musicians who entertained and spread the news in their songs. • Simple, monophonic, often with accompaniment from a pipe and tabor or tambourine.
Medieval Dance Music • The most popular medieval dances were the Estampie (a stamping dance) and the Saltarello (a jumping dance). • Dances may be played by one or two instruments or by a larger group.
There are two groups of instruments: • Loud/Outdoor Instruments – for performance of music in halls and churches, processions and dances in the open air. • Soft/Indoor Instruments – for performance of music in the home; dancing, song accompaniments and background music.
“Loud” Instruments • These include instruments such as: - the shawm - the pipe and tabor - the nakers - the bagpipes - the cornett
The Shawm • The shawm was the most important double reed instrument of the Middle Ages and Renaissance.
The Pipe and Tabor • The pipe is a simple instrument like a recorder but usually having only three melody holes (index finger, middle finger, and thumb). • The drum is held with a strap or thong around the arm which holds the pipe. Thus one performer accompanies himself, making an ideal combination for dance music of a rustic nature, or to supply background music for jugglers or performing animals.
The Nakers • Nakers consist of metal or wood dome-shapedbodies with goatskin drumheads, and are played by striking them with the hands or with sticks. They are typically played in pairs, often in a sling or harness.
The Bagpipes • The origins of the bagpipe can be traced back to the most ancient civilizations. The bagpipe probably originated as a rustic instrument in many cultures because a herdsman had the necessary materials at hand: a goat or sheep skin and a reed pipe.
The Cornett • The most versatile wind instrument; between 1500 and 1650 the cornett was used indoors and out, in serious music, dance music, town bands, rural households, at church, and court. • It has a very small acorn cup mouthpiece (played on the side of the mouth where the lips are thinner) is attached to a hollowed out piece of curved wood or ivory. Six finger holes and a thumb hole are drilled in the body and it is fingered in much the same manner as a recorder.
“Soft” Instruments • These include instruments such as: - the medieval harp - the psaltery - the rebec - the hurdy-gurdy - the lute
The Medieval Harp • The harp is one of the most ancient types of stringed instruments. • Harps use open strings exclusively, thus the range of each is determined by the number of strings. • In the Middle Ages strings were made from twisted animal gut (usually from sheep), although horse hair and even silk were used as well.
The Psaltery • The psaltery is an ancient instrument seen in many forms. • Early versions were simply a wooden board with gut strings stretched between pegs. The strings were plucked with fingers or by plectra. • Later instruments included the hollow box or soundboard with soundholes and metal strings. • The player performed with the instrument on the lap or on a table, or in front of the chest held with a strap around his neck if movement was needed.
The Rebec • Bowing gave stringed instruments the sustaining power necessary to play a continuous melodic line. • The status of these bowed instruments and their players remained low. The rebec was definitely an instrument of the lower classes, not the court.
The Hurdy-Gurdy • The hurdy-gurdy is the first stringed instrument to which the keyboard principle was applied. • The bowing action of the fiddle is replaced by a wheel cranked by a handle. The outer rim of the wooden wheel is coated with resin. • When the crank is spun, the wheel turns and the gut strings vibrate.
The Lute • During the Renaissance the lute held the highest respect of all musical instruments. • The lute was an ideal accompaniment for voice and other soft instruments, and the most eloquent of all solo instruments. • In paintings and other art works the lute is often associated with Apollo, angels, or Orpheus, and it is often mentioned at climactic points in tragedies.
