History of Music

MEDIEVAL MUSIC
(c. 500 – 1400)
 Section 1: Introduction
MEDIEVAL MUSIC CONSISTS OF SONGS, INSTRUMENTAL PIECES,
AND LITURGICAL MUSIC FROM ABOUT 500 A.D. TO 1400. MEDIEVAL MUSIC
WAS AN ERA OF WESTERN MUSIC, INCLUDING LITURGICAL MUSIC (ALSO
KNOWN AS SACRED) USED FOR THE CHURCH (GREGORIAN CHANT), AND 
SECULAR MUSIC, NON-RELIGIOUS MUSIC.

MEDIEVAL MUSIC INCLUDES:

• SOLELY (ONLY) VOCAL MUSIC, SUCH AS GREGORIAN CHANT AND 
CHORAL MUSIC (MUSIC FOR A GROUP OF SINGERS);
• SOLELY INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC;
• MUSIC THAT USES BOTH VOICES AND INSTRUMENTS (TYPICALLY WITH
THE INSTRUMENTS ACCOMPANYING THE VOICES). 
 DURING THE MEDIEVAL PERIOD THE FOUNDATION WAS LAID FOR THE 
MUSIC NOTATION AND MUSIC THEORY PRACTICES.

THE DEVELOPMENT OF A COMPREHENSIVE MUSIC NOTATIONAL SYSTEM

WHICH ENABLED COMPOSERS TO WRITE OUT THEIR SONG MELODIES AND
INSTRUMENTAL PIECES ON PARCHMENT OR PAPER.

PRIOR TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF MUSICAL NOTATION, SONGS AND PIECES

HAD TO BE LEARNED "BY EAR", FROM ONE PERSON WHO KNEW A SONG TO
ANOTHER PERSON. THIS GREATLY LIMITED HOW MANY PEOPLE COULD BE
TAUGHT NEW MUSIC AND HOW WIDE MUSIC COULD SPREAD TO OTHER REGIONS
OR COUNTRIES.

THE DEVELOPMENT OF MUSIC NOTATION MADE IT EASIER TO DISSEMINATE

(SPREAD) SONGS AND MUSICAL PIECES TO A LARGER NUMBER OF PEOPLE AND
TO A WIDER GEOGRAPHIC AREA.
 HOWEVER THE THEORETICAL ADVANCES, PARTICULARLY IN
REGARD TO RHYTHM—THE TIMING OF NOTES—AND POLYPHONY—USING
MULTIPLE, INTERWEAVING MELODIES AT THE SAME TIME—ARE EQUALLY
IMPORTANT TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF WESTERN MUSIC.
 Sacred Music:
MONKS USED THIS MUSIC MOSTLY IN THE FORM OF THE
GREGORIAN CHANT, ALSO KNOWN AS PLAINSONG. THIS CHANT WAS
DEVELOPED BY POPE GREGORY I AND WAS USED IN MANY PARTS OF THE
MASS SUCH AS THE PSALMS, ALLELUIAS, HYMNS, SCRIPTURE, AND
PRAYER. THE CHANGES IN PITCH WERE DUE TO PUNCTUATION OR THE
MEANING BEHIND THE CHANTED TEXT.
MONOPHONY WAS THE ORIGINAL BASIS OF THE GREGORIAN
CHANT. IN THIS STYLE, THE CHOIRS AND SOLOISTS ALL SANG ONE PART IN
UNISON.
AS THIS WAS EXPANDED UPON, POLYPHONY WAS CREATED
AROUND 850. THIS ALLOWED MUSICIANS AND COMPOSERS OF THE
MEDIEVAL AGE TO SING AND WRITE SEVERAL TONES AT ONCE, CREATING
HARMONY.
 Secular Music:
THIS STYLE OF MUSIC WAS USED BY PEOPLE CALLED “JONGLEURS”,
MINSTRELS, BARDS, AND TROUBADOURS. AS “JONGLEURS” TRAVELLED, THEY
SANG ABOUT THE RECENT EVENTS OF SURROUNDING LANDS. INCLUDED IN
THE MUSIC WOULD BE JUGGLING AND ACROBATICS. MINSTRELS SANG
MUSICAL POEMS, ALSO KNOWN AS BALLADS. BARDS WERE POPULAR MOSTLY
IN SCOTLAND, IRELAND, AND WALES AS THEY SANG OF HISTORICAL FACTS OR
ROYALS. LASTLY, TROUBADOURS SANG SONGS OF EXITING TRAVELS AND
LOVE, FOR THE RICHER POPULATION.
MUSIC SUCH AS THIS WAS PERFORMED FOR THE PUBLIC AND NOBLES
AT WEDDINGS, FESTIVALS, OR TOURNAMENTS. THIS FORM OF MUSIC
BROUGHT MANY DANCES TO THESE TYPES OF EVENTS. MUSICIANS ALSO
SOUNDED ALARMS TO WARN THE CITY OR TO DISPLAY THE TIME.
SECULAR MUSIC BLOOMED TOWARDS THE END OF THE MIDDLE AGES
AND DEVELOPED A LARGER RHYTHMIC STYLE.
 Introduction 2: Instruments

MANY INSTRUMENTS USED TO PERFORM

MEDIEVAL MUSIC STILL EXIST IN THE 21ST CENTURY,
BUT IN DIFFERENT AND TYPICALLY MORE 
TECHNOLOGICALLY DEVELOPED FORMS.
 THE FLUTE WAS MADE OF WOOD IN THE MEDIEVAL ERA RATHER
THAN SILVER OR OTHER METAL, AND COULD BE MADE AS A SIDE-BLOWN
OR END-BLOWN INSTRUMENT.

THE RECORDER WAS MADE OF WOOD DURING THE MEDIEVAL ERA,

AND DESPITE THE FACT THAT IN THE 2000S, IT MAY BE MADE OF
SYNTHETIC MATERIALS, IT HAS MORE OR LESS RETAINED ITS PAST FORM. 
THE GEMSHORN IS SIMILAR TO
THE RECORDER AS IT HAS
FINGER HOLES ON ITS FRONT.

THE GEMSHORN IS AN
INSTRUMENT OF THE OCARINA
 FAMILY THAT WAS
HISTORICALLY MADE FROM
THE HORN OF A GOAT OR
OTHER ANIMAL.
 ONE OF THE FLUTE'S
PREDECESSORS, THE PAN FLUTE, WAS
POPULAR IN MEDIEVAL TIMES, AND IS
POSSIBLY OF HELLENIC ORIGIN.

THE PAN FLUTES (ALSO KNOWN

AS PANPIPES OR SYRINX) ARE A GROUP
OF MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS BASED ON
THE PRINCIPLE OF THE CLOSED TUBE,
CONSISTING OF MULTIPLE PIPES OF
GRADUALLY INCREASING LENGTH.
THE PIPES ARE TYPICALLY MADE
FROM BAMBOO, GIANT CANE, OR LOCAL
REEDS. OTHER MATERIALS INCLUDE
WOOD, PLASTIC, METAL.
 MEDIEVAL MUSIC USED MANY PLUCKED STRING INSTRUMENTS
 LIKE THE LUTE, A FRETTED INSTRUMENT WITH A PEAR-SHAPED HOLLOW
(EMPTY) BODY WHICH IS THE PREDECESSOR TO THE MODERN GUITAR.
 OTHER PLUCKED STRINGED INSTRUMENTS INCLUDE:

Mandore Gittern
Citole
 Hammered dulcimer

Psaltery
 THE BOWED LYRA OF THE BYZANTINE EMPIRE WAS THE FIRST
RECORDED EUROPEAN BOWED STRING INSTRUMENT. LIKE THE MODERN
VIOLIN, A PERFORMER PRODUCED SOUND BY MOVING A BOW WITH
TENSIONED HAIR OVER TENSIONED STRINGS.
THE HURDY-GURDY WAS (AND STILL IS) A MECHANICAL VIOLIN USING A
ROSINED WOODEN WHEEL ATTACHED TO A CRANK TO "BOW" ITS STRINGS.
INSTRUMENTS WITHOUT SOUND BOXES LIKE THE JAW HARP WERE ALSO
POPULAR. 
EARLY VERSIONS OF THE PIPE ORGAN, FIDDLE, AND A PRECURSOR TO THE
MODERN TROMBONE (CALLED THE SACKBUT) WERE USED.

Trombone

Pipe organ

Fiddle
 Introduction 3: Genres

MEDIEVAL MUSIC WAS COMPOSED AND, FOR SOME VOCAL AND INSTRUMENTAL
MUSIC, IMPROVISED FOR MANY DIFFERENT MUSIC GENRES.

MEDIEVAL MUSIC CREATED FOR SACRED (CHURCH USE) AND SECULAR (NON-

RELIGIOUS USE) WAS TYPICALLY WRITTEN BY COMPOSERS, EXCEPT FOR SOME SACRED
VOCAL AND SECULAR INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC WHICH WAS IMPROVISED (MADE UP ON-THE-
SPOT).
 DURING THE EARLIER MEDIEVAL PERIOD, THE LITURGICAL GENRE,
PREDOMINANTLY GREGORIAN CHANT DONE BY MONKS, WAS MONOPHONIC
("MONOPHONIC" MEANS A SINGLE MELODIC LINE, WITHOUT A HARMONY
PART OR INSTRUMENTAL ACCOMPANIMENT).

POLYPHONIC GENRES, IN WHICH MULTIPLE INDEPENDENT MELODIC LINES

ARE PERFORMED SIMULTANEOUSLY, BEGAN TO DEVELOP DURING THE 
HIGH MEDIEVAL ERA.

THE DEVELOPMENT OF POLYPHONIC FORMS, WITH DIFFERENT

VOICES INTERWEAVING, IS OFTEN ASSOCIATED WITH THE LATE MEDIEVAL 
ARS NOVA STYLE WHICH FLOURISHED IN THE 1300S.

THE ARS NOVA, WHICH MEANS "NEW ART" WAS AN INNOVATIVE

STYLE OF WRITING MUSIC THAT SERVED AS A KEY TRANSITION FROM THE
MEDIEVAL MUSIC STYLE TO THE MORE EXPRESSIVE STYLES OF THE POST-
1400S RENAISSANCE MUSIC ERA.
 Introduction 4: Theory and Notation
THE EARLIEST MEDIEVAL MUSIC DID NOT HAVE ANY KIND OF NOTATIONAL
SYSTEM.  THE TUNES WERE PRIMARILY MONOPHONIC (A SINGLE MELODY WITHOUT 
ACCOMPANIMENT) AND TRANSMITTED BY ORAL TRADITION.

SO LONG AS MUSIC COULD ONLY BE TAUGHT TO PEOPLE "BY EAR," IT LIMITED THE
ABILITY OF THE CHURCH TO GET DIFFERENT REGIONS TO SING THE SAME MELODIES,
SINCE EACH NEW PERSON WOULD HAVE TO SPEND TIME WITH A PERSON WHO ALREADY
KNEW A SONG AND LEARN IT "BY EAR." THE FIRST STEP TO FIX THIS PROBLEM CAME WITH
THE INTRODUCTION OF VARIOUS SIGNS WRITTEN ABOVE THE CHANT TEXTS TO INDICATE
DIRECTION OF PITCH MOVEMENT, CALLED NEUMES.
 THE ORIGIN OF NEUMES IS
UNCLEAR AND SUBJECT TO SOME
DEBATE; HOWEVER, MOST SCHOLARS
AGREE THAT THEIR CLOSEST
ANCESTORS ARE THE CLASSIC GREEK
AND ROMAN GRAMMATICAL SIGNS
THAT INDICATED IMPORTANT POINTS A sample of Kýrie Eléison XI (Orbis Factor) from
OF DECLAMATION BY RECORDING the Liber Usualis. The modern "neumes" on the
THE RISE AND FALL OF THE VOICE. staff above the text indicate the pitches of the
melody. 
 THE TWO BASIC SIGNS OF THE CLASSICAL GRAMMARIANS WERE
THE ACUTUS, /, INDICATING A RAISING OF THE VOICE, AND THE GRAVIS, \,
INDICATING A LOWERING OF THE VOICE. A SINGER READING A CHANT TEXT
WITH NEUME MARKINGS WOULD BE ABLE TO GET A GENERAL SENSE OF
WHETHER THE MELODY LINE WENT UP IN PITCH, STAYED THE SAME, OR WENT
DOWN IN PITCH. 

FOR A SINGER WHO ALREADY KNEW A SONG, SEEING THE WRITTEN

NEUME MARKINGS ABOVE THE TEXT COULD HELP TO JOG HIS OR HER
MEMORY ABOUT HOW THE MELODY WENT. HOWEVER, A SINGER READING A
CHANT TEXT WITH NEUME MARKINGS WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO SIGHT READ A
SONG WHICH HE OR SHE HAD NEVER HEARD SUNG BEFORE.

THE NEUMATIC NOTATIONAL SYSTEM, EVEN IN ITS FULLY DEVELOPED

STATE, DID NOT CLEARLY DEFINE ANY KIND OF RHYTHM FOR THE SINGING OF
NOTES.
GREGORIAN CHANT:
HTTPS://WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/WATCH?V=KK5AOHCMX0U

TROUBADOUR LOVE SONG:

HTTPS://WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/WATCH?V=XK1W22YHLJQ

JUGLEORS:
HTTPS://WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/WATCH?V=7J6UMIJ3XNU