MEDIEVAL MUSIC : INSTRUMENTS, SONG AND

COMPOSITIONS By: Brenda Ramirez and Desiree

Chavez Houston

The role of music: In Status

The type of musicians you had reflected how much power and wealth you had.

Royalty and Nobles had their own private musician groups who mostly consist of servants and varlets.

Who followed their masters where ever the went

Courts loan and borrowed musicians from each other.

Dances, Banquets and Religion

Type of dances were lively and were danced with hops and skips'

Steady and slow Had costumes to match with the

celebration. A lot of angelic music was played during

church service . The organ was mainly used.

Medieval Insturments

Instruments used during medieval times are still used today, except they are modernized.

There were thee categories that they instruments fell under : wind, string, and the percussion.

Some common interments were ; the lute, harp, fiddle, viol, drums, and much more.

Minstrels

Minstrels means little servant . Were castle musicians who created their own ballads but also memorized long poems about myths and legends. Which were called 'chansons de geste‘

Songs were about love and chivalry but also told stories about far away lands and historical events “ wandering minstrels”

Were traveling musicians Were replaced by Troubadours later on

Troubadours

Troubadours traveling musicians through villages. Were meant to spread news of the realm.

Most of their music was about chivalry, courtly love and ballads.

Would play for common people and the nobles.

Liturgical drama

Consisted of speaking ,acting and music. Were plays mostly out of music to

preserve Roman dramas mixed with Christian

readings. Inspire by gospels and saints

Strings

The Harp- was favored by the Troubadours

The Fiddle- were played by bow or plucked by the fingers

The Lute – an early form of banjo The dulcimer- was played with hammers The Viol- was played between the legs with a bow

Winds

The Flute – Were played by flute- mistrels The Bagpipe- Was used by the poorest

people made out of goat skin

The Pipe - simple instrument The Recorder- simple instrument with melody holes

Percussion

The Drums- were originally hallow tree trunks

The Cymbal- round concave metal plates The Triangle- instrument introduced inThe 14 the century

The Tambourine – musical instrument mainly used by women

Side note

Too many instruments to name. We just listed the most popular ones.

Bibliography

Music: http://www.takemp3.com/mp3 http://news.allaboutjazz.com/news.php?id

=73202#.UH9agGfC8f4 http://www.castles.me.uk/medieval-music

al-instruments.htm Medieval Music by Richard H. Hoppin