Middle Ages Music

By Brittany Mussmann

History• Sacred Music- Started with Gregorian

Chant, a Jewish and Byzantine religious chant

• Developed into Polyphonic music called Organum

• Then went to Secular Music• Music was performed in unison• Notes were usually same length and song

or played in the key of C (Monophonic)

Influenced

• Travel prompted by crusades which led to new interest in music

• Troubadours, Trouveres, and Minstrels were poets and musicians that influenced middle age music

Guillaume de Machaut• 1st true genius of western music• 1st composer to create a polyphonic setting of

the “ordinary” of the Catholic Mass

Other Composers

Hilegard Von Bingen

Tylman Susato

Maniot d’ Arras

Adam de la Halle

Intruments: Wind

• Flute: Similar to modern flutes• The Shawn: reed instrument with vent holes• Bagpipe: used by the poorest people and was

made of goat or sheep skin and a reed pipe• Crumhorn: a double reed instrument

Intruments: String

• Harp: 30 in. in length, played by plucking the strings

• Rebec: round pear shaped body like a violin• Psaltery: Cross between harp and guitar• Hurdy-Gurdy: bow was replaced by strings

attached to a wheel which was cranked by a handle

• Dulcimer: Played by striking the strings with a hammer

Intruments: Percussion

• Drum: made from a hollow tree trunk, clay or metal and covered by skins of water animals

• Cymbal: Concave metal plates• Tambourine: Mostly used by women

Works Cited• www.ipl.org/div/mushist/middle/index.html• www.middle-ages.org.uk• www.themiddleages.net• www.hypermusic.ca• www.google.com/images