Music of the

Medieval
Period
What you should know?
• Medieval period is also
called Middle Ages
• Referring between the fall of
Roman empire and the age
reawakening and discovery.
• Music is based upon
religious subject.
• Choirs expressed faith
through beautiful melodies.
• By the 13th century,
magnificent works of
architecture, sculpture,
painting, music and poetry
appeared.
• Many kinds of music were
created during this Middle
Ages
–Music for the knights
–For the nobles in the
castles
–Chants for the priests
• Only the church music were
preserved.
• Later on, they devised a
system to notate and copy
music.
• Church music spread and
taught to succeeding
generations.
Vocal Music
 Gregorian Chant
• Official music of the Roman
Catholic Church
• Named after Pope Gregory I
• It is also named as plainsong
or plainchant
• Set to sacred Latin text
• It is monophonic
• It does not have harmony
nor counterpoint.
• Sung without any
accompaniment
• Male voices sing in unison.
• Originally it was a chant
passed along by oral tradition
but later on, they were
notated.
• They used the neume
notation.
• The Gregorian neume is
written on a four-line staff
Text Settings
 Syllabic
• There is one assigned note
for each syllable of text.

Neumatic
• A group of neumes is assigned
to one syllable of text.
 Melismatic
• There is are many notes
assigned to one syllable of text,
usually combining different
groups of neumes.
Psalmodic
• A are many syllables to one
note or text.
 Church Modes
• Scale used in both secular and
sacred music.
• They composed of 7 different tones
and an eighth note that duplicates
the first note an octave higher.
• There are 8 church modes:
– Authentic
– Plagal
A. Authentic Modes

• Dorian
• Phrygian
• Lydian
• mixolydian
B. Plagal Modes
• Hypodorian
• Hypophrygian
• Hypolydian
• hypomixolydian
Development of Melody

• Monophonic in Texture
• But transformed into one or
more parts accompanying
the original chant.
 Guillame de Machaut
• French poet and composer
• 1st to write a polyphonic
setting of the mass ordinary.
• He used the arts nova
technique of isorhythm
Organum
• An early church polyphony
• Consists of a Gregorian chant
and one or more musical lines
above the chant
• The soloist sings the original
chant melody while the choir
sings the other parts in parallel
motion
Motet
• One new voice above the
plainchant, making 3 or 4 voice
compositions.
• Most important form of
polyphonic music.
• Derives from the French word
mot, referring to the words that
were added to the vocal lines.
Mass
• Roman Catholic church’s
central and leading worship
service.
–Kyrie
–Gloria
–Credo
–Sanctus
–Agnus Dei
Instrumental
Music
Troubadours

• Came from the word trobar

meaning “to compose”, “to
discuss” or “to find”
• They performed chivalry and
courtly romantic music.
• They play for both commoners
and nobility.
Trouveree

• They are composer-performers

• Their counterparts in Germany
were called minnesingers.
• Their songs are about love,
crusades, dance songs,
spinning songs
• The notation of their songs
does not show rhythm
• There were also minstrels and
jongleurs who were the
acrobat performers and
considered the lowest social
level.
 Adam de la Halle
• He was a French trouvere, poet and
composer.
• He is an accomplished composer of
– Rondeux (two-part refrains)
– Chansons
– Motets ( polyphonic choral
compositions)
– Jeux-partis (dialogues between 2
parties)
Musical
Instruments
The musical instruments
are divided into 2 groups:

• The loud or outdoor (hauts)

• The soft or indoor (bas)
 Hauts (loud) Musical
Instruments

Trumpet
• Longs instrument made of metal
• Used for fanfares.
Sackbul
• It resembles a trombone instrument.
Shawm
• This has a reed that
vibrates against a
tongue or lips to
produce sound.
• It resembles an
oboe instrument
Bagpipe
• Made from a
goat or sheep
skin and a reed
pipe.
• This is used by
the poorest
people
Nakers
• This is a drum instrument played in
pairs.
Tabor
• It is a small drum
• Made from the
trunk of a tree or a
metal with animal
skin.
Bas (soft) Musical
Instruments
• Flute
• This is a recorder
like woodwind
instrument.
• Favorite instrument
of the minstrells
when travelling.
Recorder
• This is a flute-like
woodwind
instrument
• This held
vertically from the
lips of the player.
Harp
• Favorite
instrument of
the
troubadours
and minstrels
Fiddle
• This is a bowed
or lucked string
instrument
placed under
the chin of the
player.
Lute
• This is a pear-shaped pluck string
instrument with a bent neck and a
fretted finger board.
Positive Organ
• This is the principal
musical instrument
in monasteries and
cathedrals during
the late medieval
period.
• The only
instrument allowed
by the church
authorities.