MAPEH 9 Instrumental Music of the Renaissance Music.

＊The noise or sound which musicians make while they are tuning their instruments is nothing pleasant to hear, but yet is a
cause why the music is sweeter afterwards. –Francis Bacon

＊Keywords • Ricercare • Canzona • Ornamentation • Counterpoint • Tablature • Dissonance • Recorder • Clavichord • Positive
Organ • Viol • Vihuela • Lute • Harpsichord

＊Development During the Renaissance Period, instrumental music may be considered subordinate to or less important than
vocal music. This is because instrumentation is traditionally intended to accompany voices or singing. However it is essential
to note that hits gave rise to emancipation of instrumental music from vocal music specifically during the 16 th century. Among
are these important characteristics of this music’s development are the following.

＊ Characteristics of Instrumental Renaissance Music 1. The instrumental music generally remained within the bounds set by
the standards and styles of vocal performance. 2. Creating music extemporaneously played an essential role in performing
melodic embellishments. 3. There was considerable number of musical scores or sheets of vocal music which were intended for
performing instrumentally. 4. There were also some instrumental forms which were developed from the vocal forms.

＊ The Renaissance style of instrumental music is performed in the following manner. 1. The range of the melody exceeds
what the human voice could reach. 2. The melodic contour is characterized by a lot of wide skips. 3. Parts with counterpoint
(texture or technique that combines two or more independent melodic lines ) in music; involving keyboard and lute are either
easily included or excluded without designated rests.

＊It also contains fast and lengthy melodic lines.

＊Dissonance or harmonic intervals that produce the effect of action or tension are employed more freely.

＊Musical ornamentations are extensively used.

＊Renaissance Musical Instruments • Bowed strings The predecessor of the violin family in the 17th century are the
Renaissance viols.

＊ • Plucked strings During this era, lute is the most popular instrument intended for solo performance. It is plucked stringed
instrument shaped like half a pear with an angled neck and a fretted fingerboard.
＊ • The main plucked chordophone in Spain during this age is the vihuela which is similar to the guitar.

＊ • Wind Instruments Recorder – most important aerophone during the Renaissance.

＊ • Shawm and Krummhorn These are examples of double reed instruments

＊ • Cornets – These soft-toned aerophones are made of either wood or ivory.

＊ • Trumpets and Trombones

＊• Keyboard Instruments 1. Positive Organ 2. Portative 3. Clavichord

4. Harpsichord

Instrumental Genres • Dance Music 1. Pavane 2. Ronde and

Saltarello 3. Tanz und Nachtanz and Des Prinzen Tanz-Proprtz Other dances 4. Passamezzo, basse-danse and branle or bransle

5. Allemande or Alma and Courante or Currento

＊ Giovanni Pierluigi Da Palestrina ( 1525 –1594 )