300 – 1300

Medieval Era

Medieval or Middle Ages: 300 – 1300

Most music was vocal:Sacred – religious Secular – non-

religious (worldly)

Popular or FolkPerformed by traveling musicians who sang and played string or percussion instruments.

Secular Music

Small Harps

Lutes

Viols

Common Instruments: STRINGS

(Ancestor to modern guitar)

Drums

Cymbals

Bells

Common Instruments: PERCUSSION

Flutes/Recorder

Bagpipes

Common Instruments: WINDS

Sacred Music Influence of the Roman Catholic Church

Through 1150, mostly monophonic, single melody by one person or group

Sacred MusicSingers were almost always men. Music of Hildegard was first to be

sung by women. • Priests would sing prayers on various notes, this was called chant.

First organized musical notation. Mostly square, white notes Allowed singers to learn many more chants.

NEUMES

Eventually, horizontal lines were added to clearly show how far apart the neumes were.

Neumes = Notes Lines = Staff

NEUMES

900 – 1200 Added a second melody to chant Usually apart by a 4th or 5th

SIMPLE POLYPHONY

Hildegard von Bingen

FAMOUS COMPOSERSGuillaume de Machaut

John Dunstable

FAMOUS COMPOSERS

Guillaume Dufay

Charlemagne: 742 to 814

Pope crowned Charlemagne the Holy Roman Emperor: Dec. 25,

800

Carcassonne: A Medieval Castle

Medieval Universities

Oxford University – 12th century

Late Medieval Town Dwelling