Chapter 1 Ancient Music

Question 1

Earliest known composer?

Answer 1

Enheduanna- an Akkadian high priest at Ur who composed hymns (songs to a god). Only the text survive on stone tablets.

Question 2

What type of scale did the Babylonians discover?

Answer 2

Diatonic scales- (found on tablets instructing how to tune for a stringed instrument) seven scales they recognized parallel to the seven diatonic scales on the white keys of a piano.

Question 3

What is monophonic music and heterophony music?

Answer 3

Monophonic music consists of a single melodic line, heterophony music consists of a single melodic line backed up by an instrument embellishing the line.

Question 4

What two philosophers regularly wrote novels and teachings about music?

Answer 4

Plato and Aristotle

Question 5

What philosopher was credited with discovering early Greek music theory and the octave, fifth and fourth?

Answer 5

Pythagoras.

Question 6

What where the octave “species” Babylonians invented that we still use today (somewhat)?

Answer 6

Mixolydian (B-b), Lydian (c-c), Phrygian (d-d), Dorian (e-e), Hypolydian (f-f), Hypophrygian (g-g), and Hypodorian (a-a)

Question 7

Where are the locations of the earliest known music found?

Answer 7

Mesopotamia and Babylonia

Question 8

What types of instruments were found in Ancient Greece?

Answer 8

Aulos: double reeded instrument (earliest known oboe) two pipes with one reed creating octaves, 4ths and 5thsm
Lyre: a small harp with 7 strings
Kithara- a larger lyre with a bull head

Question 9

What three basic music theory categories were discovered during Ancient Greece?

Answer 9

Rhythm: came from poetry lining with text and multiples of a basic time unit
Intervals: half steps and whole steps, whole quarters and quarter tones
Scales: patterns of half steps and whole steps (heavy mathematical influence)

Question 10

Describe the function of the Greek invention- tetrachords:

Answer 10

Diatonic (matches a natural scale)
Chromatic (chromatic scale)
Enharmonic (for advanced players: quarter tones)

Conjunct: same 4 note pattern twice (CDEF/CDEF)
Disjunct: Major scale (CDEF/GABC)

Question 11

What were three popular instruments in ancient Roman?

Answer 11

Tibia: similar to the double reeded aulos
Tuba: a long straight trumpet
Cornu: large G shaped circular horn