Chapter 2 Early Christian Church Music Flashcards
Why weren’t instruments used in early church music?
Because early church leaders believed music was the servant of religion and that only music with lyrics with Christian teachings and holy thoughts was worthy of hearing in the church.
What is plainchant song?
Unison song with melodies that are unaccompanied for Latin text in church. Religious music used in a church service!
What is Gregorian chant? And who discovered it?
The repertory chants used in the Roman Catholic Church. Always monophonic with no rhythms.
Books of liturgical text from this time attributed the chant to Pope Gregory I leading to the name. It is said that these chants came to the pope by the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove.
What were neumes?
The earliest notations placed above the Latin text to denote a certain number of notes and general melodic direction or particular pitches.
What are diastematic neumes?
These are neumes placed at various heights developed in the 11th centuries to indicate the relative size as well as direction of intervals.
What eighth modes where used in the churches in the 11th century?
Dorian, Hypodorian, Phrygian, Hypophrygian, Lydian, Hypolydian, Mixolydian, Hypomixolydian.
“D Hpod P Hpop L Hpol M Hpom”
“D-d P-p L-l M-m”
What is an authentic and plagal mode?
Authentic is a mode in which the range normally extends from a step below the main note in that mode (“final”) to and octave above it. Plagal is a mode in which the range normally extends from a fourth or fifth below the “final” to a fifth or sixth above it. The plagal modes were the “hypo” modes relating to the original authentic modes. (Dorian = authentic, hypodorian = plagal).
Who helped to discover adding ledger lines to early notation and solmization syllables?
And how many syllables where there?
Guido of Arezzo- 6 (ut, re, mi, fa, sol, la - C D E F G A)- taught singers the whole steps and half steps around the main note of each mode. Followers of his developed this system into a series of hexichords (beginning on only C G or F)
What pedagogical aid was used to help pupil vocalists learn to sing intervals?
Followers of Guido used the “Guidonian Hand”
Who was Boethius and what Greek teachings did he implement?
Boethius was a music theory master and divided music into 3 types:
- musica mundana (music of the universe)
- musica humana (human music)
- musica instrumentalis
What are the ranges and finals of the 8 modes in 11th Century church music begin?
Dorian D-D final D Hypodorian A-A final D
Phrygian E-E Final E Hypophrygian B-B Final E
Lydian F-F Final F Hypolydian C-C Final F
Mixolydian G-G Final G Hypomixolydian D-D Final G
