Medieval Flashcards
Medieval period of music
450-1450. Music was played from memory or improvised. Instrumental groups comprised of whatever instruments were available. Melody instruments all played the same tune, while accompaniments consisted of drones or untuned percussion. Instruments included shawm, natural trumpet, bagpipes, pipe and tabor, harp, rebec, nakers and tambourine.
What is a pipe organ?
A large musical instrument having rows of pipes supplied with air from bellows (now usually electrically powered), and played using a keyboard or by an automatic mechanism.
What is a drone?
A sustained note, usually below the melody, and usually the root note of the scale.
What is untuned percussion?
Percussion instruments that provide rhythmic foundation instead of harmonic.
What is a shawm?
A double-reed wind instrument of Middle-Eastern origin taken to Europe in the medieval period by the crusaders. A forerunner of the oboe, it produced a piercing, shrill tone for outdoor performances.
What is a natural trumpet?
1-2 metres long, usually made of jointed metal sections with a cup shaped mouthpiece and flared bell. Without slides, valves or finger holes, the trumpet could play only a limited number of notes of the harmonic series.
What is a pipe and tabor?
Comprised of a three-holed pipe or flute played by the left hand and a small drum suspended from the left arm played by the right hand.
What is a rebec?
A bowed stringed instrument with a slim, half pear shaped body with a rounded back, a flat soundboard, and between one and five strings.
What are bagpipes?
A musical instrument with reed pipes that are sounded by the pressure of wind emitted from a bag squeezed by the player’s arm.
What is a harp?
a musical instrument consisting of a frame supporting a graduated series of parallel strings, played by plucking with the fingers.
What are nakers?
Small kettledrums of middle eastern origin popular between the thirteenth and sixteenth centuries. Usually played in pairs, they were struck with hard sticks and used for military music and dance accompaniment.
What is a tambourine?
A percussion instrument resembling a shallow drum with metal discs in slots around the edge, played by being shaken or hit with the hand.
