Renaissance (1400 - 1600)

Question 1

Plainchant (Style)

Answer 1

• Also known as Gregorian Chant or Plainsong
• Songs have Latin text and are sung both unaccompanied and in unison
• No regular Metre (set beats in a bar) the chant follows the natural rhythm of the text
• Originally Plainchant would have been sung by monks as part of worship

Question 2

Mass (Style)

Answer 2

The Mass is a sacred choral work

Features of the Mass include:

• Latin text (Kyrie, Gloria, Sanctus, Agnus Dei)
• Polyphonic texture

The first masses composed during the Renaissance period would have been sung A Cappella

Question 3

Mode/Modal (Melody/Harmony)

Answer 3

A mode is a seven-note scale

There are a number of different modal patterns which were later refined and developed into our modern major and minor scale structures. Like a scale, modes can be built on any note

Question 4

Dorian Mode (Melody/Harmony)

Answer 4

One of the most common modes is the Dorian Mode. It is formed using the following patterns:

D E F G A B C D
[ T S T T T S T]

Following this pattern, you can begin the mode on any note. Here are the notes for the Dorian mode beginning on C:

C D Eb F G A Bb C