Medieval Period Presentation
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Music Theory I
Unit 1: Music History
What IS music theory?
The study of the practices and possibilities
of music
How music is constructed
From 400-1400 AD (1,000 years!)
Literally translated as the “middle” period
Three classes of people (the feudal
system):
◦ Nobility
◦ Clergy
◦ Peasants
The Medieval Period
Nobility
First class citizens below the monarch
Rich landowners
Mounted warriors who swore allegiance to
the king/queen & swore to fight in
exchange for a plot of land
Born into this class- usually didn’t move
up or down
Clergy
Second class citizens
Priests and monks
Lived in and worked for the church
Peasants
Third class citizens
Most people belonged to this class
Poor farmers
Lived on nobles’ plots of land and worked
for them (for terrible pay)
Born into this class
◦ Average age of a peasant was 30 YEARS OLD!
◦ Ate little more than black bread and turnips
Medieval black bread
Sacred Music
Sacred music is the music of the church
Church was the central part of peoples’
lives
◦ Church controlled the majority of society’s
money
◦ Church employed many different workers
Plainsong
Sacred music of the Medieval Period was
called plainsong
◦ Consisted of one single melody, words in Latin
◦ Words kept simple so everyone could easily
understand
◦ Words came from the Roman Catholic liturgy
(bible verses)
◦ Written down by monks on four-line staves
using square notes called neumes
◦ Most well-known form of plainsong is called
Gregorian Chant, named in honor of Pope
Gregory I
GREGORIAN CHANT
Secular Music
Secular Music is non-religious music
Grew in popularity during Medieval Period
Minstrels traveled from castle to castle
singing songs, telling stories, and
performing tricks
◦ Songs and stories about love, life, and chivalry
Secular Music
Consisted of a single, simple melody
Usually sung in the common language,
not in Latin
Tempo was faster than sacred music
Accompanied by string or percussion
instruments
Psaltery
Lute
Shawm
End of the Medieval Period
Life began to improve and become more
civilized
People began to focus less on religion and
more on music and art
A new type of music emerged:
◦ POLYPHONY (two or more melodies happening
at the same time)