Middle Ages400-1400

3 classes of people First class consisted of nobility: rich

landowners, knights in shining armour Second class consisted of clergy, priests &

monks Third class consisted of most of the people of

this time period: poor farmers known as peasants

Peasants lived an average age of 30

Society

Sacred Music Secular Music

Two types of Music

Church was the centre of people lives Sacred music was called plainsong Language sung was Latin Words came from Roman Catholic Mass Monks wrote the music http://youtu.be/2HEKhr002Ts

Sacred Music

Music had 4 staves Notes were square called neumes Most well known plain song is Gregorian

chant……in honour of Pope Gregory the first

Sacred Music

People travelled from castle to castle singing

songs called Minstrels Songs were about love, life and chivalry Faster than sacred songs, simple text and one

melody Not typically Latin but the common language

was used

Secular Music

Minstrels would tell jokes, sing songs and

perform tricks Quite often play stringed or percussion

instruments Formed guilds and worked at becoming

respected members of the middle class

Minstrels

Guido D’Arezzo (Italian) is believed to have

lived from 991/992-1033 He was the inventor of modern musical

notation (staff notation) Created/invented the Guidonian hand: musical

notes were mapped to the parts of the hand Other composers of this time period were:

Guillaume de Machaut (French), John Dunstable (English), Leonin (French)

Composers

Over 1000 years, life became better, more

civilized People started to focus on themselves Until now music had been homophony – music

with only one melody at a time Music was starting to be called polyphony –

music with 2 or more melodies happening at the same time.

End of an Era

Often accompanied by stringed or percussion

instruments Songs were about love and life Secular music was faster than Sacred music,

usually only having one melody.

Medieval Music Characteristics in today’s

Music