monophony
melody without harmony or counterpoint
polyphony
music arranged in parts for several voices or instruments
heterophony
simultaneous instrument and vocal melody
Lyre
a harp used by ancient Greeks for accompaniment
aulos
single or double-reed instrument often mistaken for flute, used by ancient Greeks. consists of twin pipes
kithara
a stringed instrument used for personal accompaniment in ancient Greek music
Musica mundana
...Music of the spheres, the belief that the planets and celestial bodies move together in harmony
Musica humana
...Music of the body, the belief that the human body exists in a state of harmony (ie sickness is out of harmony)
Musica instrumentalis
...Music of the instruments, the final and lowest form of ancient music consisted of audible music like we know today
Doctrine of Ethos
The belief that listening to certain music changes your ethos and affects your character
Aristotle's Theory of Imitation
Music affects your soul (both positively and negatively depending on the music)
Trivium
...Capella's classifications of the 3 essential language arts; being grammar, logic, and rhetoric
Quadrivium
...Boethius's classifications of the 4 essential maths and sciences; being geometry, arithmetic, astronomy, and harmonics
De Institutione Musica
...Boethius's fundamentals of music, consisting of musica mundana, musica humana, and musica instrumentalis
Office / Canonical Hours
...a series of 8 prayer services held at specific times of each day in a religious community
Mass Ordinary
...the parts of the Mass that do not change, although the songs may change
Mass Proper
...the parts of the Mass that change each particular day
Antiphon
...verse or sentence with its own melody, which "bolsters" the text. An antiphon is sung before and after every psalm
chant / plainchant / Gregorian chant
...monophonic choral music passed down through the ages. It is the first example we have of written music
psalm tones
...a pattern for psalm singing that could be adapted to any psalm
antiphonal
...two choruses singing alternating phrases
responsorial
...a choir and a soloist singing alternating phrases
direct
...just one choir singing an entire piece with no alternating phrases
jubiluis
...adds something fun and joyful to the chant
sequence
...chants that are built from Jubili
trope
...an expansion of existing chant containing new music, new text, or both
schola cantorum
...music academy, like a conservatory by today's standards
Antiphonale
...book containing music for offices
Graduale
...book containing music for Mass
Liber Usualis
...collection of the most often used chants found in the Antiphonal and Graduale
eight church modes
...Dorian, Hypodorian, Phrygian, Hypophrygian, Lydian, Hypolydian, Mixolydian, Hypomixolydian
authentic modes
...Dorian, Phrygian, Lydian, Mixolydian
plagal modes
...Hypodorian, Hypophrygian, Hypolydian, Hypomixolydian
The Guidonian Hand
...diagram used as a teaching tool to teach students to sing specific intervals as teachers pointed to different spots on their hand
Dies Irae
...Day of Wrath
liturgical
...to do with the texts performed in a religious service
Doxology
...The Gloria Patri
syllabic
...chants that have one note per syllable
neumatic
...an even mix of syllabic and melismatic qualities in the music
melismatic
...chants that have many notes per syllable
organum
...the addition of one or more voices to existing chant songs
Chanson de geste
...French medieval songs about heroes
Song of Roland
...French battle song about the war hero named Roland
parallel organum
...the original chant sung with another voice a 5th below
oblique organum
...much like parallel organum, except not every voice moves parallel on every note
contrary organum
...voices move against each other creating new harmonies, which leads to polyphony
florid organum
...the original chant is slowed down to an unrecognizable drone with new chant sung on top of it
tenor voice
...always the lowest voice
motetus voice
...the voice above the tenor
duplum voice
...the voice below the triplum voice
triplum voice
...the voice above the duplum voice
cantus firmus
...a polyphonic work based on an existing chant melody
organum triplum
...organum with three voices
organum quadruplum
...organum with four voices
discant organum
...organum that contained contrary motion, this is where rhythmic modes began their use
Notre Dame school
...when the cathedral was being built, musicians were inspired to write new music to fill the giant hall
Rhythmic Modes
...different generic rhythms were assigned to a mode to allow the chorus to follow the conductors instructions will performing
Clausula
...a short piece of organum that closes with a cadence
Polyphonic conductus
...a processional tune set to rhymed, rhythmic, Latin poetry
Motet
...features one or more voices with its own text in Latin or French. Used borrowed chant material in its Tenor
Musica Enchiriadis
...Music Handbook that instructed students how to write polyphony
Winchester Troper
...Largest collection of organum in the 11th century, originated from the Winchester Cathedral
Magnus Liber Organi
...The Great Book of Polyphony
Goliard songs
...songs written by travelling students
Jongleur (minstrel)
... musician who performed shows wherever they went to make money, much like modern day touring act
Provencal
...dialect of Southern France, comes from langue d'oc
Occitan / Langue d'oc
...language spoken in southern parts of France during and after the middle ages
langue d'oil
...language spoken in northern France, which is closest to modern french
trouvere / troubador
...a french poet-composer who wrote Monophonic (a single melodic line) songs; they didn't travel, but resided at the court
bar form
...AAB formula for songwriting
minnesinger
...a poet and composer of medieval Germany who wrote monophonic songs, particularly about love
minnelieder
...songs written by the German minnesingers that concentrated on the theme of love
Anonymous IV
...Late 13th century Englishman who is our primary source of knowledge for everything we know about Leoninus, Perotinus, and the Notre Dame school
Ars Cantus Mensurabililis
...a treatise from the 13th century by Franco that suggested that music may have rhythms with defined length, brought about the end to rhythmic modes and the dawn of modern notation
Franconian motet
...motets written by Franco without the use of rhythmic modes and with lines that were sung simultaneously in different languages
chansonniers
...collection of songbooks in French vernacular written by trouveres and troubadours