Medieval Music for Kids: The Sounds of the Middle Ages
Click on the Train Cars to Travel to Another Era!
Welcome to the Medieval Era! Leon Leopard’s Music History Express has arrived at a time when castles, cathedrals, and communities filled the world with new sounds. During this era, musicians developed new ways to create, write, and share music that helped shape the future of music history.
Messe de Nostre Dame de Guillaume Machaut
What Was Medieval Music?
Medieval music is the first musical era of Western Music, spanning from 500 to 1450 AD. This was a time in music when vocals were dominant. Western musicologists divide music into two kinds: sacred and secular. Sacred music is religious music made for the church. Secular music is music that is not religious.
During the Middle Ages, the Catholic church was very powerful. At that time, musical instruments were considered anti-religious and were not allowed in the church during services. For this reason, vocal music was written called Gregorian Chant. Gregorian Chant was monophonic. Monophonic means there was only one melody with no harmonies. Towards the end of the Medieval era, polyphony became popular. Polyphony is when more than one melody is sung at the same time.
Medieval Music Through Time
There are three periods during the Medieval Era: early medieval, high medieval, and late medieval.
Early Medieval Music (c. 500–1150)
Early Medieval music was mostly composed of chants or what is called ‘plainsong.’ This song was a single melody without an accompanying harmony. Eventually, chants would include another voice in parallel above the first voice. This was called “organum” and is the beginning of modern counterpoint and harmony.
High Medieval Music (c. 1150–1300)
High Medieval music was more advanced than the previous plainsong of the early period. Poet-musicians called goliards wrote and sang songs in Latin. Many of the songs during this time were religious, but the goliards sang songs about everyday life. We call this non-religious music secular music. Many of the lyrics have survived in the medieval text The Carmina Burana.
Professional musicians called troubadours (troo-buh-doors) and trouvères (troo-ver-ays) wrote secular poems, songs, and dances. Many traveled from place to place, as they were hired by wealthy noblemen or women.
Late Medieval Music (c. 1300–1450)
Late Medieval music was very diverse. Music began to get so specific in different parts of the world that different countries began making their own kinds of music. In France, they began working with a practice called ‘Ars nova’ which means “new art”. In this new art, secular music gained a more advanced type of melody. Even though this term mostly applies to French music, it is often used to describe all music from this part of history. In Italy, their musical movement was called ‘Trecento’. Much of the musical traditions of this time would continue into the next major period, the Renaissance.
Medieval Instruments
- flute
- dulcimer
- recorder
- vielle
Medieval Composers
- Hildegard Von Bingen
- Léonin
- Pérotin
- Guillaume de Machaut
Learn More About the Instruments and Composers of the Medieval Era
Click the buttons below to find out more about Medieval instruments and composers.
Instruments
Composers
What Did Medieval Music Sound Like?
- chant
- single melodies
- early harmony
- voices and instruments
Medieval Music Activities for Kids
Compare Two Genres
What’s the difference between the two pieces of music? What are the similarities?
Medieval Music Era Vocabulary Terms
| Word | Meaning |
| flute | A wind instrument made from carved wood with simple holes which when pressed, change the pitch of the instrument played horizontally. |
| dulcimer | A large, board-like instrument covered in strings of different lengths to produce different tones. |
| recorder | A wind instrument with holes that when covered, make different pitches played vertically. |
| vielle | A large, handheld instrument that was played much like a violin, with a bow. |
| plainsong | A single melody without an accompanied harmony. |
| organum | A form of early polyphony based on plainsong from the Medieval Era. |
| goliards | Poet-musicians who wrote songs in Latin that had everyday themes. |
| troubadours and trouvères | Professional musicians who wrote songs with everyday themes. |
| Ars Nova | “New Art” French secular music from the Medieval Era. |
| Hildegard Von Bingen | A German author, composer, philosopher, mystic, visionary, and medical writer and nurse. |
Medieval Music Quiz Questions
Get with a partner and quiz each other!
- Who were musicians that traveled and played music during the Medieval era?
- What did they call the “New Art” movement in France?
- What does monophonic mean?
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