Medieval Music Instruments

Medieval Music Instruments Overview

There were many instruments during the Medieval era. Some Medieval music instruments, such as the vielle and flute, inspired some of our modern-day instruments. These instruments helped give the Medieval era its unique sound.

Flutes

Flutes were popular during this time but were very different than modern flutes. Medieval flutes were not made of metal and did not have the airtight padding which makes playing easier. Flutes during the Medieval era were made from carved wood and had simple holes which needed to be covered completely by the player’s fingers. The recorder was very similar to a flute, but played vertically instead of horizontally.    

Dulcimer

Stringed instruments during the Middle Ages were larger than the ones we use today. One instrument is the dulcimer (dull-sim-err). The dulcimer is a large, board-like instrument covered in strings of different lengths that produce different tones. Originally, the instrument had to be plucked like a lute (the ancestor of the guitar), but once metal strings became cheaper and easier to make, they were hit with small hammers. The way the hammered dulcimer operates is like a piano. A piano has eighty-eight small hammers that pound on small metal strings to produce tones.

 

Vielle

The vielle is the grandfather of the violin. It was a large, handheld instrument that was played like a violin with a bow. The vielle could have different numbers of strings.

The different instruments used in the Middle Ages varied and had different uses. Even though some may look strange, there is no denying the connection between the instruments used then and those used now. Learning about where our music and tools came from helps us to appreciate modern instruments.

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