Praxis 5113: Music Content Knowledge - Exam
Preparation and Study Guide
Medieval musical period - correct answer ✔✔After fall of Rome 476 - 1300s
Monophonic chant - correct answer ✔✔Medieval. Single unison melodic line. Somber religious chants
called plainchant or plainsong. Gregorian chants too. When other voices added, they moved parallel to
the main voice.
Cantus firmus - correct answer ✔✔Main melody in a chant
Motet - correct answer ✔✔Medieval. Evolved from monophonic chant. Adding additional parts against
main cantus firmus. Popular by 1200s. Continued through Bach.
Organum - correct answer ✔✔Medieval. Evolved from plainchant. Means adding a second vocal line to
monophonic chant, usually 4th or 5th away from melody.
Medieval Madrigal - correct answer ✔✔Medieval. Italian. Duet about a pastoral subject. (Other
madrigals came later)
Ars Nova - correct answer ✔✔Late medieval. "New art." Polyphonic with unique rhythms. Pioneered in
France by Phillippe de Vitry. Led directly into Renaissance. Popularized chanson.
Chanson - correct answer ✔✔Late medieval, early Renaissance. Style of polyphonic vocal music that
incorporated poetry. Often about courtly love and courtly intrigue. Often accompanied by a string
instrument.
Ligature-based notation - correct answer ✔✔Medieval. Way to write music. Did not indicate rhythms.
Inventor of staff - correct answer ✔✔Guido d' Arezzo. Italian music theorist. Developed 4 line staff in
1000s. Evolved into 5 line staff toward end of medieval period.
,Troubadour - correct answer ✔✔Medieval. Traveling musicians accompanying singing with string
instruments like lutes, dulcimers, vielles, psalteries, and hurdy-gurdies. Secular music. Most pop during
1100s.
Trouveres - correct answer ✔✔Medieval. Poet musicians, usually nobility. Sang in Old French Dialect
called langue d'oil.
Medieval music instrumentation - correct answer ✔✔Mostly vocals. When instruments used, they were
for woodwinds (flute, pan flute, recorder), strings (dulcimer, psaltery, zither), and brass (sackbut)
Hammered dulcimer - correct answer ✔✔Medievalish. Trapezoidal instrument whose metal strings are
struck with light hammers.
Mountain dulcimer - correct answer ✔✔Medievalish. Plucked or strummed zither with frets over a
distinctive curved hourglass-shaped resonator
Zither - correct answer ✔✔Medievalish. Strummed instrument with many strings stretched across a thin,
flat body.
Psaltery - correct answer ✔✔Medievalish. Like a dulcimer but plucked with fingers or plectrum (pick).
Leonin - correct answer ✔✔Medieval. French. Pioneered polyphonic composition in organum style.
Lived and worked in Notre Dame Cathedral.
Perotin - correct answer ✔✔Medieval. Perotinus Magnus. In Notre Dame School of Polyphony. Was
associated with Ars Antiqua genre.
Hildegard von Bingen - correct answer ✔✔Medieval. Female. Based in Germany. Composed monophonic
chants for 1100s Catholic church. Specialized in music for female voices.
Guillaume de Machaut - correct answer ✔✔Medieval. Composer of Ars Nova. Master of isorhythmic
motet. Composed sacred music. Was poet and wrote about secular topics too.
, Larynx - correct answer ✔✔voice box
Vocal hygiene tip - food - correct answer ✔✔Be hydrated. Avoid acidic foods like citrus and tomatoes.
Avoid alcohol, caffeine, dairy, and spicy foods that irritate, dehydrate, and inflame mucous membranes.
Vocal hygiene tip - rest voice - correct answer ✔✔Rest or take vocal nap after big performances. Warm
up before singing. Drop an octave when practicing super high stuff to not strain too much if needed.
Renaissance time period - correct answer ✔✔1300s-1600s
Renaissance music characteristics - correct answer ✔✔Steady beat, balanced phrase length, polyphony
(often imitative), increasing interest in text/music relationships, increasing use of thirds and triads, music
printed for first time, music published to public for first time, rhythms dictated by notation for first time,
and merchant class could sing/play at home.
Word painting - correct answer ✔✔Renaissance. Represent poetic images musically. Ex: Ascending
melodic line portrays ascending to heaven. Fast notes represent running.
Music purposes in Renaissance - correct answer ✔✔Worship Catholic and Protestant church stuff.
Entertain courtly people. Provide music for dancing.
Renaissance musicians - correct answer ✔✔Music playing = leisure, valued pastime for educated people.
Guests at social functions expected to contribute via instrumental performance.
Renaissance madrigal - correct answer ✔✔Several solo voices set to a short poem. Originated Italy 1520.
Most about love. Homophonic and polyphonic textures. Secular. More unusual harmonies and word
painting. Many refrains said "fa la" to fill gaps in melody or cover naughty words. Sometimes referred to
as Renaissance Fa La songs.
Homophony - correct answer ✔✔Multiple voices harmonically moving together at the same time
Polyphony - correct answer ✔✔Multiple voices with separate melodic lines and rhythms
Preparation and Study Guide
Medieval musical period - correct answer ✔✔After fall of Rome 476 - 1300s
Monophonic chant - correct answer ✔✔Medieval. Single unison melodic line. Somber religious chants
called plainchant or plainsong. Gregorian chants too. When other voices added, they moved parallel to
the main voice.
Cantus firmus - correct answer ✔✔Main melody in a chant
Motet - correct answer ✔✔Medieval. Evolved from monophonic chant. Adding additional parts against
main cantus firmus. Popular by 1200s. Continued through Bach.
Organum - correct answer ✔✔Medieval. Evolved from plainchant. Means adding a second vocal line to
monophonic chant, usually 4th or 5th away from melody.
Medieval Madrigal - correct answer ✔✔Medieval. Italian. Duet about a pastoral subject. (Other
madrigals came later)
Ars Nova - correct answer ✔✔Late medieval. "New art." Polyphonic with unique rhythms. Pioneered in
France by Phillippe de Vitry. Led directly into Renaissance. Popularized chanson.
Chanson - correct answer ✔✔Late medieval, early Renaissance. Style of polyphonic vocal music that
incorporated poetry. Often about courtly love and courtly intrigue. Often accompanied by a string
instrument.
Ligature-based notation - correct answer ✔✔Medieval. Way to write music. Did not indicate rhythms.
Inventor of staff - correct answer ✔✔Guido d' Arezzo. Italian music theorist. Developed 4 line staff in
1000s. Evolved into 5 line staff toward end of medieval period.
,Troubadour - correct answer ✔✔Medieval. Traveling musicians accompanying singing with string
instruments like lutes, dulcimers, vielles, psalteries, and hurdy-gurdies. Secular music. Most pop during
1100s.
Trouveres - correct answer ✔✔Medieval. Poet musicians, usually nobility. Sang in Old French Dialect
called langue d'oil.
Medieval music instrumentation - correct answer ✔✔Mostly vocals. When instruments used, they were
for woodwinds (flute, pan flute, recorder), strings (dulcimer, psaltery, zither), and brass (sackbut)
Hammered dulcimer - correct answer ✔✔Medievalish. Trapezoidal instrument whose metal strings are
struck with light hammers.
Mountain dulcimer - correct answer ✔✔Medievalish. Plucked or strummed zither with frets over a
distinctive curved hourglass-shaped resonator
Zither - correct answer ✔✔Medievalish. Strummed instrument with many strings stretched across a thin,
flat body.
Psaltery - correct answer ✔✔Medievalish. Like a dulcimer but plucked with fingers or plectrum (pick).
Leonin - correct answer ✔✔Medieval. French. Pioneered polyphonic composition in organum style.
Lived and worked in Notre Dame Cathedral.
Perotin - correct answer ✔✔Medieval. Perotinus Magnus. In Notre Dame School of Polyphony. Was
associated with Ars Antiqua genre.
Hildegard von Bingen - correct answer ✔✔Medieval. Female. Based in Germany. Composed monophonic
chants for 1100s Catholic church. Specialized in music for female voices.
Guillaume de Machaut - correct answer ✔✔Medieval. Composer of Ars Nova. Master of isorhythmic
motet. Composed sacred music. Was poet and wrote about secular topics too.
, Larynx - correct answer ✔✔voice box
Vocal hygiene tip - food - correct answer ✔✔Be hydrated. Avoid acidic foods like citrus and tomatoes.
Avoid alcohol, caffeine, dairy, and spicy foods that irritate, dehydrate, and inflame mucous membranes.
Vocal hygiene tip - rest voice - correct answer ✔✔Rest or take vocal nap after big performances. Warm
up before singing. Drop an octave when practicing super high stuff to not strain too much if needed.
Renaissance time period - correct answer ✔✔1300s-1600s
Renaissance music characteristics - correct answer ✔✔Steady beat, balanced phrase length, polyphony
(often imitative), increasing interest in text/music relationships, increasing use of thirds and triads, music
printed for first time, music published to public for first time, rhythms dictated by notation for first time,
and merchant class could sing/play at home.
Word painting - correct answer ✔✔Renaissance. Represent poetic images musically. Ex: Ascending
melodic line portrays ascending to heaven. Fast notes represent running.
Music purposes in Renaissance - correct answer ✔✔Worship Catholic and Protestant church stuff.
Entertain courtly people. Provide music for dancing.
Renaissance musicians - correct answer ✔✔Music playing = leisure, valued pastime for educated people.
Guests at social functions expected to contribute via instrumental performance.
Renaissance madrigal - correct answer ✔✔Several solo voices set to a short poem. Originated Italy 1520.
Most about love. Homophonic and polyphonic textures. Secular. More unusual harmonies and word
painting. Many refrains said "fa la" to fill gaps in melody or cover naughty words. Sometimes referred to
as Renaissance Fa La songs.
Homophony - correct answer ✔✔Multiple voices harmonically moving together at the same time
Polyphony - correct answer ✔✔Multiple voices with separate melodic lines and rhythms
