Medieval Instruments And Dances

             Dances were accompanied by songs and.
             Most of the instruments came into Europe from Asia.
             They are the earliest known examples of an.
             instrumental repertory that reaches back far beyond the thirteenth century. All the.
             instrumental music of the early Middle ages was associated with singing and dancing. .
             There were stringed instruments, and woodwind instruments.
             The harp was the oldest characteristic medieval instrument. It was imported to.
             the continent from Ireland and Britain. Another stringed instrument was the vielle. It.
             was the principal bowed instrument of the medieval times. In French it was called a.
             Fiedel. The vielle had many different names and a great variety of shapes and sizes;.
             prototype of the modern violin. Organistrum is another stringed instrument. It had.
             three strings and was played by a revolving wheel turned by a crank. The organistrum.
             was very large and required two players. It was commonly used in church. .
             Psaltery and lute appeared frequently in medieval art. They are a type of zither.
             It is also a remote ancestor of the harpischord and clavichord. Organs were another.
             famous instrument of the Medieval period. There were two types; the portative and.
             positive. Portative was small enough to be carried and had a single rack of pipes. .
             Positive organs could be carried but had to be placed on a table and required.
             assistance when playing the bellows. And of course, the universal folk instrument the.
             bagpipe. .
             The woodwind instruments of the Medieval period consisted of flutes and also.
             reed instruments of the oboe variety. Trumpets were played by wandering musicians. .
             Although less is known about instrumental musical and dance, musicians were.
             undoubtedly active with this type of music. The instruments of the Medieval period.
             shaped the music and instruments in today's music.