Ancient Music History.notebook September 14, 2016
What is Music? Ancient Music History.notebook September 14, 2016
Music, at it's most basic level, is sound.
There are four main differences we find from the past that represents music:
1) Physical Remains: Musical instruments and Performance Spaces
2) Visual Images: Musicians, Instruments, and Performances
3) Writings: Documentation of musicians and instruments
4) Music Itself: Actual songs passed down by voice or recordings Ancient Music History.notebook September 14, 2016
The Earliest Music
The earliest evidence of music lies in surviving instruments and paintings
The Stone Age (40,000 B.C.E.) marks the earliest instruments created
Paintings and instruments found during this era showed that animal skin and bones were used to make instruments such as flutes, whistles, drums, and rattles.
Music at this time was used to help with hunting and tribal rituals Ancient Music History.notebook September 14, 2016
The Earliest Music The Bronze Age (4000 BCE) began using metal to make instruments (bells, jingles, cymbals, rattles, and horns).
Although various facts can be learned through paintings and instruments, there are no written evidence of music.
With the invention of writing, the history of music truly begins. Ancient Music History.notebook September 14, 2016
Music in Ancient Mesopotamia
Pictures and instruments were still crucial in understanding music during this era.
Two instruments were discovered during 2500 BCE
Harp: Plucked string instrument Bull Lyre: Plucked instrument with a bull head on the sound box. Used for religious ceremonies. Ancient Music History.notebook September 14, 2016
Music in Ancient Mesopotamia Combining written records with images allows a better understanding of what music was used for. Music was used for weddings, funerals, military, work, entertainment, and religious ceremonies. Music was only available to rulers and priests.
This era also introduced the genre (types of musical compositions) hymns (songs to a god) Ancient Music History.notebook September 14, 2016
Music in Ancient Mesopotamia The written hymns introduced two other musical ideas:
Diatonic Scale: a seven note pattern
Notation: Writing down musical notes
The first notated hymn appeared in 1250 BCE on a Clay Tablet Ancient Music History.notebook September 14, 2016 Ancient Music History.notebook September 14, 2016
Please take out a sheet of paper and put your name on the top
Today we will be listening to a piece of music. In 23 sentences, please answer the follow question: Give your opinion about this piece. Do you like or dislike it and why? Ancient Music History.notebook September 14, 2016
Music in Ancient Greek
There were three main instruments used in Ancient Greece
Aulos: Pipe instrument that Lyre: Seven stringed Kithara: A large version of uses a reed. Mainly used in instrumented that is the Lyre. Mainly used for ceremonies in theatres. the worship of Dionysus, plucked with a pick. Mainly god of fertility and wine. used in worship of Apollo, god of light, prophecy, learning, and the arts.
Even though writing was invented, most musicians learned by ear and played by memory. Ancient Music History.notebook September 14, 2016
Music in Ancient Greek
Music from this era can be broken up into two different styles:
1) Music for entertainment and rituals 2) Music for study
There were four big names during this time period:
Plato (429 347 BCE): Studied the uses of music and their effects.
Artistotle (384322 BCE): Studied music in politics
Pythagoras (570495 BCE): Inventor of music theory Aristides Quintilianus (300400 C.E.): Completed Pythagoras' work Ancient Music History.notebook September 14, 2016
Music in Ancient Greek In Greek Mythology, music was invented and played by the Gods.
Because of this, music was both an art form and a science. Music was used for everything from entertainment to worship.
Music as a performing art was called melos (melody). There were three types of melos in Greek Music:
Monophonic: Heterophony: Polyphony: One melodic line Two melodic Lines Many different melodic lines
Most of the time, this music would be played with singers and lyre players. Ancient Music History.notebook September 14, 2016
Music in Ancient Greek
Aristotle believed that music could affect ethos (behavior).
His doctrine of imitation would describe how music can effect someone's behavior and mood. If a piece sounded happy, a person would act happy etc.
Both Plato and Aristotle believed that both gymnastics and music were important to learn in education.
Plato thought that music that was used for history and science is acceptable while Aristotle believed entertainment was also acceptable. Ancient Music History.notebook September 14, 2016
Music in Ancient Greek There were two very important pieces that came out of Greek Music.
The Epitaph of Seikilos (127 BCE) was the Euriphides' Orestes (200 BCE) first notated piece to use Pythagorean's was a fragment that used the same music theory notation
You wild goddesses who dart across the skies While you live, shine seeking vengeance for murder, we beg you to free Don't suffer anything at all; Agamemnon's son from his raging fury.... Life exists only a short while We grieve for this boy. Happiness is brief among mortals. And time demands its toll. Sorrow and anguish sweep down on it like a swift gust of wind on a sail boat, and it sinks under the tossing seas. Ancient Music History.notebook September 14, 2016
Music in Ancient Rome
The Romans took much of their musical culture from Greece
Just like the Greeks, many of the Romans songs were rituals sung for the Gods.
Other aspects were for military use, and entertainment. Ancient Music History.notebook September 14, 2016
Music in Ancient Rome
The Tuba was also invented during this time and was only used in ritual music. This tuba was very different from the one we know today.
Unlike Greece, much of the music of this time was imported from other areas of the world.
Music for entertainment was also just used for royalty as well. Nobody without power ever went to see a play or orchestra. Ancient Music History.notebook September 14, 2016
The Greek Heritage
There were five main aspects of music that were taken away from the Ancient World
1) Melody was linked with rhythm and words
2) Musicians relied on memory rather than notation
3) Philosophers found a connection between science and nature 4) A system to write music was founded
5) Every composer began using this new system Ancient Music History.notebook September 14, 2016