8-3Music

What were Popular Forms of Music and Musical Instruments in Elizabethan England? //Answered prepared by Jake W.// In Elizabethan England, music was very important in everyday life. Everyone listened or performed music, rich or poor. Music was sometimes performed by the professional musicians in the theatre or sometimes it was just sung in the villages and fields to relax the poor workers who had been working physically enduring jobs for hours. One place where every Elizabethan citizen listened to music was in Church. Church music from Elizabethan times is said to be beautiful. Many of the best composers composed music for the church. Some of those composers were Thomas Campion, Robert Johnson, and William Byrd. These composers used two different styles which were called the madrigal and the Ayre. According to the webpage, Elizabethan Music, “ The emergence of the madrigal ensured that ‘England first became sophisticated in the ways of Continental music.’ The early 1500's saw the high point of the unique English liturgical style.” Madrigal music was a form of vocal chamber music. An argument exists stating that madrigal music originated in northern Italy, while some believe it was made in Elizabeth England. Ayre music consists of a solo song with a lute accompaniment. Elizabethan music was definitely very important. They used several instruments to make all of this excellent music.

Several instruments were used in the making of the Elizabethan music. Some of them were even created during this period of time. The early violin called the viol and the keyboard musical instruments called the spinet, harpsichord and the virginal all emerged during this era. The viol was very similar to a violin except it was made in different sizes, six strings, and a fretted fingerboard. It seems like a mix between guitar and violin. The spinet and virginal are both in the harpsichord family. The only difference between them is that a virginal is a smaller version of the harpsichord and the spinet has the strings of the harpsichord set at an angle compared to the keys. A harpsichord is extremely similar to the modern piano. When a key is pressed on the harpsichord, a string is plucked, producing a sound. The harpsichord was part of the keyboard instruments.

There were four categories of instruments during the Elizabethan period. These four categories were: stringed instruments, wind instruments, percussion instruments, and keyboard instruments. String instruments are just how they sound, instruments played by bowing or plucking strings. Wind instruments were played by blowing into them such as trumpets or bagpipes. Percussion instruments were various forms of drums and bells and the four main keyboard instruments were the organ spinet harpsichord and virginals. Performers used all of these instruments to entertain crowds of people during the time. As you can see music was definitely one of the most diverse forms of entertainment in Elizabeth England.

Works Cited: = "Elizabeth England Music." //Elizabeth England Life//. 19 Apr 2009 []. "Elizabethan Music." //Elizabethan Music//. 19 Apr 2009 []. Mason, Dorothy. //Music in Elizabeth England//. Washington, DC: Folger Shakespeare Library, 1958. Print. =