Medieval Musical Instruments

----------

A WebQuest for the Students of Ms. Higgins at Leestown Middle School

----------

Introduction

The Medieval Period and Renaissance are important time periods for modern music and musical instruments. Many styles and techniques came about in this time. More importantly, most of the instruments that we see today have evolved from instruments from the Medieval Period and from the Renaissance. By studying these instruments, you will gain a better understanding of our present day musical instruments.

Task

Your task is to research six medieval musical instruments in preparation for answering an open-response item.

Your research must include all the following:

  • how to play the instrument

  • the shape of the instrument

  • the design of the instrument

  • the family to which it belongs

  • when and where the instrument is/was played

Process and Resources

Visit each of the websites below to see which instruments are available to study and to ensure that sufficient information is included for your task:
 

A Guide to Medieval and Renaissance Instruments

Medieval Musical Instruments

Renaissance Instruments

Teacher Tips

Most of the instruments are described on more than one page. Be sure to visit all of the resources above for each instrument to gather sufficient information for your task.

Remember to use the "BACK" button in the upper-left corner to get back to this page, so that you can get to the other links.

Evaluation

The overall grade for this open-response item is worth 100 points. Evidence of your research must be reflected in your response.

Conclusion

Upon completing your research, review your notes for each instrument and make sure you have information for each of the bulleted items in the task above.

Prepared by Mr. Stephen Holthaus

----------