Piano
How many keys does the piano have?
88 keys
What is a harpsichord?
The harpsichord is a stringed instrument with black and white keys from the Renaissance, a precursor to the modern day piano.
When was the Medieval Era?
500-1400 a.d.
What does the word renaissance literally mean?
"Rebirth"
What does the word "Baroque" mean?
"Misshapen pearl"
When was the piano invented?
The Baroque Era (1700)
What is used to pluck each string?
A plectrum (or small jack) is used to pluck a string.
What disease was spread during the middle ages?
The black plague--spread by fleas on rats.
What major invention aided widespread literacy, AND who invented it?
The printing press, Johannes Gutenberg
Why was it called the Baroque era?
Everything was ornate and ostentatious--or "extra"--including music, architecture, and art.
Why did they name it the piano forte?
Because it could play soft and loud, as opposed to the harpsichord which could only play loud.
When was the harpsichord invented?
The late Medieval and early Renaissance era--around 1400 a.d.
Who knew how to read in the Medieval era?
Only church clergy, royals, and some of the wealthy nobles.
When was the Renaissance Era?
1400-1600 a.d.
When was the Baroque Era?
1600-1750 a.d.
What is the left pedal called and what does it do?
Soft pedal, moves the hammers and strings closer together so that you play quieter.
*DAILY DOUBLE*
What is a square (upright) harpsichord called?
(We also use this term for a type of piano)
A spinet
Name an instrument from the Middle Ages.
Fiddle, gittern, dulcimer, trumpet (no valves), percussion, tambourine
Name two new concepts from the Renaissance.
Humanism, moving away from the church, focusing on the human experience, art, Greek plays, major and minor thirds, opera.
Name a composer from the Baroque Era
Bach, Handel, Vivaldi, Purcell, Monteverdi, Scarlatti, Corelli
What is the right pedal called and what does it do?
Damper pedal or sustain pedal, it lifts the dampers away from the strings so that the sound continues to decay without stopping.
What is the full name of the instrument that replaced the harpsichord?
Piano Forte, meaning "soft loud" due to its volume versatility.
Music in the Middle Ages was mostly what texture?
Monophonic, meaning one melodic line with no harmonies.
Name a Renaissance composer.
John Dunstable, Antonio de Salazar, William Byrd, Thomas Tallis, King Henry VIII
Name the famous composer whose music wasn't appreciated until after his death.
The music of J.S. Bach wasn't fully appreciated until the early 1900s.