Medieval and Renaissance Instruments 2 Quiz

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. According to the Laws of Wales (twelfth century), there were three items that were indispensable to a gentleman: his cloak, his chessboard and this musical instrument.

Answer: harp

Because of the lack of an early music notation system, our knowledge of harp use is limited. We do know from writings and art work that harps were used by the nobility and by troubadors. The Laws of Wales also states that the three proper things for any man to have in his house are a virtuous wife, his cushion on his chair, and his harp in tune.

2. This instrument, also known as a portative organ, requires the player to pump a bellows with his left hand while playing a button type keyboard with his right.

Answer: organetto

The organetto was light weight and could be carried and played in religious processions. It's limited air supply allowed only one note to be played at a time.

3. This Hebrew instrument brought down the fabled walls of Jericho. It is the only ritual instrument of that culture to still be in use today.

Answer: shofar

The shofar is a trumpet-like instrument made of a ram's horn. The medieval Jewish philosopher Maimonides attributed mystical properties to its sound. In modern times the ritual use of the shofar is restricted to New Year (Rosh Hashana) and the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur).

Although the psaltery, harp and cymbals are part of Jewish tradition, they do not have the ancient ritual significance of the shofar.

4. A bowed instrument with frets, it was usually played held downwards on the lap or between the legs. It is rarely used today except in stylistic period performances.

Answer: viol

The medieval instrument viola da gamba was held between the legs and literally means leg viol. The instrument appears in European artwork as early as the 11th century. It reemerges several centuries later as the Renaissance viol. Henry VIII composed music for the viol and employed a consort of Italian viol players in his court.

5. This tenor instrument of the zink or cornetto family is shaped like a flattened letter "s". Although the tone of this wind instrument is generally considered to be pleasing to the ear, it has a cloudy, rather foggy timbre.

Answer: lizard

The lizard, also known as the lysard or lysarden, blends well with voices and usually plays one of the inner voices of an ensemble. Appropriately, the bass zink or cornett is larger than the lizard and is called a serpent.

6. This is a very loud wind instrument in which the reed is completely enclosed in a balloon like sphere. When the sphere is filled with air it crackles.

Answer: bladder pipe

Although used in medieval music, an instrument matching this description is mentioned in the writings of Aristophanes. The reed of a bladder pipe is enclosed by an animal bladder, such as that of a pig. The bladder serves as a wind reservoir similar to the bag of a bagpipe. A pig bladder replacement today costs about 50 American dollars.

7. This double reed instrument is difficult to play and at best has a nasal buzzing type of timbre. The wooden bore is steamed to achieve the shape of a half-circle.

Answer: crumhorn

Despite the documented reactions of horrified listeners to poor crumhorn playing, the instrument was prominently featured in dances and ceremonies of the Renaissance. Henry VIII owned 25 crumhorns. Crumhorn means curved horn and the word survives today in the English word crumple and crumpet (curved cake).

8. Not much is known about this wind instrument because none have survived to the present day. The name in German means "rousing pipe", although the timbre is similar to a gentler, softer crumhorn sound.

Answer: cornamuse

The cornamuse is clearly described by Praetorius as an instrument with no keys, made in varying sizes, and similar in sound to a gentle crumhorn. Some confusion exists because the Latin cornamusa is commonly translated as the French cornemuse or bagpipe.

9. Found in documentation of several ancient cultures, this instrument disappeared from Europe after the fall of Rome. It first reappears in 10th century Germany. The sound is similar to that of its cousin the recorder.

Answer: transverse flute

The cross flute, or transverse flute, did not enjoy the early popularity of the recorder. The transverse flute is first seen in Chinese art of the 9th century B.C. In 1528, Agricola advises that one purchase the flutes in sets so that they will be in tune with one another. The transverse flute is the forerunner of our modern orchestral flute.

10. In 1619, Praetorius described the sound of this instrument as "quite soft, almost as if one were blowing through a comb." It is a small instrument with a surprisingly low pitch range. The German version is called Worstfaggot or sausage bassoon.

Answer: rackett

A kind of dwarf bassoon, the now obsolete rackett was approximately 4 1/2 inches in length. Astonishly, because of its inner convolutions, it contained the necessary tubing to give a bassoon or contra-bassoon pitch. The dulcian is similar to the cornamuse, the hautbois is the oboe, and the kazoo is...well, the kazoo.

Source: Author belle_a_cello

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor Bruyere before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.

More fun with the real oldies...grab your shofar and hang on to your rackett as you cruise down memory lane.

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