Wednesday, 13 July 2011

Fast Facts About Unique Medieval Instruments

By Douglas Etri


Got a lot of free time? I can count a number of fun things to do this vacation. Trouble is, most of us would normally prefer to lie or sit in front of the television and watch TV shows that have different titles but all looks same. Do not waste the time doing idling things. Life is short and the world has a lot of things to offer. Why not try to learn some things about medieval instruments?

Medieval instruments? Is it even possible to find these antiquated things in the present time? Yes, of course.. The fact that they seem to be a group of ancient, outclassed and forgotten musical instruments make you think they are, and in no other way, going to be fashionable. Alas, you might want to rethink this thought over again since this is completely untrue. Even today, there are still a lot of instruments dating back from the medieval times that are played along with the modern instruments. Drums for example, the fiddle and the tambourine. Or the bagpipes, the wind instrument for the poorest people back then.

Learning how to play these old-timer musical instruments would also be more fun if you can learn some little-known tidbits regarding the dark ages. This would not only increase your knowledge regarding the medieval history, but to allow the natural curiosity of the Dark ages to grow within you. Through this, music appreciation including the advocacy to spread the magic of the medieval music even to these modern times will be realized.

Interesting fact number one: The oldest known record share us this information-the world's oldest medieval instrument is none other than the human voice. This would be due to the fact that our forefather did not have the time for merrymaking, as they were busy tending to their lands. Therefore there was no need for music. According to known records, Christian monks used the human voice as a tool to spread their religion, and it is in this fashion that Gregorian chants and hymns were propagated all throughout the Christendom.

Interesting fact number two: Have you ever wondered if the romantic tales of the court and the heroic tales of knight were authentic? If not, who may have the imagination to tell them so enthrallingly? They are called the troubadours and the minstrels. The troubadours are known to perform Occitan lyric poetry. Their female counterparts are called trobairitz. Whereas the minstrels are servants meant to entertain the high court. In a way they are what we call "great story tellers" for they told about chivalric pursuits and courtly love, real or not.

Fun tidbit number three: The oldest church organ is said to be used to as back as the 8th century. We should not forget the fact that the symphonies and the melodies we now have evolved from the simple hymns plucked or stroked from these unique medieval instruments. Paying tribute to these "pioneers" need not only call for our devote appreciation, but in making sure they will last through time as well. When buying check that you can buy them from a trusted outlet so you can have parts or repair for maintenance value whenever you need them.




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