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Praxis 5113 Music Content Knowledge
Questions with Correct Answers | Updated
(100% Correct Answers)
Medieval musical period Answer: After fall of Rome 476 - 1300s
Monophonic chant Answer: Medieval. Single unison melodic line.
Somber religious chants called plainchant or plainsong. Gregorian
chants too. When other voices added, they moved parallel to the
main voice.
Cantus firmus Answer: Main melody in a chant
Motet Answer: Medieval. Evolved from monophonic chant. Adding
additional parts against main cantus firmus. Popular by 1200s.
Continued through Bach.
Organum Answer: Medieval. Evolved from plainchant. Means adding
a second vocal line to monophonic chant, usually 4th or 5th away
from melody.
Medieval Madrigal Answer: Medieval. Italian. Duet about a pastoral
subject. (Other madrigals came later)
Ars Nova Answer: Late medieval. "New art." Polyphonic with unique
rhythms. Pioneered in France by Phillippe de Vitry. Led directly into
Renaissance. Popularized chanson.
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,2
Chanson Answer: Late medieval, early Renaissance. Style of
polyphonic vocal music that incorporated poetry. Often about
courtly love and courtly intrigue. Often accompanied by a string
instrument.
Ligature-based notation Answer: Medieval. Way to write music. Did
not indicate rhythms.
Inventor of staff Answer: Guido d' Arezzo. Italian music theorist.
Developed 4 line staff in 1000s. Evolved into 5 line staff toward end
of medieval period.
Troubadour Answer: Medieval. Traveling musicians accompanying
singing with string instruments like lutes, dulcimers, vielles,
psalteries, and hurdy-gurdies. Secular music. Most pop during
1100s.
Trouveres Answer: Medieval. Poet musicians, usually nobility. Sang
in Old French Dialect called langue d'oil.
Medieval music instrumentation Answer: Mostly vocals. When
instruments used, they were for woodwinds (flute, pan flute,
recorder), strings (dulcimer, psaltery, zither), and brass (sackbut)
Hammered dulcimer Answer: Medievalish. Trapezoidal instrument
whose metal strings are struck with light hammers.
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,3
Mountain dulcimer Answer: Medievalish. Plucked or strummed
zither with frets over a distinctive curved hourglass-shaped
resonator
Zither Answer: Medievalish. Strummed instrument with many strings
stretched across a thin, flat body.
Psaltery Answer: Medievalish. Like a dulcimer but plucked with
fingers or plectrum (pick).
Leonin Answer: Medieval. French. Pioneered polyphonic
composition in organum style. Lived and worked in Notre Dame
Cathedral.
Perotin Answer: Medieval. Perotinus Magnus. In Notre Dame School
of Polyphony. Was associated with Ars Antiqua genre.
Hildegard von Bingen Answer: Medieval. Female. Based in Germany.
Composed monophonic chants for 1100s Catholic church.
Specialized in music for female voices.
Guillaume de Machaut Answer: Medieval. Composer of Ars Nova.
Master of isorhythmic motet. Composed sacred music. Was poet
and wrote about secular topics too.
Larynx Answer: voice box
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, 4
Vocal hygiene tip - food Answer: Be hydrated. Avoid acidic foods
like citrus and tomatoes. Avoid alcohol, caffeine, dairy, and spicy
foods that irritate, dehydrate, and inflame mucous membranes.
Vocal hygiene tip - rest voice Answer: Rest or take vocal nap after
big performances. Warm up before singing. Drop an octave when
practicing super high stuff to not strain too much if needed.
Renaissance time period Answer: 1300s-1600s
Renaissance music characteristics Answer: Steady beat, balanced
phrase length, polyphony (often imitative), increasing interest in
text/music relationships, increasing use of thirds and triads, music
printed for first time, music published to public for first time,
rhythms dictated by notation for first time, and merchant class
could sing/play at home.
Word painting Answer: Renaissance. Represent poetic images
musically. Ex: Ascending melodic line portrays ascending to heaven.
Fast notes represent running.
Music purposes in Renaissance Answer: Worship Catholic and
Protestant church stuff. Entertain courtly people. Provide music for
dancing.
© 2025 All rights reserved
Praxis 5113 Music Content Knowledge
Questions with Correct Answers | Updated
(100% Correct Answers)
Medieval musical period Answer: After fall of Rome 476 - 1300s
Monophonic chant Answer: Medieval. Single unison melodic line.
Somber religious chants called plainchant or plainsong. Gregorian
chants too. When other voices added, they moved parallel to the
main voice.
Cantus firmus Answer: Main melody in a chant
Motet Answer: Medieval. Evolved from monophonic chant. Adding
additional parts against main cantus firmus. Popular by 1200s.
Continued through Bach.
Organum Answer: Medieval. Evolved from plainchant. Means adding
a second vocal line to monophonic chant, usually 4th or 5th away
from melody.
Medieval Madrigal Answer: Medieval. Italian. Duet about a pastoral
subject. (Other madrigals came later)
Ars Nova Answer: Late medieval. "New art." Polyphonic with unique
rhythms. Pioneered in France by Phillippe de Vitry. Led directly into
Renaissance. Popularized chanson.
© 2025 All rights reserved
,2
Chanson Answer: Late medieval, early Renaissance. Style of
polyphonic vocal music that incorporated poetry. Often about
courtly love and courtly intrigue. Often accompanied by a string
instrument.
Ligature-based notation Answer: Medieval. Way to write music. Did
not indicate rhythms.
Inventor of staff Answer: Guido d' Arezzo. Italian music theorist.
Developed 4 line staff in 1000s. Evolved into 5 line staff toward end
of medieval period.
Troubadour Answer: Medieval. Traveling musicians accompanying
singing with string instruments like lutes, dulcimers, vielles,
psalteries, and hurdy-gurdies. Secular music. Most pop during
1100s.
Trouveres Answer: Medieval. Poet musicians, usually nobility. Sang
in Old French Dialect called langue d'oil.
Medieval music instrumentation Answer: Mostly vocals. When
instruments used, they were for woodwinds (flute, pan flute,
recorder), strings (dulcimer, psaltery, zither), and brass (sackbut)
Hammered dulcimer Answer: Medievalish. Trapezoidal instrument
whose metal strings are struck with light hammers.
© 2025 All rights reserved
,3
Mountain dulcimer Answer: Medievalish. Plucked or strummed
zither with frets over a distinctive curved hourglass-shaped
resonator
Zither Answer: Medievalish. Strummed instrument with many strings
stretched across a thin, flat body.
Psaltery Answer: Medievalish. Like a dulcimer but plucked with
fingers or plectrum (pick).
Leonin Answer: Medieval. French. Pioneered polyphonic
composition in organum style. Lived and worked in Notre Dame
Cathedral.
Perotin Answer: Medieval. Perotinus Magnus. In Notre Dame School
of Polyphony. Was associated with Ars Antiqua genre.
Hildegard von Bingen Answer: Medieval. Female. Based in Germany.
Composed monophonic chants for 1100s Catholic church.
Specialized in music for female voices.
Guillaume de Machaut Answer: Medieval. Composer of Ars Nova.
Master of isorhythmic motet. Composed sacred music. Was poet
and wrote about secular topics too.
Larynx Answer: voice box
© 2025 All rights reserved
, 4
Vocal hygiene tip - food Answer: Be hydrated. Avoid acidic foods
like citrus and tomatoes. Avoid alcohol, caffeine, dairy, and spicy
foods that irritate, dehydrate, and inflame mucous membranes.
Vocal hygiene tip - rest voice Answer: Rest or take vocal nap after
big performances. Warm up before singing. Drop an octave when
practicing super high stuff to not strain too much if needed.
Renaissance time period Answer: 1300s-1600s
Renaissance music characteristics Answer: Steady beat, balanced
phrase length, polyphony (often imitative), increasing interest in
text/music relationships, increasing use of thirds and triads, music
printed for first time, music published to public for first time,
rhythms dictated by notation for first time, and merchant class
could sing/play at home.
Word painting Answer: Renaissance. Represent poetic images
musically. Ex: Ascending melodic line portrays ascending to heaven.
Fast notes represent running.
Music purposes in Renaissance Answer: Worship Catholic and
Protestant church stuff. Entertain courtly people. Provide music for
dancing.
© 2025 All rights reserved
