Medieval Musical Instruments

Medieval instruments are still used in music. Some instruments have changed during the years, such as the flute, which was made out of wood (instead of metal). Other instruments have become less common, such as the harpsichord and the clavichord, which were substituted by the piano in the 18th century. These are a few of the popular medieval musical instruments:

1. Bagpipe

Bagpipes were popular among ancient civilizations, the Roman Emperor Nero is said to have known how to play it. Bagpipes were made of goat or sheep skin and a reed pipe. During the Middle Ages more drones (pipes) were added to the instrument, which was widely used in medieval music. The Galician-Portuguese Cantigas de Santa Maria from the 13th century and the Catalan Llibre Vermell de Montserrat from the 14th century include bagpipes in their songs. They continue to be a famous instruments, especially popular in the Scottish Highlands.

2. Lizard

Also known as tenor cornett, the lizard is a wind instrument, similar to a flute. This instrument originated during the end of the medieval period, and it became particularly popular during the Renaissance and the Baroque period. Some influential composers who used the lizard include Orlande de Lassus, Giovanni Gabrieli and Heinrich Schütz.

3. Hammered Dulcimer

This is a string instrument that originated thousands of years ago in the Middle East. The dulcimer consists of a rectangular box with two bridges and several parallel strings on top that are beaten with two light hammers to produce sound. During the Middle Ages this instrument was introduce to Europe, where it became popular. Until today similar instruments are part of folk music of different European and Asian countries.

4. Vielle

The vielle is a bowed string instrument with five strings of French origin. This instrument was highly popular during the Middle Ages, especially among troubadours and jongleurs, between the 13th and 15th century. The vielle is similar to the modern fiddle. 

5. Horns

Horns have been used since ancient times by different civilizations for various purposes. They were originally actual horns from animals such as oxen, rams and elephants (tusk horns were a symbol of royalty and they were brought from Asia). The oldest metal horns found date back to the 10th century. The alphorn (alpine horn), a long horn carved out of wood, is an example of a centuries-old horn instrument that is still popular in the Alpine region.

6. Pipe Organ

The organ is an ancient instrument believed to have originated in Greece in the 3rd century BCE. In 757, the Byzantine emperor Constantine V sent a pipe organ as a gift to the King of the Franks, Pepin (Charlemagne's father), since then it became an important instrument in Western European music, especially church music. Most medieval European churches possess a pipe organ. Until today pipe organs are used in music, particularly in classical music. In the pipe organ, the sound is produced by the air passing through the pipes each time the musician hits a key on the keyboard. 

7. Bells

Bells have been used in music throughout history in different parts of the world. The traditional Chinese instrument bianzhong consists of a set of bronze bells, this instrument is thousands of years old. In medieval Europe, bells were present in many religious songs, including some cantigas.

8. Oboe

The oboe originated from an instrument named shawn. The shawn is a woodwind, conical instrument created during the 12th century in Europe. It was a popular instrument in medieval and renaissance music, and during the 17th century it evolved into an instrument called hautbois, created in France, which is the oboe. There is also evidence of instruments similar to the oboe in other parts of the world, such as Asia.