How do I compose medieval music?

The OP should read some books about composition, and complete a college course.

Medieval music is relatively easy to compose, because there weren't many chords you can use (most of the chords were yet to be invented). You didn't have to worry about instruments, because medieval music is nothing but a bunch of humans singing together. The musical forms were extremely limited. If you're already a classical music composer, you should be able to master medieval music composition very quickly.

Actually Italian artist Gian Castello has a splendid medieval album called Taliesyn that you should check out , its sheer magic. Also worthy is the early Malicorne stuff, perhaps a tad more Celtic (read Breton) . On the learning side , you should look up the motets ( polyphonic composition based on a sacred text and usually sung without accompaniment) and cantatas (musical composition, often using a sacred text, comprising recitatives, arias, and choruses). That would be a great beginning IMHO. BTW, I am a sucker for medieval music , whether coated in prog or not!

Edited by tszirmay - March 18 2010 at 01:39

Parallel 5ths are a useful device - although, obviously, if you use them on a high-gain guitar sound, they'll only sound like power chords.

Edited by Certif1ed - March 15 2010 at 08:49

My suggestion to you is to roll up your sleeves and get involved with whichever medieval music genres appeal to you most.  Sing chant, join the local recorder society, learn to play instrumental tunes or cantigas on your preferred instrument.  Find a mentor or a teacher and learn a medieval instrument and its performance practice.  Study, study study!  Maybe take a college course (not Music Appreciation), read books and articles.  Once you have a grasp of the theory and stylistic practices you'll be better equipped to compose "authentic" sounding tunes.

Some instrumental groups I heartily recommend: Jordi Savall & Hesperion XX/XXI, Sequentia, Dufay Collective, Ensemble Unicorn, Ensemble Alcatraz, Eduardo Paniagua. 

Hope this helps a little, good luck in your neomedieval endeavors.  Be aware though, that once you've caught the early music bug it can be just as detrimental to your bank account as prog rock! 

Jacob Handl (aka Gallus), not George Frideric Handl of course.

Have you tried going all medieval on yourself yet?  I recommend repeatedly hitting yourself on the head with with a board whilst marching in a group of similarly non-mined peoples

AbrahamSapien wrote: Ludjak wrote: I'd suggest intensive listening to music from the period (Pérotin, Guillaume de Machaut, anonymous troubadour stuff and the [more sophisticated] Renaisssance masters such as Orlando di Lasso or Palestrina) and getting hold of a few scores (if you're lucky) to see how things worked. A book or two on polyphonic composition could also be useful (I don't know of any, though :/). You forgot Gallus, the master of polyphony.

I've never heard anything by him, but I have a 200 tolar banknote somewhere  Is there something available (recordings, scores)?

I'd suggest intensive listening to music from the period (Pérotin, Guillaume de Machaut, anonymous troubadour stuff and the [more sophisticated] Renaisssance masters such as Orlando di Lasso or Palestrina) and getting hold of a few scores (if you're lucky) to see how things worked. A book or two on polyphonic composition could also be useful (I don't know of any, though :/).

Isn't medieval just a term given to any music pre Rennaissance, when they started writing things down? If so doesn't that make it not a style, but just a very long period in musical history.

Blowin Free wrote: ^ Gentle Giant, you fail.

That's modern rock music. Maybe if you had said Gryphon I would have let you go with it