Y12 Music SL Student Sheet:

Renaissance Instruments:

You have a set of videos and audio clips shared with you. You also have a picture of the instrument and a
description of both it’s appearance and sound. Using this information, accurately re-create the table below to
build a picture of the instruments of the renaissance.

Instrument Audio Visual Description Timbre Description Picture

Name Track/Vi
deo

Shawm No. The shawm is a conical bore, Your description:

double-reed woodwind
instrument made in Europe
from the 12th century to the
present day. It achieved its
peak of popularity during the
medieval and Renaissance

Recorder No. A wooden instrument with a Your description:

whistle mouthpiece. The
change in pitch is created by
placing fingers over holes on
the body of the instrument.

Lute No. A plucked string instrument Can produce a plucked or

with a neck (either fretted or
unfretted) and a deep round
back enclosing a hollow cavity,
usually with a sound hole or
opening in the body.
strumming sound. Fretted
instruments produce a
clean change between
notes, whist un-fretted
instruments create a
sliding sound.

Cornett No. A conical wooden pipe covered Your description:

in leather, is about 24 inches
(60 cm) long, and has finger
holes and a small horn or ivory
mouthpiece.
Instrument Audio Visual Description Timbre Description Picture
Name Track/Vi
deo

Sackbut No. Has the appearance of a A mellow brassy tone, with

trombone. Control of pitch is
achieved by using both the lips
- to get the notes of the
harmonic series, and the slide -
so the instrument my play
chromatically
the capability to play
chromatic phrases and
slide between notes. Can
be controlled to the extent
that it can perform both
harsh loud passages and
delicate soft music.

Viol (Viola No. Bowed instruments with frets.
Da They were usually played held
Gamba) downwards on the lap or
between the legs (the name
______da gamba translates to
leg ______).
The tone is quiet but with
a rather distinctly nasal
quality which many think
makes it too restrained for
dance music but an ideal
instrument for polyphony
where the clarity of texture
is so important.

Organ No. Your Description: Your Description

Regal No. The regal was a small portable Your Description:

organ, furnished with beating
reeds and having two
bellows.[1] The instrument
enjoyed its greatest popularity
during the Renaissance.

Harpsichor No. A keyboard instrument: the A bright twangy sound is

d string is plucked by a small produced by strings being
plectrum, originally of quill. plucked. This instrument
cannot play different
dynamics.

Serpent No. Your Description: Your Description