CLEP Humanities : Medieval Music (476-1400)

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for CLEP Humanities

varsity tutors app store varsity tutors android store

Example Questions

Example Question #1 : Medieval Music (476 1400)

How many notes are in a traditional Western octave?

Possible Answers:

Five

Seven

Eight

Twelve

Ten

Correct answer:

Eight

Explanation:

The octave is the interval between a musical note and that of half or double its frequency. The octave is one of the natural elements of music, with two different notes producing the exact same pitch. In the Western tradition, while there are twelve chromatic, or precise half-interval, steps, the actual notation of each scale is on eight notes of differing spaces.

Example Question #2 : Medieval Music (476 1400)

Gregorian chant was most utilized in what venue during the Middle Ages?

Possible Answers:

Funerals

Courtly settings

Liturgy

Governmental functions

Weddings

Correct answer:

Liturgy

Explanation:

Gregorian chant is the style of music that developed throughout the Middle Ages, having various sources and styles. It was an ecclesiastical form of music, meaning that it was a "church" music. In particular, it was a kind of liturgical music, used in the various forms of public worship undertaken by the Latin Roman Catholic Church. Its melodies were based on the texts of the Mass, the Divine Office, and other liturgical ceremonies. Many of these texts were biblical, though adaptations from other sources are also found in many hymns and antiphons throughout the Middle Ages.

Example Question #3 : Medieval Music (476 1400)

Which of the following was the primary language of Gregorian Chant in the Middle Ages?

Possible Answers:

Aramaic

Greek

Hebrew

Arabic

Latin

Correct answer:

Latin

Explanation:

Strictly speaking, Gregorian Chant is a phenomenon of the Christian West. It was the liturgical music of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church, which dominated much (though not all) of Western Europe throughout the Middle Ages. While there were other forms of liturgical worship throughout this period, the Latin Rite was the "location" for the development of the Gregorian Chant repertoire. Its texts were taken from various parts of the liturgy, drawing on biblical sources as well as more original compositions by hymn and antiphon writers.

Example Question #42 : Performing Arts

Which musical instrument was common in Medieval music and was associated with the god Apollo in Ancient Greece?

Possible Answers:

Lyre

Pipes

Trumpet

Lute

Harpsichord

Correct answer:

Lyre

Explanation:

The pipes, trumpet, and harpsichord are not common Medieval instruments. Though is was an ancient stringed instrument also common in Medieval times, the lute was not associated with Apollo.

Example Question #4 : Medieval Music (476 1400)

Gregorian chants were developed by clerics of which religious tradition?

Possible Answers:

Sunni Islam

Rabbinic Judaism

Protestant Christianity

Orthodox Christianity

Roman Catholic Christianity

Correct answer:

Roman Catholic Christianity

Explanation:

Developed in the ninth and tenth centuries in Western Europe, Gregorian chants are a simple, monophonic form of music used as sacred music by monks in the Catholic tradition. Gregorian chants helped spread the Latin Rite of Roman Christianity by having a common, uniform musical style for worship. Among certain monastic orders, the Gregorian chant is still a common form of worship.

Learning Tools by Varsity Tutors