How to Write Authentic Renaissance Era Music

Have you ever heard a renaissance-style song and wondered how it was pieced together - or wanted to write one of your own? This article will help you to identify, analyze and write your own renaissance-style music.

Steps

1
Learn about how Renaissance music arose.
- There were various eras of Renaissance music. Before that, the first era of music that we know much about started around 1200, and was referred to as the Medieval period of music. Between 1400 and 1450 and lasting until 1600 – this was the renaissance era of music, starting with 1400-1500 as the “Early renaissance” 1450 to 1550 as the “Middle Renaissance” and 1500 to 1600 as the “Late renaissance”.
- There were very simple rules to follow as far as renaissance era music was concerned, and even as the music progressed through its internal eras (early, middle and late) it evolved, if only slightly.
2
Become familiar with the specific rules. Depending on the exact date the piece was written, and the geographical origin, there may have been additional rules, or occurrences within the music.
- Secular songwriters from what is modern-day France were called Troubadours and Trouveres, and they bridged the gap between the Medieval and Renaissance eras. Each had unique musical composition styles.
- During the Medieval era, some argued whether or not sacred music be allowed in the churches, and when it was, it was almost always written in ecclesiastical Latin. By the renaissance era, the church began to adopt some secular songwriting practices. There were Counterpoints or Contrapuntal compositions, Motets – which would sometimes include multiple languages, secular Madrigals, and Troubadour songs.
- Chant music was a sacred counterpoint that was popular during the medieval era. It is sometimes mistakenly referred to as “Gregorian Chant” after Pope Gregory who did not write, but merely organized the works much later. This plainchant would serve as the foundation for renaissance choral works.
- Music at this time was modal, and the most commonly used modes were (in order) Mixolydian, Dorian and Phrygian, Aeolian and Ionian. Lydian and Locrian were hardly used. In case you are unfamiliar with the modes, they are similar to modern scales – The Ionian is a perfect parallel to the modern “Major” scale, and Aeolian is a perfect parallel to the modern “Minor” scale. Mixolydian is a Major Scale with a flat 7 (the seventh scale degree is lowered one half-step, thus eliminating the “leading tone”). Dorian is a Minor Scale with a sharp 6 (the sixth scale degree is raised one half-step), and Phrygian is a Minor scale with a Flat 2. Lydian is a Major scale with a sharp 4, and Locrian is a minor scale with a flat 2 AND a flat 5. While Lydian “scales” are becoming popular for modern music (sometimes referred to as a #11 chord), they were hardly used in the renaissance.
3
Brush up on your intervals. Intervals were important in writing renaissance music. If you don’t know your intervals, this article won’t help much. Here’s a brief synopsis of the intervals in a Major Scale in C.C D E F G A B C – this is the Major Scale in C. The intervals between the low C and its other scale degrees are as follows:
- Major 2nd (abbreviated M2) C to D ; M3 (Major 3rd) C to E (etc.) ; P4 (Perfect 4th) ; P5 ; M6 ; M7 ; P8 (Also called Perfect Octave). If Low C was played two times in succession, the interval would be referred to as a P1 or Perfect Unison.
- C D Eb F G Ab Bb C – this is the Minor Scale in C, and its intervals are as follows:
  M2 ; m3 (Minor 3rd, indicated by the lowercase “m” versus the Capital “M”) ; P4 ; P5 ; m6 ; m7 ; P8. Again, two low Cs in succession are a P1 or Perfect Unison. Otherwise, you’ll notice not much has changed. There are more intervals than this.
- C C#/Db D D#/Eb E F F#/Gb G G#/Ab A A#/Bb B C – this is the Chromatic Scale. It encompasses every note in the Western Tonality, starting with C. Its intervals are as follows:
  - +1 (or Augmented Unison) / m2, M2, +2/m3, M3, P4, +4/°5 (or Augmented 4th / Diminished 5th), P5, +5/m6, M6, +6/m7, M7, P8. As always, two Cs in a row is a Perfect Unison. There are alternate names for each interval depending on if it is raised (# / sharp) or lowered (b / flat).
  - Intervals are apparent between two notes in a single part, and one note and its contrapuntal harmony.
When writing renaissance music, you will write two to four (rarely six) completely independent musical lines, typically indicative of the males singing parts, or instrumental parts. The parts will in starting together, for the most part line up, but there can be very beautiful harmonies created with opposing rhythms. A single theme that is repeated is called a motif, and it can be slowed down or sped up in other parts, even as one part performs it as is.
The important rules to follow were:A.) The most common leaps were up a fourth, and down a fifth. There were no jumps greater than a fourth, and no jumps of a Tri-tone (diminished 5th / augmented 4th). Typically, though, linear or scalar movement was used when possible, using Passing Tones if necessary.B.) Avoid the leading tone – seventh scale degree (natural 7 – found in Ionian and Lydian only). Similarly, Intervals in the harmony should not land on a 2nd or a 7th.C.) Avoid non-diatonic tones – try to pick a mode and stick to it.D.) Don’t think in chords, think in intervals – counterpoint is made of two or more completely independent parts.E.) Authentic renaissance music did not feature 2 subsequent “Perfect” intervals in the harmony.F.) Authentic renaissance music did not feature more than 3 subsequent 3rds or 6ths in the harmony.
If need be, use Passing Tones to negate the “choppy” sound of large leaps. Though you are writing independent parts, it is smart to write them all simultaneously.
While in traditional renaissance music, rhythm was indicated by mensural notation, if it is a modern composition mimicking renaissance music, it is perfectly fine to use modern notation. The most commonly used rhythms were whole notes, half notes, quarter notes and eighth notes (technically their equivalents) and the breve or double-whole note (which is a medieval invention still used today).
English was written in what’s known as Middle-English akin to Chaucer. They had different words for things we still use today. If you’re writing a motet, it may be partly in Spanish partly in English, and partly in French. Sacred pieces will probably be written in ecclesiastical Latin. German was also used. Popular themes included love and grief, sacred pieces often quoted scripture, and as always a popular secular theme was drinking or philandering. You’ll see, music has evolved, but not a whole lot.
With this information under your belt, you may very well be the most chronologically accurate people there.
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