• Before the 16th century, instruments were considered to be far less important than voices. But, from this century, composers wrote music especially for instruments only, pieces purely for playing and listening. The concept of orchestra as a stable group did not exist in group music yet. That is why instruments were not specified on the score and the plays were performed according to the available means of each occasion.

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• Instrumental forms:

​    - Adaptations from vocal works with the same structue and texture. Ex: Ricercare (vocal motet) and Canzona (vocal chanson)

   - Pieces based on improvisation upon a given melody or the music that can be freely composed. Tocatta, Fantasia.

    - Pieces based on variations, that starts with a single melody that is repeated with melodic and rhythmic changes, or modifications in its design, or adding new things. Differences were the Spanish name of this form.

 

• As in the Medieval Period, they were divided into low or soft and high or loud instruments: 

​    - Haut or Loud music: performed by instruments with great sound power in the outdoor or public events.

     - Bas or Low music: performed by instruments of soft sound intensity intended for indoor performances.  

 

• The main instruments of Renaissance were:

    -  Lute: its neck was bent, the strings were tuned in pairs, and the fingerboard had fret, indicating where to press down the strings.

    -  Viols: with six strings and fretted fingerboard, they were held upright in front of the player

    -  Wind instruments: crumhorn (similar to oboe); racket (similar to bassoon); sackbut (the early trombone) and trumpet.        

-  Percussion instruments: tambourine, tabor, kettle drums, side drums, triangle and cymbals.

 

COMPOSERS: Andrea Gabrielli, John Dowland, Luis de Narváez and Antonio de Cabezón.