The Monochord in the Medieval and Modern Classrooms

The monochord was a standard feature of musical pedagogy in the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. In the modern classroom, it allows our students to experience the pedagogical world of the medieval classroom, bringing a deeper reality to an otherwise abstract series of concepts. This article presents a general overview of the various uses of the monochord in medieval and Renaissance pedagogy and provides a lesson plan for using the instrument effectively in an undergraduate music history class.