Organum

Listen to Organum

The earliest type of notated polyphony. A new note was added to an existing Gregorian Chant. An organ often accompanied the singing, hence the name organum. The Gregorian Chant in an organum was a slower moving voice and the second added part was an embellished faster moving part. The composers choice of the new note to be added to the existing chant was a special decision based on what was considered to be consonant and non-offensive to the church. The interval of a 3rd or 6th was considered too sensual and the tritone was considered the "devil in music." The interval of a fifth was and in some ways still is the most important interval in the world. In the Middle Ages it was considered magical. It is the first new note in the overtone series.