Final answer:
Medieval music was both sacred and secular. Gregorian chant was the predominant liturgical genre. Instruments such as the wooden flute, recorder, and gemshorn were commonly used in medieval music. Renaissance music had richer textures, modes, and a focus on the progression of chords.
Step-by-step explanation:
Medieval music was both sacred and secular. During the earlier medieval period, the liturgical genre, predominantly Gregorian chant, was monophonic. Polyphonic genres began to develop during the high medieval era, becoming prevalent by the later thirteenth and early fourteenth century. The development of such forms is often associated with the Ars nova.
Medieval music is characterized by a heavy feel created by instruments that are not widely used today. Instruments such as the side-blown or end-blown wooden flute, the recorder, and the gemshorn were commonly used during this period. The pan flute, a predecessor of the flute, was also popular in medieval times.
Secular music during the medieval period had an increasing distribution and a wide variety of forms. However, it is important to note that while more music has survived from this era compared to the preceding medieval era due to printing, some rich store of popular music from the late Middle Ages is irretrievably lost.
Renaissance music, on the other hand, featured richer textures in four or more parts and a greater concern for the flow and progression of chords. The use of modes and harmony with a focus on the progression of chords were also defining characteristics of Renaissance music.