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Organum (/ˈɔːrɡənəm/) is, in general, a plainchant melody with at least one added voice to enhance the harmony, developed in the Middle Ages.

Gregorian chant is also called plainchant. It is music that is monophonic, which means a melody of one note at a time. Gregorian chant began during the Middle Ages in Europe, which refers to the period from about the 5th century to the 15th century. It was music of the Catholic Church, so it was ceremonial in purpose.

A four-line staff is still used to notate plainchant. The standard five-line staff appeared in about 1200 in polyphonic music. Some 16th-century keyboard music used staves of more lines. Modern keyboardists play from two combined staves: one for the right hand in treble clef, and one for the left in bass clef.

Melody - The melody of a Gregorian chant is very free-flowing. The chant moves up and down by steps and small leaps within a narrow range. Melodies are often melismatic- syllables are held out over multiple notes. Harmony - Gregorian chants are monophonic in texture, so have no harmony.

More specifically, the word organum refers to a polyphonic style of sacred chanting that flourished in Europe from 8th to 13th century and the term melismatic indicates a vocal line in which there are several notes sung on the same syllable (melisma).

The simplest form of Organum comprises two musical voices or melodies. One melody is a Gregorian or plain chant melody, and the other is an additional melody added in parallel at the interval of a perfect fourth or fifth.

Gregorian chant had a significant impact on the development of medieval and Renaissance music. Modern staff notation developed directly from Gregorian neumes. The square notation that had been devised for plainchant was borrowed and adapted for other kinds of music.

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The staff is the foundation upon which notes are drawn. The stave (or staff) is the foundation upon which notes are drawn. The modern staff comprises five lines and four spaces. The modern stave comprises five lines and four spaces. Every line or space on the staff represents a white key on the keyboard.

Musical notes are written on a staff. A staff is made up of five horizontal lines and the four spaces between the lines. The vertical lines on the staff are called bars. The space between two bar lines is called a measure.

Characteristics of Medieval Music Over Time

• Monophony- music that features a single line of melody and no accompaniment or harmony.
• Development and use of early music notation systems- ''neumes'' above text indicated pitch direction changes and loose rhythms, but not exact pitch as in modern music notation.

Gregorian chant was an important part of Catholic worship in the Middle Ages. The church promoted the idea that music was mainly for the worship of God. Instrumental music was not allowed in the church.