Unlike medieval music which comprised only vocals, Renaissance music included both instruments and vocals. The main instruments would be harps, flute, violin, etc. Medieval music was monophonic which in the later ages transformed into polyphonic. Renaissance music largely contained buoyant melodies. The Medieval period saw the beginning of music and by the time it reached the Renaissance era, the musical era was already developed to an extent with many music composers in existence like William Byrd and Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina.