Prelude
Preludes come from the Renaissance period, when lutenists (people who played the lute) improvised (which means playing while making it up as they were going along) a simple piece before a concert so that they could check whether their instrument was in tune. During the 16th century, composers often wrote pieces which they called a “prelude” which was often a separate piece of music. These were often for lute, guitar or cittern.