I have learned (in school) Bourdons would be sounds which are not produced directly (by plucking a string or hitting a key) but just sound when other tones appear. The sound of a bagpipe is also described as having bourduns. or the viola d'amore has a second set of (bourdon) strings which are not bowed - they just sound along and enrich the sound of the bowed tones.
I guess the english language has a different usage of this word. I never thought of the bases of a lute as bourdons and would have used "diaparsons" (which doesn't sound so similar to the german "Bordun") Best wishes Thomas Am Mit, 2004-01-28 um 11.35 schrieb Stewart McCoy: > Dear Tony, > > As you know, bourdonner in French means to buzz (of insects), and le > bourdon can be a bumble bee. Why should the French have used such a > word for the lower string of an octave pair? I wonder if it is > because, when you play campanella passages on a baroque guitar with > bourdons, there is a sort of buzzy noise underneath the texture, a > bit like someone with a deep voice trying to sing along an octave > lower. > > The word was discussed a few years ago under the subject title > "Bumhart". (It is easy to locate in the archives, because it has a > distinctive yet relevant title.) I contributed to that thread on > 30th December 1999, and, apart from discussing related questions of > etymology, included my favourite (most groanworthy) joke about > German lute composers. > > Best wishes, > > Stewart. > > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Tony Chalkley" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Sent: Tuesday, January 27, 2004 11:09 AM > Subject: Re: Bourdons or diapasons? > > > > Etymologically neither term is worth the pixels they display in as > far as I > > can see - diapason would appear to be more correct for the octave > in a pair, > > but it wouldn't matter which one, and bourdon means nothing > precise at all - > > not even when you're talking entymologically - (that one was for > French > > speakers). > > > > Tony > > > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > From: "Alain Veylit" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > Sent: Monday, January 26, 2004 11:51 PM > > Subject: Bourdons or diapasons? > > > > > > > Hi all, > > > What is the preferred/correct word for those lute strings below > the 6th > > > one...? I used to call them "bourdons" but it seems that in > England the > > > prefered term is "diapasons". > > > Anxiously awaiting public wisdom on this point of terminology - > > > Alain > -- Thomas Schall Niederhofheimer Weg 3 D-65843 Sulzbach 06196/74519 [EMAIL PROTECTED] www.lautenist.de / www.tslaute.de/weiss --
