Traditional Music of France



This media item will not play in the internet software you are currently using.

In France traditional folk dances and songs are preserved primarily in relatively isolated regions in the south. Lyrical love songs, humorous songs, and dance music are the most prominent types of folk songs in the region. This example of a folk dance tune is performed in straight duple time, as is most French music. The featured instruments in this example are the bagpipe and the hurdy-gurdy, a keyed fiddle with a rosined, cranked wheel that takes the place of a bow. The hurdy-gurdy can play both a melody and a drone (sustained note) accompaniment. Melodies accompanied by drones are characteristic of much European as well as French folk music.

Appears in these articles

France

*	Exclusively for MSN Encarta Premium Subscribers Join Now